unbelieveable value condenser mic!
I'm a hobby guitarist that's been playing for about 17 years. I take my guitar tone very seriously, and work diligently to convey that tone to a crowd, or to the recording device. over the past 5 years i've been getting serious about home recording. after considerable frustration trying to capture acoustic guitar and vocals with dynamic mics (SM57's, etc) i decided to investigate condenser mics. research led me to the Rode NT1-A, and i am impressed! for around $200 USD, you receive a large diaphragm condenser mic with a shock mount, 20 foot XLR cable, and a pop shield. it also comes with a 10 year warranty if you register it online with Rode.
here's the signal chain for my review:
NT1-A TASCAM US-1641 Cakewalk Sonar 8
with no equalization and proper placement, the acoustic guitar tones are staggering! excellent dynamic response provides that feeling of sitting right in front of a live acoustic guitar. all the nuances of playing are captured, leading to a very "real" and present sound. with few minor tweaks to the eq, i was able to achieve some amazing tone in less than 20 minutes!
i'm not much of a vocalist, but for the few times i've used it for vocals, the precision of the mic is fantastic for capturing the details of a vocal performance. if you listen carefully to say, Fiona Apple's "Tidal", you'll know what i mean about how subtle nuances of her performance really add something special. i believe this mic is capable of it.
i also put the NT1-A to work on recording some electric guitar. i have an old Pod Pro rack setup through a Genz Benz George Lynch g-flex 2x12. with the mic 1 inch off-center of the speaker cone center, the NT1-A had a smoother, less gritty tone compared to the dynamic mics i had been using. for the more jazz oriented tones, it was excellent. for the heavier tones that i use for rock and metal, the mic without eq did not add the sparkle that some dynamic mics do. dual mic setups (dynamic / condenser combo) with some eq might lead to more stellar results, but i have not had the time to experiment.
in short, a great mic at a great price. i would not hesitate to purchase this mic again, as it has become my immediate go-to for recording acoustic instruments and vocals.
does it sound like a $5K mic? is it going to make your bedroom studio sound like Abbey Road Studios? the answer to both is no. but then again, if you're reading this review, you're probably not in the market for a mic that costs more than my mortgage payment! if however, you're looking for a an amazing value on a mic that can expand your recording experience through awesome tone, this is definitely it. i'll be looking into other Rode products from now on.
some advice for what it's worth:
don't hesitate to look up any manufacturer's technical specs online. understanding frequency responses of mics can be key to selecting the right mic for the right job. knowing how the peaks and valleys on the chart correspond to what you hear can be a great way to combine mics, help you adjust eq to compensate or modify tone, and to achieve that sound you keep hearing in your head.Read full review
