Are you a YouTuber who uploads gameplay? Or maybe someone who does voiceovers? Are you the next breakout vocal artist? Or are you someone who just love to have the best gadgets?
Whoever you are and whoever you want to be, you are going to find in this quick read the essential equipment for your audio recording needs. And what is it? Okay everyone, let us say it. A condenser microphone!
The audio can make or break the entire project. Whether you are making music or creating a video, all of your hard work would all boil down to the clarity of your sound. Everything that you did would become pointless if the audience or your viewers could not hear the beauty of your audio.
So to prevent this from ever happening, creators invest in a good condenser microphone. Yes, they are a lot of work to set up, and they are not that portable. But it all works out in the end because you have professional sounding music.
Table of Contents
Rode NT1-A Cardioid Condenser Microphone
Here we are going to review the Rode NT1-A Microphone Package. You might have heard about this microphone as it is one of the most used condenser microphones by YouTubers who do covers or gameplay streams.
Features:
- Large 1” (25mm) capsule plated with gold diaphragm
- Polar pattern: Cardioid
- Only 5dB of self-noise
- Does not require a transformer as it has surface mount circuitry
- Dynamic wide range
- Gold plated output contacts
- True condenser which is biased externally
- Internal capsule shock mounting
- Ten-year warranty
- Comes with an instructional DVD and tips on how to use it
- Frequency Range: 20 Hz-20 kHz
- Directional Pattern: Cardioid
- Comes with on stage MS7701B Tripod Base Floor Microphone Stand which is in the color black
- The microphone stand has a midpoint steel locking clutch, 30″ removable boom
- The tripod base folds flat which also has a black finish
- The MS7701B Euro Boom flaunts a hybrid sheet metal and composite leg housing to make it durable and unbreakable
- It has a removable boom arm, and this arm also can fold flat
- The mid-point clutch is made with zinc and is also colored black
- Length of the boom mic: 30″
- Height when adjusted: 36-64″
- Spread of the base: 23″
- Gross Weight: about 5.15 lbs
Summary of Features:
It has all the accessories needed for your basic setup of a condenser microphone. However, if you want to take it up a notch, you can purchase other accessories that would complement the basic setup.
The MS7701B Euro Boom is extremely sensitive and could detect clear and crisp sounds. Almost everything comes in the color gold and black so you would not have any other choice for the colors.
The stand and the microphone are durable, so it would not break easily. But more often than not, the tripod should be used as when the stand is adjusted it has the greater tendency to fall over.
It is not your plug-and-play microphone. It takes some work to set it up, but you would be aided by the instructional DVD that it comes with and it also provides for setup and adjustment tips.
Verdict:
The Rode NT1-A Cardioid Condenser Microphone Package is worth buying. Yes, it does have some problems when recording loud frequencies, and there is numerous backlash on the stand. But these problems could be resolved by quick fixes that are also found within the package.
The best thing about this condenser microphone is the quality sound that it can recreate. What you hear while you are recording the audio, is the accurate representation of what this microphone records. It is crisp, clear, and enhanced.
Although the microphone does not adjust to the high-frequency volume, it still enhances the sound that goes through it. So you would have an improved sound.
The problem regarding the background noise could also be easily resolved as you just have to record in a room that is fairly quiet.
Frankly, it could only capture the background noise if the noise is as loud as construction work that is placed near the microphone. Which is impossible.
The biggest flaw with this microphone is that it is good on its own, but you still have to purchase other equipment to make it great. And greatness is what we strive for right?
But as with other home recording studio setups, you have to purchase other equipment to enhance the sound. I just hoped that this condenser microphone package has it all. But we just have to wait for other releases.
This is perfect for people who do voiceovers, covers of songs, and gameplay streams (see best gaming mics). It works well with most computer software, so you would not encounter any problems with troubleshooting this product to your liking. Most, if not all successful gamers are right now using this Mic for YouTube.
Compared with the other condenser microphones in the market right now, this product is competitive. It falls into the mid-range category where the sound that it produces can pass off as a professional and studio-recorded sound, but at the same time, there is also room for improvement.
- The microphone is sensitive enough to detect the slightest of sounds.
- It also enhances the sound to make the vocals extremely detailed.
- The stand and the microphone itself is very sturdy.
- You do not have to research about how to set it up as it has an instructional video and even has tips on how to adjust the settings.
- It can work well with different vocals and instruments. But it also can function as a room microphone.
- Although it looks intimidating at first, it is effortless to set up.
- The tripod is better than a regular and standard microphone stand.
- The noise cancelling feature does work, but it also does not work to some extent. If the background noise is too persistent or loud. The microphone will pick it up.
- The vocals tend to crack when reaching high notes. The audio would become muffled. So it means that the microphone does not adjust the frequency of the sound waves that it records.
- You still need a lot of other equipment for it to work at its optimum quality. You need a separate power supply and USB cable.
- The stand can encounter some problems with adjusting the knobs or joints as they seem to be a bit fragile. So be cautious when adjusting as the whole thing might fall off.
- The pop-filter is permanently affixed to the shock mount. So people who do not prefer this kind of setup would not have a choice to remove it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the RØDE NT1-A a good mic?
The RØDE NT1-A is considered an industry-standard in many recording studios. It has been around for a long time and is a complete solution to your recording needs. You get everything you need in one place, including the mic, the shock mount, and the dust cover.
The RØDE NT1-A is a large-diaphragm condenser mic. It has a dynamic range and very low self-noise (just 5dB), making it one of the quietest mics to record your vocals and instrumentals. It also has a very high SPL capability, which lets you record the lowest of low notes in your song.
All of this makes the RØDE NT1-A a very popular choice for recording studios. However, it is a bit bulky. Being a condenser mic, it is not particularly adept for usage in high noise areas or in settings where multiple people are talking simultaneously.
What type of microphone is RØDE NT1A?
The RØDE NT1-A is a large-diaphragm (1 inch) condenser microphone. It has a unidirectional polar pattern. It is an XLR mic; it is not a plug-and-play device.
Is RØDE NT1 discontinued?
RØDE discontinued the original NT1. There were many customer complaints of defective RØDE NT1’s that did not pick up sound at all, which might have prompted the decision.
However, RØDE relaunched the NT1 in a completely new avatar with a new capsule (HF6), which you can learn about on here.
Is RØDE NT1-a USB mic?
No, both the RØDE NT1 and the RØDE NT1-A are XLR mics.
What is better RØDE NT1 or NT1A?
There are some important differences between NT1 and NT1A. The NT1 has a lower self-noise parameter (4.5dB) than the NT1A (5dB). However, the NT1 has a lower SPL (132dB) than the NT1A (137dB). The lower self-noise makes the NT1 a better mic for recording sound, whereas the NT1A may be more suited for recording the guitar or other instruments.
Secondly, the NT1A is brighter than the NT1, which makes it more dynamic. The NT1 has a more vintage sound and does not have very high notes on the treble side.
Best Studio Mics was started by a husband and wife team who love the sound and the technicals behind recording it. Both are professional theatre artists, one with a stage management background and one more on stage. One also has experience in film and television work and the different audio requirements of that arena.