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The Rode NT1A dollar for dollar is a great studio grade microphone and I would have expected nothing less from a Rode microphone. The NT1A delivers the high end quality sound I have come to demand from any mic I use and I do use a few. The frequency response and pick up pattern are standard with most other studio type microphones and the shock mount is standard. What I enjoy about this mic is the lack of processing I need to put into post production, the audio is naturally rich to begin with so boosting bass or treble is not so much of an issue. The NT1A has replaced my usual microphone used in VO work and is now my dedicated mic. This microphone does not break the bank and functions remarkable well. While you are buying a Rode product you are not paying simply for a name with a 1000% markup like other studio grade mics that count on their name to sell their product delivering nothing more than this microphone, you are getting a high quality tool that produces high quality sound and you didn't need to mortgage your house against it. If there is anything I didn't like about the Rode NT1A it would be the weight of the unit. When I placed the mic in its shock mount I found I had to adjust my pivot point on the mic boom so it was not as front heavy. In the grand scale of likes and dislikes this is a very minor point and should not be an item to discourage it's consideration. Alan Knight Broadcast Engineer Owner Midknight Video ProductionRead full review
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
I've only done one recording with the Rode NT1-a mic so far, but I can tell already that I like it. I recently upgraded from using Shure mics directly into my MBox2 to using Rode mics and a Royer 121 ribbon mic and a Trident S20 preamp (all bought on EBAY except the Royer which I bought new). The Rode mics do a great job on vocals, they are good on acoustic guitars, and decent on amps too. The NT1-A sounds nice, and is a great value, but (no surprise) the more expensive Rode NT1000 has a smoother sound. It is a subtle difference - one that you might not notice if you did not have both mics to A/B. Despite being a tad "rougher", the Rode NT1-A is by no means unpleasant sounding, and I found myself using both Rode mics on the same tracks and blending them. There is an upgrade service that advertises on EBAY which seems like it could improve both mics considerably for a reasonable cost (but I have not tried it ...yet ...so I can not say for sure). Both Rode mics seem to be a lot better than my Shure mics: SM57, beta 57a, and Beta 87a (the beta 87a is best of my Shure mics by a mile). It is unfair to compare the Rode or Shure mics with my Royer 121 which is in a much different class. The Royer is a $1200 mic with exceptional clarity and realism. It is terrific for recording electric and acoustic guitar, but it has a very low output (it needs a preamp), and it not flattering on my vocals. I prefer the Rode mics for vocals. To sum up, the Rode NT1a is really good mic, and a terrific value, but if you can only buy one, I'd recommend the Rode NT1000 (assuming the added cost is not an issue). You really can't go wrong either way.Read full review
When audio counts, nothing beats a good microphone. In my opinion, for the money, nothing beats the Rode NT1A. Found in studios all over the world, the Australian-built doesn't disappoint. The microphone is quiet, meaning little, if any, noise is generated by the mic itself. That makes it good for acoustic instruments and vocals. Vocals sound warm and rich with a lot of presence. Normally, you can get it with a shockmount and a zippered pouch. It's heavy for its size. A large (one inch) condenser studio mic, the Rode NT1A has a cardioid polar pattern as pickup, a 20hz to 20khz dynamic range and requires phantom power. The microphone does have its limits. I would never use it in a live, on stage, setting for a band, the pickup pattern is tight, it's a little hot so a pop filter is often a necessity, and you might need a preamp for tweaking. But, all that is made up for by the cost - less than $200 on eBay including shipping. The mic certainly hangs with those costing much, much more as far as sound quality is concerned. The bottom line is that I was pleasantly surprised at the Rode NT1A. It's now my podcasting and video podcasting microphone of choice.Read full review
I am fairly new to home recording. I have been on the learning curve for three years now. I first learned about this mic on Recordingreview.com. It was really talked up for being a high quality mic for the hobbyist all the way to a backup, and even a main mic for professionals. I have used sure sm 58 / 57's, various MXL's, a few other budget mic, a pretty nice Sterling 7000. I watched this Mic for years, and really wanted to try it. I researched, and researched it. I finally found it on Ebay for 160.00! It came with a nice Pop Filter. Better than one's I have bought on Musician's Friend for 30.00. A pretty nice Shock Mount with an extra band for when the original one stretches. There was other eye candy including tips on how to use the mic, loops, and a trial version of a DAW! The Sterling Mic sells for 500.00, and the Rode normally sells for around 250.00. The sound quality with the is as good, if not better than than all the others I have use on acoustic guitars. Especially placed back about 1.5 feet. There is some EQ tweaking that needs to be done on higher frequencies with the Rode vs. the Sterling. Comparing what comes with each Mic, Sound Quality, Both are equally matched in durability, The Sterling is a little heavier, I would pay 500.00 for the Rode as well. A very nice mic. If you are fairly new to recording, and want to boost up the front end of the signal chain, Don't Spend 500.00! Get the RodeRead full review
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