Incredible mic for the price, pass on the audio interface
The RODE NT-1 hits well above its weight for a $300 mic. It has a beautifully-flat sensitivity curve and a large sweet spot. Build quality seems great, and the shock mount is one of the more solid condenser mounts I’ve used. I’m a big fan.
Unfortunately, the AI-1 audio interface lets the package down. The issues primarily come down to signal level/quality and driver support. The hardware build itself is quite good, with Neutrik connectors and a solid aluminium enclosure.
The preamp is clear, but weak. You get plenty of signal from the NT-1 which isn’t surprising since condenser mics are very sensitive. However, I was unable to get a decently hot signal with my Shure SM57, even with the trim pot wide open. A shame, although if you’re only using the NT-1 with this interface it might not be a problem for you.
The other major issue is the Windows driver situation. Windows is a difficult platform for audio since the OS support for audio has traditionally been weak. Rode has opted for ‘driverless’ DirectX audio and the result is...substantially problematic. For example, you won’t want to use this interface for multi-application audio (such as for streaming) since DirectX tends to exclusively grant audio to one owning app. The latency is also *horrendous*, in order of seconds, with the DirectX windows drivers. RODE *does* offer an ASIO driver which you can download from their website, however, I was unable to get the AI-1 to record or play back audio at all with the driver configured in my DAW of choice (Ableton Live).
I haven’t yet tried the AI-1 with my Mac, but I expect it will work flawlessly there since it’s a Core Audio device. Mac OS has always had the edge when it comes to low-latency audio.
While you don’t expect the earth from a $100 interface, there are quite a few single-channel interfaces in this price range from, say, Focusrite or even Tascam that perform quite a bit better. It’s just a shame, given the studio pack is otherwise a fantastic deal for a really nice piece of kit.
Unless you’re just planning on using the NT-1 through the AI-1 into a Mac, I wouldn’t recommend this particular package. Instead, get the similar package with the mic, shock mount, cable, but not the interface, and buy a one or two channel audio interface separately.
For Windows, multi-app live-streaming (Tarkov, Discord, and Ableton, with OBS Studio multiplexing audio) I’m using the NT-1 and its shock mount into my Apogee Duet. This setup is working great, since Apogee now offers high-quality windows drivers in addition to their Core Audio support.
This is RODE’s first audio interface. I am a fan of the company and their products, so I’m hopeful future interfaces will opt int a higher-quality A/D chip and offer real drivers.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
