Rode NT1-A - worth the upgrade?

Alexrkstr · #1 03-01-2011, 07:52 AM

Hi guys,

I have the MXL 990/991 pair and was thinking of upgrading to the Rode NT1-A, but I wanted to hear from people who have owned both if there is a difference that is worth the investment.

Thanks!

Scott Whigham · #2 03-01-2011, 08:26 AM

Well, if you only want to hear from people who've owned both, I'll keep quiet for a while. If not enough people chime in, I can post some of my thoughts. I don't have many thoughts nor do I have extensive experience with both - so don't think I'm holding out on you lol. I just don't want to pollute the thread too early

Alexrkstr · #3 03-01-2011, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Whigham

Well, if you only want to hear from people who've owned both, I'll keep quiet for a while. If not enough people chime in, I can post some of my thoughts. I don't have many thoughts nor do I have extensive experience with both - so don't think I'm holding out on you lol. I just don't want to pollute the thread too early

Feel free to chime in!

Scott Whigham · #4 03-01-2011, 08:44 AM

Well, like I said, I certainly don't have loads of experience with either but I have recorded with both. I think the Rode NT1A is in a different league personally. However, I actually like the NT2A better on acoustics for instrumental flatpicking (what I do). Having said that, the Shure SM81 would be my pick in that price range for my own playing. Have you considered one of those?

Alexrkstr · #5 03-01-2011, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Whigham

Well, like I said, I certainly don't have loads of experience with either but I have recorded with both. I think the Rode NT1A is in a different league personally. However, I actually like the NT2A better on acoustics for instrumental flatpicking (what I do). Having said that, the Shure SM81 would be my pick in that price range for my own playing. Have you considered one of those?

Seems like its a great mic but it's 75% more than the Rode NT1A

muscmp · #6 03-01-2011, 01:08 PM

i don't know about your mxl mics but i use two nt1a mics in stereo to record my acoustics and really love them. sometimes i even include a groove tubes gt66 with a tube in it, but placed a few feet away, to capture some of the room sounds. this makes for a great combination!

the nt1a has very low self-noise and i imagine the nt2a does also. it is more expensive but is most likely a better overall mic. shop around and you can probably find some pretty good deals on either.

good luck!
play music!

Bob1131 · #7 03-01-2011, 01:28 PM

I have a Rode NT1-A and I absolutely love it. I have read where some people think it sounds warm and yet others have said it is too bright...depends on your signal and recording chain. I think it delivers a very clear sound image, and as previously mentioned, it has the lowest internal noise rating available, so it is very quiet which helps my home recordings sound very clear. I use it for both vocal and guitar, sometimes paired with other mics for a stereo image and sometimes alone. Excellent quality and haven't had any issues with it since buying it new in 2007.

ljguitar · #8 03-01-2011, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexrkstr

Hi guys,

I have the MXL 990/991 pair and was thinking of upgrading to the Rode NT1-A, but I wanted to hear from people who have owned both if there is a difference that is worth the investment.

Thanks!

Hi Alex…
Just for clarification, the diaphragm in both MXL mics is 20mm (in both the 990 and 991) despite the different form factor. One is side address, the other end address, but it's the same diaphragm in both. It is considered medium diaphragm (neither small or large).

This is actually my favorite size diaphragm for recording medium sized acoustic instruments, and least favorite for vocals.

The diaphragm in the NT1-A is a full inch in diameter (25mm)

It is a true large diaphragm mic and I find that for vocals the full 1'' diaphragms generally sound best.

When I mic guitars my mic choice varies with polar pattern and placement and room conditions.

If I could only have one decent mic, it would be a large diaphragm. If I can choose, I'll take 20mm matched pair for guitars, and 25mm or a bit larger for vocals.

Alexrkstr · #9 03-01-2011, 10:30 PM

LJ - thanks for the clarification. That makes a lot of sense. I think I will stick to my MXL 990/991 and my MXL 603 (also small diaph'). I just used the 603/991 pair tonight and was pleased. Thanks again!

Fran Guidry · #10 03-02-2011, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexrkstr

LJ - thanks for the clarification. That makes a lot of sense. I think I will stick to my MXL 990/991 and my MXL 603 (also small diaph'). I just used the 603/991 pair tonight and was pleased. Thanks again!

I think you made a good choice. If you're interested in a mic upgrade, the NT2a or another switchable mic is worth saving for because it actually adds additional functionality, not just a minutely different flavor of frequency response and pickup pattern. The switchable mic gets you into omni for natural bass and figure 8 for mid-side or singer-player mic situations.

Fran

Alexrkstr · #11 03-02-2011, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fran Guidry

I think you made a good choice. If you're interested in a mic upgrade, the NT2a or another switchable mic is worth saving for because it actually adds additional functionality, not just a minutely different flavor of frequency response and pickup pattern. The switchable mic gets you into omni for natural bass and figure 8 for mid-side or singer-player mic situations.

Fran

Thanks Fran, sorry for the ignorance, can you explain what switching the patterns does for the tone?

ljguitar · #12 03-03-2011, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexrkstr

Thanks Fran, sorry for the ignorance, can you explain what switching the patterns does for the tone?

Hi Alex…
I am not Fran, and I hope he drops back in and expands his explanation. The flexibility of a switchable pattern large diaphragm mic go well beyond tonal improvements/changes.

The omni directional use of a mic cause it to lose the proximity effect (which in cardioid patterns causes the bass to increase the closer one gets to the mic, and decrease the further away one gets). This is an advantage in both extremely close recording and in long-distance recording (mic being extremely close to or far from source).

Other benefits to using a large diaphragm mic with cardioid, super-cardioid, omni-directional and figure 8 patterns is increased flexibility, and when paired with another switchable mode mic, it increases one's ability to use different techniques/patterns for recording.

This is why if I could only own/use one good recording mic, it would be my AKG 414 (or something similar).

paulchevin · #13 03-04-2011, 12:43 PM

I have both Rode NT1-A's and NT2-A's. I like using them for recording because, as has been pointed out, they have very low self noise. However, they're also very sensitive and seem to pick up background noises that I don't notice when using an SDC. When recording in our attic, I can listen to the TV 2 floors down when using the NT1-A's! This doesn't happen when I use my CAD GXL1200's or Rode NT4.

I think the main difference between the NT1-A and NT2-A (with the latter in cardioid mode) is that the NT1-A has a slightly more "hyped" sound, whilst the NT2-A perhaps sounds a bit more "natural". Having said that, the "hype" does seem to flatter many acoustic guitars......... although it can also work the other way - my Stonebridge guitar has a pronounced peak at around 3.6kHz that coincides exactly with the presence peak of the NT1-A, making it almost overwhelming!

Paul