Rode NT2-A

[Bob Womack]

Other than basic listening tests, here are two tests to run on a used mic:

1. Roll it on a flat surface and observe for an out-of-round case condition from having been dropped.
2. Gently shake the mic, listening for loose parts. Be aware that the first thing to loosen in a mic is often the XLR connector. If you hear a rattle, put a finger on the XLR pins and try again. Tightening an XLR connector is no big deal. Many have an external screw.

A dropped mic may sound fairly normal to the ear but can have its response altered by a drop.

Back in the eighties when I was working on a soap opera, we were using Sennheiser MKH416P48 condenser shotguns on Fisher booms. Every day before production the mics were mounted onto booms and every night they were removed to prevent damage when the guys from scenic were bringing in new sets. Inevitably one would get dropped. Even with the foam windscreen to cushion it, there was usually damage. If you listened to it alone it sounded okay but if you compared it to an undropped mic, the dropped mic's midrange would have a a dip in it. The capsule mount would fracture and the slight position shift would change the sound. It cost a couple hundred to get them repaired! The same was true of Neumann KM84s, AKGC451Es, and their cousins and is true of the large condensers as well. Of course, general mayhem can occur if you drop a tube mic.

If the mic is out of round or rattles it is time to decide whether you want to buy it as is, ask for it to be serviced, or walk away.

Bob

[Ryannn29]

Originally Posted by Fran Guidry

I would offer that of the dozens of mics I own, I probably bought three of them new, the rest were all purchased used from our old classified newspaper, forum members (of many different forums), Ebay, etc. I've never gotten burned on any of these transactions.

Fran

Awesome, good to hear Fran.

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Other than basic listening tests, here are two tests to run on a used mic:

1. Roll it on a flat surface and observe for an out-of-round case condition from having been dropped.
2. Gently shake the mic, listening for loose parts. Be aware that the first thing to loosen in a mic is often the XLR connector. If you hear a rattle, put a finger on the XLR pins and try again. Tightening an XLR connector is no big deal. Many have an external screw.

A dropped mic may sound fairly normal to the ear but can have its response altered by a drop.

Back in the eighties when I was working on a soap opera, we were using Sennheiser MKH416P48 condenser shotguns on Fisher booms. Every day before production the mics were mounted onto booms and every night they were removed to prevent damage when the guys from scenic were bringing in new sets. Inevitably one would get dropped. Even with the foam windscreen to cushion it, there was usually damage. If you listened to it alone it sounded okay but if you compared it to an undropped mic, the dropped mic's midrange would have a a dip in it. The capsule mount would fracture and the slight position shift would change the sound. It cost a couple hundred to get them repaired! The same was true of Neumann KM84s, AKGC451Es, and their cousins and is true of the large condensers as well. Of course, general mayhem can occur if you drop a tube mic.

If the mic is out of round or rattles it is time to decide whether you want to buy it as is, ask for it to be serviced, or walk away.

Bob

Great to know, I'll definitely be trying this when I receive the mic.

I ended go up going with the eBay seller that ukejon linked, since the user (who had 100% rep) said it was in excellent condition, plus there's a 14 day return policy if it ends up not being in good condition.

[dannyg1]

I've got a question about the NT2a: Is it normal that, in the figure 8 pattern setting, the capsules have different sensitivity? The back side of my mike is probably 6db down and not as airy sounding. Is that normal?

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by dannyg1

I've got a question about the NT2a: Is it normal that, in the figure 8 pattern setting, the capsules have different sensitivity? The back side of my mike is probably 6db down and not as airy sounding. Is that normal?

Hi danny...

Yes - The rear lobe on any figure-8 mic I've used has that characteristic, lighter signal from the back, stronger to the front and distinct voids to the sides at the same time. It is with my AKG-414 and my Shure KSM-44. I've used it to physically position some duos for a simultaneous mono recording (using headphones to figure out where to situate each musician).

It was the same with an AT-4050 I used in studio once (a client brought their own mic).

[Fran Guidry]

Originally Posted by dannyg1

I've got a question about the NT2a: Is it normal that, in the figure 8 pattern setting, the capsules have different sensitivity? The back side of my mike is probably 6db down and not as airy sounding. Is that normal?

The diagram Rode shows on their website definitely does not show 6 dB less sensitivity on the "back" side.

I own the NT2-a, AT4050, and KSM44. I have not noticed an immediately audible difference between the front and back lobes of the figure 8 pattern on any of them, but unfortunately I'm not home for a while so I can't do a test to confirm my recollection. But once again the polar pattern diagrams and other info published by the makers do not indicate a difference.

http://wpc.660d.edgecastcdn.net/8066..._datasheet.pdf

http://cdn.shure.com/user_guide/uplo...sm44_en_ug.pdf

http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/re...50_english.pdf

I would recommend that you contact Rode support, I have found them to provide excellent service.

Fran

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by dannyg1

I've got a question about the NT2a: Is it normal that, in the figure 8 pattern setting, the capsules have different sensitivity? The back side of my mike is probably 6db down and not as airy sounding. Is that normal?

Hi danny…(and Fran)…

Given Fran's thoughts, I ran down to my studio and hooked up my rig and tested both my figure-of-8 microphones (multi-pattern mics) with Logic Pro X and a MOTU Ultra-lite interface. The tests I did were not scientific, just designed to give me accurate readings from front/back of each mic for level and tone.

I tested both the Shure KSM-44 and the AKG-414 set on figure-8 pattern and flat (no roll-offs) from a bit over a foot away. I ran each mic separately through the same channel of the preamp.

Each produced 2db less on the 'backside' of the mic than the front, and both had a fuller sound from the front than the back (stronger low-mid bass). I was monitoring through my studio phones.

The stronger bass from the frontside by itself could have accounted for the 2db difference.

If I'd hung them in their suspension mounts to test them and moved my source front to back, the backside would have been pointing at a larger 'empty-space' in the studio than the front side. So I manually rotated/aimed the mics 180° for testing frontside and backside readings, rather than moving the source to the backside to test them.

My aim was that each diaphragm would be subjected to the same physical room conditions, through the same channel of the preamp, at the same distance from the sound source, measured by the same metering source.

I'm not hearing/seeing (using built in software meters) anything near a 6db difference between the front/back sides.

Figure-of-8 multi-pattern mics use a pair of same-size diaphragms mounted back-to-back to produce all the different patterns. Theoretically they should be uniform. I imagine age, use, and handling/damage all affect diaphragms. I have heard of people sending mics to have diaphragms rebuilt.

I know what the spec charts say, so perhaps it's coincidence that both of mine have a stronger low-mid bump from the front, and that the backsides are 2db lower readings. All this to say, I'm not sure what you are hearing is normal nor consistent with figure-of-8 mics.

As an aside/addition, the mics didn't reflect any change of tone, volume, or metering front-to-back in the omni-directional mode. Very consistent volume, and same tone.

I thought figure-8 are like having a pair of same-size cardioid mics mounted back-to-back, and should produce the same proximity effect on each side. This is why I mentioned the stronger bass from the front side.

[Bob Womack]

The two large diaphragm condensers I have handy, Neumann TML-170s and Neumann U-47s, don't spec that way and don't perform that way. As Fran said, the published polar patterns for your mic don't look like it should have a six db drop on the backside either.

Bob