Recording - May 2014 - 38

R E V I E W S B Y PA U L V N U K J R .

RØDE is an Australian microphone company that has been
producing microphones for the studio, stage and video production since the early 1990s. Today we are looking at the
relaunch/redesign of the mic that started it all, the NT1, and a
brand-new pencil condenser mic, the M5.

The NT1: the past as prologue
RØDE got its start modifying Asian import mics, but soon shifted its entire production line in-house. Today all RØDE mics are
designed and made Down Under, in Sydney. The first mic was
originally dubbed the Rodent-1, eventually shortened to RØDE
NT1. When production shifted in-house, the company launched
the NT2 and eventually in 2003 the NT1 evolved into one of the
company's most popular microphones of all time, the NT1-A.
Geno Porfido gave us our first look at the NT1-A in our July
2003 issue; he found it "well made... and it sounds good on just
about everything." Now, just over a decade later, it gives me
great pleasure to introduce you to the RØDE NT1. Rather than
just an upgrade, the new NT1 is a complete redesign. According
to RØDE, the only thing it shares with the NT1-A is its mesh head
assembly. So what's new? Apparently everything!
From the top down
The NT1 is built around the company's new 1" HF6 cardioid
condenser capsule, which rests upon an internal Rycote Lyre
shockmounting system. I had to take the top off and see for

Sound
The NT1 is indeed quiet. I mean
it's really, really quiet... which makes
it great not only with high-end mic
preamps but also with many of the
pres in entry-level computer interfaces that make your mic work a little
harder.
Sonically, this mic is clean on the
top, with a full and even low end
and mids. The most impressive part
of the NT1 is its top end, which is
nice and clear but with zero harshness or bite. Overall the NT1
reminds me a slight bit of classic
mics from the past-not that it's trying to be "vintage", but rather that it
lacks the high-end profile of many
mics that we have come to equate
with the "modern condenser sound."
My first use of the NT1 was on an
acoustic guitar and vocal demo session in my office. This was right after I
took the mic out of its box and plugged
it into my MOTU 4pre (reviewed
December 2012)... I immediately had

RØDE NT1 and M5
Condenser Microphones
A new twist on an established workhorse and an affordable new design
myself; it truly is one of the most unique capsule shockmounts I
have seen. The mic is a transformerless J-FET design and uses
surface mount technology to achieve the NT1's next claim to
fame-a low 4.5 dB of self noise.
The outer body, which does pay homage to its predecessor,
is finished in a special ceramic-coated and baked matte black
finish with a laser etched logo, model and serial number. The
mic is rounded out by gold-plated output connectors.
The NT1 has a 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response that is
flat from 25 Hz up to 1.3 kHz. This is followed by a smooth 2
dB bump up to about 11 kHz, which then rolls off smoothly.
Other notable specs include a -29 dB sensitivity, 128 dB
dynamic range, and a 132 dB maximum SPL.
The NT1 comes in a kit with a cloth dust bag, and a specialized shock mount called the SMR which also makes use of the
Rycote Lyre system, which also has a removable metal pop
screen. On the downside, it is a bit bulky; fitting it into tight
spaces will be a concern. It's best suited for vocals or source
miking at a few inches' distance. For use on snare or up close
to a source, the mic is available with a simple RM2 ring mount.
The NT1 seems to be sold with either one or the other, which I
find odd, as you will probably want both for versatility.
38

RECORDING May 2014

one of those "This mic costs how
much?" moments. In the next few
weeks I took it into the studio and used
it on more acoustic guitars, percussion,
mono overhead/front-of-kit (I only had
one), and male and female vocals. In
every instance I was impressed. It does
not have a sound per se-it just captures a source with a great blend of
detail and richness.
Final thoughts on the NT1
So how much is the NT1? For the full
kit version it has a street price of $269.
I know, I couldn't believe it either!
I don't say this lightly, but I expected the NT1 to cost closer to $500
and even then it would still be
impressive. This is a great starter mic,
a great workhorse-utility mic that you
shouldn't outgrow for quite a while, if
ever. Nice job, RØDE!
Recording - May 2014

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