REVIEWED
RODE NT2-A Microphone RODE NT2-A
Australian microphone company Røde unveils the latest ‘A’ version of its best selling NT2 studio condenser mic. Words: D.P. Wilson
We’ve always found that Røde microphones never fail to offer a great balance between affordability, good sounds and rugged build quality. The Røde NT2 has been around for a while now and has established itself as a bit of a ‘go to’ microphone, the latest ‘A’ version seems to add even more bang for your buck so what better time to take a look?
Polar express The microphone itself is a classic large diaphragm side address design whose brushed silver finish looks seriously sleek. As with other Røde microphones the NT2-A feels solidly built to the point where you could probably hammer nails in with it… although we wouldn’t recommend it! Unlike many other condenser mics the NT2-A’s switches are easy to read thanks to them being proudly mounted to a black rectangular
RODE NT2-A
SRP £275.00
All prices include VAT CONT
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panel, a welcome factor when you are already busy enough playing/ singing and engineering at the same time! The switches themselves comprise of a Polar Pattern selector that offers a choice between Cardioid, Figure of Eight and Omni; High Pass Filters (at a useful 40Hz or 80Hz) and lastly a switchable Pad offering a reduction of either 5db or 10db. The specifications themselves all seem pretty standard fare with a nominally flat frequency response in all the pickup patterns, with a slight bump in the presence region to presumably add a bit of sheen and sparkle. Noise figures seem pretty much on the money and with the pad switched in the NT2-A can handle a pretty beefy 157db.
What else is in the box? The package itself is pretty comprehensive, the mic comes complete with a good quality XLR to XLR microphone lead, a microphone dust cover-cum-pouch and a handy SM6 shock-mount, which apart from being a very effective suspension mount also includes an integral and fully adjustable pop shield. This makes life a lot easier and means you don’t have to incorporate secondary stands or ugly goosenecks. When set up, the thing does look seriously professional and will certainly impress potential studio clients.
In use
As always, I first set the mic up to record some vocals I have been working on; my own and those
Microphone
of another singer. For these tests I used the whole kit, even down the included mic lead. My own vocals can sound a little shrill on certain microphones, whose presence peak can tend to exacerbate the problem. The NT2-A certainly sounded like a good fit for my own voice, helping the vocal cut through the mix when I was singing more softly and in the lower part of my range but somehow seeming to rein in my when I hit higher and louder notes. On top of this the microphone consistently sounds clean and honest whilst still displaying that classic (slightly) larger than life quality that all the best large diaphragm condenser mics should. On the second vocalist, who has a much more resonant voice than I do the NT2-A really shines! The Røde once again accurately captures the dynamics of the performance whilst adding its own authority and just a little touch of class. The Røde NT2-A seems to give an almost vintage tone - not a valve sound or distorted
sound - just that classic enhanced but smooth presence region. As someone that’s always leant
towards the accuracy of a small diaphragm condenser when recording acoustic guitars I have in recent months started to prefer the less clinically accurate portrayal that is available from a larger mic. Experimenting with the NT2-A I was able to get some really usable sounds, a favourite utilizing the Low Pass Filter and the Omni Directional Pattern to pick up more of the ambient sound, which can then be controlled to a certain extent by moving the mic nearer or closer. The result was a big bold but clean acoustic sound that responded really well to any EQI cared to add to it. Experimenting with a 12-string guitar, the NT2-A was possibly a little lacking in the detail necessary to reproduce the more complex harmonics of this instrument but certainly didn’t produce a bad sound. PM
SHOULD I BUY ONE?
When it comes to microphones, there is no ‘one best’ mic for any particular job; there are simply too many acoustic variables to guarantee how a given mic will sound. However, when I think of the classic microphones the one thing I associate is their ability to make more than a decent stab of absolutely anything you throw at them. The Røde NT2-A has this ability in spades and put in a really classy performance with absolutely anything I pointed it at. Guitars, differently styled vocalists, percussion and even handclaps all come through sounding like the original source but with the added slightly euphoric but always well placed sonic fingerprint of the NT2-A. At this price, the Røde NT2-A is quite simply a bargain!
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