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Krou 21 February 2002

I'm down to the wire deciding on one good mic for my studio. I say 'one' because it's all I can afford at the moment, in the $400 range.

I've done as much research as I can through mags and online resources and have eliminated all the models and narrowed it to 2 or 3.

The primary use for the mic will be for female vocals (Ani DiFranco, Morecheeba, Evrything but the Girl - style/range) and some acoustic guitars.

RODE NT2 - overall great ratings and reviews but the comment that it's a bit splashy on the mid-high end seems to be agreed upon everywhere, and leaves me wondering if I would regret the purchase.
A reason I would lean on the NT2 is that it has a switchable pattern omni/card, and as I do record and mix in the same space, which is not an ideal room to begin with, pickup patterns could be an important factor in my situation.

RODE NTK - apparently a great mic for the price, very warm and detailed. So, is it worth ditching the NT2 for one of these? Again, this mic is 'omni' only, and although it's a great sounding mic, I wonder if the pattern factor could be less than beneficial. Also, form what I gather, the NTK needs to powered by it's own little power supply? So you can't just plug it into the Digi001/phantom on and record away? (sorry if this seems like a dumb q:)

Studio Projects C1 - this one tempts me so much mainly because of it's price and what people are saying about it. Hmm..comparing it to a NeumannU87 on a recent ProRec review? Well, there may be some truth to that and it looks like a winner, just doesn't have that 'big name' yet so it makes me wonder.

That being said, you're in my situation and you have to pick just one of these 3 mics (for now) to get some decent/warm vocals and guitars. Can you help me make an informed decision?

I appreciate all the input - cheers.

pk

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Comments

anonymous Thu, 02/21/2002 - 11:07

The NTK is cardioid only.It has it's own power supply,therefore does not require phantom power.If you are recording and mixing in one room,a mic with omni pattern option is of little use to you(it'll just pick up more noise from your room)The NTK can be a great mic on some voices,but not all.I have had mixed results with female voices.It sounds to me like you'd be better off getting an inexpensive mic like a c1 or Rode NT1 for starters,and experiment with positioning etc.
Regards,
Dave.

anonymous Thu, 02/21/2002 - 21:31

I own the NTK and the NT1, and have used the NT2. The NT1 is spitty and bright on female vocals, but can be real nice on certain thick male voices. NT2 is better sounding for sure than the NT1. But the NTK has been excellent all around on many sources...warm and natural on all voices I've used it on. The best $400 vocal mic I have heard.

Krou Sun, 02/24/2002 - 21:31

thanks for all the replies.
Now, what about the AKG c3000? Seems this one has the widest disparity among it's users. What I've just observed is that there's a big difference between the models that end with a B and those that don't.
The black one, the C3000, seems a bit boomy and boxy. I got to borrow my neighbor's for a few days and it was less than flattering on soft female vocals.

However, another friend owns the AKG C3000 'B' (silver finish/newer) and somehow it sounds darn beautiful, if not outstanding!

I just heard a 'Reader's Demo' in this month's Computer Music magazine. It mentions the vox being tracked with a Rode NT2 and wouldn't you know it, it sounds a bit brittle in the mid-highs.
Is it that bad or was the track just poorly recorded? Do any NT2 users have some good reviews to share? Can this mic be warm at all?

So, I'm now considering the AKG C3000 B and the Rode NT1000. The NTK may have to wait.

pk

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