You don;t mention what your intentions are for those specific mics. So, one is not clearly better than the other because the source and the room the mic is used in also determines which is the best mic.

I've used Rode mics a few times but I am not a fan of theirs. Not that they are bad, there are just other mics I would much rather own and use.

The Shure KSM44 is good workhorse mic. If you don't own any decent mic's or need a good general purpose workhorse mic, the KSM44 would be a good choice. There are of course other good general mics as well to choose from.

I own and use a couple Rode NT1a's..... I love em, now with that said.....IMO, they are very very transparent mics, not alot of coloration of the source material, very lil "warmth". they are also very quite and very sensitive.... I use them alot on vocals threw tube pre amps (to give it some body and soul...not to mention the lacking warmth) and love the way they sound on most voices with a lil touch of "PRE-TAPE" EQ.... Thats my $0.02, hope it helps!

For what it's worth

I have not had much experience with the nt1-A, but I do have 2 ntk's and for most applications I preferr my Ksm-44 over the ntk's. For the money it's a great mic all-round mic. :P

Shure's are good. I used 44s, 32s and the pencil mics for live and recording applications. Recorded Junior Brown's dialog for the Buddy Lee Jeans commercial on the 44. 44s are versatile.

Too pricey from the wrong dealer.

I would also go for the Shure.

I dig Rodes and think they're a great value. The NT1A is a great mic, but the Shure is stupid cheap for how good it is.

I too have enjoyed Rode mics.

However, the Shure is a (ahem) sure thing! It is one of the few mics, at any price, which is versatile enough to serve both female AND male voices well, and acoustic guitars, horns, piano, and as a single overhead on drums, etc...

As good as the the NT1-A is, I don't see it being able to cover the same territory.