You can never have too many mics, eh? I have a pair of NT5s, they are a great value. I've used them on choirs, OH's, acoustic guitars, violin/fiddle,
mandolins, banjos, piano, and even on the top rotor of a Leslie. And even a harpist for an audition CD! They are almost as smooth as a Shure SM81, and cost a lot less. Buy a pair and don't look back!

How do the Studio Project C4's compare to the Rode NT5's? They are both around the same price, however the C4's come with omni capsules and shock mounts and has a switchable -10dB pad and high-pass filter.

Well, for starters, anything you want to Mike in stereo like drum overheads, should be done with a pair of matching microphones for symmetry and consistency. You can use 2 dissimilar microphones and still obtaining a stereo signal that will sound relatively different in each channel adding an even greater sense of character to your stereo source. Other than a whole bag full of cheap similar Chinese condenser microphones, why not save your $$ and purchase yourself a good quality condenser microphones such as the Shure SM 81/KSM32. Well-built, good sounding and rugged with a history that dates back longer than we have been alive. Octava, MXL, Nady, Samson, Rode and many of those other Chinese permutations have NO track record except for perhaps AudioTechnica. Stick with the major brands, that you are sure to be happy with the sound for years to come and ample parts availabilities.

By junky microphones for fun and experimentation.
Ms. Remy Ann David

Rode is no Chinese microphone Remy. They are an Australian (designed and built) with a decent pedigree.

I will go on record to say that if Rode charged more for their mics, they would get it. In fact - if the NT5s sold for $1800 a pair, they would be considered "boutique" mics and would find their way into gear-snobs' lockers.

Cheers!
J

True that. I just recorded a male vocal with my NTK, which in an AB test, on this particular voice, was clearly better than the U87. I've also been using Jeremy's NT4, and that's no cheap sound either. Stands up quite well indeed to a KM184.

OK. I realize that the SP mics come with everything but a 6-pack and a hummer, but that's how a lot of the purveyors of Chinese mics operate. Like Cucco stated, Rodes are not Chinese mics. And to that end, they are more robust than most, too. Mine have been dropped, stepped on, blasted into, and
smacked with an errant 2B. Not a single issue. The only thing I haven't been totally happy about is the first time I tried them, I used 1 on a hi-hat.But I placed it like I would normally do an 81 or an AT4041, and it wasn't that great. Now I have learned to deal with that issue, I'm in love. If I could afford to, I'd send a pair to Remy... :)

hmmm interesting, thanks everyone! I think i'll be purchasing some Rode NT5's sometime here soon. Would it be a good idea to purchase some shockmounts for them?

Aren't Octavia's made in Russia? Or is that no longer the case? Just curious! Gonna look this up now! ANDY

Shockmounts would be good. Check out Avant Electronics on ebay. They sell a GREAT shockmount for $20. (I use them on my Gefells with no complaints).

Andy - yes, some oktavas are made in Russia. However, the vast majority of the ones on the market are Chinese knock-offs.