pepeleuepe,
I have never used any of the Rode mics. They are manufactured in China. While many readers have reported good results with the Rode's, many actually praising them highly, I can't speak to them directly.

I can however say that Audio Technica produces some very nice mics! These are manufactured in Japan to very close tolerances. Match between different mics of the same model has always been very good. This can not be said of many of the Chinese mics. I own several Audio Technica mics (some of them for 15 years +) and they have been reliable and consistent. The build quality is excellent and the one time I needed customer service Audio Technica was right on the spot. I dropped one of my 4033's bending the case where the XLR plugs in to it and needed to have it repaired. It was returned within two weeks as good as new. Repair cost was about $50 parts, labor and shipping, if I recall correctly. ATM is a great company and I recommend any of their products. ... Kurt
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WOhhh. I thought that Rode was made "downunder"

I can tell you I would go for the Rode. I did.
Take a listen.... http://www.rode.com.au/

I don't share Fats's distaste for Chinese manufacture -- frankly I think it's capricious but we're all entitled to a bit of caprice. I, for example, wouldn't buy a guitar not made in the US, and that's pretty arbitrary (particularly given Gibson's incredibly shoddy quality control, but off I go . . .) Anyhow, this is just to say that I've owned Rodes for a long time and still think they're the deal of the market. I've got the NT1, and it's a brilliant general purpuse mic, for when you just want to throw up a large diaphragm condenser. I also don't think you'd go wrong with AT. I've never heard anything in the 30 series, I guess I'd proceed with caution, but the specs are right.

"I don't share Fats's distaste for Chinese manufacture -- frankly I think it's capricious but we're all entitled to a bit of caprice."

Good word! I had to look this one up.. caprice; A sudden change of action or mind without adequate reason.; a whim ... I have always felt this way. I have a number of reasons for this opinion , some of which IMO are better than others. But the truth be told, I have always been suspicious of doing any business with the Chinese due to their use of forced prison and child labor. But I didn't want to turn this into a political rant. But capricious? I don't think so. Kurt

Well, Kurt, I thought I was being generous, could have gone with "wrong-headed" or even (to stick to those ten cent words) "sophmoric" -- I'm kidding, of course. For the record, I wish all my food was grown locally and all my mics were made in Germany . . .

Bobby
I too wish all my food was local. I didn't mean to sound snotty, I was just pointing out that I have always held this point of view. I actually wrote and posted a huge rant regarding this several months back, and I didn't want to bring it all up again and sound like some bleeding heart pinko, cause I'm really not. But I do support organized labor and I have respect for the labor forces in the industrialized countries that are being squeezed out of their jobs by unimaginative business managers who can't figure out any other way to make a profit, other than cutting labor costs. Some day these business managers will cut their costs to the point that they won't have any customers anymore because no one will be making any money. Every time a person makes a purchase, they speak with their pocket books! (end of rant, back to audio ...sorry! ) I still think that was a good word! … Kurt p. s. the Japanese make some good mics too!

Kurt -- Since this has become our private conversation, I'll hit you with my current mic question. Basically: 421, 441, RE-20, pick 2. (Two Germans and 1 USA I think, so we won't have a problem there.) I'm looking for a couple of mics that can do some general duty, especially kick and snare, and can also come in for those vocals that just don't sound right on a big condenser. (I find this pretty common, for rock guys especially. A lot of guys sound better thru an SM57 than anything else in my cabinet.)

This may make its way to a new thread. I appreciate your thoughts.

Bobby,
The RE 20 is a great vocal mic. I don't care much for it on kick drums. It sounds to poofy for my taste. But some folks like that. The 441 is a very hyper cardioid mic and is used a lot for vocals. Very good for singers that can't project loudly. On stage you can crank the monitors pretty loud without feedback. Tight pattern. I haven't used it much in the studio, so I really can't address that. Last the venerable 421. This is one of my favorite all around mics. It has so many uses and can fill almost any hole or need that may arise. IMO, it seems to me to be a bit lacking in the low end and strong in the mids for kick drum applications. It is hard sounding but not boomy at all. The roll off switch can be very handy. I recommend all studios have 3 or 4 of the 421's in their mic lockers!

My favorite for kick drums is the AKG D112 or D12 if you can find them. Lots of fat lows nice tick at the top, smooth midrange. They also work well on floor toms, bass amps and in some cases as a vocal mic. My two cents on dynamics... don't forget the 57's! Kurt

Hey Kurt, thanks for the quick and thoughtful advice. I'm up to the gills in sm57/58's, and I'm now of course rethinking my early position that these little beauties are the only mic necessary for all dynamic applications in a little project studio. I was leaning toward starting with a pair of 421's, and it sounds like that's what you'd do. Forgot to mention that the SM7 is also somewhere on the list, if that changes anything.

I've been relucant to get a specialized kick mic for my little rig, but I'll look at those Japanese mics (wink) you mentioned.

Thanks.

Davedog swears by the ATM Pro 25 for kick.. The SM 7 is a very smooth sounding dynamic but it doesn't have a lot of sizzle on the top. It can be rather cloudy in the top end on the wrong voice. But it is a good mic. I have one and I like it quite a lot. I bought it when I noticed that one of my favorite producers, Don Was, seemed to use them a lot. It just peaked my interest. I think I will try it out on the review I am doing on a Sebatron vmp - 4000 mic pre. That may be the ticket for that mic. That pre has made everything I have run through it sound like solid gold. The first "Good-u-lator" I have ever run across. Kurt

I have both the Pro 25 and the ATM 25 (Not pro) - the ATM 25 has a lot better low end and a little crisper top, and works really good on kick for me. The Pro 25 is more like an angled 57 to my ear, and seems to work better on toms/snare - haven't tried it micing guitar amps compared to a 57 tho -

Just saw a catalog from either AMS or Musician's Friend (GC) where they have the ATM25 on sale for $139 - I paid $169 for mine about 10 years ago, and will probably get another at this price.

BTW, the newer Rode NT1a is claiming 5 dBa self-noise, might just be the quietest mic for $200 you can buy. The Rodes are made (or at least assembled in Australia, don't know where they get their cartridges though, and haven't heard one.

I HAVE heard the AT 3035, and was amazed at how much better I liked it on male vocals than either the KSM-32 or the Rode NTK. Unfortunately, I heard all 3 on a Mackie 8-bus and HR 824's, so I'd want to hear them on my system before I said too much... Steve