I think that you might be better off with two condensers other than the NT4. I think that the NT4 is an OK mic for the newbie location recorder. I did a review of it, but Rode got mad when I published it.

In my opinion, it has a noise problem. They point to their low noise spec, but I point to the fact that it is A-weighted, which in reality means that it is 10dB noisier than what they say it is, and they didn't measure below 100Hz.

Seldom do I find recording drums with an X/Y works. I guess it depends on how the drummer sets up his kit. But most times, the imaging will be unbalanced, and too narrow for a realistic mix.

This is my opinion which means nothing. Try it out first. It may work for you in your application. From a purist's standpoint, it has too much noise!

Hi

I haven't tried an NT4 myself, but I have a pair of the NT5, which have the same capsule as the NT4.

They are OK mics and a good purchase for the price, a bit hyped on the high end, not really flat, but very usable; I used them as OHs, guitar, strings and piano mics, and even as ADR mics for some A/V production sound dialog sessions I did, and got good results; clearly they aren't in the league of mics like Schoepps or B&K, but look at the price and you'll understand.

To me they are quite versatile, and noise hasn't been an issue in each single session I did with them (sheet, are you sure the model you tested wasn't defective?), and I listen thru Genelec 1030A in a treated and calibrated room.

The issue of the XY NT4 or the NT5 pair is a matter of versatility vs ease of use: with the NT4 you have a set and forget mic that's already in the XY configuration (speed and ease of use), while the two NT5 may require you to use a suitable standmount for that stereo technique, but being two independent mics will allow you to do more, like ORTF or spaced pair over a drum kit.

I hope this is helpful.

L.G.