RØDE NT1000 Condenser Vocal Mic


RØDE NT1000 Condenser Vocal Mic
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Coming all the way from Australia, the RØDE NT1000 microphone hits the bull's eye on the vocal microphone target. Looking like a classic vocal mic with a satin nickel finish and mesh grill, the mic stands about 8 inches tall and weighs a hefty one and a half pounds. The mic employs transformerless JFET electronics matched to a shock mounted, large diaphragm gold-plated capsule. Having only a cardioid pattern, this microphone has been designed to compete with the new breed of quiet, classic sounding vocal mics that have flooded the market in the last few years.

Using the finest electronic components and very precise metalwork, the NT1000 stands out from the rest with a quiet noise level of 6dBA...quieter than the Neumann TLM 103. Frequency response of the mic is flat from about 50 Hz to 2 kHz, where a noticeable boost at 5kHz and again at 12 kHz occurs. While this curve is certainly not flat, this curve is typical of EQ treatments applied to lead vocals in commercial music mixing today.

In the studio, I had the opportunity to use the RØDE NT1000 on a few different vocalists. The first vocalist was recording a lead vocal for a pop/rock song along the lines of Sheryl Crow. What I immediately noticed was how well all her natural dynamics came through. This mic has a very open top end and good midrange presence. With that particular singer, I noticed a slight sibilance but by tipping the mic back about 20 degrees from vertical, the sibilance disappeared without reducing the top end clarity. Later, when I rough mixed the track, I didn't even reach for the EQ on the lead vocal track and that says a lot about the sound of the NT1000.

My next positive recording experience was a singer performing a Whitney Houston-esq R&B ballad. There was no sibilance this time and the background vocal blend of 18 tracks had good depth of field and warmth. This time, the lead vocal needed a slight bit of low-mids scooped out to maintain clarity in the more bottom-heavy R&B mix.

I have found that there is no single vocal mic that will be the best choice for every singer so I have a handful of "go-to" microphones for any session. This mic will definitely be included in my short list because I now own two of them. The kicker for the RØDE NT1000 is its $599 MSRP. The mic comes with a zipper pouch and a stand mount, but I would recommend the optional SM2 shock mount for additional shock absorption. For more information, contact RØDE at 310-328-7456 or Web to: www.rodemicrophones.com

Adam Kagan is a Los Angeles-based engineer/producer and partner in Old Skool Productions.

Edited by: Barry Rudolph

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