NT2-A Studio Solution Set : :)

I have quite a few dynamic and condenser microphones at various price points (some well above this price point), but I wanted the NT2A strictly for it's optional Figure8 pickup pattern as a side microphone in a mid-side stereo recording array. Absolute tonal quality was therefore not vital to me.

Having previously owned Rode's slightly cheaper fixed cardioid NT1A microphone, I was expecting the NT2A to exhibit a similar sonic characteristic... i.e. sibilant, overly bright and difficult to use in an untreated room, but with the added convenience of 3 selectable pickup patterns.

Well I can tell you the NT1A and NT2A are different animals, and irrespective of the added features the NT2A is a much better microphone.

Used in cardioid mode as a vocal mike, it is much more natural sounding than the NT1A and does not exhibit any of the sane excess sibilance or 'hyped' top end.

I put it up against my more expensive Shure KSM32 (a £500+ single pattern microphone) and it did not disgrace itself. In fact it sounded better in some circumstances.

With it's selectable pickup patterns, great sound quality, and bundled cable and shock mount for £209 all in (at the time I purchased it), The Rode NT2A studio pack is really great value.

If I'd discovered this model earlier, I probably would've saved a small fortune by not buying much more expensive models from other manufacturers.

Any downsides? Not really. However a word of advice to novice recording artists... if you need to maximise subject isolation in an untreated room, you might be better off with a good dynamic model (e.g. Shure's excellent SM7B) as they tend to pick up less of the room.... just be aware that if you go that route you'll need a pre-amp with at least 60db of clean gain. The NT2A does well off more modest pre amps.