Rode NT1-A Complete Vocal Recording Reviews

Excellent All-Round mic

This mic has hugely helped my vocals. But has also worked really well for recording my acoustic piano (in conjunction with my RodeNT5 S mic). Very pleased indeed.

Love it

Great condenser mic. Has a really warm tone and works great on instruments as well as vocals. If you're looking for an entry level mic that isn't too steep I'd definitely go for this!

Star buy!

Top quality mic, pop shield and shock mount - you could easily pay this much and a lot more for a mic of this quality - so to get the rest bundle in is a steal - highly recommended - this is a stunning all round studio mic - and it's Australian too!

Good sounding budget mic

I mainly use this mic as a demo mic for vocals and acoustic guitars, but I've also used it on a couple of "real" recordings. It's fairly bright sounding, compared to my others, such as the AKG C214. It might also sound a bit "tinny" bit this is not to bad and it's very easy to fix with EQing and the bright sound fits certain voices very well.

It can only record in a cardiod pattern and provides no switches for pading or such. However, it sounds great and I'm glad that Røde focused on the sound and build quality rather than compromising these and putting a bunch of features on it.

It comes with a very good shockmount with an attached pop filter. However, I've removed the pop filter and put on an external one, just because I like to have more control over the positioning than the shockmount provided. This shouldn't be an issue for most people though and the pop filter that comes with the unit works just fine.

popular but not for everyone.

Super low noise microphone. This is is very popular and is clearly great value for money but...

Personally I find this microphone to have too much top end - sound a bit too bright and brittle on vocals. This characteristic is considered to be "modern" sounding but personally i find if very unflattering. Can be good with acoustic guitar however when you was to capture the high end.

I have compared it with some lower priced similar mics from SE electronics etc and I prefer some of those. I also this Ribbon mics have a great deal to offer and there are now some great value budget ribbons available.

Good for vocals but not as versatile as I expected.

I am just starting out so this is the only condenser mic in my set up. I am getting good results for vocals but for acoustic guitars and drum overheads it sounds a little toppy. But on the whole, I am very happy with the build quality and value for money.

Very good for this price

I was a bit skeptic when ordering this but I was really impressed when I tried the first time. Great brights and very good lows for vocal and speech also. I wanted to try and by this mic to record spoken words, acoustic instruments plus vocals. I am really happy what this mic is capable. Real tones, good acoustics and the outcome is really impressing. My only comment is the pop filter is installed to the mount it cannot be taken off easily so it is not easy to direct in to any direction so because of this a little bit hard to record acoustic guitars. But its only a small issue and the price for this one is really great!

A very good Microphone for homerecording

I built my own little homestudio and for that purpose I needed an affordable microphone. I mostly record Rock Songs and and my voice is transported perfectly with this mic.I don't have to adjust that much with an equalizer. If you're looking for a cheap but good microphone, go for it! You won't be disappointed!

very quiet but with agressive highs

I have used the NT1-A since 2011 and i really liked it for 2 years.

Before i bought the nt1-a i recorded with a studio projects b1 and that was very noise, so i switched to the nt1a. It is really quiet, which is very great. Even very gentle sound sources stay more or less quiet and un-noisy. Great !

As i wrote in the title, after using it for two years, i found out, thaht the highs are very agressive or in other words - harsh - You really have no chances at all, to correct those frequencies with an equalizer or a compressor.

And thats very sad, because except the highs, i really like the rest of the microphone and the package.

You have everything to start from the scratch. Mic, Mic-Clamp with popscreen, mic-cable and a nice dvd with recording tipps.

I wouldn´t buy it again...would search for a more linear mic like the audio technica 2035 or similar.

Low budget mic

The Rode Nt1-A is a perfect microphone for recording beginner.

The recording bundle is good at it's price/value relation.

You get a microphone with all equipment you need to start recording.

Including a cable, shockmount and pop filter.

The Nt1-A has a brilliant tone resolution, especially high freqeuencies are emphasized.

I use this microphone in my home recording studio for vocals and guitar amp recordings.

I don't like the way the microphone sounds on male vocals, because of the emphasized frequencies. So I just use it for female vocals.

If one would compare this microphone to a Neumann or something else in this price range, he would determine that there is a big difference in sound.

But in the price range from 150-300€, personally the Rode Nt1-A is my favorite vocal studio mic.

Not only for Vocals

I think this is one of the best sounding condenser mics in this price range. The characteristics of the mic remind me some higher priced ones. The vocals can be easy and very precise recorded in the studio. But I use this mic also for Guitar recordings. I record acoustic guitars and electric guitars with it. When placed in the right position in front of the amp the guitar sound gets very direct and comes with a super high resolution which can fit in the mix quite perfect. Acoustic guitars can be recorded so direct with lots of brilliance and with a well defined bass. The Pop shield is also a good gimmick.

Great mic even if you're not on a budget..

The Rode NT-1A is the best value for money in the microphone market in my opinion. It is has a crisp and clear response that capture’s almost any instrument with clarity. I have recorded anything from a male and female vocal to acoustic guitar to wind instruments like saxophone, trumpet and flute and it has done an exceptional job. OK, it won’t beat a Neumann U87 but it comes pretty close. There is just a little sparkle on the top end which you may or may not like, but all in all this a great mic, especially for beginners who are new to recording game. Definitely worth the money !

Good choice

I think it's the best bundle for the beginners nad not bad choise for professionals also. You needn't to buy anything else for a microphone. It has a good shockmount, pop filter even a cable. Microphone itself is good for guitar and vocal. I think especially for female vocal. I use it for rap vocals and there is a bit more sibilance than expected. But it's not a problem if you put microphone in the right angle you can solve the problem or a bit EQ and the job is done. For better performance i recommend to buy a good audio interface with high quality preams or tube preamp. From cheap interfaces you can choose Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. Highly recommend.

The best in its price range

It really is the best in its price range, I do not say this because he has a little noise. It surpasses similar microphones in all characteristics, perfect microphone writes vocal, guitar and tried record other instruments, and to my surprise he copes with its task.

Of course I'm not saying that it is superior to every microphone in its price category, I say that it is superior to other microphones on the number of tasks it can perform, thus perform at a decent level

If you do not wish to purchase a large number of microphones for each task is a great option for purchase but not the fact that the vocals your voice will sound in it, he did not come across with, but had heard about the problem with this microphone.

Good luck !

Bargain!!!!

This mic is fantastic quality. I don't have that much experience with different mics, I'm new enough to recording, but what I can say is that I have fallen in love with this piece of gear. I have recorded vocals, acoustic guitars and various percussion instruments (tambourine and cabasa etc.) and have gotten fantastic results. The sensitivity is incredible, the recording quality is great. For this price it's a steal, especially with the shock mount and pop filter included. I am so happy I purchased this, it's such a well built design, real sturdy... It really feels like a quality mic, i would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a decent mic at a decent price.

Great Purchase

This was my first purchase of a Studio Microphone and I am very pleased. Great Sound..

Rode NT1-A

I tried real cheap mics for home recordings then upgraded to the NT1-A the difference is like night and day,bottom line...if your getting into home recording GET THIS!

Great choice for a low budget!

I was looking for a good microphone that wouldn't fail me in a home studio-type environment. Rode NT1-A is a fantastic choice considering its price and build quality. It doesn't pick up almost any noise at all and it certainly has fulfilled my needs.

Very good mic for the cost.

Although this model is the most inexpensive microphone in the line of studio Rode mics with a big capsules, it sounds very serious. May be it cannot great records super low end bass. Perhaps, Nt1A is not the best microphone for a very low male voices, but works very well with the average male voice. very high frequency sound stringed instruments like the charango, ukulele, etc..

In addition to a set of quality cable company (very comfortable) pop filter, and 10-year warranty. There is a label on the package that says - made in Australia.

Amazing Value!

I Have used this mic for a few years now and the clarity is superb! Vocals are crisp and acoustic instruments are given an enhanced presence. In my opinion there are no better condenser mics' in this price range. FACT!