Rode NT2-A Studio Solution Set Reviews

A really nice mic

I've been using this product for over 2 years now in my home studio, and I'm totally satisfied with it. I read about the features of it at the time of the order, and the product lived up to my expectations.

It is amazing how versatile this microphone is. I hook it up to my Steinberg UR44 audio interface , switch the phantom power on, and it is ready to record speech, singing, rapping, acoustic guitar, bass guitar from an amp, cajon, darbuka, various noises, or even low volume ambient sounds.

In addition to the Rode NT2 A condenser microphone, there are some other items in the package:

- a Rode SM6 shock mount with a pop filter (easy to use and adjust, and the pop filter part can be bent away in seconds if not needed)

- a 6 m XLR cable (I have never had any problem with it, the quality is great)

- a dust cover bag which comes really handy (I can leave the microphone on its stand and just put the cover on it)

All in all I am really satisfied with this product, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to have a solid all around condenser microphone in their home studio. :)

:)

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.

Multi task mic

A multi task mic, from vocals to Overheads, to piano or guitar, this mic stands out for everything.

Through the years I managed to get great results out of it.

Great value for money.

A good condensner.

perfect for vocals and acoustic guitars!

good features for getting the maximum out of the mic.

MEGA BOM

Comparando com o Microphone que tinha este é um dalto em toda a linha, uma renovação na minha captação, Rode da uma clareza e veio certamente melhorar a minha qualidade.

Fantastic asset in the studio

Working with this mic is a real pleasure.

I use it with a line 6 studio ux2 with pro tools and the results are immediate.

Nicely defined high end but also good results in the mid and low range.

Great for recording acoustic guitars and vocals. Also use it for some voice over. This is the best 300¤ Ive spent in a very long time. I'd make that purchase again eyes closed.

For the money its remarkable

For the price, this microphone is simply exceptional. My room is now the problem, but I can still get great quality vocals and acoustic guitar. I will probably buy a second one to pick up on sounds from the neck of the guitar.

Great Microphone for an recording setup.

I've used it a few times for voice work and the sensitivity of the unit is simply outstanding. We were recording in a very remote area of West Cork and still picking up tractor noise 500m away. It took me a while to figure out what the noise was until I saw my neighbour arrive at the top of our driveway. :)

The sound is very warm and the unit didn't add any unwanted additional colour to what we were recording.

My daughter has also used it a few times with her musician pals without a hitch which is great since the unit is so easy to set up and use.

I've just also bought a Rode Camera Mic recently and am looking forward to trying that out.

I'm a fan.

best choise

full patern and very useful mic

Great product and assistance

Good mic with sturdy construction and nice finishing. The sound is on the bright side, too trebly for my personal taste but suitable for many applications.

Shockmount and Pop filter are great too, although I would have preferred they weren't connected (they are detachable however). The provided cable is also very good.

Assistance is remarkable, with 10 year extended brand warranty.

Rode NT2-A Studio Solution Set

First a bit of background on me. I have a home studio set up using Cubase and a Yamaha N12 mixer and use the equipment for song writing and demos. My live recordings are done in a less than ideal environment normally standing next to the desk.

I looked at various reviews and did a fair bit of detective work before I bought this and it seemed to be a little bit better than the NT1A which I was also looking at, for only a little more money. I use this mainly for vocals and occasionally for acoustic guitar.

A while ago when I worked in a studio I borrowed a number of different mics, AKG 414, Neumann U87 and did some A/B testing on my voice to see which worked best. A Shure SM58 in this context was the equal of everything else and that is what I normally use, live and for recording.

My SM58 gets a little noisy when I drive it hard to get a decent vocal level and I was really looking for something to give me an equivalent sound but with less noise. Also something that I could use to record the acoustic guitar which would let me push the levels when recording.

So, onto the review. The NT2A does exactly what I wanted. My vocals sound great with this mic. I’m guessing that it boosts a little to give some presence and so it’s not dead flat, but it’s a very musical sound. It’s also very very quiet and does not introduce any noise into the recording. I can really crank the gain and record at a distance from the mic and there is no hiss at all which makes it very easy to use. MY aim in buying this was to get something that I would not need to upgrade, and I think I have succeeded. I don’t think I’m going to need to change this unless I win the lottery and equipment envy gets the better of me.

When purchased with the kit, the mic comes with a shock mount and pop shield which is great, plus a bag to cover it when you are not using it to keep the dust out, which is a nice touch. The rubber in the clamp on my shock mount does not hold very well and I get micro phone droop where it does not stay level. Would be nice if Rode could design this problem out, but considering the price, I’ll live with it. When I get round to it I’m going to take it apart and put some gaffa tape or similar inside so it has more grip. Overall it’s a lot easier than using a separate pop shield as the pop shield is at exactly the right height.

I haven’t used the directional switching, or the pad switch but it’s nice as a feature. I have used the high pass switch and this does what it says, to ensure that the mic doesn’t pick up any low end stuff.

Overall, very pleased and I think its good value and will make my recordings better, and I would buy again.

Poor quality shockmount hardware

Shock mount hardware was awkward and the screwing mechanism jammed.

The sound was a tad bright for my taste. If you are thinking its a step up from the Nt1a, its not. It sounds brighter and shriller.

All the good things

There is no doubt that without a good preamp and a good singer, your microphone will lead you nowhere, and everything in the chain is important.

Do remember that when you use cheaper home recording equipment.

The quality of the NT2 is quite outstanding for this price though. It looks, feels, and sounds as good as advertised. It would probably not compete with a very expensive classical microphone of the same type, but I must admit it is not that far.

This is not the warmest mike I've ever used, but it is definitely not the coldest!

It is to me the best in this price range that I have tried. It is all the good things.

If you don't need the optional settings and just need cardioid then obviously the NT1 is more for you.

Best option to recording at a low price

The Rode NT 2 - A is one of the best options to make a PROFESSIONAL recording using a microphone PRO at a really low price .

You can use it also in different FREQUENCIES and types ( cardiod , bipolar or unidirectional )

I used this amazing microphone to record acoustic drums , acoustic guitars , electric guitar ,saxophone, trumpet, trombone , cajon flamenco , latino percussions and OF COURSE, vocals and backing vocals , clear sound and multiple configurations , you can record almost anything , great feedback and also comes with ALL the accesories , you are ready to implement your HOME studio with it .

I am using for almost 3 years and I did not find a disadvantage with this microphone . . .

Maybe as a suggestion you can make a PACK with an audio interface and headphones , it will be a PERFECT COMBINATION for sure ! ! !

I make an experience using this microphone also FOR LIVE PERFORMANCE and for LIVE RECORDING , using a digital mixer ( I do not know if this have relevance ) and the result was PRETTY AMAZING , very high quality ! ! !

I recommend this microphone , really good ! ! !

The mic I have so far

It is versatile, well built, and clean sounding. I have used it with vocals, acoustic guitar, flute, drum overheads, and ambient mic in the studio. There is a lot of controversy regarding mics on side says that with a good knowledge, one can use a 50 euro mic and a cheap preamp and still can record excellent music. Others state that below a 1000 euro Neumann nothing exists. In my opinion, under 100 euro mics suck, due to lack of performance and additional noise due to cheap craftsmanship but one can record good stuff with these Rodes. I don't see how a Neumann can be 5 times as good as those Rode. If you have the money, by all means, get the one you prefer. For me, this works perfect. Also the pop filter , cable and the shock mount is of top quality.

This is a very good microphone.

Rode NT2-A is a microphone which has an affordable price and a satisfying performance for home studios and small studios.I use it with vocals,guitars,drums and dubbing.The package contents are very plentiful.

Rode NT2 Studio set.

Great mic. Very, very versatile. Can use on almost anything. Even the Dvd that came with it (not usually a fan) had some cool tips for studio applications. If you want 1 mic to cover a lot of bases in a studio setting this is the one. This is the 2nd one of these I've owned so already a fan. I've used it on percussion, voice, tin whistle, piano accordion, acoustic guitar to date. All sound great.

A really great vocal mic - excited by its future prospects!

I feel that I'm really only at the beginning of my journey with this microphone. So far I have recorded vocals for 2 tracks and have been unbelievably happy with the results. I opted for the NT2-A over the NT1-A because I'd read a lot of reviews saying the response was quite harsh and abrasive with the NT1-A. The NT2-A is very smooth and captures a really well rounded vocal. Prior to purchasing this mic I'd been using a Shure SM57 for guide vocals and the result, perhaps unsurprisingly, was a muddy vocal that didn't cut through the mix. From the moment I recorded using this mic - the vocals immediately sat with clarity in the mix.

I have played with the phase switches on the side of the mic - most recently recording some acoustic guitar with Figure of 8 mode - this gave a great result with lots of room ambience captured. I haven't had a need to experiment with the pad or low cut switches yet - but will in due course and can't wait to get experimenting!

I have only just bought the kit I needed for my home (bedroom) studio - so it was great to get all the accessories in one purchase - pop filter / cradle etc. All of these are really good quality - just like the mic itself which is made of metal.

The DVD that the mic ships with was informative - the presenter demonstrates the versatility of the mic by close mic'ing an entire band's recording session with NT2-A's - the result is impressive!

Really nice and polyvalent

This mic is useful for everything Guitar, sing, ambiance ... I really love it

Rode NT2-A

Rode NT2-A is a good microphone for the price. Sound is pretty clear. I use it for recording vocals as my main microphone and i'm happy with it. Nice feature switcher between cardioid, super cardioid and eight patterns but the switcher is looks like i'll be broken if to switch several times.