RODE NT1-A Condenser Microphone Review / Test

Today, I have the RØDE NT1-A in the Audio Hotline Studio! I am just going to come out and say it... The RØDE NT1-A and I have been through a lot of good times together. I am a big fan of this microphone, especially for the price-point that it sits within and the quality it has. This mic may not be for everyone since it isn't a flat mic, but the sound this mic has right out the gate is quite good, and is a pretty good option for people that don't want to do much EQing in post. Since Rode made this frequency polar pattern pretty deliberately sound a certain way, it may not fit everyones voice, but it is for you to decide if it will work FOR YOU!

In this review I go through what comes in the box, specs, audio tests, and much more (timestamps below). I do show some examples of songs that I recorded vocals with in this review. QUICK NOTE: I record and mix the way a band wants to sound... It is my job to make THEIR SOUND a reality, so although this is a way to see how the Rode NT1-A fits in a mix, I just also want you to know that each artist is different and wants a different overall sound and tone.

Be sure to check out the testing and audio samples and see if this is right for you! Every person has different expectations of audio gear. If the features are what you need, and you like the sound, then it is right for you!

Thanks for watching the Audio Hotline! I'll see you Audio Nerds next time!

==========TIMESTAMPS==========

Intro: 0:00 - 1:12
What Comes in the Box: 1:12 - 1:43
Opinion on Accessories: 1:43 - 3:00
Specs: 3:14 - 4:23
Opinion on Specs: 4:23 - 5:43
Testing Intro: 5:43 - 5:48
Testing:
Proximity Effect: 5:48 - 6:03
Plosives Test: 6:03 - 6:32
Background Noise Rejection: 6:32 - 6:51
Polar Pattern Test (white noise): 6:51 - 7:07
Distance Test: 7:07 - 7:10
Post Processing Test: 7:10 - 7:37
Song Examples Introduction: 7:37 - 7:49
How the NT1-A Fits in a Mix:
Song Example 1 (Kingdoms): 7:49 - 8:04
Song Example 2 (Jake Hanchey): 8:04 - 8:18
Song Example 3 (NVM): 8:18 - 8:35
Acoustic Guitar Test: 8:35 - 8:50
My Opinion of the NT1-A: 8:50 - 11:00
My Grade For NT1-A: 11:00 - 11:10
Outro: 11:10 - 11:53

Timecode for the explanation: It should open to the right time, but just in case, it is Two Minutes and Seven Seconds into the video.

======AFFILIATE LINKS BELOW======

Want to purchase thE RODE NT1-A?

====GEAR I USE TO MAKE MY VIDEOS (w/ affiliate links)====

============VIDEO============

Canon EOS R:
Sony A7iii:
Canon EF 35mm f/1.4 (Newer Version):
Sigma EF 35mm f1/4 (Cheaper Alternative to Canon):
Tamron EF 24-70 f/2.8:
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4:
Tamron E-Mount 28-75mm f/2.8 Lens:
Sigma EF 24mm f/1.4:
Sigma E-Mount 35m f/1.4:
Tamron EF 15-30mm f/2.8:
Sigma EF 18-35mm f/1.8 (APS-C):
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 L (MACRO):
Moza Slypod:
Atomos Ninja V:
Aputure 120D MKii:
Aputure Light Dome II:
Godox SL60w:
Impact Fresnel:
Amazon
Manfrotto Tripod:

============AUDIO============

Rode Video Mic Pro+:
Hercules Mic Stand:
Zoom H6:
Zoom H5:
Apollo Twin Quad:
Mogami XLR:
Monoprice XLR (Cheaper XLR Alternative):
SE Dynamite:

[davidr.flores]

Great review. I took a sound engineering class at Collin College (north Texas), and in that class we reviewed several microphones, that was when I got acquainted with the Rode name brand. Our instructor had a highly favorable opinion of Rode and without a doubt, this is where one can find the more bang for the buck, these microphones are great at their price point even competing with more expensive European counterparts.

[luisegene]

Already bought the mic yesterday and needed to watch reviews to have more confidence in my decision. Thanks for the video :)

[sweethozi]

Been using this mic since 2014, the most quite mic ever, get it you won't regret it

[enriquekahn]

As a spoken word guy I feel the NT-1 is the one to have. My voice is reasonably deep and even so this one is a little too boosted at the top for me, IMHO. Maybe I'd like it more if the NT-1 didn't exist.
Wow, that subscriber count is going up fast. It seems like I congratulated you on 5K a week ago and you're nearly at 6K. Congratulations!

[aria]

Dang I think this review has me set on getting this mic. (I do voice synth stuff and was looking to upgrade my blue yeti to another mic and this is one was definitely a big possibility. It sounds great even with just talking and such so it'll do well for my streams it seems. ) so thank you for this review!

[slumdogjay]

After trying a lot of different mics to record my vocals and acoustic guitar parts, I settled on this one.

[Robbiepeaple]

I use this review as an ASMR video. Works every time. On as for the NT1A, i have some old Neumann condensers and always end up using my trusty old NT1A. 8 years joy! Thanks for the review old chap.

[mujikFreak]

Brilliant video! Fun fact - At around 06:04 when he was like, “Warning... it’s going to be a Plosives Test”, I jumped right outta my stretchy pose on the couch to bring down the volume on my headphones!

Ah, only if I can type it to make it sound as hilarious as the situation was!! 🙈

[kyreekyng]

This is the best/funniest review I’ve ever watched 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[BRUTHAWAR]

I am a rapper with a lower tone voice & i'm looking for a warm but clear sound for vocals. Liking how this sounds.

[TheWiseMonk]

It was a fun review man.! Many people have compared this bundle to the Sontronics STC-20 microphone. I'm really looking forward to someone doing a proper comparison video between the two...

[OzanYarman]

CAVEAT EMPTOR everyone: This mic, while a terrific deal in all the explained aspects, is not so easy to set up and get the desired results from if you enjoy de facto bass boost and excited enriched harmonics such as when you are crunching on your Feurich grand using a dynamic CAD. For a GoPro Hero 7 black user like me equipped with a studio audio interface made by Solid State Logic, here is what particularly worked for me: 1) Connect your Rode condenser mic to SSL2+ input socket of choice via the complementary XLR to XLR long cable, 2) Supply phantom power via its 48V button and disable its LINE and Hi-Z buttons while optionally activating the 4K legacy mode for crisper tone quality, 3) Turn its Monitor dial all the way to INPUT "with or without the stereo button pressed down" so that the captured sound will enter your iMac, 4) Setup iMac audio midi under UTILITIES folder so that SSL+ sends to output3 and output4 ports, 5) Connect an RCA to TRS mini cable all the way to Go Pro adapter from your SSL2+ output 3+4 ports, 6) Choose LINE IN as your input source in Go Pro. AND THAT's it! Don't forget to check your SSL2+ volume meter to avoid distortion however! Since this is not a stereo microphone and some distortion can be reached if you are not careful, the stereo button I mentioned is optional even though the LINE send is stereo. Cordially, Dr. Oz.

[danielmorales]

Sounds incredible for the price. I’m impressed

[BazArt-xr]

I am about to start Voice over work so looking for a starter kit and this Mic was recommended so this review really helped. Thank you!

[ricardojmestre]

5:50 was hilarious 😂. I give the lovings with protection 😂

[Anonyomus]

For a loud baritone singer, in rock music in example, this mic is a little too crisp and sounds a bit cold and tends to clip easily. I find it hard to sing dynamically with this mic as the vocal volume may differ in the same line. If your vocal line is very straight forward and low volume, this mic will do the work very well. In high volumes, it's hard to get that warmth and power into its sound.

If you want warmer and fuller tone, I'd use something else. It is a good mic and it does what it promises, but its soundscape is quite chill and crisp, which definitely doesn't work for my vocals. For the price range as its gone down drastically in couple of years, this mic however isn't at all a bad choice to try. But you really need to reduce echo and room sound with padding, acoustic plates etc., because this mic will sound pretty bad, if the recording room isn't adequate for its purpose. So this mic is rather contextual and I recommend to try it out. But my experience with it has been that I've resulted using different mics altogether after hours of trying make Röde NT1-A sound good for my voice. So as the dude in the video said, it doesn't work for everybody's voice and I can second that.

[thebusinessfirm]

Bloody beautiful review mate. Would love to see you compare this mic against the NT1. All the breast.

[gracied.]

side note, when doing your song examples, is there any chance you could include a lady's voice/a voice of a higher register? I found these useful but still quite difficult to translate to how I might experience the product

[uncleemad]

It made me buy this mic .... How ever it cost me like 3 times more than what i make in a month in this country

[alexjacob]

This is a great video my man lol 6:50 had me crackin up