This Rode NT1 review first appeared in Recording Magazine. I reprint it here with permission, and I encourage you to subscribe to that publication, as they are a stand up bunch of folk! PS: you may find affiliate links in this post and I may get a commission if you buy something. 🙂
Popular for a Reason: RØDE’s Classic NT1 is Back with a Vengeance
RØDE changed the game on professional studio condensers, mainly by making them affordable. The latest iteration proves the NT1 hasn’t fallen off its game.
The Condenser of the People
My first introduction to RØDE was in the early 90s. At the time, a great vocal mic wasn’t easy to come by for us starving musician types, and most of the gear we coveted was way out of reach. $3000 for a mic? Yeah right. $1000? Still pushing it. Then RØDE came along with the NT1 and the message from my mentor was “don’t fall for the hype, you can get a great recording with this very affordable mic”. Now RØDE has rebuilt the classic NT1 (their original offering) from the ground up.
NT1 5th Gen/Signature Series Basics
First a note: RØDE sent me the NT1 Signature Series, which is distinct from the NT1 5th Generation. One of the revolutionary things about the 5th Gen is it’s a dual output microphone, with both an XLR and USB output. That means like any USB mic, it can get you recording right away even without an interface.
The signature series came shortly after the 5th Gen – it’s the same mic with the USB output (and corresponding preamp) removed. Just a classic, revamped NT1 with a normal mic output.
The NT1’s specs are impressive – only 4dBA self-noise (the quietest condenser you can find), 142 dB max SPL, a sensitivity of 25.1mV/Pa, and an internally shock-mounted 1” HF6 gold-sputtered capsule made to sub-micron tolerances.
It’s a hair smaller and lighter than most large-diaphragm condensers, at 313 grams, 189 mm long, and about 52 mm in diameter.
Unboxing the thing for this Rode NT1 Review
I’m a sucker for good presentation and accessories, so I’d be remiss not to mention the great package. The NT1 came packaged with the mic, a hefty shock mount that’s way better built than any of my other shock mounts, a pop filter that attaches directly to the mount, and a long, high-quality mic cable. That last bit was actually a life saver, as I was out. Good on ya, RØDE.
NT1 Signature Series in Action
The original NT1 response curve had a slight brightness boost at around 11kHz, a shallow roll-off below about 30 Hz, and slight dips around 1500 and 2500 Hz. To my ear, the signature series had a similar but improved sound – a little richer in the low-mids and not problematic in any area.
It sounded a smidge darker than its “competition” (a well-known modeling mic) during my testing sessions, but what I noticed first and most was how much more sensitive it is. It needed a lot less gain, and that along with its mind-boggleingly low self-noise was super handy when I used it for a couple of intimate piano ballads.
That’s all well and good, but the really cool thing about this generation of NT1 is that sensitivity combined with the super high MAX SPL. In addition to some soft, close-miked ballads, I treated it to a complete screaming, belting, overload – the kind where the curve you see in the DAW is squared off like a top hat. It really sounded awesome on that. It’s so easy for that kind of thing to end up sounding shrill or nasty (in a bad way) but this resulted in a smooth, well controlled – but totally overloaded – signal. It was awesome.
What those results combined with the reported specs tell me is this NT1 will be super versatile. Guitar amps, drum overheads, I might even try it on a kick or a snare. That was a big part of what made the original NT1 so popular – it could be a workhorse in a small project studio.
The only thing to know is that with a fixed cardioid polar pattern, you don’t have that kind of pickup versatility, where you could set it to omni and record a choir or put it in figure 8 mode for mid-side. (It would make a great mid though.) That’s par for the course, though, and not something you expect for a $159 mic (yeah you read that right).
The Final Word on the NT1 Signature Series
I expected a lot from the NT1. After all, RØDE mics have always been perfect for my recording ethos of “let’s make amazing sound without having to be billionaires”. What I’m surprised about is since my initial tests I keep gravitating toward the NT1 vs. my other go-to vocal mic, which I had zero complaints about. I think it’s just that the RØDE combines a smooth character with such a wide dynamic range and seems to need very little post-production coaxing to sound good. It doesn’t hurt that I love it when a less expensive mic does a great job.
If you’re looking for an affordable, versatile condenser that can be either the lone mic in a small home studio or a workhorse addition to a robust closet, you can’t go wrong with the NT1 signature series.
Price: $159
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In case you couldn’t tell, I’m Aaron. I do music. I write reviews of music stuff. I write other stuff. We’re similar, probably. Let’s talk on socials @AaronJTrumm.