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Today, we have the RODE NT1 Signature Series Studio Condenser Microphone for review. Let's see what this new product is capable of and compare it with the Rode NT1 5th generation microphone. The NT1 series has been known to enthusiasts and professionals for decades. RODE, a well-known Australian brand, has always stood for exceptional materials, the best production control, advanced technology, and a good price.
We met the brand about 15 years ago when we bought a Rode NT-1A for our studio (yes-yes, this is one of the world's best-selling microphones, with one of the best-designed circuits with the lowest signal-to-noise ratio). And not long ago, we purchased a fifth-generation NT1 kit for our SoundGale studio. From year to year, the reissues have not changed much, which is a good thing, because this is a legendary product, and the main thing for the manufacturer - not to let it degrade over time. The Rode NT1 Signature is a worthy continuation of this tradition.
RODE microphones are manufactured in the same place in Sydney, Australia, and offer the owner a characteristic, recognizable sound, the same form factor, and uncompromising quality in both assembly and materials. But before we get to the main part of our RODE NT1 Signature review, let's look at this device's specifications.
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Best Price on RODE NT1 Signature Series
The RODE NT1 Signature Series is a standout in the world of affordable studio mics. It’s clear and beautifully built—ideal for anyone who wants pro-level sound with minimal fuss. |
Classic Package
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Inside the solid cardboard box, you'll find: the microphone itself (in one of nine available colors), a 6-meter XLR cable, a metal shockmount for RODE large-diaphragm studio condenser microphones, a classic nylon pop filter that attaches to the shockmount, a pouch to keep the microphone dust-free, an "I love Rode" sticker, and some waste paper.
The Rode NT1 Signature Series microphone is available in a choice of nine colors, which is the main attraction and visual difference from the previous series (black, white, cobalt, red, pink, purple, blue, green, and orange). If before there was only the classic black and no compromise, now all the streamers with a lot of neon in the background can assert themselves by choosing a color that will be in harmony with their well-being or taste. But the sibling of this microphone, the RODE NT1 5th Generation, has only two colors - silver and black.
Very recognizable in size and shape - it is a heavy and large microphone made of high-quality metal, with an unpainted aluminum grille through which you can see the capsule. On the previous version, the grille was factory painted black, but even with careful use, we managed to scratch it. The decision to keep the metallic color is much more practical and may even be more visually appealing to many people than the monochrome version.
The XLR cable from the kit is of excellent quality. It's very nice that you don't have to search for quality cables, because in this market there are also compromise options, or frankly cheap ones that directly affect the sound. Just take them out of the box and get to work. It is also worth noting that if you buy a Rode NT1 Signature Series microphone of any color, a black color cable will be included in the kit. However, you can purchase XLR cables from RODE that match the color of your microphone (6 colors of cables are available: blue, green, orange, pink, purple, and red). You can choose the length of each cable, available in 3 meters or 6 meters. Сheck them out at the link.
The Pop Filter is classic, unlike the previous generation (metal) and this is a plus. With its predecessor, it was impossible to adjust the slope according to the position of the microphone itself, which was very limiting. In the new version, the ability to articulate with the filter already gives you the flexibility to adjust the angles of protection of the microphone.
Shockmount has a frame made of durable plastic and a suspension made of rubber bands. It may look simpler than the all-plastic one that was in the fourth edition series, but it performs much better. In our studio practice, we have had to re-record many moments where, in post-production, a cup of coffee or the tapping of fingers was clearly audible in the background of the voice. In some of these situations, Shockmount can make your life a lot easier by eliminating these unwanted rumbles and vibrations.
The Pouch looks very plain and will only protect the microphone from dust. We recommend that you consider a protective case if you need to transport the microphone frequently.
Let's start with a strong statement - this kit is the perfect place to start in any direction. Whether you're a voiceover newbie, or you're a streamer, YouTuber, or maybe a content creator, podcaster, videographer, singer, or sound engineer. The RODE NT1 Signature Series kit gives you EVERYTHING you need to start or expand your business. The suggested retail price in the world is simply uncompromising for a kit like this. You simply don't need anything else than a device to which you can plug an XLR cable (and in the RODE NT1 5Gen version, you don't even need a sound card, as the microphone is hybrid and equipped with XLR and USB-C output with 32-bit float digital output).
The manufacturer claims that this microphone is the quietest in the world - 4dBA noise threshold. First of all, you don't need to crank the gain knobs to high settings, because this microphone is easy enough to rock. Second, even at the highest volume levels, thanks to a very outstanding technology that the manufacturer claims, you won't get any extraneous noise, and your recording will be perfectly clear!
At the same time, the microphone can withstand up to 142 SPL, which is simply unbelievable among condenser microphones. With a sensitive 25mm diaphragm, it seems unbelievable, but you can easily use this microphone to record extreme vocals or just a powerful voice, for general drum room recordings, or even to record guitar cabinets! A combination of the incongruous, nothing else.
In our studio work sessions, we often recorded extreme vocals, but we discovered an important weakness of the microphone - the perfect recording quality of the sensitive microphone capsule captures all aspects of room reverberation. This signal (if it does not suit your sound) is made even more noticeable by compression and cannot be squashed by noisegate, overridden by other reverb effects, or removed from the signal by any other manipulation. This forces the owner to do certain operations with the room - to install screens that minimize the reflection of sound from the walls, to put a cover on the surface of the table, to glue foam pyramids to the walls, and to put blankets on the floor. Yes, it is necessary, but still not as scary as it may seem at first glance. The solution can be both very budgetary and artisanal (hang a blanket on the door of an open closet, cover with pillows, or generally do recordings sitting in your car) and quite expensive. But at the same time, in our opinion, such manipulations look visually interesting and fit into almost any interior. If it is categorically impossible in your conditions, then the obvious advice will be to consider another class of microphones - dynamic, such as for example RODE PodMic or RODE Procaster. Yes, this is a completely different sound character, but if it does not suit you, you will still have to rearrange the furniture in the room and reduce the effect of echo.
Another very bad idea is to use a microphone without a shockmount or pop filter. Because of its high sensitivity, if you hold it in your hand while recording, you can hear the skin of your hand rustling against the metal body. And despite the high volume threshold the microphone can withstand, it is still very sensitive and will "clip" on explosive "B", "P", "T" sounds or attempts to shout at it.
The overall directivity (polar pattern) of the microphone is cardioid. That is, moving away from the direction of the capsule, the volume of the signal captured by the microphone will decrease. No sound is picked up from the back of the microphone, only from the front, which is marked by a prominent gold dot that has been a kind of recognizable symbol of Rode for decades.
We would like to say right away that we like the sound of the new series better than the ones we used to have in our studio (classic RODE NT1 and RODE NT-1A). There are tons of comparisons on the web, and many reviewers post the source files so you can draw your own conclusions. The midrange now has more detail, and the treble boost is still barely there. But the character is still the same - it's a warm sound with an emphasis on natural bass extension, perfect midrange detail, and a slight lift in the treble. If you want to understand this sound without listening, you can easily imagine the taste of honey - sweet, warm. Maybe some of you don't like honey, but hopefully the analogy is clear. This is exactly what comes to mind when you say "warm lamplight sound"; these are Adele and Frank Sinatra records. There is a strong proximity effect, a sense of bass saturation and intimacy of sound as you get closer to the microphone when recording a voice. Many dynamic microphones do the job just as well, but the Rode does it like the best of the best! Coupled with the rich bass and ultra-detailed mids, the lift in the highs is the icing on the cake. Many competitors, regardless of price, have a rather harsh signature in the highs, which makes them less flexible in their use.
Also, we would like to point out that if your voice is already bright enough, it will be a bit brighter during recording with this microphone, so you should always have an equalizer at hand to correct the result on the output.
Despite the fact that our review is about the RODE NT1 Signature Series model of microphone, we decided to tell you about the RODE NT1 5th Generation because they are almost identical in sound, but 5th Gen is more advanced microphone and below we will tell you why. It's also worth noting that the NT1 5th Generation mic costs ~$100 more than the NT1 Signature Series.
The RODE NT1 5th Gen is a complete copy of the RODE NT1 Signature in terms of sound, but with an available USB connection and a bunch of new features that result from it. That is, you can turn on the microphone through an XLR cable, but when there is no microphone preamp or audio interface at hand, you simply connect via a USB cable directly into your computer. And you don't need 48V phantom power like you would with a standard audio interface.
Frequency-wise, the sound of the NT1 5Gen version differs from the regular version in one detail - the treble boost is barely noticeable. This is a more classic variation on the sound of the first versions of this microphone in the early days, when the Signature series had a modern, bright "fleur". Otherwise, it is impossible to distinguish between these versions of the mic.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to listen to yourself while recording. There is no headphone output in the RODE NT1 5th Gen, and voice processing through a computer without a sound card always has a noticeable delay. But! The 5th Gen has an incredible "killer feature" called - 32-bit float audio. "Floating" 32-bit resolution allows you to adjust volume levels in post-processing. How does that sound in layman's terms? If you decide to scream loudly during the recording, this signal cannot be corrected; it will be recorded as it is, and there is nothing you can do about it - the clipping will be imprinted on the audio track, and by reducing the volume you will only reduce the volume of the distorted signal. If you whispered quietly enough into the microphone during recording, turning up the gain during post-processing will pull a lot of "dirt" out of your audio interface preamp's recording - it will be noticeable and unpleasant. Such recordings are usually redone. By selecting the appropriate resolution in the project, "floating" 32 bits allows you to reduce clipping signals and turn them into adequate ones by selecting the appropriate resolution in the project. Or, extremely quiet recordings can be boosted in volume without pulling out all the dirt at the same time. This is a truly unique feature that sells itself, and those who have faced the problems described above have already bitten their lips and reached into their pockets to check the balance on the card :). Yes, it doesn't work on a "put it on and forget it" basis, but it does help prevent the loss of valuable material due to unnoticed recording errors.
On-the-fly editing is also available through the Rode Connect and Rode Central apps. You have access to gain levels, equalization, compression, noisegate, and more. And all settings are stored on the microphone itself! So when you plug in a pre-configured microphone on a new computer, you get all your settings right away without having to install Rode Connect and Rode Central (all previous settings are stored in the controller memory on the microphone board).
Most of Rode's competitors in this and related price ranges are more like competitors because of the different focus of the units. So if the NT1 doesn't work for you, it's probably because the condenser mic type itself isn't right for you, or you need a different sonic profile for a very specific manipulation. This RODE NT1 Signature Series microphone has proven to be even better in combination with your voice than the icon among condenser microphones Neumann company, with its microphones for 2-3 thousand dollars. The main thing to understand is that the cost of a microphone very often does not affect the result; you need to know how to use it in a certain way and (most importantly) combine it accurately with the type of your voice or the voice of the person you are recording.
Of course, there are a lot of choices in this price range, but we would like to draw your attention to a few points. If you look at it purely from the point of view of money spent and results obtained, the Rode NT1 is simply unbeatable in terms of balance. But if you need a slightly different orientation, more neutrality in the sound, another orientation of the device, then we can advise you to consider a few specific - Lewitt 240 Pro - the capsule is smaller, the sensitivity is less, and therefore there is no such dependence on the construction of the room. But you will have almost nothing in the kit except the microphone itself; everything will have to be purchased separately, and this will already exceed the cost of the Rode kit. However, this option is more portable and potentially easier to use on the road in a mobile setup than the massive NT1 kit.
Other competitors are the already mentioned RODE PodMic and RODE Procaster. Precisely because you didn't know your goals or didn't know your room (i.e. you made the wrong choice in favor of a condenser mic), you need dynamic microphones for recording. It happens, and we have a RODE Procaster in our studio right now. Not always is the whole range of interactions with the equipment known at the beginning, and sometimes many tasks are added, some are removed from everyday life, the main thing is to draw conclusions in time.
Finally, we've reached the end of our RODE NT1 Signature Series review, it's time to summarize the results. There is no better choice for the beginner or pro who wants to eliminate the need for a condenser microphone. The quality for the price is incredible. We understand that there are personal preferences in sound or brands, but as we think the sound of Rode is the most universal and the company has "harnessed" this Colt NT1 for a long time and will just spin it forever. Great sound profile, great equipment. This mic requires minimal post-production, saving time for pros while keeping more casual users to a simple gain setting. The default sound already has character, charisma, and no frequency problems. Although this microphone is demanding in terms of room characteristics, it still fits in well with today's content creators, streamers, podcasters, etc. So, without any problems on board, we would advise you not to pass up this good deal.
We hope you enjoyed our review of the RODE NT1 Signature Series studio condenser microphone. Please feel free to leave your comments, questions, and suggestions in the section below. We will be happy to answer them all as soon as possible. If you already own RODE NT1 Signature Series mic and have used it for a while, don't forget to share your impressions and tell us what you liked or disliked about this microphone.
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9.5
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