Rode Nt1

[Pred80r]

I have the opportunity to purchase an older Rode NT1 (White model) and I think I read on here somewhere that it was a very desirable condensor to have. Does anyone here have this older mic in their locker and is $150 a decent price for this thing...I am assuming they were like $800 when they first came out. Any input you have will be greatly appreciated...

[bcgood]

LOL, I do have one of the original NT1's that where made in Australia. You've actually heard the mic in action if you have Motorcade of Generosity by Cake.

[seanmccoy]

Originally Posted by Pred80r

I have the opportunity to purchase an older Rode NT1 (White model) and I think I read on here somewhere that it was a very desirable condensor to have. Does anyone here have this older mic in their locker and is $150 a decent price for this thing...I am assuming they were like $800 when they first came out. Any input you have will be greatly appreciated...

$800? I think the most expensive one I ever saw on sale was about $225 new, though I'm not familiar with a white model. The NT1 and NT1a aren't bad for a cheap condensor. Scooped mids, so it can work pretty well on some harsh or sibilant voices or searing guitar cabs. I think it's less hyped than the newer crop of Chinese condensors.

Pretty funky sounding on everything else I tried it on, though.

[Pred80r]

Originally Posted by bcgood

LOL, I do have one of the original NT1's that where made in Australia. You've actually heard the mic in action if you have Motorcade of Generosity by Cake.

Great, Do you think it is worth $150 for the white model?

[peeweedrummer]

i would rather a sm57 than a nt1. ive got an orig nt2 that only gets used for a room mic on drums. ive tried a nt1a on vox and chose an akg c1000 instead. maybe its worth $50 for a last resort mic

[E.rOk.stA]

Not sure why this is on high-end but, I've owned one and had good luck with it. Primarily for vox. thumbsup

[keiffer]

I had an original years ago and thought it was lifeless and stale. I wouldn't recommend it at any price.

[joelpatterson]

I keep my NT-1 pair for recording services at a local monastery where they swing the incense around and the place fills up with smoke. I figure they really can't be ruined much beyond what they were originally. And what Sean McCoy said about the scooped mids is very true, if you afterwards EQ in a huge bulge that lifts the midrange, you almost approach something akin to normal sound... not really, though.

[Karl J]

I think they were about $300 new when they were available (before they made the NT1a). I haven't used it in a while and have been meaning to put it through its paces again and see what it can/can't do.

I have gotten some good results with it in the past. It worked surprisingly well on a bass cabinet a few times. Also worked well on certain male vox.

[Rob Ellis]

The NT1-A was one of my first voiceover mics. I sold it several months ago after replacing it.

To me, it was a big improvement over my SM57.

It's good for the price, but IMO doesn't stand up to bigger league mics like AKG 414, TLM 103, etc.

[Kronos147]

I think I bought my original NT1's for about $200 each from GC Pro.

I sold them for half that. I liked it until I bought several other better mics.

[Tommy-boy]

I have one of the original NT1s. They're terrible. Hence mine is permanmently on loan to my brother.

I'd take a simple 57 over the NT1 anyday of the week.

NT1s have a harsh sound.

[TAVD]

I grabbed one when they were being blown out for $99. I think there are places were they perform well. It flatters my Guild 12 string acoustic, for example, however I don't use mine often. I don't really get the nt1 vs. sm57 comparison. They're obviously very different. I do think it's strange that they still demand prices equal to what they originally sold for. Perhaps it's internet hype driving up prices.

[seanmccoy]

Originally Posted by Tommy-boy

I have one of the original NT1s. They're terrible. Hence mine is permanmently on loan to my brother.

I'd take a simple 57 over the NT1 anyday of the week.

NT1s have a harsh sound.

That's funny—I gave one of mine to my brother also! But in his case, his home-produced demo vocals sounded clearly bigger and better with the NT1 than with his SM58. Perhaps it's partly because the weaknesses of the Mbox preamps are more apparent when they're opened up all the way with a low output mic like a 58. The NT1 has an outrageously hot output.

[MWP]

I still have a couple on NT-1's that I bought for my first condenser mics in nineties. I mainly used them for overheads for drums and vocals. The capsules on both modules
failed after about 5 years. When I called Rodes to ask for how much it would cost to repair them, they informed me that they had a lifetime warranty and they repaired them for free and I only had to pay the shipping cost. The don't sound as good as my AKG 414's that I am now using for overheads but they are quite a decent mike that I still use on some vocalist. For that price thoughI would look for an original NT-2, not the new ones. Also mikes have quite a bit of gain and if your bored you can always crank them up and hear the coversation goin on in the next room or the apartment next door. Which I'm sure you would never do.


MWP

[drumzealot]

I had an NT1, hated it.

[Alxi]

I don't own any high end gear but i do have a Rode Nt-1a and i think it can do a fairly good job on a low male voice.

My 2 cents

-Alxi-

[Yoda117]

Originally Posted by elwood

It's good for the price, but IMO doesn't stand up to bigger league mics like AKG 414, TLM 103, etc.

Depends on the voice and the talent's experience. On some folks it can sound a bit too hyped. That said, I sound a lot nicer (IMO and that of the local engineers who use it in place of a 103 when I'm in the booth; CAVEAT: usually a U87, 414, or AT mic is used... but yeah they've used the NT1 and NT1-A over the 103) on that mic compared to the 103.

Personally, I preferred it to the 414 on my voice (for spoken word). Engineers preferred the 414 since it was easier to use in the mix. I won't argue that difference in opinion.

[bibleboy3]

ok would $68 be a fair price for a rode

[joelpatterson]

They're giving you $68 to take it? Well... maybe.

[gregl]

Here's the deal- some of the very early NT1's sounded pretty decent. I'm not sure how consistent they were, however. The later NT1's (not NT1A's) sounded different, and not a "better" different to my ears. "Scooped" would be a good description of the both early and later but the later were a cheesy sounding kind of scooped (kind of tinny on top). Not sure why. I did side by side comparisons between my early one and several later ones and the result was always the same. Someone else I know who had the bought several NT1's at the same time I purchased one thought the same thing.

So they only thing I can say is check it out and see if it sounds good to you.

Having said that, while the early ones can be OK don't expect an $800 mic for $150. (I sold mine for $90 by the way).

[theblue1]

Originally Posted by Pred80r

I have the opportunity to purchase an older Rode NT1 (White model) and I think I read on here somewhere that it was a very desirable condensor to have. Does anyone here have this older mic in their locker and is $150 a decent price for this thing...I am assuming they were like $800 when they first came out. Any input you have will be greatly appreciated...

I have an Oz-made NT1 that I bought not long after they came out. I think the list was $450 here in the States and the best the store could do was $420 because of some price-fixing -- er, excuse me -- prior arrangement with the distributor, so they said, look, pick something else out and we'll try to make it up to you on the price of that, knocking maybe $50 off what I bought over the going rate. (Funny how it works out that to 'save' money you have to buy more? Eh? )

Anyhow, I like my NT1 quite well. Assuming the mic is in good condition -- not necessarily a safe assumption to my way of thinking -- I wouldn't have any problem paying $150 for one. (I'd pay $150 to get mine all over again; it's not probably in perfect shape but it hasn't been spit into or stepped on. )

That said, like anything else that has a particular flavor/character, some folks like 'em for some stuff and some folks just don't... Me, I always figure if you don't like a given mic, you just haven't found the right application(s). But some folks have what appears to be an almost visceral, gut negative reaction to anything affordable or popular -- particularly if it got good reviews when it came out. I always find the mechanicality of that response amusing.

[jtkohler3]

i think the first ones are omni directional
so just keep that in mind

[allyouneedisears]

This thread is funny, since the only 2 mics I own are the NT1 and 57. I find they compliment each other nicely.

[Baconator]

I used one to record my voice almost 10 years ago and it really made me sound good (which is no small feat). Because of that, I'm not exactly sure how 'accurate' they are.

I've only recently been making a serious go of making my own music and have been searching for info on Rode mics. It seems as if they're hated by a large number of folks and loved by a slightly smaller number with few people on the fence. I'm tempted to get one just from my limited past experience and the fact that they aren't made in China.

[bibleboy3]

I have a NT1000

Bill

[MjS]

A friend of my recently bought a NT1a for his vocals. He has a pretty dark voice, and the NT1a seems to suit that pretty well. I haven't heard him on microphones though... I could see this mic getting harsh on (overly) bright sounding voices.

[huub]

I really like my NT1 (old one). straight from my grace preamp it's kind of ugly, but adding a bit of fat from my 1178, it's really nice.. Nothing wrong with it for sure.. I have acces to expensive mics, but for recording a friends band or whatever, I usually don't bother getting a neuman from work.. Nt1 works good enough..

[low_z]

Originally Posted by bibleboy3

I have a NT1000

Bill

Well, I'll give you $68 for your NT1000...

[lobsty]

Originally Posted by jtkohler3

i think the first ones are omni directional
so just keep that in mind

Um, no.
All cardioid...
Unless there's some weird early prototype or something.