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Rode's NT1A looks physically similar to the original NT1 — other than the finish, which is now satin nickel rather than grey lacquer. It is supplied in a cardboard box rather than a fancy case, and looks less macho than some of its competitors, but it comes with a good metal shockmount and a soft zip-up storage pouch. Like the original NT1, the NT1A is a cardioid-pattern, large-diaphragm capacitor mic with a gold-sputtered one-inch diaphragm.
Despite the similarities with its precursor, the NT1A is no minor update — the circuitry is completely new, and the capsule has a much-extended frequency response compared with the original, giving it full 20Hz-20kHz coverage. By contrast, the NT1 started to roll off above 16kHz. The response is also flatter than that of most large-diaphragm mics, as the presence peak is less pronounced and quite broad, but there's also a hint of low-end lift at around 120Hz, which gives the mic a very subtle 'smile EQ' characteristic, the practical outcome of which is that the sound is mildly flattering but still very natural sounding.
Transformerless JFET circuitry is used to amplify the signal from the capsule, and the circuit board employs surfacemount components. Niceties such as gold-plated XLR pins and a heavy machined locking ring for fixing the mic to the shockmount have been retained, even though this is still Rode's entry-level model. A very tough stainless-steel grill protects the capsule, with a second much finer layer beneath to help reduce popping and to help protect the capsule from contamination and RF interference. However, a separate pop shield is essential for studio vocal recording (as it is with all such microphones).
There are no pad or low-cut switches on the mic body, as this is the baby of the Rode range, but it's also amongst the quietest mics I've ever used, with an equivalent input noise of just 5dB, which translates to a signal-to-noise ratio of 88dB. By comparison, many large-diaphragm mics have a signal-to-noise ratio of between 75-80dB. The sensitivity of the mic is quoted as -31.9dB (with a 1V/Pa reference) and the sensitivity was subjectively very similar to other capacitor mics in my collection. The maximum SPL is 137dB, which is about as good as it gets for a capacitor mic with no pad switch, and the NT1A will work on 24-48V phantom power.
Reviews:
| "Immediately upon receiving the NT1-As I started using them for recording vocals and guitars and I haven't looked back. I have yet to find an application where these mics didn't sound good." - Electronic Musician, 2003 "It is well suited to a wide range of recording tasks, and is built to a high standard of manufacture... If you don't like hiss building up in your recordings, courtesy of noisy mics and preamps, have a listen to the NT1-A - you won't hear a thing." - AudioTechnology |
| Testimonials |
| "This mic is worth every cent! This mic has such an incredible dynamic range that it'll catch everything from blaring cymbals to a vocal breath ten feet away! I've used it for all my vocal and guitar tracks and have even been surprised with it's piano capability!" - Travis Cullman, Sweetwater customer review, 2006 |
V úterý 1. září 2009 oslavila firma RODE 15 let od uvedení mikrofonu NT1, potažmo NT1-A na celosvětový trh. Při této příležitost vydala reedici tohoto mikrofonu. Nyní v balení naleznete odpružený držák, pop filtr, kabel a navíc i instruktážní DVD.
První kousky z roku 1995, tehdy ještě označovány NT1, si měly najít svou cestu do profesionálních nahrávacích studií. Kombinace srozumitelnosti, velkého dynamického rozsahu a vysokého SPL, přispěly k velké oblibě jak mezi profesionály, tak i v prostředí domácího studia.
Dalším krokem bylo vylepšení designu pouzdra a elektroniky mikrofonu a tím i snížení vlastního šumu. Po těchto úpravách známe mikrofon už pod názvem NT1-A a v roce 2003 se stává jedním z nejprodávanějších mikrofonů na celém světě.
Nyní vám k mikrofonu už nic nechybí, má kvalitní shockmount, vysoce účinný pop filtr a 6i metrový XLR kabel. Jako bonus dostáváte ještě DVD, na kterém vám samotný Peter Freedman, zakladatel společnosti RODE, ukáže pár praktických triků, při používání NT1-A ve studiu. A to vše proto, abyste ze svého mikrofonu dostali opravdu maximum.
Technické parametry:
