It is honest enough to fit snugly into various specific areas where its undeniable high-mid lift is a pronounced advantage.

When it comes to editing the recorded vocals, the first step is knowing your microphone. The next step is working to compliment the recorded voice. While this section will explain an approach to getting the most out of vocals on NT2-A with EQ, it is important to note that this is specific to my voice, and every voice will need treating a little differently. The figure-of-eight position has nominally the same tonality as the cardioid pattern, but switching to omni allows more of the room sound to contribute, so in most cases the tonality will change according to the character of the room you're working in. As expected, the omni pattern sounds slightly more open, but in cardioid mode the NT2A's design is still pretty airy, whereas some cardioids can sound noticeably congested. The Rode NT2-A is a large-diaphragm condenser microphone released in 2010. This microphone is an upgrade on the Rode NT2, released in 1992, which was marketed upon release as a technological upgrade to previous microphones while remaining true to the tones of microphones of the ’50s and ’60s.I'd always thought of the Australians as being proudly original — so why have they styled this mic after Neumann's U87? I know there are only so many shapes you can make a mic, but to copy somebody else's cosmetics so blatantly is almost like shouting out loud that you're producing a cheap copy. However, having taken the mic apart, I have to say that it's very nicely put together, and the satin chrome casework is quite solid; the whole thing weighs 530 grammes. Rather than just update the design of the original NT2, the NT2A looks radically different to its predecessor, with a very distinctive inset panel housing the pattern, filter, and pad switches. It's also very different inside. This FET, transformerless mic can be switched between figure-of-eight, omni, and cardioid modes, and has a choice of 80Hz or 40Hz low-cut filter frequencies as well as a filter-bypass switch position. Similarly, there's a choice of 5dB or 10dB pads.

As for sound quality - the recording is a little better I heard only at the Neumann microphones and old ribbon microphones - but it is another price category... The cable and pop filter that cames in set are okay! Very convenient when everything is sold in one set. The plethora of controls that this microphone affords makes it incredibly versatile. The use cases and scenarios in which these controls prove useful are discussed below. Frequency Response The mic’s pad and HPF features are built on a small round PCB with the switches. The image at right identifies the capsule wire connection points.Evidently, the NT2-A is presented as a refinement upon RØDE’s long line of condenser microphones. It’s 1” diaphragm being a hallmark of the company, but how does it vary from previous models? The dual‑pressure gradient capsule is around 25mm in diameter, and utilises the familiar gold‑plated membrane. Unusually for a relatively low‑cost mic, the circuitry is transformerless, which helps to maintain the mic's fast transient response (see below). It's also evident that the designers are audiophiles, as each component has been selected not only on the basis of its electrical properties, but also for the best subjective sound. On top of this, the internal connectors (and the output XLR pins) are gold‑plated and coated with an antioxidant, and even the printed circuit boards are coated with Conformal, which I'm told protects against corrosion. My SM58 gets a little noisy when I drive it hard to get a decent vocal level and I was really looking for something to give me an equivalent sound but with less noise. Also something that I could use to record the acoustic guitar which would let me push the levels when recording.

The specs for the mic changed over its lifetime; for example, the self-noise ranged from “<14dBA” to 17dBA. Max SPL ranged from 130 dB to 135 dB (or 145 with the pad). Whether these changes were due to circuitry improvements or test methodology changes is unknown. As discovered in our in-depth comparison, the UR22 is the noisier of the interfaces. Putting the NT2-A through a stress test with the UR22 however, only solidified how quiet this microphone really is. At its extreme, there was an audible amount of noise. At a reasonable level, however, the noise was almost unnoticeable. The Rode NT2-A is a prime example of Rode mics going bigger and better, and not just in price. When compared with popular offerings like the Rode NT1-A, the Rode NT 2 A has increased versatility with its three polar patterns (cardioid, figure-of-eight, and omnidirectional), allowing you to use it in more recording situations. It also comes with a three-position variable high-pass filter (Flat, 40Hz, or 80Hz), as well as a three-position pad (0dB, -5dB, -10dB). The NT2A replaces the original NT2, which was the very last mic Rode had built in China. Apparently this was a difficult decision, as the NT2 was still selling very well. It seems that Rode wanted to sever the last ties with Chinese manufacturing so that they could put Made In Australia on their mics and distance themselves from the other 'Made In China' brands. The transient response, while being less audible on vocals than a drum kit for instance, still colors sound profiles. Due to the softer transient and prolonged decay, the sound has a smoother character.So, onto the review. The NT2A does exactly what I wanted. My vocals sound great with this mic. I’m guessing that it boosts a little to give some presence and so it’s not dead flat, but it’s a very musical sound. It’s also very very quiet and does not introduce any noise into the recording. I can really crank the gain and record at a distance from the mic and there is no hiss at all which makes it very easy to use. MY aim in buying this was to get something that I would not need to upgrade, and I think I have succeeded. I don’t think I’m going to need to change this unless I win the lottery and equipment envy gets the better of me. I started with a high pass filter at 80Hz, to remove rumble (I recorded using the default flat response mode), and a low pass at just over 10kHz to remove any unwanted highs. Collection and delivery costs are included for the first 2 years in the event of an item becoming faulty