Rode NTK Tube Microphone

This large diaphragm tube condenser microphone has a detailed, transparent, response. Its my first foray into tube mics (also known as valve microphones), so I can't really compare it to others of its kind, but I can give you an idea of the sounds I've gotten from it and how it fares against some of the other large diaphragm mics I've used. In case you're wondering, like I once was, what the difference between "tubes" and "valves" are, its purely terminology. They're called tubes in the US, valves in the UK. The terms are basically interchangeable.

Audio equipment using vacuum tubes has been generally known for adding the sort of ambiguous qualities of "warmth" and "fullness" to audio signals. Various reports I've read of this microphone use the same sort of stereotypical description (for a rather generic analysis of tube vs. transistor technology in audio equipment, check this out). However, "warmth" isn't the first characteristic I'd give this mic, though it does give a very full sound and the bottom on it is nothing to complain about. Its very transparent though seems to highlight the high-mids right around the area of sibilant noises. Tubes in audio equipment have the effect of adding subtle (or not so subtle) harmonic distortions as signal strength increases and you can definitely hear that effect in this microphone. It adds a pleasant edginess to the sound. On vocal recordings, I've found this microphone makes the vocal pop right out of the mix, even without the use of a decent preamp.

This mic has made a huge difference in the way I record voices, and I highly recommend it for that application, however, its not an all purpose condenser mic. I find its brightness to be too edgy for most acoustic guitar recordings. It seems to do alright as a drum overhead, but keep in mind the dominance of the high-mid range in this mic is going to have the effect of bringing anything recorded with it to the front of the sound field in a recording. When I tried to use it on both an acoustic guitar and a vocal (recorded seperately) on the same recording, it had the effect of those two "fighting" for the same space in the sound field.

So I said earlier that it had a "transparent" sound and then wrote a whole paragraph trying to describe the way in which it colors the sound. Hence the difficulty in relying on words to give you the idea of the sound of a piece of equipment. I think of this mic as transparent and detailed when used on a voice becuase the frequency ranges it tends to enhance are those that contain the majority of the detail of most voices.

All that in mind, the NTK is great for vocals, but if you're looking for an all-purpose large diaphragm condenser, this mic probably isn't your best choice. Considering it retails for around $500, this is a mic you probably don't want to consider until you're looking to up the ante on your vocal recordings. You can get a similar sound using a solid state condenser mic and a decent tube preamp and you'll have alot more versatile set of tools. That said, I've been very happy with this mic and I think its really added something unique to my audio toolbox. If a good dedicated vocal mic is in your budget, this is one to consider.