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.

Alesis Studio 32 16 Channel Mixing Board.

I originally purchased this board in 2000 to replace a hodge podge of mixing equipment I'd been using. This was the first "real" mixing console Id bought and I did quite a bit of research before purchasing it. The Studio 32 has a number of very attractive benefits at first glance. It has a very clean signal path and transparent preamps. Its aux channels and bussing sections offer comparible submixing and effects loop capabilities to boards in much higher price range. Speaking of price range, its the only board anywhere near its price point with a direct out on all of its 16 channels. The Studio 32 retailed for around $750. For that price you got a board with more features and a quieter signal path (I believe the Mackie I compared it to at the time was a 1604VLZ... but im not sure -- the tests were not controlled, but the Alesis performed with consitently quieter and more sonically transparent results) than the Mackie board in the similar price range.

Thats all the good news and the news was so good that I was fooled twice by this boards more attractive points. In the former paragraph I described the Studio 32 in the past tense because thankfully Alesis is no longer producing the board. The first time I bought this board it served me faithfully for 3 years... towards the end of that three years Id noticed some small defects... noise when turning the trim knobs... static when punching in EQs. The board had been through a heavy regiment of use and abuse and the defects were not consistent, so I assumed the problems were do to overuse and poor storage conditions. Before I was able to learn otherwise, the board burned with all my other equipment in a fire.

Because of my lack of concrete information about my own problems with the board and my impatience and lack of research beforehand, I purchased another Studio 32 when rebuilding my studio after the fire. This one I purchased used so the problems crept up more quickly. All the same problems. The primary issues start with static when punching in the EQs and turning the pots, primarily on the trim knobs. Eventually the preamps practically fail, only aggressive turning of the knobs will bring the preamps back and they slip out again right away. I stopped using the board completely before learning any more about the progression of its defects. I still entertained the idea of fixing the board and continuing to use it, but after doing alot more research than with either of my purchases of this mixer, I discovered that all kinds of other folks have seen the same problems that I did. Many of these folks sent the board back to the dealer for repairs and even to Alesis, only to get it back with the same problems cropping up in time and in some cases coming back with worse problems from the factory.

The reality is that this board, despite its attractive feature set and quiet signal path, was made with cheap, low quality parts. Its an attractive buy, but don't be fooled. Even Alesis wasn't willing to continue to stand behind this product. Despite discontinuing its manufacture, these boards are still out in the wild and I certainly recommend avoiding them.