Is it worth upgrading to Blue Spark from Rode NT1-A?

Is it worth upgrading to Blue Spark from Rode NT1-A


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Grunters14

New member
Hey,

I'm a bit of a recording amateur, as a hobby I enjoy recording covers and original music with my acoustic guitar and male vocals and occasionally midi keyboard.

At the moment i have a Rode NT1-A microphone connected to an Alesis io2 Express going to my Macbook Pro with Logic Pro 9.

Basically my question is, would it be worth while to invest a small sum of money and buying the Blue Spark and the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. Would I get a better sound quality? As I said I will be using the mic mainly for Vocals and Acoustic Guitar.

Thanks in advance

Grant
 
Although I love my Blue Spark, I would think what you have is roughly the same as the "upgrade" you posit. The NT1a is a great mic. I went with the Blue Spark cause I felt that it worked better with my voice. It's a bit on the neutral/cold side but some EQ in Logic and it's all good. The benefit of it sounding neutral is of course what makes it very versatile for my needs (guitar, vocals, drums, percussion) Alesis makes good interfaces as well. Focusrite does too.

Sorry to sound non committal but sounds like you have nice gear already, why not just add to it instead of replace? Good luck!
 
Although I love my Blue Spark, I would think what you have is roughly the same as the "upgrade" you posit. The NT1a is a great mic. I went with the Blue Spark cause I felt that it worked better with my voice. It's a bit on the neutral/cold side but some EQ in Logic and it's all good. The benefit of it sounding neutral is of course what makes it very versatile for my needs (guitar, vocals, drums, percussion) Alesis makes good interfaces as well. Focusrite does too.

Sorry to sound non committal but sounds like you have nice gear already, why not just add to it instead of replace? Good luck!

Hey, thanks so much for the quick response.

I'm just trying to get a more professional sound really. Where would you suggest I spend my money to achieve that if not in a new mic and interface. So do you think I wouldn't get any better sound from this upgrade?

Thanks again
Grant
 
I had a Rode NT1A which I wasn't a fan of...not enough sparkle. I then had it modded by Oktavamod and still found it lacking. So I sold it and purchased an AKG C414XLII. while its a fair amount more than the Spark, it's the least expensive for a truly pro mic that is used in many studios. If you are a home recordist, there are two things I would recommend investing serious money in...that is your mic and your pre-amp. A great mic and pre will advance your recordings by leaps and bounds.
 
The Spark strikes me as a sideways move, not an upgrade. They're both pretty good $200 mics. The Spark is more likely to be *different*, not *better*. The answer is that the whole system is upgraded by a different mic, if you like the way it sounds, and it's good for recording *something*. The two might make a fair pair for stereo recording, who knows? There's a lot of "different" out there. A real upgrade (different and better) will cost a few hundred $ more. I'd spend just a little more, and get a good dynamic mic as a learning tool, something *a lot* different, such as Shure SM7b. Good luck-Richie
 
Yes it is a huge upgrade....believe it or not...i went from the rode nt2a to the cheaper blue spark and i feel as if it was an upgrade. going thru a focusrite 2i2 it is lovely....its better than the bluebird and the imho
 
Such a subjective topic. I have a friend who operates a major live sound company in Reno, NV. He once told me that he was hired to do sound for a teenage prodigy with a symphony. You know, one of those young kids who has mastered Mozart while he still pops pimples...........I hate these kids. Anyway--------while doing sound check (kid plays cello) my friend tries a U87 and a few other "Golden God" mics, just can't get the sound he wants. Out of desperation, he throws up a Behringer condensor of some sort and there it stayed. Whoda Thunk.
 
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Yes it is a huge upgrade....believe it or not...i went from the rode nt2a to the cheaper blue spark and i feel as if it was an upgrade. going thru a focusrite 2i2 it is lovely....its better than the bluebird and the imho

1 post, 0 rep, can't frame a coherent sentence. Can you say spambot? I knew you could.
 
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