AT4040 vs NTK?

[Sage97]

For vocals, is the difference between the two mics significant? Night and day? I am torn between the two and could fork out the extra bucks for the NTK but I just wanted to hear everyone's opinions on these two.

Keep in mind that all my projects are extremely amateur. Will plug it into a RNP and RNC into an AKAI DPS 16. Also, I will not be able to try them out first prior to purchase and will have to decide on a brand new one unseen, like most of my other gear. I do mostly mild vocals to accompany acoustic guitar, e.g. J.T. stuff.

Thanks in advance.

[Big Kenny]

The NTK has a high end push that sounds wonderful on some voices, okay on some and not salvagable on others. The 4040 never sounds bad on anything. I have the NTK and I love it. I have a 4033 and I use that on a busy mix. I would buy another of both if I lost one. I think there may be more utilitarian tube mics out there, but when the NTK works, it really sounds great!

[EleKtriKaz]

What's your budget? If you're a shrewd Ebayer, you could swing both for $500 or $550 maybe.

I also have the NTK, and coincidentally the 4033 though I haven't been able to try it yet. As Kenny said the NTK has a bump, although I would say it's in the upper mids. If you work with placement and get the singer to sing at the right volume, you can get stunning vocal tracks. If a singer really starts getting loud and growling, the NTK will end up sounding shrill.

[Sage97]

Thanks guys. Are the differences in sound quality easily recognizable or do you have to be an expert to really tell them apart?

[Big Kenny]

With the 4000 series, you get back exactly what you put in. The NTK will add some "stuff" (whether that be warmth, color, highs or mids depends on your definition, as all terms are subjective and highly influenced by artists interpretation and PRE AMP)

[steve350]

I am going to order a AT4040 today. I could not find it at any of my local shops to listen to. I am going on what reviews I've read and the comments on this forum. I am hoping it will be a good compliment to my Voicemaster Pro.

[Sage97]

Thanks again guys. I just ordered the AT and am keeping track of some NTKs on ebay just in case I decide to go with something different.

[BigBrotherMotow]

I actually have tested both of these mics...It's really apples and oranges though. The NTK adds "something" to the voice. I found this very pleasant for MY voice (I'm a baritone ala "Luther Vandross") but it might not work for others. When I tested the AT 4040 I was blown away. It was extremely clear. When I sang on the 4040 it sounded like "me" but only better. I seemed to accentuate frequencies in my voice that I always knew were there but somehow always seemed to get "lost" when I performed with other mics or on various different sound systems. For a while I favored the NTK because I always thought that since you were going to "add" something to the vocals anyway (ie. reverb) that you might as well use a mic that made you sound "better" in the first place. However after hearing the way I sounded coming out of the 4040 I have come to the conclusion that the "true" sound of ones own voice (provided you have a decent voice LOL) is the very thing that you want on your recordings. I have been recording for years and I always wondered why I sounded better live than I did on tape. Now I know that it was because a lot of the mics "altered" the way I sounded. so it wasn't "me" anymore...Anyway the 4040 is a great mic and so is the NTK, it just depends on what you need your mic to do. The NTK will do an excellent job of smoothing you out if your vocals are a little "rough" but if you already have a decent voice I think that 4040 may be the way to go




PEACE