Condenser Mics for the New Recording Artists V 2.00`

[Danny Love]

Hi guys, I made a post a few weeks ago that got lost in the abyss of the website but I have since upgraded my budget by a bit and wanted to see what everyone had to say about my considerations. I'm now considering something like either an at4040 or a rode NT2-A (thoughts?).

1) I recently went to guitar center to look at these mics (but I don't think you can try them out there) and didn't get much help. They didn't actually even carry either model, but the guy there said that an at4040 would probably give me a more "closed" sound while the Rode would be more "open". When I heard this my mind thought that closed might have less high end but a more balanced and intimate sound for acoustic and vocals; whereas an open sound would mean more highs, lows, and a more reverby large room feel. Do you think this is what he meant?

2) In my last post I had someone said that the NT2's had a lot of love but not the NT2-A. This confuses me because around here Asian manufactured mics get worse press than I would think a 100% Australian build would. And the NT2 is Asian made whereas NT2-A is Australian, no?

3) What are my benefits of getting an MR8HD versus and audio interface for PC? And Cusebassman said that the mic discussion would be different based on my recording module, how does PC vs. a digital 8-track make a difference to the type of mic I want?

4) And last but nto least, what's a good preamp for not too much?

Thanks again!
-Daniel

 

[Ironklad Audio]

the guy there said that an at4040 would probably give me a more "closed" sound while the Rode would be more "open".

that guy's full of shit, and has probably never touched either of those mics

i haven't used the 4040, but i own both the NT-2A and the 4033. i can tell you that the rode has a very fat, smooth, silky, warm, buttery...i could go on for days...sort of texture to it. it's just a really beefy mic, both in terms of its tone and construction. it's also nice having the multiple polar patterns, but it sucks that the mic doesn't come w/ a shockmount, which is something like $45 more.

my 4033 is a very crisp, clear, and detailed mic, with a lot of air on the top end. some people slam these mics for being harsh in the high frequencies - the 4040 was made to be AT's answer to that criticism, and is supposed to be a bit flatter on the high end. while not the same mic, i'm sure the 4040 will sound fairly close to the 4033, since the 4040 was based off the 4033's design, and was originally meant to replace the 4033. the pro with the AT's is that they provide a shockmount, but only have a cardioid pattern.

i guess in the end it comes down to whether you want the sonic equivalent of hot chocolate, or a glass of ice water...

 

[Danny Love]

So you're saying that the NT2-A is like Hot Chocolate and the at4040 is like Ice Water? Now at point blank value it soudns like "Obviously the Hot Chocolate!" but there's some things to consider here. One, after drinking a glass of hot chocolate I don't know about you, but my falsetto is certainly a bit "chunkier" from all of that sugar, and not so smooth. But my mid and bass seem to appreciate the warmth. On the other hand ice water gives me clarity in the falsetto, however it does also make me a bit too crisp and empty on my lows...and belchy =S. You might not think I'm taking you serious, but I'm being perfectly honest here using metaphors of some sort. And heck if all else fails, ice water can be too freaking cold, and hot chocolate tends to burn.
Any opinions from users of the 4040, or maybe of both?

I'm very glad to hear some reassurance towards the Rode after what the Guitar Center paid-by-commission-guy told me.

 

[danny.guitar]

Um, maybe what he meant by "open" and "closed" is that the AT4040 is a cardioid (directional) mic. It picks up mostly from directly infront of it. Good if you want mostly just source sound and not any room sound.

The NT-2A, I think, is a multi-pattern mic and not just cardioid.

That's the best I can come up with...

 

[Ironklad Audio]

So you're saying that the NT2-A is like Hot Chocolate and the at4040 is like Ice Water?

more or less, yea. the rode gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling on the inside, while the audio-technica has that nice, crisp "ahhhhhh" thing going...just like digging into a glass of ice water on a hot-ass day.

ice water can be too freaking cold, and hot chocolate tends to burn

and this is why i traded my 2nd NT-2A for the audio-technica. i love the mic, but sometimes a different flavor is what's needed.

 

[Danny Love]

Um, maybe what he meant by "open" and "closed" is that the AT4040 is a cardioid (directional) mic. It picks up mostly from directly infront of it. Good if you want mostly just source sound and not any room sound.

The NT-2A, I think, is a multi-pattern mic and not just cardioid.

That's the best I can come up with...

Well the NT2-A features a switch that offers (quoted from Rode's website)
"The NT2-A’s variable controls allow switching between Omni, Figure 8, and Cardioid polar patterns."

So it sounds like you could get the same intimate feel with the Rode as the AT by correctly manipulating the features. Although I haven't been able to find a single Rode NT2-A sound clip anywhere but all of the 4040's I heard were beautiful, and the 4040 comes with shockmount (and $100 less price tag).

But I certainly understand what you're saying, maybe he was ignorant of the Rode's features.