Rode NT1: Too sensitive ?

[hongteck]

I've heard that the NT1 microphone is very nice and sensitive. I'm just wondering if it would it pick up a lot of those little noise from the computer and other atmospheric noise ? I heard some people gave it up for something less sensitive because their studio is not silent enough. Anyone has experience with this problem with the NT1 mic in their studio ?

 

[Dom Franco]

Yes the Rode NT1 is very sensitive....
when I solo a vocal track I can hear the
mix coming from the headphones of the singer! (Enclosed Phones!) It's amazing you can rustle a peice of paper across the room and it picks it up!

I love the sound it captures for vocals
accoustic guitars & Mandolin etc.

I do use a pop filter for close in vocals, but you can learn to work around the sensitivity
by mic placement and input level.

Dom Franco

 

[sonusman]

I don't think that you would need to worry about any background noise that was more than 18db below the nominal signal. An 18 db sound to noise ratio, while not outstanding, is okay for demo work. I am currently working on a mix for a band that tracked the vocals at another studio, and the background noise is only about 12 db lower than the average vocal track. It has forced me to do some spot erasing, and to use my automated mutes. But the altenative was retracking the vocal, and that wasn't really an option because the singer did a really good take on it. We tried a couple of takes of redoing it, but the energy and excitement just wasn't there. It is MY job to make the track work. I have succeded in doing that using some other tools.

So, don't be alarmed that a nice large diaphram condenser mic is picking up a "fly's fart" in the room. You are probably not going to hear any of that slight background noise in the mix. Worry if you can hear it while that singer is singing, not when he stops.

Ed Rei
Echo Star Studio www.echostarstudio.com

 

[Fishmed]

I once had a NT1, but got rid of it when I got my Hill Board (that is another story though). Anyway, I had the same problems. That mic is very sensitve. My tip is to try and position the mic away from your PC, and if you can, put up some type of barrier between the PC and mic (be creative and use what works best).