SE2200a or Rode NT1A

J

JBr33zyMusic

New member
Pretty much what the title says, what would I be better off buying for rap/singing vocals? Also a choice of the Audio Technica AT2035
 
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These questions appear on here all the time, only you can decide by trying them out and seeing how your own voice sounds. Both mics sound good it will come down to personal taste.

Now I await the replies with "get a SM7, a Neumann U8o something or other, or an EV blah blah blah"

:eatpopcorn:

Alan
 
JBr33zyMusic said:
I don't have a music store around though, so I was looking for advice.
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What I was trying to say is that there will be 3 lots of answers, 1/3rd for the Rode, 1/3rd for the SE and 1/3rd that will tell you to buy something else. It's too subjective like asking which monitors to buy, it will be down to personal taste and what suits your voice. I think that either mic will work just as well as the other as they are very similar sounding mics.

Alan

Where are you located?
 
Yup. Witzendoz is right.

I have both mics you ask about. Both are good mics. If you came to me to record (rather unlikely I know!) I'd have to listen to you to decide which is best on YOUR voice. Auditioning them is the best bet--but if that's impossible, either can do a good job.

If really pressed, I personally prefer the SE2200a for voice recording--it seems to have just a bit more clarity in the vocal ranges. But the differences are subtle and other tastes certainly vary.

As for Witzendoz's other comment, it gave me a rye chuckle. He's almost certainly correct that the "SM57-for-everything-brigade", the "EV-RE20-is-great-brigade" and the "I-love-the-CAD/MXL/Oktava/Sennheiser/whatever-brigade" will be along to ignore your question and suggest their personal favourites!
 
I don't usually promote large music stores, but for the Oz buyers out there, Allen's music is selling SE2200A mics for AU$279 on special.

Edit, I have just found some ebay store in Oz now beating the price a little.

Alan.
 
Wow! Maybe the strong Aussie dollar is finally saving us some money. I just checked the price at Musiclab in Brisbane (where I bought my existing 2200a mics previously for nearer $400) and they now have them for $265. Dang the fact that I'm in my pre-Christmas broke period.
 
I hate the NT1A, and found it to be harsh and sibilant. I have no idea how much the other mic sucks.

Save your money and buy a quality dynamic you'll keep forever.
 
Supercreep said:
I hate the NT1A, and found it to be harsh and sibilant.
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Compared to what? I know it's not a megga $ mic, but there are a lot of people out there that get good results from a NT1A, maybe it's operator error.

Supercreep said:
I have no idea how much the other mic sucks.
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Then why say it, that's of no use to anyone?

Supercreep said:
Save your money and buy a quality dynamic you'll keep forever.
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And the winner is???? Sounds like what was said at the start of this thread. "Now I await the replies with "get a SM7, a Neumann U8o something or other, or an EV blah blah blah"


Cheers

Alan.
 
I have the SE2200a and I find it works great on both male and female voices.
It also does a decent job on acoustic guitars and most stringed instruments.
I've never used the Rode, but I've heard great things.
My advice is to purchase either of them and use it. If you don't like it send it back.
But, I'm positive that you'll love either one!
 
I have an NT1a and the SE 2200T (tube version of 2200a). I also found that the NT-1a can sound a little harsh and sibilant. I'm comparing it to my SE2200T, Neumann TLM102, AT4040, Oktava MK-319, AKG Solidtube and Kel HM2d.
 
Back at the beginning of this thread the question was "SE2200a or Rode NT1A"

Then I said: Now I await the replies with "get a SM7, a Neumann U8o something or other, or an EV blah blah blah"

I would not expect the NT1A to sound as good as a SE2200T, Neumann TLM102, AT4040, Oktava MK-319, AKG Solidtube and Kel HM2d. for 1 second. But the question was "SE2200a or Rode NT1A" The mics you listed are in a different price league.

I did try to warn him :facepalm:

Alan.
 
Don't you love it when a plan comes together? I think we had all the variations you listed!

(Just as an aside, for a lot of things I'm using one of my SE2200a mics in preference to my TLM104 these days, despite the price difference. It's a darn nice sounding mic for the money. I haven't tried the tube version yet--and am unlikely to do so until the British peso turns back into a pound--my pension is paid in sterling.)
 
witzendoz said:
I would not expect the NT1A to sound as good as a SE2200T, Neumann TLM102, AT4040, Oktava MK-319, AKG Solidtube and Kel HM2d. for 1 second. But the question was "SE2200a or Rode NT1A" The mics you listed are in a different price league.
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Well the SE2200a and SE2200T sound very close if that helps.
 
Sometimes people focus in on what they think they need, or post 2 restrictive mic choices because they fit a certain price point or were recommended by someone who may or may not be experienced/knowledgeable. Or someone told them that condensers are "recording" mics. Must be because they're electric. And everyone will think you're cool.

I personally would not buy either mic for the original poster's situation, and here's why:

The SE mic picks up A LOT of room, won't know how big a problem this may be until he gets it home.
The Rode has a lot of high end content, and yes it can be quite sibilant on some people. Once again, won't know until he gets it home.

I recommend a quality dynamic. Some of the best dynamics in the world are available for the same or little more than these entry level condensers. Condensers use a lot of their energy picking up the source and everything else around the source. Dynamics pick up the source. Period.
This lends focus and power to the source, not the source's environment. And dynamics are more forgiving of sibilance, usually. Focus and power for rap. Yes, that's a good thing.
 
witzendoz said:
These questions appear on here all the time, only you can decide by trying them out and seeing how your own voice sounds. Both mics sound good it will come down to personal taste.

Now I await the replies with "get a SM7, a Neumann U8o something or other, or an EV blah blah blah"


:eatpopcorn:

Alan
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This is true. I resemble that remark. Opinions, everybody's got 'em. If it's between those 2 mics only, flip a coin. :)
 
omtayslick said:
Condensers use a lot of their energy picking up the source and everything else around the source. Dynamics pick up the source. Period.
This lends focus and power to the source, not the source's environment. And dynamics are more forgiving of sibilance, usually. Focus and power for rap. Yes, that's a good thing.
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This is pseudo-technical clap trap. Dynamics pic up less of "the room" because they are generally less sensitive. They work by generating electricity by moving the mass of an induction coil in the field of a permanent magnet. Since it is actually generating its own electricity, output for a given sound input tends to be lower. With the inverse square law applying to sound, dynamics pick up less room sound simply because they are less sensitive, not because condensers "use energy to pick up everything else" while dynamics focus on the source.

Yes, dynamics pick up less room noise but this is at the expense of less detail on everything. This is not to say that dynamics aren't useful for many things--and they can suit some voices--but the old cliche about room noise is simply not true. I use mainly condensers in untreated rooms and never have any big problems if I think about mic positioning.

Next time you watch a TV show or film shot on location, be aware that the sound you're hearing was almost certainly recorded with a directional condenser mic in whatever acoustic they happen to be in.
 
Bobbsy said:
Dynamics pic up less of "the room" because they are generally less sensitive.
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Even this isn't great. Ok, they may be, or some may be, but that's not it.



Source = signal
Room reflections = noise.
It's signal to noise ratio.
Simple as that.

You sing into an re20 at a distance of 1 inch with the gain at 2,
and you sing into an oktava mk319 at about 8 inches with the gain at 7.

Whattya think's gona happen?
 
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