Does the Rode NTK sound ugly?

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tombuur

tombuur

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Haven't got into any serious vocal recording yet. Have an AKG c3000b, but since everybody here dislikes it I have started looking for alternatives. And so it happens the NTK is on special offer over here in Denmark at the moment.

The Rode site has demo songs. Great, all mic manufacturers ought to have that. Listening to this, I find the NTK to be buttery smooth. I am almost afraid of that slippery thick butter. Particularly the female voice is nauseating creamy (As opposed to most here, I normally prefer female voices).

Then the NT1000 sounds much more real to me, but unfortunately with some harshness in the treble or do you call it sibilance? On the guitars, however, the NT1000 sounds perfect. Unlike the NTK which kills the strings in dark grease.

So what should I go for in the $300-500 range? Prime target is a baritone male vocal, but if the mic can do a good accustic guitar too, that would be an added plus.
 
Nothing ugly about the NTK. Sounds kinda' pretty. Sometimes a little too pretty for alt rock or indie, for example. But just fine for pop and/or balads and that sort of thing. It's a colored mic that's designed to make things sound pretty that way.

For $500, you'd be hard-pressed to find much out there that can beat the Audio Technica 40 series and/or Shure KSMs if you want something that sounds more natural.

It's a matter of personal taste and what you're looking to do with it.
 
NTK is a great mic. I am a baritone vocal and it works great.
 
tombuur said:
Haven't got into any serious vocal recording yet. Have an AKG c3000b, but since everybody here dislikes it I have started looking for alternatives.
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You should look for an alternative when YOU dislike it.
 
Re: Re: Does the Rode NTK sound ugly?

Chris Fallen said:
You should look for an alternative when YOU dislike it.
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Yes, if I had a lot of experience. But what if all of you are right and I spend a lot of time reaching the same conclusion? Why not start out with something better then?
 
The NTK is lovely, but it tends to airbrush things, and it can get muddy in a real dense mix. If you're lokking for something cleaner, try B.L.U.E. Baby bottle or AT 4033 or Shure KSM32. If you do, though, there will be times when you want that airbrush. You have to try and give yourself options.-Richie
 
I am looking seriously at the at4033 now. Just found a demo of acoustic guitar done with it, and it sounds exactly the way I like a steelstringed guitar to sound. Unlike the NTK, but much like the NT1000.
 
I have the NT1000. I think it is a very good sounding mic. You've got me wondering now though. Any of you folks own both the NT1000 and the AT 40 series mics? How do they compare?

Thanks, Terry
 
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Yes, I would like a comparison between NT1000 and at4033 too, particularly concerning vocals, but also guitar.

Somewhere in this forum it was mentioned that at4033 was kind of standard for acoustic guitar. And from the demo I heard it does all I am asking for. So does the NT1000 on guitars in Rode's site. To my ears both would be perfect for guitar.

But what about vocals? On the Rode site I like NT1000 better than the NTK, except that the NT1000 is a little harsh in the treble. Perhaps that can be EQ'ed away?

BTW why do people want mics to be perfectly right from the take? Unless something is distorted or missing you can adjust the EQ later on. You do that with electric guitars, right?
 
I have recorded with the AT4030 and the AT3035, I have had much success with both vox and guits. Highly recommend the AT's. later
 
Macle in our mp3 clinic uses his NTK on vocal and as drum OH, and believe me, he makes real good sounding recordings.

Al
 
I wouldn't base your descision soley on a couple of samples you have heard. You need to find a mic that responds well to your particular steel string guitar/playing style/room.

Otherwise, I love the hell out of the NTK. I find it a little more detailed than some give it credit for and don't at all find it "dark" like some manufactures of other cheaper tube mics like to repeatedly call it.
 
NTK2 is out soon!!!! Multi-Pattern and some new electronics etc.
 
I have an AT4040, and I just returned an NTK today, that I've been renting for two weeks. I originally got the NTK for a female singer, that needed some of that airbrushing... Not that she was bad, but it just didn't sound smooth enough, and there was tons of top end with the 4040... Well, the NTK sounded alright, but it lacked in the realism dept. It didn't quite carry across the energy that the 4040 did... I tried the NTK on my voice, which can be really 'energetic' at times (and by this, I do not mean loud), and it really did not do any justice to some of what I find to be the most endearing qualities of my voice... To put it plainly, the NTK made me sound boring.

So, we picked up an RNP... this in combo with the 4040 sounded great on her voice. The rnp took away that top end that was bugging us, and sounded great. In the end, the NTK probably got about 1 hour of use in the 2 weeks I had it. I will also be honest in saying, that I could have done a more lengthy review of it, trying it on more sources, but the initial impressions made me not really feel like spending the time to do so, as I would rather just use the 4040, and have it sound good!

As a side note, and this is quite a coincidence I must say: The mic that I had before these two, which I no longer have, was an AKG C3000B. As it so happens, I got the best ever recording that I've gotten from that particular vocalist with that mic. We have yet to get a recording that we think sounds that good... I'm not ready to say it was the mic though, as she has not been practising lately, and I think that performance was definitely an issue...
 
If you need a C3000b, you can buy mine. Just bought an unused AT4033a on German eBay, getting it mailed to Denmark.

1. Searching through this site, it seems to be an established workhorse for many people.

2. It is not too large an investment, so I could get a better mic later on, if I start recording more than I have done so far. Getting a Neumann wouldn't be justified right now.

3. And finally something a lot of you may find revolting: I tried the Antares modeler on a recording of my voice, and the 4033 was closest to what I like. So my hope is the real thing, when it arrives, will be even better.

Yes, there was that good deal on the NTK. But I don't think all that smoothing is any good with my voice. I am not a singer. I am a guitar player who sings.
 
chessrock said:
4033 is a great choice.
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Hope so. It was Richard Monroe in the post above who suggested the 4033 (an two others) for a more natural sound and that sent me searching through the archives and online, ending with a purchase.

You may agree or disagree on the suggestions given, but I would like to thank all those who spend time helping out others in this forum posting suggestions and advice. Personally, I otherwise only have the salesman to discuss with. And his motives may be of a different character.
 
Yeah, that salesman sends me a check every month! You're welcome. Good luck with your new mic.Richie
 
tombuur said:
If you need a C3000b, you can buy mine.
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Heeeeelll's no! Hahaha, what I meant was, I got the best performance out of her with that mic! I don't think I'd ever really be interested in using one of those again... (although the thought crossed my mind)...

As for the 4033, I've really been wanting to get one of those two. I hear their fantastic for the price!
 
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