Preamp for Rode NTK?

  • Thread starter Thread starter JoeBannon
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JoeBannon

JoeBannon

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I just got an NTK, which I'm starting to like. What preamps are people using their their NTK? I got a budget of $1k.
 
I've heard all over the internet that the Grace preamp is one of the best choices with that particular mic. Last I checked the single channel version was around $595. Plenty of gain and sweet which should complement that mic as well.
 
There's not really anything about a particular mic pre that is going to make it any better match for the NTK than anything else.

Just get the best you can reasonably justify spending, and it should be fine.
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chessrock said:
There's not really anything about a particular mic pre that is going to make it any better match for the NTK than anything else. Just get the best you can reasonably justify spending, and it should be fine.
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I'm not going to get into a debate over it. I'd just like to hear what people are using. Thanks.
 
I've used an HHB Radius 50, an ART Tube MP Studio, DMP3's, an Octane, an Octopre, and a handful of mixers. All of them worked well for whatever they did. The more expensive pre's sounded better, as one might expect with the exception of the DMP3, which I very much liked with the NTK.

Jacob
 
JoeBannon said:
I'm not going to get into a debate over it. I'd just like to hear what people are using. Thanks.
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He isn't debating, he's telling you that it really doesn't matter but that you should get the best you can.
 
jonnyc said:
He isn't debating, he's telling you that it really doesn't matter but that you should get the best you can.
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It's not what I ask.
 
jonnyc said:
If you have a grand and can't figure it out on your own then you're a brainless idiot.
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I have a lot more than "a grand", but there are dozens of pre amps. The NTK is a very warm mic and not every pre amp is the same. Buying the "best" you can buy is stupid. I already have two Neves, a UA 610, Joe Meek One Q, DBX 166, plus a few others.

BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I ASKED YOU DUMB FUCK.
 
Look, dickhead.

You asked what a good match would be for the NTK.

I replied by saying the best match for an NTK would be ... whatever the best mic pre is that you can reasonably afford.

That was about as direct of an answer as I can think of. If you think there's one special mic pre out there that is going to be a magical soulmate match for the NTK above all other mics ... then you're delusional. It doesn't work that way.

.
 
Well, you know, it's a tube mic, so you don't want to use a tube pre or it'll all be too tubey. :D

Honestly, it's not all that "warm" of a mic. It's a great mic, smooth but detailed, I like mine a lot, but there's nothing about it's sonic signature that says "warm tube mic here, use appropriate preamp". It's really a matter of whether you want to accentuate the smooth or the detailed, which usually changes with what your putting the mic in front of. When I'm singing through the NTK, I run it through a focusrite with some opto-comp, and it gets pretty "warm". In most instrument micing situations, something like the Grace that Roadwarrier mentioned will make that mic shine, as does even the DMP-3. I don't particularly like to sing through it into the DMP-3 though. So, like all mics, it's the mic/pre combo that derives the sound, and that mic will shine on the right source with the right pre, and on another source that same pre won't be the right pre for that mic. It's not a dollars thing, it's a colored/transparant thing. That's my 2c
 
JoeBannon said:
I have a lot more than "a grand", but there are dozens of pre amps. The NTK is a very warm mic and not every pre amp is the same. Buying the "best" you can buy is stupid. I already have two Neves, a UA 610, Joe Meek One Q, DBX 166, plus a few others.

BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I ASKED YOU DUMB FUCK.
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I stand by exactly what I said. I'm far from a dumb fuck. I can actually make decisions on my own. Also if you have that gear then you should know that if someone comes on here and says "great river" or "grace" or anything else that its really only their opinion therefore doesn't really help you get any closer to you're final decision. Not to mention that most people dont have a wide variety of expensive pre's and would probably favor what they own. The only one who can make that kind of a decision for you is you. The Dr. Phil hour is now over.
 
JoeBannon said:
The NTK is a very warm mic
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Hmmmmm - not exactly how I'd describe it, but OK........

JoeBannon said:
I already have two Neves, a UA 610, Joe Meek One Q, DBX 166, plus a few others.
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If you already have two Neve's - maybe it's time to upgrade to a better mic?
 
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NL5 said:
Hmmmmm - not exactly how I'd describe it, but OK........ If you already have two Neve's - maybe it's time to upgrade to a better mic?
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Was is with this board?! Why does everyone assume that if you only mention one thing they think that is all you have.

I got it a month or so ago with about 10 other mics. Add that to the 30+ so I already have. We did some sound tests and it seemed the warmest of them all.
 
chessrock said:
Look, dickhead. You asked what a good match would be for the NTK. I replied by saying the best match for an NTK would be ... whatever the best mic pre is that you can reasonably afford. That was about as direct of an answer as I can think of. If you think there's one special mic pre out there that is going to be a magical soulmate match for the NTK above all other mics ... then you're delusional. It doesn't work that way.
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WRONG. I asked what people were USING. Stop wasting your time answering questions that were never asked.
 
Robert D said:
Well, you know, it's a tube mic, so you don't want to use a tube pre or it'll all be too tubey. :D

Honestly, it's not all that "warm" of a mic. It's a great mic, smooth but detailed, I like mine a lot, but there's nothing about it's sonic signature that says "warm tube mic here, use appropriate preamp". It's really a matter of whether you want to accentuate the smooth or the detailed, which usually changes with what your putting the mic in front of. When I'm singing through the NTK, I run it through a focusrite with some opto-comp, and it gets pretty "warm". In most instrument micing situations, something like the Grace that Roadwarrier mentioned will make that mic shine, as does even the DMP-3. I don't particularly like to sing through it into the DMP-3 though. So, like all mics, it's the mic/pre combo that derives the sound, and that mic will shine on the right source with the right pre, and on another source that same pre won't be the right pre for that mic. It's not a dollars thing, it's a colored/transparant thing. That's my 2c
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As I said, I just wanted to know what people are using. I tested the mic with what we have it was definitely the warmest. Thanks for atleast answering my question.
 
JoeBannon said:
Was is with this board?! Why does everyone assume that if you only mention one thing they think that is all you have.

I got it a month or so ago with about 10 other mics. Add that to the 30+ so I already have. We did some sound tests and it seemed the warmest of them all.
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Hey... share some details. Which mics were use on the test, which pres, etc!
Thanks
 
JoeBannon said:
Was is with this board?! Why does everyone assume that if you only mention one thing they think that is all you have.

I got it a month or so ago with about 10 other mics. Add that to the 30+ so I already have. We did some sound tests and it seemed the warmest of them all.
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OK, so you have better mics, Neve pre's, and you need something to match your NTK too. Hmmmmm, I have used my NTK with Ghost, RNP, P/AMR VMP-2, GR, and API pre's - sounded pretty good on all of them, but definetly not what I would call warm - very present, but not warm - It gets smoked by my gefells. It is a decent mic though - great mic considering the cost.

What exactly are you looking for that you are not getting now from your NTK? I changed the tube out, that made more difference than changing the preamp........

Oh, and BTW, I didn't assume the "NTK" was all you had - I assumed it was probably one of your better mics, or why would you put forth such an effort? Plug that baby into your Neve, and that should be about as good as it gets, unless you are looking for something specific. Also, plugging a $300 mic into a $1000 preamp seems kinda back asswards to me.........
 
No one should fuck with NL5....he's the man. He's trying to be helpful. PLease don't go fucking with him..............
 
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