regretting NT3 purchase

[wes480]

I bought a Rode NT3 about...3 months ago. And, everytime I have used it...I really really like the mic. I always planned on buying the second one, to have a pair of them. But, now i am not convinced that is the best thing to do. The 2 options I am considering:

1.) Just keep the 1 NT3 for whatever, and instead of paying $150 for another...just get a pair of 603s instead.

2.) Keep the NT3 for whatever....and get a pair of NT5's when they come out. Even though no one knows anything about NT5...I just have this sick feeling that they will be better than the NT3

thoughts?

Or sell the NT3, get a pair of 603s with it...still get the NT5s? hehe...nah, I'm not greedy. Just need 1 pair...and I will be satisfied.

What do you think...NT3 is a good mic and just go with it? The arm twister is that 2 603's are like the same price as 1 nt3..argh.

 

[Downside Studio]

Is the NT3 your only mic, or do you have others laying around.

The advantage of having two the same mics isn't only that you can record two sources at once, it's the abilty to make real stereo recordings, which in my opinion is one of the most rewarding sound features. So you indeed have two choices.

1. go for the stereo setup with NT3.
2. go for stereo setup with 603, and keep the NT3

oooorrrrrr
3. go for stereo setup with NT3 and buy whenever you can a single 603.

Bottomline : if the 603 costs half the price of the NT3, I guess it will be less sounding ( I actually don't know both of these mics). Don't ever underestimate the importance of the quality of your stereo setup. I would advice anybody to buy a decent stereopair when it comes to investing in mics.

Don't think in quanteties when buying mics. I once bought a real cool complete drummic set in a case. An importer offered it to me for half the price because the casing was dirty (after cleaning with a towel like new). It is laying unattached in my studio since. It is never ever used because of the stupid reason that I have better mics for the purpose laying around. I also think it's a shame to sell it because I don't need the money and the mics are pretty good itself.

Again bottomline. If you have a good stereo micsetup and 15 lesser quality mics laying next to it..think about how aften you are going to use the stereo set and how often the others. Invest in the quality.

Downside signing off.....

 

[pratt]

hey wes480.....

just wondering...what it is that changed your opinion of the NT3???

sounds like you really liked it..then all of a sudden didn't for some reason??

I have pair of NT3s and love 'em...that matched pair of NT5s does look tempting though, huh?? They are out now for $299...

I don't know much about the 603s, though they get pretty good press around these parts...

 

[Bobro]

My opinion- don't sell your NT3. All mics have different flavors.

Just bite the bullet for the 603's, for one thing you'll get them as a matched pair rather than trying to find a match for a mic you already have.

-Bobro

 

[Chris Shaeffer]

Hmmm...

Well, I have a pair of 603's and I like them a lot. I've never used the NT3, though. For the price, you can't really go wrong with the 603's unless you don't have phantom power and you need the battery option of the NT3's.

You can get 2 603's for the price of an NT3, though- and they are fine mics. For the money, you'll get more sound options from having the 603's and the NT3.

Another thing to concider- what is the quality control on the NT3's? Are you sure that your second one will sound close enough to the first to use as a stereo pair?

Wow. Tough choices. I see why you're a bit put out. That's the way it goes though: having cheaper, better choices isn't really a bad thing.

Take care,
Chris

 

[Meshuggah]

My opinion about the NT3 changed when I compared it to some other (same cost, or cheaper) mics as overheads.. It sucked just as bad as the C1000... On the other hand, I found that it was JUST the mic I needed for a guitar-cab the SM57 couldn't do... Keep the mic.. buy other mics for the stereo road..

 

[wes480]

yeah, I'm getting the second mic (or new pair) to use for stereo recording.

pratt - nothing really "changed my mind" about it sound wise...I like the mic. It's just all the talk about the 603's, you know.

Yeah, I think I will just get a pair of them....

I don't know about the quality control on the NT3...I assume that if I just went and picked up another one it'd be close enough...

But i guess that could be where the NT5's come in.

I wasn't aware that the 603 was sold as a real "matched pair" - who would you buy from to insure that that was the case?

If the 603's will sound as good or better for drums/acoustic guitar as the NT3 then i will be very happy with them. Which, from everything I've heard they should be. Don't have any way of testing them out before I buy really...but, whatever...its 150 bucks, big deal.

thanks guys..

-Wes

 

[Dr_Sbaitso]

Wes,

I bought a pair of NT3s yesterday, having loved them for quite some time. dunno about the yankee price on them, but I've seen them for 279 australian (retail here is 428, and I'd imagine being a local product we get it at a better price than america, where its an import...)
The NT5 package is 899, and even at retail, 2 NT3s are cheaper. the nt5 is a 1/2inch diaphragm, Vs the 3/4 in the NT3's. I'd say go for another, if you already like the sound. later on perhaps get the 603's, as I believe they are quite cheap stateside...(but have yet to find them in australia).
Or, buy the 603 pair, and later on get another NT3.

confusingly yours,

Dr_Sbaitso

 

[chessrock]

Hmmm. (Scratches head) . . .

Do I want 2 good mics?

Or do I want THREE good mics?


Man, that's a tough decision.

 

[Markd102]

Dr_Sbaitso

You haven't found them here in Aus yet because there is no Australian distributor for MXL mics!!! I couldn't believe it when I went searching for a V67.

I ended up contacting a friend in NYC who went and purchased the V67M from Mars (US$99) and has posted it to me. I should see it any day now. I'll have it in my hands for AU$230!!!

I just hope the post doesn't screw up

Mark

 

[ausrock]

Dr_Sbaitso and anyone else that is interested...........

A letter was published in Audio Technology issue 15 (an Aust mag), bringing attention to the price differences on Rode gear (specifically the NTK) between Aust., and the US. Peter Freedman, the boss of Rode subsequently replied giving his explanation. The majority of his comments are reproduced verbatim, below...........I capitalised one section that raises the question of where Rode components REALLY come from, although his letter was not dated so things may have changed since he wrote this.

QUOTE:.......“ Firstly, you must remember we pay duty on all imprted components used in Rode mics. Given our mics use components ENTIRELY SOURCED FROM OVERSEAS, we pay quite a bit of duty. Add to that you have the 10% GST which is included in the Australian list price.

As far as the US prices go: we ship containers to our warehouse in the US. The freight costs per mic are a few cents, so that does not impact—you can fit a lot of mics in a 20ft box! But, we don’t have to pay the Australian import duty on parts we use for exports! We also pay no GST! Furthermore, the prices we published in the US were an introductory special—the list for the NTK will soon be US$995! “

Peter Freedman, CEO of Rode Microphones.

 

[wes480]

995??? holy shit. Maybe I better start thinking about buying an NTK before it's too late...

I'd never pay 1,000 bucks for that mic. heh. Its worth 4-500,to mes.

 

[ausrock]

Wes,

Both 8th Street and Musicians friend are showing the NTK at US$499, which would indicate that although the suggested retail/list price was increased to $995 they are still buying from Rode at a heavily discounted prices.

 

[wes480]

oh..list was already increased...cool..cool. bottom line that mic is not worth a grand. heh.

Neumann TLM103 has the same list...not that they are the same mic...but, ya know.

 

[rathpy]

Dr_Sbaitso and anyone else that is interested...........

A letter was published in Audio Technology issue 15 (an Aust mag), bringing attention to the price differences on Rode gear (specifically the NTK) between Aust., and the US. Peter Freedman, the boss of Rode subsequently replied giving his explanation. The majority of his comments are reproduced verbatim, below...........I capitalised one section that raises the question of where Rode components REALLY come from, although his letter was not dated so things may have changed since he wrote this.

QUOTE:.......“ Firstly, you must remember we pay duty on all imprted components used in Rode mics. Given our mics use components ENTIRELY SOURCED FROM OVERSEAS, we pay quite a bit of duty. Add to that you have the 10% GST which is included in the Australian list price.

As far as the US prices go: we ship containers to our warehouse in the US. The freight costs per mic are a few cents, so that does not impact—you can fit a lot of mics in a 20ft box! But, we don’t have to pay the Australian import duty on parts we use for exports! We also pay no GST! Furthermore, the prices we published in the US were an introductory special—the list for the NTK will soon be US$995! “

Peter Freedman, CEO of Rode Microphones.

Thanks for the letter reprint.

It's always a one-way street! (or shipping lane?). When we ship overseas it's "a few cents", but when we import the story changes to something like "freight costs are huge".

The info about import duty was interesting, although I wonder what percentage import duty is. And consider it only applies to the parts, not labour.

And what about US taxes. Doesn't the US apply any tax to imports or sales???

I'm guessing that all imports to Australia go through a local wholesale distributor and they bump the price up. Rode mics would go through an American wholesaler, wouldn't they. However, in Australia they could deal direct.

That "List Price" is surely a wobbly thrown in. Customers only care about street price. As if anyone would continue to buy that mic if they had to pay double.

Regards,
rathpy

 

[Mark H.]

And before Rode gets too uppity about the NTK, Studio Projects has just DROPPED the list price of their T-3 tube mic package by two hundred bucks, which enables their on-line dealers to sell it right now for US$599 (a $100 drop in street price).

If Rode increases the price of the NTK at all in the US, I think the Studio Projects T-3 will run right over the top of it. While I have *not* used the NTK (an important disclaimer), as a consumer I have come to think of it as a valuable and worthwhile upgrade to bargain mics, while the T-3 (which I do use) is more in the league of the gorgeous-sounding AT 4060 (at $1199) and is superior to the Neumann M147 (at $1299) in my opinion.

I'm afraid our good friends in Australia are getting screwed. No, the US does not tax most imports -- consumers would have a fit. (Most of our states charge sales tax, but we can even avoid those by using the Internet to buy from another state.)

Has anyone tried the new Rode single-point stereo mic yet? I'm hoping it will be as good as it looks (saw it in the new Full Compass catalog the other day).

Best wishes,

Mark H.

 

[Mark H.]

Always the bargain hunter....

Over on Digibid.com (an on-line auction), one guy is selling brand new Rode NTK's for $399 plus $10 shipping and no tax. He has several up for offer, so that's probably the price you'd pay.

Just for what it's worth.

Mark H.

 

[dr.colossus]

I'm afraid our good friends in Australia are getting screwed.

yup, you can say that again......

 

[Dr_Sbaitso]

the good thing about online shopping is its damn easy to shop for prices.
the NT1000, which is another one I was looking at I found for what I thought a bargain at $AUD699, (vs a retail of close to a thousand I believe...)
but searching harder, I found it for $AUD 549 at www.musiclab.net.au

Dr_Sbaitso.

 

[rathpy]

wes480, I hope you got enough out of this thread before we hijacked it.

Dr_Sbaitso, thanks for the link. Some good prices in there.

I'm getting the feeling that although Australia doesn't have mega mart music stores over the country, there are a number of single stores that advertise on the web if you go hunting - more than I once thought. And some of these stores offer reasonable prices, if only on certain things. I'm building up a list of places.
Maybe an Aussie pricewatch forum/thread should be started.

Regards,
rathpy