Rode NT1000 Questions

[Bob's Mods]

Does anyone know where the NT1000s are made? Are they really made in Australia? Are the parts made in Australia or do the buy the parts in China and assemble them in Australia? I read somewhere that Rode had some parts or mics made in China but was unhappy with result and started making them again in Australia. Does anyone know the history of this mic?

thanks,
Bob

 

[ausrock]

Bob,

I could call RODE and ask but I wouldn't have much faith in anything they'd say. Sure, these days they are doing virtually everything here but whether that is for all parts and all models I don't know.

What I do know is that they were the original masters of deception where disclosing the origins of their mics and/or components was concerned and this philosophy was still obvious after they'd opened their Sydney manufacturing facility.

 

[Bob's Mods]

I have seen some quality variance with this mic. I bought one of these early on when they first came out (but sold it later) and then saw a friends NT which was newer and cosmetically it did not look as good as the one I owned earlier. I've heard they have some kind of Chinese connection but as you say its a mystery.

Bob

 

[kojdogg]

iirc isn't the other way around-- at rode had capsules made and metal work done in china by 797 with some part of the rest of the manufacturing and assembly done in australia, and then moved to manufacturing in australia? many people seem to actually prefer the ones made in china (original nt-2, original nt-1) to the newer counterparts (nt-2a, nt-1a)
i'm not sure where the nt1000's fit in-- were these the first ones made entirely in australia? i had an nt1000 from about 2000-2001, and then got one in 2005 and couldn't hear much of a difference between them, though i honestly never really did any sort of detailed comparison.

 

[ausrock]

I've just been talking to a very nice guy at RODE in Sydney.

RODE's first mic was the NT2, apparently fully Chinese made. The NT1 came later and I get the impression it may have had more local content and assembly, something which probably applies to other mics in the range at that time. I was aware, even before they opened their new facility a few years ago that mic bodies, etc., were already being machined a couple of hundred miles from Sydney

The NT1000 and NTK use the same capsule which has not changed since these mics were introduced and is made in Aust. Another thing which relates to something kojdogg said..........because of the manufacturing processes and the resultant tight tolerances they can achieve, RODE virtually "guarantee" that any two mics of a particular model are close enough to be regarded as a matched pair and if for example you already owned an NT1000 and then later purchased a second, if there is any noticable difference between the mics, RODE are happy for you to send the mics in and they will do whatever's necessary to bring them to "matched pair" specs.

Personally, I believe it would be in their own best interest for RODE to have history or timeline of their mics on their website BUT for them to ensure that it was bullshit free and honest about where mics, or components for mics were sourced............it would surely eliminate some of the myths and legends that have been circulating for years.

Hope that's cleared some things up.

Chris

 

[kojdogg]

It seems kinda easy to hate on Rode-- particularly with that slick, weird dude (the owner) who was appearing in their ads for a while, but I like them. Don't own any currently, but I had a pair of NT1000's (as I mentioned), an NT4, and an NTK and thought they were all good buys for the money.