Rode NTK

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pisces7378

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Has anyone every seen the Rode NTK in action? It is a valve mic. I am a total beginner with microphones. I don't know what the real difference is between condensor and valve microphones. Is it possible to has a Valve condensor mic?

I was always looking at the AT 4033a Condensor mic, but that is only because it was recomended. Then I heard that the new Rode NTK was great and made you sound all warm and fuzzy like the way the voice on a movie preview does. I want to have that warmth in my vicals, but I want to be able to use this microphone as an overhead for recording drums. Is this Rode NTK good for that kind of application? I will be recording acoustic guitars as well. Is this a good multi-purpose mic? Where can I find this kind of stuff out?

Anyway, thanks guys,

Mike
 
ntk

Here is a link to a christmas song Mp3 with a female vocal of the ntk.
And yes it will work well on the guitar and Drum over head.
This vocal has not been eq,d or deessed
and was the first time I used the mic didnt have time to play with
positioning or anything like that. Hope this helps
http://www.geocities.com/herm1953/
 
I love my Rode NTK for vocals and narration. Its a tube mic so there is added "warmth."

Will it make you sound like those movie trailer guys?

No. Unless you want to run it through an Emperical Labs Distressor or some other heavy processing.

Can you record drums?
Probably. I haven't tried it.

Can you record Acoustic guitar?
Yes, but you'd get better results from a different mic.

You might like the AT4033, too. Its a good value now that the price has dropped some. You're better off buying mics based on your specific needs rather then hope that one mic will work in all situations. Sure, its more money but don't spend a dime until you've had a chance to hear them in action for yourself.

If you really want to sound like those movie trailer guys, look at the EV RE-20, the Shure SM7 or the Rode Broadcaster. But these are all pretty much narration standards - not great for singing or instruments (though they're used for some horns, drums, ect...)

As for the Rode NTK, its a great mic for the money. Its not a mic for all occassions.

ZK
 
Herm... I'll take a listen when you post the preamp used... makes a huge difference. I'd hate to listen THINKING you used a Behringer board when you used an Avalon, and think that the mic sounds phenomenal, or vice versa.
 
NTK vocal in action

Go to www.mp3.com/ruebarb for a live sample

A song I did there, St. Brigid. - has a vocal done with an NTK - I've accidently mixed it a bit wrong...(I pulled treble from the mix...bad idea - I have to remix it but a friend wanted to hear it) - but it'll give you an idea of the fullness of the sound

and that's just using the pre's in my Mackie board.

RB
 
THe preamp

The preamp I used was a sytek with the burrs brown mod Mpx 4a
I just did a another female vocal using the sytek and a symetrix 303
and I would say the symetrix held its own and probably sounded a little
smoother then the sytek.
 
Herm, sounds excellent. I just wish there was a little less reverb on the vocal track... in fact, in an arrangement that sparse, I would skip the reverb altogether. But you definitely squeezed a really "vintage" sound out of your NTK. I tend to use mine for closer miced rock stuff, and I get a thicker sound out of it, that's a little more modern.

I don't know if it's the ultimate mic for a beginner; I started my condenser collection with an AT4033, but I haven't used it since I bought my NTK. In the 4033 price range, the Rode NT1000 is a great multi-purpose condenser. Sounds awesome for stereo drum overheads. A little lower down in price, if you don't mind a little more noise and a little more hype in the high end, the Studio Projects C1 is a great deal, and useful for a lot of different things.
 
herm's track sounded great. I like the reverb on it.

Hey herm,

you said that the sx303 sounded smoother than the sytek? Is it a modded symetrix? About 2 days ago, a friend and I compared my symetrix 528 and the sytek mpx4a. For vocals, we prefferred the sytek everytime. They both sounded smooth, but the sytek sounded more excited, with more highend THe symetrix held its own though, but I will probably only use it if I need outboard processing.
 
Smoother than the Sytek? I've heard so much to the contrary that I'm quite surprised. Cool for you. :)
 
Preamp

Well I guess I should say that Im an old dude that got lucky and inherited hearring
loss so my ears are not that great to really make a good call on how good something
sounds.
I am going to try and post the vocal part done with the two preamps and them maybe
you can figure out which one you like best.
But it will have to be tommarrow.

The sx303 is not modded
 
NTK vs. AT 4033a

Damn you guys are some cool guys. I thought that if I got ANY response at all, it would be some pimply faced kid talking about how he prefers his grandfathers ribbon mic from the Elvis days. Anyway, thanks guys!

Zombie, it is obvious that you have more resources to devote to your projects than I do. I mean, I am not lightweight. I have some pretty serious funding for a home recording project. But I must be honest, I can't afford a microphone for every task I have in the studio. Therefore I wanted to ask a question that I am sure is often asked. I have looked for it here and could not find it so directly put. Anyway, if you have the time....

What is the big difference in the waythe Rode NTK valve mic, and the AT 4033a condensor mic works? Is the NTK simply a dynamic mic with a valve? Or is it a condensor mic with valve? Rode came out with a condensor mic at the same time as the NTK and it is cheaper. Why?

Thanks in advance guys,

Mike
 
The NTK is a condensor mic that is tube driven, tits brother the NT2 is a similar mic that is solid state driven. In a small nutshell.
Oh, and tube mics are always more expensive than their transistor counterparts.

H2H
 
Ntk and preamps

I know that this a little off mics but hear is a link so you can hear the ntk through
a sytek with burr brown mod and a symetrix preamp. sx303
Im not going to say which is which yet so I can get some feedback on the two.
thanks http://www.geocities.com/herm1953/
 
Zombie, you bastard.

I'll vouch for the NTK, simply because I've heard Zombie King's tunes using it, and it sounds great.

Welcome ZK. :D
 
At 96k, I can hear that both pres are good, and better many of the sub $500 pres out there.

I believe that preamp 1 is the symetrix and preamp2 is the sytek. Either would work in an situation, but the sytek sounds more present, more tapish, more excited, more detailed.

Or maybe I think this just because pre2 is louder
 
Microphone for good vocals?

I am going to have to act like the broke bastard that I am and lay this question out on the floor.

I am going to buy a microphone soon.... a good one. And I can go listen for myself in a music store and of course I would never BUY anything just because someone told me it is good. But I would like to have as much friendly advise as possible before I go and plunk down my year's savings on a microphone.

I have to record vocals... that is my NUMBER ONE use for this new mic. But I also have to use it to record an acoustic guitar, and eventually acoustic drums as an overhead mic; perhaps as an addition to a borrowed or rented AT 4033a used as an overhead, because I know I want 2 overheads.

Anyway, I am basically looking for the best multi-purpose microhpone. My pre-amp for the moment is simply the OMNI Studio from M-Audio. Which is the best "multi-use" (with a concentration on good warm vocals) microphone?

The....

Rode NTK
Rode NT2
Audio Technica 4047
Audio Technica 4050
Sure KSM32
or any other microphone that I have left out that is in the $500-$575 price range???

At the moment I am partial to the Rode NTK, but I must admit, that is just because I read a well written article in "Future Music" Magazine from the UK. Anyway, what do you guys think?

Thanks Guys,

Mike
 
Well the only mic that i havnt heard on your list is the nt2.
I have the Ksm32 and the ntk, I have a friend that has the 4050 and the 4047.
If I was going to pick one out of the whole bunch I think it would be the 4050
cause its so much more versatle then the rest and sounds great on just about
anything. Im not going to say it sounds better then the Ntk though.
good luck
 
Pisces,
one thing you will have to understand is that when you're above a certain quality level, the differences between mics are a matter of taste. There is no sensible answer to the question "Which mic is the best?". Some like one kind of sound, others like something else. It's like saying "A Fender Stratocaster is a better guitar than a Gibson Les Paul". Of course it isn't, and of course the Les Paul is not better than the Strat. They're two different instruments with two different sounds. What you prefer is a matter of style and taste, and for what kind of song you will use the guitar in. In the $500 range, there aren't many mics that are downright bad. They sound different but very few are bad (from what I hear you should keep away from the Alesis mic line, other than that you should be fine).

I have the NTK, I most often use it together with my Joemeek VC6Q. This gives me a very defined vocal sound that really cuts through any mix. It's almost like you can hear the lyrics no matter how low the voice is mixed (and I'm talking loud guitars here). It's warm, punchy, and reminds me a lot of what I hear on one of the best sounding records ever - Revolver by The Beatles.

But many people would say that that record sucks! And some people will say my recordings suck too, even though I'm very happy about them.

I'm sorry, but there is just one thing to do: Use your ears. Try as many mics as you can. Find the one YOU like best, for the type of voice you most often record. I'm sure that a serious music dealer would let you take home a few mics, as long as he's confident that you will buy one of them. Also, remember that if you buy a mic, and you find yourself not being happy with it, you can always sell it again. Now plunge in and start making music!

Good luck
/Henrik
 
In case you have the resources, I might suggest this. I cannot do this on my own, but I know someone willing, therefore it is an option for me.
You could buy the MXL2001 package that includes the MXL-603 for free, around $170 with shipping, and buy David Royers (yes, the guy that makes those excellent $1200 ribbon mics), tube modification that is $160 (add $66 for the Jensen transformer) The mod is based after the Neumann 47 ($3000+ these days) and supposedly sounds fantastic. I dont doubt it one single little bit. Its an option, if you can do it or know someone that can.
 
I have heard that the NTK uses both valve and solid state circuitry. While the NTV is all valve. The NTV has jenson components while the NTK does not. Does anyone know what this may mean in terms of sound, coloration, etc.?
 
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