SP B1, C1 and Rode NT1000 compared...

[baekgaard]

I have had the opportunity to borrow a Rode NT1000 to test out, so
I did a small shoot-out comparing it to my Studio Projects (and I duly
mention here also 797 in order not to offend anyone...) B1 and C1.

I am stil somewhat in doubt whether the difference between the mics are
large enough to warrant me getting also a NT1000 when I already have the
other ones, so please share your comments/recommendations also!



Recording chain is a red tfpro p3 as pre-amp (without the compressor
and equalizer enabled) into an ST Audio DSP2000, recording 24 bit to
Cubase SX 2.2.035. I monitor with Dynaudio BM6a speakers -- excellent
speakers, by the way. For your reference, I have been playing with
music for 25+ years (mainly as a musician), but have spent time in
real studios also producing a couple of CD's, so I have a reasonably
diverse background ;-) But I am no pro! My mic locker contains the B1
and the C1, 4 octava MK012's (of which two match within less than 1 dB),
2 ECM-8000, a SM-58 and an AKG D-3800 and a few more.

Anyway, here is what I found -- my highly biased opinion!

Speech
======
B1 sounds open and nice, has the typical LDC signature, but is maybe
just a tad "harder" than the NT1000 (i.e. it has a more pronounce scoop,
but probably the same sizzle as the NT1000). This makes it less pleasant
to listen to than both the C1 and NT1000 in the longer run.

NT1000 sounds more neutral and maybe a bit "boring" on this material,
but still quite full and "warmish" (although probably quite faithful to
the original voice, mine). The proximity effect seems a bit "different"
from the the B1, but probably as much or little pronounced.

C1 also has the typical LDC signature, even more so than the B1. Proximity
effect seems less pronounced than on the two other phones. The C1 is
closer to the NT1000 and the B1 on speech material than it is on song.

I would probably pick the NT1000 or the B1 for speech/naration, but the C1
for voice overs, as it seems to have a tad more "bite" than the others, on
my own voice!


Singing
=======
NT1000 sound pretty full, a bit warmer than the B1.

B1 sounds very close to the NT1000, but maybe not as "full", and maybe a
bit more "boring" here. The "hardness" mentioned above is also present
on this material (still my own voice).

C1 has a much more "special" character, probably making it cut better
in a mix.

For my own singing (which is anyway pretty awfull), I really don't know
which one I'd pick. Maybe the NT1000 or the C1, depending on the style
of the song, but all are usable.


Acoustic guitar
===============
I mic'ed the guitar at a distance about 30 cm (12") from the head/neck
joint, with the guitar slightly angled so that the sound hole is a little
further away.

The B1 really sounds pretty bright on my guitar (an old,
re-furbished/re-built C.F. Martin/Sigma DR-41, which sounds now a lot
like the real Martin D-41 or thereabout). At loud volumes it could tend
to be a bit "hard" as above, but not too disturbing.

The NT1000 probably sounds rather like the guitar is in real life,
slightly more dull than the B1 -- maybe the one that has most tendency to
sound boxy or boomy. I was surprised not to find the excess treble that
I have sometimes heard from the NT1000 on guitar! But in all honesty,
I think mic placement can have a great impact, even though I tried to
carefully have the same position in all tests.

The C1 was what surprised me most... I have never used it on guitar,
as the examples I have heard from others were pretty "boomy". But on my
guitar, the C1 clearly sounded the best of all 3! It is warmer and more
rounded in the sound than the B1, and has a bit more character than
the NT1000... so it will now be my preferred choise! Good top also,
certainly not overdone.

So in order of preference, I would first pick the C1, then the NT1000
and lastly the B1 (which I have normally used for this purpose before
when needing a LDC for ac gui).


So will I keep the NT1000? Don't know, really.

I record also other voices and instruments than my own, so I'd like to hear you
opinion also.

Thanks,


-- Per.

 

[mcolling]

hmmm. thanks for that- i've been thinking of picking up one or a pair of these cheap chinese mics that everyone is talking about. i would probably be using it for vocals and acoustic guitar. sounds like you like the nt1000 the best in terms of all-around performance, yes?

 

[baekgaard]

i've been thinking of picking up one or a pair of these cheap chinese mics that everyone is talking about. i would probably be using it for vocals and acoustic guitar. sounds like you like the nt1000 the best in terms of all-around performance, yes?

For me and my guitar, the NT1000 is a good all-round performer -- I'd say "safe" but maybe not always as exiting a sound as the SP mics. Guess it depends on what kind of exitement you're looking for

If I today should buy only one mic, it could have been the NT1000 as it may be a slightly more general purpose and a tad less distinct than the C1 -- but the C1 is a strong and very useful mic also, and it it suits you, it could be equally as good as the NT1000.

If buying two mics, I would definitely get the NT1000 and the C1.

Thing is, however, that the material being recorded can have a big impact on which mic sounds best, so it could be very different for you. Could be that the C1 would be a killer for your voice! So I would strongly recommend you test out all 3 mics.

If the C1 works well for your voice, one alternative to the NT1000 would be to look into a C1 plus a pair of Oktava's 012 or similar, as they are also very good for guitar, and would allow you to record both voice, ac gui and many other things -- and maybe give you a wider palette of options.


-- Per.

 

[wilkee]

I have no problem at all with your findings. I have always found the NT1000 to be a very accurate Mic.

 

[bgavin]

For me, I'd do the B3 for a few bucks more, and get the multiple patterns.

 

[baekgaard]

For me, I'd do the B3 for a few bucks more, and get the multiple patterns.

You mean go for the B3 instead of the NT1000? Possibly so, but I haven't heard the B3 itself... just that it is supposed to sound somewhat different from the B1, and some have the opinion that the B1 is the better sounding of the two -- whatever that means.

My situation, however, is that I have the B1 and the C1, and have the option of testing and possibly keeping an NT1000. If I should decide to return the NT1000, and walk into a music store at some later time to make an addition to my mic collection, I would probably test also the AT3035 or AT4040 mics, or maybe the MXL V67, and see how they would complement my existing mics.


Anyway, just wanted to add that I did some more experiments and made some real music, comparing the mics. I found that for percussion, I prefer the B1 over the NT1000, as it seems to sit better in the mix. I would have expected the opposite, though, so it was a bit of a surprise. So even if I should decide to keep the NT1000, I would still use the B1 for a number of purposes, it seems.


But I'm still in doubt as to whether I should keep the NT1000 or not (the B1 and C1 have been acquired long time ago, so I have no possibility to return them anymore). Or just return it, and try something else at a later stage.


-- Per.