Studio Projects B1, B3 or the Rode NT1-A

[baekgaard]

Nerd alert!

Come on... some of us grow up with those kinds of words! "Røde" actually means "red" (in plural) in Danish. That is not nerdy. The ø is next to the æ on my keyboard; my kids can type those letters and use them more frequently than q or w, which are more rare here ;-)

We even have plain and normal words like blåbærgrød...


Back to mics: Not sure about the NT1A, which I have not heard, but I have a NT1000 and it is a nice mic. It is more smooth and less harsh than the B1, which is also a fairly "neutral" mic. If I was forced to chose between those two, I think the NT1000 is a bit more versatile. But the B1 is good bang for the buck, and good value also. I enjoy using both. A brighter mic would be the C1, which has more "colour" also. It may or may not suit your voice.

Anyway, both the NT and B1 are on the brighter side. Some find the Røde's brighter than the SP, but with the right preamp, it sounds reasonably faithful to the original sound, not overly bright. You're sure you cannot test them out with somebody nearby?


-- Per.

 

[noisedude]

baekgaard - thank you, you actually made me properly laugh out loud with that 'blåbærgrød' word. Care to tell us what it means?

 

[Decay]

You're sure you cannot test them out with somebody nearby?
-- Per.

Yes, thats the problem. I have to order online, you see. There are no stores within a reasonable radius that carry quality mics, I'm afraid.

Keep the opinions coming, they're greatly appreciated!

 

[scrubs]

We even have plain and normal words like blåbærgrød...

Yes, perfectly normal. Probably Danish for "Asshat."

Whatever it means, it's now my blurb.

 

[giraffe]

i'm broke, and in my price range i like r

 

[giraffe]

ode, but hey, thats just me.

 

[baekgaard]

... 'blåbærgrød' ... Care to tell us what it means?

Blåbærgrød in Danish means literally "blue berry porridge" (even harder to pronounce than blåbærgrød for me; guess it would be the other way round for you ;-). "Blue berries" is really bilberry (or whortleberry), i.e. it is a jelly or stewed fruit made out of bilberries.

The word itself has one rather special property: It contains all 3 danish national characters, æ, ø and å. Used to be a good word to use when checking if you got all the settings correct on your PC, or when testing out a program for quirks related to the use of non-ASCII characters...


If you want to pronounce it, remember that the d at the end is soft (somewhat resembling the english "th" sound) and the 'r' is supposed to sound from the depth of your throat.

Hm... maybe I should actually record the proper pronounciation. I could do so via a NT1000 and a B1, as well as maybe a C1, MC012, and a SM58. This way, the original poster could also hear the differences between those mics!



-- Per.

[Edit: Added the pronounciation part]

 

[noisedude]

Blimey. That's a good word.

 

[junplugged]

Hey Billisa,

For the record, the NT1a retails at $349.00, the B1 at $119.00, the NT1A sells for $199.00, the B1 sells for $99.00, so they are not really the same price, nor the same mic. I think if you compare the C1 against the NT1A, then you can say they sell for the same price, and they are very similar to each other.

I would love to comment more on this "retail issue" as I think some manufacturers and dealers are simply trying to fool buyers into thinking they are getting a better deal than they actually are based on inflated retail prices, however if I discuss this here, it may upset a couple of people on these boards.......

quick question, how different is the B1 from the B3 if it's on cardiod?

 

[kid klash]

The B1 and B3 are a more neutral sounding mic. The Rode is a more bright mic. Given your description of your voice as being dark, I would suggest the Rode mic.
I have and use the B-3 all the time, I dont think it would be my first choice for a dark vocal.

Tom

I agree. I own all three mics mentioned, and if you asked me to record your voice, I'd start with the NT-1.

 

[alanhyatt]

quick question, how different is the B1 from the B3 if it's on cardiod?

It is mainly the off axis response and the dual diaphragm that makes the slight changes in the sound. The changes seem quite good for acoustic guitar. I would think that many people would not hear the difference, but it is a but the B3 has a bit more presence in the mid range, but it is not a bump or a boost at any one frequency.

Any changes made to the capsule will cause a sonic change, and the B3 has a dual capsule while the B1 is a single diaphragm. Hope that helps.... By the way, the way, while not known for its vocal prowess, there have been many outstanding recordings done with both the B1 and B3. Its all about what you like, and how everything works in a room.

 

[DJL]

Don't waste your money.

I'm in the process of buying a condenser mic - mainly for recording vocal performances. I'm in the opportunity of getting good prices on the Rode NT1-A, the Studio Projects B1 and the Studio Projects B3 for approximately the same price.

I guess my voice is a little dark, maybe a little deep. I'm gonna have to record some screams and growls as well as more traditional singing.

Which one would you choose between these three mics? Anyone have experience with either of these mics, or would you suggest another mic?

Unfortunately, I do not have the opportunity to try any of the mics before I buy.

Yeah, I've used all three... and if you can't audition any of the mics before buying... I suggest you get a CAD M179 instead, because IMO it sounds better on more voices... meaning, chances are it will sound better on your voice too.

 

[billisa]

Thanks for sharing the knowledge. I'm currently leaning towards the NT1-A.
The Rode still seems like a good choice?

Yes. I say that as an owner of 2 SP-B1's that I love. But (only from what I read), the Rode should do nicely for you. The NT1a is a much better mic than the original NT1, which apparently had it components changed after the initial release.

Normally the NT1a is twice the price of an SP-B1, so if you getting it at the same price, it's a great deal. I don't know if the NT1a will be "better" than a SP-B1. That's so subjective. But with a deepish male voice, it sould work out very well.

By the way, it also very sensitive, so you'll need a quiet space.

 

[billisa]

Hey Billisa,

For the record, the NT1a retails at $349.00, the B1 at $119.00, the NT1A sells for $199.00, the B1 sells for $99.00, so they are not really the same price, nor the same mic.

Thanks Alan. Actually, you helped make my point because I understood the first post to mean that this person actually could get an NT1a for the same price as a SP-B1. Which, if he can, is a great deal. I mentioned the retail price knowing that regardless of the MSRP the Rode usually sells for twice what a SP-B1 does.

As you may or may not know, I own and love 2 SP-B1's, which comprise 2/3 of my mic closet (drawer). But hypothetically, new a Rode NT1a for $100.00 would be awfully tempting.

 

[noisedude]

Does the Røde being more expensive make it a better deal? Or should it be done purely on the quality of sound when tested side by side?

I wonder, because if it were guitars I'd pick the one that played best, not whichever had the biggest mark-up on the RRP. I'm not getting at you, it just all seems really weird that it happens like this.

 

[scrubs]

Does the Røde being more expensive make it a better deal? Or should it be done purely on the quality of sound when tested side by side?

You so crazy.

Clearly, more expensive = better

Always

 

[billisa]

Does the Røde being more expensive make it a better deal? Or should it be done purely on the quality of sound when tested side by side?

I would think a $500. piece of garbage is not a better deal at $199.00 than a $199.00 piece of gold.

But as it happens, to many ears, the Rode NT1a isn't a piece of garbage, and it usually can't be had for under $199.00. So if someone can get one for $99.00, and it's a choice between that and something that can always be had for $99.00 (SP-B1), then why not get the Rode?

 

[noisedude]

I know what you're saying. If it's a one-off, maybe one should take advantage of the deal. But what if Shure slap a $400 RPP on the SM57, saying it's industry standard and something all beginners should aspire to having, but give the dealers space to carry on selling it at the price it's at? Do you see what I'm getting at? We'd still all know it was an SM57 and how much it was 'worth', because we'd heard it. If it's between mics you haven't heard, is the guide price the only way of telling how good it is? And if so, can't we be manipulated by the manufacturers by them putting high RRPs on everything?

It's just odd, is all. No-one would buy these kinda things without testing first normally, yet most of us aren't in a position to test. Is the guide price all we have to go on?

 

[Decay]

Thanks for your advices, everyone; it's been very useful. I'll probably end up with the NT1-A.

 

[brnjn]

I have both the nt-1a and the C1. The Nt-1a was purchased second-I hardly touch the C1 anymore, the nt1a just sounds so great. I use it on Vocals and Guitar--it is very quiet, and sounds good--I wind up makeing far few tracks, because the sound in the 'phones sounds better, and the tracks seem to blend better.

I was so impressed by the nt-1a I went out an bought a K2 [kind of a nt-1a, with 2 elements so you can get variable patterns, & a tube].

Subsequently, both mics have won editor's choice and the K2 won mipa award [it beat out a Neumann 127!]. I believe the nt1a also won the tec award.

Bang for the buck for these mics is high.