Hello yall, I just recently upgraded from a Blue Yeti mic to a RODE NT-1A w/ a Focusrite Solo as the preamp. I record rap vocals w/ little bit of singing in a low ceiling basement (6'4 feet H, 19 ft L, and 15 ft W). I have two DIY acoustic panels with Roxul insulation on the side walls at first reflection pts but that's about it in terms of acoustic treatment.

So far, I am not satisfied with the RODE mic because although I like the improvement in quality and clarity in my voice, my voice sounds too thin on it. I've recorded the same song with both mics and honestly, I like the Blue Yeti a lot better. Here is a song I've recorded with the blue yeti, where you can hear my tone of voice and style: https://soundcloud.com/korean-zombie/her

I think I have a somewhat middle range pitch voice lol. Can yall recommend a better mic suited for my voice? I would be mostly rapping and singing a little on it. My budget is around $200-500.

Or could it be my preamp? (focusrite solo).

Thank you so much!

So far, I've thought about this combo: SHURE SM7B (since everyone praises it on this forum) + Focusrite solo + Cloud lifter= all which would total around $500-600... was wondering if this was worth it or I could find a cheaper or better option...

Try before you buy. Music stores with studios or audition room, friends, buy an hour of studio time, or buy with the intention to return (and the seller's blessing.)

Try a Miktek MK300.

Honestly, it sounds to me like you are processing the Rode with the same EQ and stuff as the Yeti, which will never sound good. There is literally no chance in the entire world that the Yeti would beat out the Rode. I'd try solving your problem with EQ or compression before you give up on it.

rodent vs. yeti; who wins?

Well, I was comparing the raw vocals without the EQ and I really like the clarity of the Rode, it's just I feel like my voice sounds too thin and dry. I am looking for a mic that has more "tone" and airiness to it...

I’d demo a bunch at a studio that will charge for a couple hours, and then use that knowledge to discover what works best with your voice.

It doesn’t look like you are trying to spend a fortune here, but I would recommend buying a mic you can live with. Upgrading gear is expensive, and realizing that you could have saved a few more months and had the right choice all along is kind of sucky.

I have lots of cheap mics I love, but at the prosumer LDC level, you usually run into issues with weird frequency responses and crappy highs/lows.

If you plan on doing this for a while, don’t be hood rich. Buy a quality mic you would actually see in a pro studio and buy one that has the rep to back up the claims.

I REALLY like the KSM42 as a cheaper studio vocal mic. It’s a bit more than the Rode, but is built to the standards of much more expensive mics. Shure has a bunch more money and volume to refine their manufacturing and buy top quality parts in bulk. They spend more than most on R&D.

Pair it with a value pre like an isa one or a daking and you will have a great setup that you won’t ever need to upgrade.

Before you move on try putting a “Dialog Booth” type reverb preset via a send on the track. Blend to taste.

Eric

I've tried a couple vocal takes with and without reverb and FX effects and honestly still not satisfied with the mic... for singing vocals w/ autotune and reverb it sounds great tho lol

but i dont like how it sounds when i try rapping on it... sounds too thin.

I went to guitarcenter today and demoed some mics:

AKG C214
Blue 1134 Baby bottle SL mic
Origin (Condeneser: cardioid)
STerling Audio ST159

I'm leaning towards the AKG rn...

havent tried the SM57 or 58 yet... would yall recommend those dynamics over the condensers i listed above?

Send it Michael Joly (OktavaMod) to have him mod it. I had the same Rode mic, and it was collecting dust due to the inadequate sound quality, particularly on the high end. I got it modded and it became a Go To mic, different animal.
Smooth and full sound.

I honestly feel that at $400 extra I would be better off buying a brand new mic no?

At least for me it was worth it. I got a mic that is my main one for vocals, and have done five or six albums with it. It is a work horse. Full range, no sibilance issues.

There are plenty of shoot outs of the modded mic on previous GearSlutz strings, comparing it to a U87 etc. You may want to give them a listen.

I also figured I wasn't going to get much in selling the Rode as is. You get a completely new capsule, and electronics in the mod. It is like getting a new mic.

If you're looking for a mic to add some meat and thickness to your voice, an ElectroVoice RE-20 will do that. Airiness, no.

I agree. I had Joly do a mod on mine. It improved it, but it still didn't cut it. I was abing it against a Lauten Atlantis and TM-1 at the time. Not a real fair test, but I really hated the NT1-A stock. It was tolerable after the mod, but if I had it to do over again I wouldn't.
L.

HOLY **** i just realized everyone from swissbeatbox uses the shure7mb mic for their recordings lmao.

I noticed yesterday in the GC used mics Rode NT1a was the largest quantity available, that usually means big sales and also trade in for something else. Maybe a QC problem? Maybe not a good match up for some? Maybe plugged into the wrong preamp? Maybe user doesnt know whats going on?

upgrading to mid level... Rode NTK gets a lot of good press, Al Schmidt even mentioned it once in his favs list.

or just go all in, Rode Classic 2 into a UA 6176, as used by Adeles engineer grabbing massive awards on Rollin in the Deep, you might need to ask for 10yrs no interest payment plan...lol I know I would.

In hindsight of a couple decades Id been better off just buying some hiend and keeping it.

Bigfoot!

Bruh, I keep coming across these Rode threads...stock Rode mics are for sure hit or miss. The NT1-A imho is a complete miss. I had mine modified by Michael Joly and I currently have it for sale in the classifieds. If I were you though I would get the Roswell Mini K47. Got one recently and it is the reason Im selling my mic.

Ive had the Rode for a couple years and it served me well. It is modern sounding meaning bright and thin with no sibilance and can cut through a mix easily. The opposite being natural, warm and vibey. Ive grown out of modern voiced cheap mics as Ive started to hear some of the expensive mics. The top end for instance of the NT1-A gets exposed iimediately once you've actually heard a U87. In the mean time while I save, I wanted something more warm and still articulate. The Mini k47 is perfect. Handmade, feels and sounds way above its price. Id look here first for budget mics. The Rode NT1-A gravy train needs to end. Seriously. People can do far better now.

Listen to yourself, because you are dead on correct.
You did not upgrade from your Yeti by going to the NT-1a.
The NT-1a tends to sound thin and nasty. What you think is “clarity” at the beginning is really an unpleasant edge and sibilance that will drive you more and more nuts over time.
The Joly mod (I’ve modded two NT-1a) will make the mic more pleasant, but I still wouldn’t pick it as a primary mic for most vocals.
Go in some other direction.

In love the NT1-A




On front of Kik




Vox not so much

I also hated NT1-A on vocals. It would suck as a VO mic too because it picks up a lot of the room. It's not wide cardioid but coulda fooled me!

Just bought Rode NT1-A complete kit for 90€, used. Gonna use it with my GAP pre 73. I had NT1-A almost ten years ago, sounded too brittle with a bad pre (M-Audio 1814..) but I guess a better pre will make things easier with it. My main agenda is to use it for home demo stuff with my voice and acoustic guitar. Might try it with some more serious recordings also.. Well see, it's not a bad price for an accurate condenser mic!

I wish you the best. I tried the NT-1a with a GAP 73, PreSonus Eureka, ART MPA, ISA One, True Precision, and three different interface pres. I EQd, de-essed, tried different distances, acoustic panels, reflexion filters...
I believe there is something about the mic itself that I really don’t like. Some others have the same reaction.
There are a few people on this forum that dearly love the NT-1a. I hope you can join that group.

I paired it with a Great River, A Sonic Farms Silkworm, and a Burl. It sucked through all three.
L.

I bought a NT1-A many years ago. While it's certainly not warm or dark, I have heard mics that are wayyy more thin than a NT1-A. And in terms of over-all tone, it reminds me more of the 'broken-up mids' you get on a neumann, but only like 1/4th of the way to how a neumann actually sounds. It's an all around work-horse mic and not really amazing at rapping. In terms of recommending mics, that gets a lot harder. I think that the NT1000 is way better at vocals than a nt1-a, and if you want an original nt1 or nt2 sound, your only option is a nt2a. However right now I really dig my cheap $99 akg D5. It's got strong low frequencies and for a dynamic mic it has REALLY good fidelity/clarity. I compared it to a shure and sennheiser dynamic and those don't even stack up in terms of fidelity. I'm not sure if it's like... good for rap though.

I'll receive it later this week, so we'll see If it's a keeper!

Like mentioned above, I also really love that AKG D5 as a budget vocal mic, especially with the screen unscrewed from it.

That’s like saying “I’ve seen people who are wayyy uglier than Stan.” That statement can be true, but at the same time Stan can still be fairly ugly, and the mic can still be too thin.