*If you click a link on this page and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more
In this buyers review guide article, we’re going to be talking about and discussing the Rode NT2A condenser microphone.
The rode NT2A is a professional, large diaphragm, 1″ inch capsule studio microphone, renowned for its reliability, affordability and high-quality sound. The NT2A is made by none other than the extremely well-known company Rode.
For those who may not be that familiar with Rode, they’re an Australian owned audio company, who have been established since 1967, under Freedman Electronics.
Due to the company’s long-standing experience in the professional audio engineering industry, it’s meant that over time, they’ve been able to refine their products and create microphones and other pieces of audio equipment, which are extremely well-constructed and provide fantastic sound quality.
With that being said, let’s talk more about the Rode NT2A studio microphone.
We’ve done our utmost best to structure this review article in a way which makes it easy to read, and highly informative.
Therefore, we’ve not only included technical specification details, but we’ve also included our own verdict on the microphone.
Additionally, we’ve also included some high-quality images to highlight the physical appearance of the studio microphone, as well as a video demonstration of the Rode NT2A in action, so that you, the reader, can hear exactly how the microphone sounds, and therefore what it’s capable of if you were to purchase one.
Ok, so let’s talk more about the Rode NT2A condenser mic.
Contents
Rode NT2A Studio Condensor Microphone
Main Features/Benefits
- Ideal for both vocals and instrument recording
- The successor of the famous Rode NT2
- Frequency range: 20Hz – 20kHz
- Large 1″ diaphragm capsule to pick up subtle nuances and tonal qualities
- Three-position pick-up patterns, pad, and high-pass filter switches
- Cardioid
- Figure 8
- Omnidirectional
- Three-position (HPF) filters – Flat, 40Hz or 80Hz
- Three-position PAD – 0dB, -5dB, -10dB
- Meant to deliver a smooth frequency response
- Maximum SPL of 147dB
- Low noise output of just 7dB(A)
- Package includes: NT2A SM6 Shockmount, 6m XLR cable & Drawstring Dust Cover
- Comes with a 10-year manufacturers warranty
Setbacks
- To be perfectly honest, there aren’t many setbacks when it comes to the Rode NT2A, it’s incredibly affordable and for some recording studios, has been the replacement for microphones that are 5x the price (AKA $1000+), because the NT2A delivers. This is the reason why it has scored such a high average review rating on Amazon.
- None-the-less, it comes with a 10-year manufacturers warranty, so there are no issues here.
Description
The NT2A is a studio-grade condenser microphone manufactured by Rode. It operates with a pressure gradient transducer, which means it has an inner membrane, responsive to the pressure differential (gradient) from both sides of the microphone (front and back).
The NT2A has three-position pick-up patterns which can be switched between via a toggle-switch, located at the top of the microphone’s interface. This switch allows the microphone to change between a cardioid, figure 8 and omnidirectional pickup pattern, making it incredibly versatile no matter where the sound source is located.
The microphone also has a 3-position HPF (High Pass Filter), which allows users to select between Flat (no filtering), 40Hz (removing unwanted frequencies below 40Hz) and 80Hz (removing unwanted frequencies below 80Hz)
Not only this, but the microphone also has a 3-position PAD, allowing users to reduce the input dB by either 0dB (off), -5dB and -10dB… Perfect if you’re recording a very loud sound source, Aka drums, where you may want to roll off some of the input signal.
As you can see from the Rode NT2A specs, the microphone has an incredibly low-noise output of just 7dB(A), making it suitable to pick up subtle nuances of a vocalist’s or instrumental performance, without distorting the sound.
Additionally, it has a wide frequency response from 20Hz-20kHz and a maximum SPL capacity of 147dB, meaning that it’s a microphone that can also handle a wide spectrum of frequencies, even at loud volumes, if needs be.
When it comes to the physical aspects of the Rode NT2A microphone, it weighs in at approximately 860g, making it a fairly heavy microphone. The unit measure to 21cm (H), 5.5cm (W) and 5.5cm (D).
As for the package, it includes the microphone, a Rode SM6 shock mount with a detachable pop-filter, 6m XLR cable, and a drawstring dust bag… Everything you need tobegin recording (other than a Mac/PC & DAW).
Sound & Performance
The microphone itself does a great job and providing high-quality recordings, particularly when used on vocals and acoustic guitar, really helping to add clarity and crispness to the overall sound.
We’ve included two video demonstrations of the microphone when used to record vocals and acoustic guitar:
Conclusion
In our opinion, the Rode NT2A is the ideal condenser microphone for almost any musician, sound engineer and recording studio, because it provides so much value for money.
As we’ve talked about in this article, the microphone is incredibly versatile and has a multitude of attractive functions for those looking to record anything from vocals, instruments to even choirs.
Having this microphone as your go-to condenser makes perfect sense, especially considering the price of the Rode NT2A studio solution pack, and you can rest assured that it will be able to last for years to come, as all Rode microphones come with a 10-year manufacturers warranty.
With all that being said, there is certainly a reason why this microphone is incredibly popular, and has gained such a positive overall rating on Amazon (we’ve linked to the reviews below).
Overall, we have to give the Rode NT2A a huge thumbs up, and we highly recommend that anyone looking to get a condenser microphone, gets this one.
