Killer Sound For A Killer Price 
by Ben Balser, ACT from New Orleans, Louisiana, February 2008
Music Background:  Media Producer, Consultant, Trainer, Author, Composer

I do broadcast and video production projects. There are often times when we record local bands and there's no feed from the mixing board, or there are orchestra (big band to quartet and the like) instruments that aren't mic'ed. Using the NT5 to get great quality live sound is simply amazing. I thought we'd have to go with a much more expensive rig than this, but nope, these little puppies are amazing. I also use them individually in the studio for music work, and they are very pleasing to the ear. I love them!

  Better than average sound, average quality. 
by Nate from Collinsville, IL, January 2008
Music Background:  Musician, hobbyist.

Based on other reviews I decided to pick up a pair of these guys because of the quality vs. price ratio. Overall, I'm pretty pleased. Here's the pros vs. cons.

Cons
- My pair didn't come in the nifty padded case shown here, but in a hard plastic case with a padded top. A shortcut by Rode to save some $$ ? (Note: I didn't purchase my pair from Sweetwater.)
- The matte nickel finish scratches pretty easily, especially when taking them in and out of the hard plastic case.
- These mics can get a little noisy when cranked up.

Pros
- Cosmetics aside, I set these babies up in a spaced pair on my Taylor 315 and was quite pleased with the sound. The high end is not tinny, but smooth and detailed. The mids and lows are solid and present.
- No part of the frequency range seems unnatural. Just the sound of the guitar like you hear it in the room.

Overall, these mics provide detailed, relatively uncolored sound for a small diaphragm condenser, but I wish I had the cushy padded case shown in the photo instead of the molded plastic one. Anyone know where I can find one?

  Great Value 
by Curtis from Virginia Beach, VA USA, December 2007
Music Background:  recording engineer

These microphones take my acoustic guitar recording to a new level. Wonderful overall mic. Nice presence.

  Great in front of a Martin, but it don't stop there. 
by Michael from Pismo Beach, CA, November 2007
Music Background:  Musician first, everything else second.

A big thumbs up on the sound quality of these two little gems. Wonderful in front of an acoustic guitar, under a snare drum, or over a drum set. I love this company (RODE). I also own the K2, an original NT-1, and a NT-2A. Don't think I don't have anything else to compare these mics to. I've heard a vintage pair of KM84's, and these compare well with the big boys. If you can't get your tracks to sound good with these, then the microphone is not the problem.

  Buy them befor they get more expensive! 
by Weldon Hostetler from Charlevoix MI, October 2007
Music Background:  Recording engineer

I bought these mics for choral recording as well as instrument recording and I'm very glad I did. These are a great value! I used them on a live choral tour I recorded. They pick up everything. I mean details like crazy. The director had a pair of headphones on which were hooked up to my recording console while practicing and he told the choir he could hear the singers breath! These mics pick up very well in front of them and don't pick up noise behind them. I also like them for guitar and especially mandolin. The only thing I wish was different is how they tend to exaggerate high frequencies a bit. Otherwise no complaints. I love the fact that they aren't made in China.

  A Stunning Pair Of Workhorses 
by Scott Richards from Calgary, AB, Canada, September 2007
Music Background:  Student, Recording Engineer, Musician, Live Sound Engineer

I primarily do location recording with a wide variety of groups, and I can easily say that these are some of my favorite mics to use.
I've used them on drum overheads, close-miking trombone and trumpet, and main stereo pairs for choral work, big band jazz, concert bands, brass quintet, and baroque ensembles. They've helped me out significantly, even in the worst rooms imaginable (think high school gym). At the same time, they've also stressed my need for accurate placement as well.
These give you plently of bang for buck, and that's important for a student like myself. I'm looking into either getting more of these, or trying out some of Rode's other offerings.

Currently running them into a Presonus Firepod then into Cubase 4 on a laptop based mobile recording system.

  Rode NT5 
by John from Orange County, CA, May 2007
Music Background:  Musician/ Producer

I use these for live stereo field-recording and in the studio to mic my Martin D-28. Simply put,they sound incredible. I also have two Neumann KM184's and I feel that the Rode NT5's are just about as nice for ALOT less money! Very detailed and smooth sounding, and IMO better than anyone else's comparibly priced 1/2" condensers.

  Very good mics 
by Ricky from Missoula, MT, April 2007
Music Background:  Musician/Songwriter/Recording Engineer

These mics sound awesome with my acoustic guitar. Granted, I have a rad DigiMax Pre-Amp, but I think these mics give me great sounds. With a good Pre-Amp, these mics sound awesome. I haven't tried them on overheads yet. Fingerpicking and strumming sound excellent.

  worth every penny! 
by Nels from Canada, December 2006
Music Background:  Recording Engineer/Musician

What a great set of mic's. I just finished a choir recording, and I have never enter into that world, so to speak... but it came off crystal clear for me. The vocals were right up front! These mic's are great for drum over heads as well and I also use them for acoustic guitar.

I don't know what I would do without them now.

Dang! 
by Nathanael Davenport from Rexburg, ID USA, December 2005

I use these primarily as piano mics, and their range and fullness is simply amazing for small diaphragm condensers, in both studio and live applications. Very quiet, the polar pattern is good and tight, and the sound is round and transparent. You can't beat the price/quality ratio of these.

NT5 Mic shootout 
by Anonymous from Catasauqua, PA, June 2005

Recently got to put these mics up against others in their price category, MXL 603 and the Studio Projects C4. Overall, I'd say these mics are by far the most full sounding of the bunch. They definitely have capture the full range on things like acoustic guitar. Compared to the MXL 603, the NT5 have a much more detailed bottom, and a much richer sound from about 900-3k (the MXL seems scooped in comp). Against the SP 604, the NT5 have a fuller everything. And the NT5's transients don't seem as fast, meaning you can compress them easier (the SP mics are just too icepicky). In reality, the NT5s are the best sounding (to my ears) of the bunch. By far the fullest and least colored of the bunch. There are better for $$$$, but for $400, these are a steal. Just one guys opinion....

Live overhead application 
by Sean Nickerson from Merced, CA, January 2004

I used the NT5 pair as durm overheads at a concert I was working. They sounded great! I was really pleased to find that although I had inadvertenly routed the overhead signal to the drum monitor speaker, I had no hint of feedback. A testimony to the NT5's tight cardioid pattern. I later listed to the recording of the sterio feed from the board, and couldn't believe how great the durms sounded with little EQ.

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