Rode NTG5 Shotgun Condenser Microphone Kit Reviews
One of the shortest and lightest-weight shotgun mics in the industry, the Rode NTG5 sets a new standard for location recording professionals. An acclaimed innovator in shotgun mic technology, Rode designed the NTG5 to deliver superior results across a wide range of demanding applications. Whether you’re involved in ENG or booming motion pictures, you’ll appreciate the NTG5’s rugged, ultra-lightweight construction and crystal clear, broadcast-quality sonics. Featuring a revolutionary acoustic design with circular ports instead of the linear slots found on other shotgun mics, the NTG5 captures dialogue and other sound sources with exceptional transparency and a natural, uncolored sound. With its tailored, linear frequency response, supercardioid pickup with smooth off-axis response, and exemplary low self-noise, the NTG5 is essential kit for your run bag.
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Highest Rated Reviews
Comparable to the Legendary 416 at Half The Price
I've worked this mic in my home studio after working a 416 in the same space. In my opinion the NTG5 is every bit as good, if not slightly better, than the 416. This may be the best value in condenser shotguns there is.
Spoken Word Review
This review will focus on the spoken word, as this is how I use it as a narrator.
Before using this I had been using both a CAD e-100s and an SM7B for narration, recording deliverables for a variety of projects, although the lions share was for audio books.
I recently found the time to make a close comparison between the E-100s, SM7B and the NTG5, with raw recordings from all 3, I, without hesitation lean towards the NTG5 for overall sound quality, I just like the way the final raw recording sounds better.
The same result was had after listening to a mastered version of all 3, the NTG5 has become my Mic of choice for VO/Narration work....... not mention it also has better rejection over the CAD and SM7B.
I prefer to use it "naked" without using the included pop "Foam".......... although I use the foam windscreen when not using it to protect from dust etc....
Great complement to my voice
I've been using the Neumann TLM-103 as my go-to VO mic for years, and make no mistake, that thing is awesome. But it overemphasizes the brightness in my voice and makes me sound a bit too crispy/brittle/sibilant. I've tried using shotgun mics in the past (including Rode's NTG3) to counter this brittle effect, but they went too far in the other direction and made me sound too boomy and muddy. The NTG5 splits the difference perfectly, giving me a nice low-end presence and smoothing over that harsh 10k sibilance like peanut butter spreading across toast. I am beyond happy with this mic, and expect it to be my studio workhorse for years to come. Well played, Rode!
Versatile, lightweight, sturdy, and sounds great
I'm the technical director for a large Southern California church, and we had to start filming all of our services when the quarantine started. I bought this after doing lots of research, and I'm really happy with it. It has a very natural sound, and is easy to eq for different voices. We've used it both indoors and outdoors and it has performed remarkably well. The included shock mount and dead cat wind screen work great, but be aware that the shock mount requires an adaptor for most mic stands. The standard mic clip works great on regular mic stands and is what we use on our studio boom stand. This mic is a great value and sounds fantastic.
Rode always nails it
Bought this to use as a talking mic for teaching online music lessons, in conjunction with my Royer R-10 on trumpet (already had mic, thankfully). Works like a charm boomed just out of frame, and picks up my voice naturally and clearly. Also have begun using it as a boom mic for YouTube videos, so I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of this great, versatile, feather-light microphone :)
Incredible build, sound quality, and price
Background:
This was an impulse buy for me more than anything. I needed an external microphone which was sensitive enough, but not too expensive. I bought this at the end of April 2020.
Usage:
I needed to record sounds directly (more precise sounds, foley, etc), but also somewhat far away without it getting lost in the noise of everything else (birds in the trees, crows in the distance, the sound of leaves falling). It captures all of these things, and things I can't think of right now, very well!
Pros:
* Lightweight
* solid build
* A whole shockmount and windscreen kit bundled together!
* Neutral recording sound
* The shockmount has little handling noise, even when panning somewhat wildly from side to side
Cons:
This could be a game breaker for you, but for me, it isn't. See my bottom comment -- When it gets cold out (around 50F/10C and below), there is a strange "radio-sounding" garbled mess in with the device's self-noise. It's not noticeable unless you turn up the gain, but it's there. I thought it was malfunctioning, but when I used it the next day (warmer temperature) it wasn't there. Consistently it only appears when it is cold. I can't say whether it's a manufacturing defect; I suspect there is a wire or weld inside which is contracting and causing very subtle noise problems at those temperatures.*
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Aside from the weird, circumstantial noise issue, it's a great little sound catcher. I would buy it again if I needed a second shotgun mic. That's the only thing keeping me from giving this a full 5 stars.
* I live in a very humid region of the US, so I cannot say for certain the humidity doesn't play into this "cold noise" problem. I would have to test it in a dry and cold place before I could say for certain it's one or the other.
