The NT5 is one of Rode’s newest offerings, as well as a new player in the small condenser mic market. Small condenser mics like this are very useful in the studio and on stage for working with all sorts of acoustic instruments and percussion.
Added Value!
As with the entire Rode line these mics are extremely affordable. When you buy the NT5’s you don’t just get a microphone, you in fact get a pair of microphones in a nice case that exudes roadworthiness. The included windscreens are also a nice touch.
I had a couple of chances to use the NT5’s to mic up acoustic guitar. I discovered that they have a very even sound, with a presence peak in the high mids. They also had little emphasis of the low mids and bass frequencies which is typical for this type of mic. Even though they didn’t hype the bass, they did seem to efficiently pick up frequencies way down into subsonics, as such I would suggest having a highpass filter on hand whenever us ing these mics.
I was able to get great sounds out of both of the Takamine acoustic guitars that were used. Both had very different sounds to them, one was rather boomy, the other was pretty midrange heavy. Quite a bit of adjustment had to be made to capture the boomy guitar without making it sound that way. On the midrange heavy guitar, being able to get in close, and capture some really low end stuff helped it gain some body and meat in the recording.
Against The Competition
When put up against mics that cost considerably more than the NT5’s they fair very well. A distinguished ear could pick out a number of reasons that other small condensers cost more. But with that in mind, most musicians/engineers on a budget will find this to be an excellent choice. Any studio would find them a welcomed addition to their collection.
