Rode Complete Studio Kit with NT1 Microphone and AI-1 Audio Interface Reviews
With the RODE NT1 microphone and Ai-1 USB audio interface bundle, you're equipped to capture pristine, low-noise vocals and instrument audio anywhere you go. The RODE NT1 microphone has a present, full-bodied sound that takes vocals and acoustic instruments to the front of a mix without much sweetening. Sporting a mere 4.5dBA of self-noise, the NT1 is far and away one of the quietest mics in its class. Patented Lyre capsule suspension technology from Rycote isolates the NT1 from even the natural harmonic resonance of its aluminum body. This mic is a perfect mate for the included RODE Ai-1 interface, which features a USB-C connection for bus power and easy compatibility with modern laptops. Rounding out the package are the RODE SRM combination shockmount/pop shield, which reduces handling noise and "p" pops as you record, and a rugged mic cable.
Earn $18 back in Bonus Bucks† OR pay $15/month with 24 month financing*
$18 Earn $18.00 back in Bonus Bucks† on this purchase when you use your Sweetwater Credit Card without financing. Select your offer in checkout. Terms
As low as $15/month
with 24 month financing*
See all payment options
Customer Reviews
Customer Added Media
Share Your Thoughts
Help other music gear aficionados by sharing your opinions of gear you've purchased.
Questions about the NT1AiBun?
Or call us at (800) 222-4700
Sweetwater's Sales Engineers are regarded as the most experienced and knowledgeable professionals in the music industry, with extensive music backgrounds and intense training on the latest products and technologies. They are available to offer you personalized product advice any time you need it.
Highest Rated Reviews
I Thought I Would Go Ahead And Give This A Fair Shake, Until.........
If I may, I would like to introduce myself to you and give you a bit of background.
I'm Chris "Richards" Cromwell, from Lexington, Kentucky.
Station Founder & Program Director of beautiful Easy Listening Internet Radio, WJST Jet Set.
When I launched my internet station on November 30th, 2018, I was quite limited with half decent microphones.
I managed to get by with an aging Audio Technica microphone, that eventually became unusable. I had to do a lot of things to make that microphone to sound good.
I then later bought a tiny Omnidirectional Giant Squid microphone that had very good reviews, at a cheap price.
It was definitely better than the Audio Technica, but it was incessantly prone to bad popping and puffing. Despite my best efforts, some light popping is still noticeable on my recorded announcements. But I also had to really crank up the lows, to help me sound barely decent enough.
I was becoming frustrated with the limitations, and reached out to two of my weekend show hosts. Jason Croft of The Bachelor Pad Radio Show, and Koop Kooper of The Cocktail Nation Evening Program for their thoughts and recommendations.
After careful consideration of what they recommended, I was ready to go for the best quality, eliminate popping, but not completely break the bank. My internet station WJST Jet Set Radio, doesn't turn a profit at all.
The result is what you see above, suggested by Koop Kooper who fittingly lives in Sydney Australia.
Koop told me, this was his first microphone for many years, and was very happy with it. Koop told me this microphone would last me decades for what I wanted to do. Koop explained that it offered a very good sound, excellent pick up, with little need to mess with EQ. Plus the pop filter would help out a lot!
My dream microphone was the Electrovoice microphone I used for 9 years at the radio stations I worked at. It was more money, and didn't offer the extra fancies this Rode microphone package offered. I thought that if the Rode would very close mimic the Electrovoice, I would be very happy with it.
The Rode microphone package was a good deal more than I wanted to pay, but from everything I read and saw on the videos, I went for it; figured I would give it a shot. Before this, I knew next to nothing about Rode, but relieved to see they were made in Australia, instead of China.
I got the Rode microphone package in a few days, and I spent most of the afternoon carefully unpacking it, examining it, and assembling it together. All the while, being quite impressed with everything I saw. Especially shocked with the 10 year free warranty! Wow! That would definitely last me past the Rapture Of Jesus!
I got the preamp box plugged into my PC USB port, plugged in the microphone, powered up the phantom power, to do a few tests.
I was again surprised to see my recording software immediately showing the Rode microphone as an input. Nice! No hassles! No wasting time!
As I made a few initial little tests and checks, I was really beyond amazed at what I was hearing for the first time! So clear! So very nice and rich! Plus no puffing or popping sounds!! Incredible first impression!
Earlier today, I put the Rode microphone package to work. For the first time in many ages, I put on my headphones before recording. Previously, I always got distracted from my headphones from the PC audio outputs, and I couldn't wear them. This time, the Rode microphone preamp did a super job in not distracting me, without lagging, to correctly help me hear what I was recording in real time. Very nice!! I recorded two long announcements in perhaps half the time as before! No popping, no puffing, no external noises, all very clean and clear! I discovered that by sweetening the lows and highs, just a little bit, enhanced my voice even better. After I was finished producing my announcements with background music, I was very happy with how everything turned out! Far beyond my initial concerns.
So this definitely is as close to an Electrovoice as I can get, for a cheaper price, with more useful fancies!
Special thanks to Koop Kooper for helping me with this much needed and happy purchase.
I might buy more from Sweetwater soon, and I hope you might give WJST Jet Set Radio a listen soon.
ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT
Such a huge upgrade from my Audio Technica AT2020USB. It's self noise crazy low and I've had no distortion. The volume monitoring on the interface is also really nice, and it just looks so minimal and clean too, as does the rest of the setup. Highly recommend if you can pick this kit up for retail since it keeps selling out! - I also like the personal touch of the people at Sweetwater calling me about my order and leaving some candy for Halloween in the package. That was very thoughtful of them for their customers.
Rode NT1 Kit
Excellent mic and interface
Great product
I'm very happy with this purchase
Excellent!
Just as I would of hoped. Great people too, helped me when there was a complication! Love the quality.
Review Rode NT1 and Ai-1
AWESOME mic..Very sensitive to surroundings...Enhances a persons voice so much better.
Nice mic but interface is poor, very poor.
So the mic, up to this point is good. I have not used it enough to give much of an opinion but my voice sounds nice. The interface is sketchy though. It seems to be plug and play. I've tried various settings. The interface does not seem to support a phantom powered mic as is the Rhodes. The head phone out does not work at all. I also tried various settings on the computer to see if played a role but to no effect. The only thing this device work with was a dynamic mic. The 1/4" TRS worked as well and I opened up Audacity just to check if settings were set right and the dynamic mic and the 1/4" TRS worked. Unfortunately, Rhode's did not think this one through and ships a non phantum powered interface with a condenser mic. The Mic with the wind screen and mic isolation adapter alone would get about 4 to five stars but the package is a waste. This was my experience.
