Rode K2 VS NT2000 for Vocals?

[Johnny916]

Hi, I have been researching mics for male vocals and it has come down to the Rode K2 and the Rode NT2000. Can somebody tell me which one is more suited for vocals? I know the K2 is basically a tube version of the NT2000 but what does that mean to me?

[hgen]

They're both crap mics. Yeah yeah they sound good blah blah blah, until you plug a real mic in and realise what crap they are. Get an AT 4033a or a Cad Tube VSM 1 or A Baby Blue mic second hand and you'll get 3 times the quality of those project studio mics. These 3 can acheive a high end sound and are useable for all applications. If your absolutely broke the Studio Projects C1 is easily the best of the cheapo mics.

[macr0w]

I have to disagree. The other mics you mention are just as much crap(or more) than the rode mics. The user should listen for themselves.

[JonasMarlowe]

Each company will implment the technology differntly and the quality will be partly based on price. We have a failry inexpensive tube mic that has performed well. the SolidTube by AKG

[The Weed]

I have a Rode NT1000 and a Rode NTK, the older, single pattern versions of the NT2000 and K2. Deeper male voices sound better on the NTK and higher - tenor and up - voices sound better on the NT1000. If you can afford both the NT2000 and the K2, get them, you will like them. If money is tight and you don't need multi-pattern mics, settle for the NTK and the NT1000.

Not sure how the Rode mics got to be cheapo crap as stated above. They are solid, well designed and built microphones which offer great bang-for-the-buck. As always, YMMV, so please audition and make up your own mind.

Cheers,

[3JDamon]

Sometimes a tube mic will be good to work with and other times you wonder if they just put "tube" in thier marketing because it sells.

In a preamp, I agree, but in a mic, no way. The tube requires an expensive power supply and special cable to deliver the tube filament power along with the audio signals. It's not feasible as a gimmick. The tube serves the purpose of impedance-matching, like the FET buffer amp in standard transformerless mics, or the transformer in high-end mics.

However, a tube mic is not necessarily better-suited to a particular purpose than a FET-based mic. Assuming you're trying to decide which mic to buy, you'll have to consider which types of vocals you have to record more often and determine which mic better suits that application.

[macr0w]

Not sure how the Rode mics got to be cheapo crap as stated above. They are solid, well designed and built microphones which offer great bang-for-the-buck. As always, YMMV, so please audition and make up your own mind.

Cheers,

[/QUOTE]


I couldn't agree more. I own a pair of nt5's and they sound great. I have used a friends ntk and it sounds good to so for the record I like rode microphones. especially for money.

[Keith Owens]

Johnny, want a great sounding tube mic? Clearer and no harshness as some of the others listed? Used in many Pro Studios for various applications? Cost- $100 more than NTK. Sound- 100x better than _ _ _.

..Johnny boy, meet A D K TC (ADK TC mic)

If you can get by with just a cardioid mic, there is no other mic in this price range that can touch the TC. Please re-read the last sentence.

Quote by: Tape Op Magazine, - Reviewed by Garrett Haines, March 2004

Enough Said

[hgen]

Rode use chinese capsules. The first NT1 and NT2 are ok, because they're not chinese but they cost too much so Rode 'upgraded' the model as they put it!. Rode is assembled in Aus but its a chinese capsule and its no secret here in Sydney. There's a reason its a project studio mic.

If you buy a mic made in the USA or Japan, its a level up. Top shelf German its another level up. etc. Why do you think ppl who actually make records use the more expensive mics?

You gotta have at least one world class mic to make that harddrive shine and it will remain a keeper instead of flogging it on evilbay to buy another shiny yingwah clone. The guys who never take the plunge congregate here on forums, and don't know any better. Go read an article about a class mic, like Baby Blue which is a one trick pony but boy its a good one or a cheaper Neumann. Go to your nearest NEVE/SSL studio, they'd be happy to explain it to you. The other stuff is a false economy.

Don't buy retreads if your planning to race a Ferrari.

[tele_player]

The Rode ads for the K2 and NT2000 claim the capsule is designed and manufactured in Australia.

I've never heard anything bad about the Soundelux U195, built in USA with a Chinese capsule. They proudly proclaim 'Made in the USA'.

The Neumann TLM 103 is a nice mic, but it's not in a completely different class from all the other mics being discussed here.

There's not enough blind testing being done.