• Good mic, but know the truth.

  
  As reviewed by Todd McKernan on 3/13/2012

  I know you guys just want simple and easy "this mic rules!", "beats mics costing three times as much" reviews. This is not a phony review. I've owned this mic for about four years now. I was concerned about the reviews currently about this mic. They seem VERY misguided and misinformed. This mic is NOTHING like a Neumann. For one thing this mic is a transformerless tube mic, which means they've designed it to sound like a FET mic on the top end and a tube mic on the bottom end. So if you're looking for a classic vintage tube mic sound, this actually isn't it. Its much more modern than you'd probably expect. No Neumann tube mic is transformerless for that very reason. Most people associate a tube mic as having a very mellow top end because of the harmonic distortion created by the tube, this mic does not have that. Its airy and can be somewhat sibilant depending on your source. Now having said all that here's what I can tell you about this mic. Its fantastic for when you need to beef something up a bit. It has a fairly exaggerated low end. So this isn't a favorite for acoustic guitars, but is definitely a top pic for say bass cabs, room sounds, baritone singers, smaller acoustic instruments that lack body, females singing in a lower register, etc, etc. You get the idea. So it certainly can handle many of the same tasks a traditional tube mic would. But its going to sound a little less "vibey" or "colorful". I've also had fantastic results for voice over work because the low end is so warm. If you're looking for an all around great mic that will give you good results on everything, I would suggest looking at an AKG C series mic, 414s will never sound "bad". But if you're trying to fill out your locker and need something that handles the aforementioned tasks exceptionally well, this is a solid mic thats built to the highest manufacturing standards possible. Rode's a made with Medical Grade machinery, it simply does not get better than that. Same type of manufacturing that Apple uses.

  3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
  Was this review helpful?
  Thank You for rating this review!

• Do I really need more?

  
  As reviewed by Henry on 5/20/2011

  I just purchased this mic. This mic is as professional a mic as any other high end mic. I've actually owned the ntk prior to this because the label I recorded at used one daily. Once I heard their artist's song on the radio with such sweet sounding vocals I knew I could trust the Australian mic. I upgraded to the K2 because I heard and read so much about it providing a greater dynamic range than the ntk which was already up to par. I own the k2 and it is truly state of the art.

  1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
  Was this review helpful?
  Thank You for rating this review!

• Bests a Neumann

  
  As reviewed by SubvertK on 10/10/2006

  I bought this mic after hearing the reviews and comparisons to Neumann mics (often the U87) and yes, it lives up to the hype. In fact, it surpasses it. Its got a warm, transparent character that I choose on vocals over mics that cost 6 times the price. And if you really want to get the full effect of this amazing mic, replace the tube with a vintage European one. Its warmth is amazing. Best 600 dollars I've spent, I'd sell off my U87 before I'd sell off my K2.

  22 of 24 people found this review helpful.
  Was this review helpful?
  Thank You for rating this review!

You must be logged in to write a review. Please click here to login.