USB Mic Comparison: Rode NT-USB, Audio-Technica AT2020, AKG Perception 120
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- Uncomplicated and quick to set up, USB-Microphones are a really neat tool for anyone recording often and fast. In this video, I am comparing the new Røde NT-USB against the more established Audio-Technica AT2020 USB and the AKG Perception 120 USB. Since there aren't many comparisons on youtube yet for the Røde microphone, I uploaded it for other people to see.
I did three tests, all for vocal recordings, with a Singing part, a VoiceOver type and a movie trailer voice, since those are the things I will most likely use the microphone for. You be the judge yourself and listen to which sound you like best.
Since many people have asked for it: The recording was done using Apple Logic Pro X (only available for Macs), and the original project can be downloaded here. It also contains the raw original files if you don't have Logic Pro but still want to have a listen.
downloads.fahre...
Raw comparison
6:34 Rode NT USB
7:23 At2020 USB
8:10 Akg 120 perception
illuminati u should be on top
Voice over Tests:
11:18 Rode NT USB
11:39 At2020 USB
11:55 Akg 120 perception
This is one of the best reviews I've seen in quite a while. Thank you for making this!
Wow - I've never seen your videos before, and I was expecting just a normal mic review but then you started singing. Blew me away. Great voice!
Yes I agree, great review, great voice.
wow the rode is a really good microphone :D
the Rode NT USB and At2020 are what the hype about the lifeless Blue Yeti is all about
You made me decide to get Rode NT-USB! Thank you so much!
And I like your singing! ;)
After seeing a few videos of the Rode NT-USB, I was very convinced that it was something I'd want. I have a Blue Spark at the moment and it isn't quite what I wanted, though it is by no means bad. Thanks for comparing and giving a little review of these three!
Thanks for the review, I loved how you gave them all a fair chance and didn't show bias towards any.
I also liked how you did different tests and talked about the pro and cons for each in terms of how they are to use.
Very Well done! a like form me!
Great comparison. I have the Rode NT USB and love it. Works with my iPad Air 2 and iPhone 6 Plus for out in the field. I use a USB to Lightening cable to use with my iPad and iPhone.
This review was brilliant, i have been looking at both the Røde NT and Audio Technica AT2020, and was leaning towards the Røde, and i think this review, confirmed my choice! :)
You sing amazingly!
Hi Florian! I really liked your video and your personality :)
That video really helped me out to make my decision on which mic should i buy (I was between Razer Seiren, AT 2020+ and blue yeti). And thanks to you i bought the Rode NT-USB. I hope i did the right decision. Anyway i really liked the compression and equing you did with your voice over and the output of your voice is what i am looking for myself and i would be interested in a tutorial on how you manage to make such crisp and deep voice!!!
Thanks again and keep going !
I'm looking into buying a USB mic and have been watching reviews all day. Yours was extremely helpful and I can tell you know what you're doing (far better than I do) which is comforting. Thank you for this.
Thank you so much for the review. I've ordered the Rode, so I'm happy (and relieved) that you really like that one!
What was the software you were using in that video? It looks really intuitive. I actually liked the AKG more but I bought the RODE NTB-USB lol I also really liked the way you did these tests, they gave really good insight into good audio for people who are learning.
Logic Pro x
Thankyou
+NeonsStyle Oh, I am very sorry. Your comment actually got filtered out for me by youtube, and I only now noticed it. :) +Usernamebreh jumped in though and is correct, this was Logic Pro X...
+Florian Fahrenberger I have a quick question if you don't mind,I recently made a small home studio and I bought the at2020 USB PLUS before I saw your review.do you think it's worth it to upgrade to the rode nt USB?its a 20 dollar difference.i still have time to return it.
+Usernamebreh I have not tried the AT2020+, but I've heard good things about it. Honestly, in my opinion it won't make a big difference and probably doesn't make sense to upgrade. None of the mics I tested were bad or really different in quality, they are pretty much on the same level. Which of them better suits your particular voice is most likely of higher importance than their general difference in quality. :)
Great video thanks Florian! The Rode sounded best to me by quite a margin, then the AKG and the AT last. This was not what I expected either!
ive ordered myself a rode and i wanted to see more comparisons on how it sounds and your video helped a tone thanks :)
Leoncavallo Cecile, I can't answer to you directly, since you don't have a G+ account (yes, that's what it has come to...). The Rode mic is still a fair amount more expensive than the AT2020. If you are a guy (sounds like it), I would say that the Rode might be a little better, but honestly, in the end you'll have to test it with your particular voice, all theory is worthless...
Thank you so much for you reply! I am getting the NT-USB
+Collin2377 No, you can not, you need a computer with a USB port. Additionally, this microphone is made for recordings where you are really close to the membrane. So close in fact that your face would be partly covered by the huge microphone for the camera. If you put the mic further away, it won't sound as good since it is not made for this. Look at this video from 1:38 minutes, where I demonstrate how a really fancy studio mic (similar type to the NT-USB) will fail when far away:
ruclips.net/video/USOjz6dRLPo/видео.html
Hope that helps.
+MaliciousMerc +LazyLos It is also very noteworthy that the version I tested here (about 1.5 years ago) is not available anymore. Audio Technica have released a new version AT2020+ (notice the "+" sign at the end), which I have never recorded with, but which is apparently significantly improved. So this comparison here is a bit unfair, since the new version came out just a few weeks later...
+Florian Fahrenberger Ok. And, about the background noise, which one is better (less background noise) between Rode NT USB and AT2020+ ?
+Marc Chapleau Well, as I said, I have never used the AT2020+, let alone compared it to any other mic. My guess is that the difference in noise level will be very minute. Rode is well known for having very low noise, but in this example, all three microphones (even the older AT2020) were absolutely usable for most instances. The influence how far the singer is away from the mic and how they are used to being recorded and know how to handle microphones will be much greater than any difference between noise levels in my opinion.
If anybody watching this is buying for recording music vocals, forget everything and get the NT-USB or the Se X1 USB.
I did a test a few weeks ago at the local studio, and the NT-USB specifically sounds much better than an XLR Perception 120 and was holding up really well next to a Neumann TLM-170 with a _very_ similar frequency pickup.
They aren't talkin' shit when they say it's studio quality.
Well, it is a Rode. They don't muck around.
The RODE does it for me :) Great Comparison thank you sir :)
Thank you for the review!!! saved me so much time , your singing is great btw :p
Hey Florian, thanks for the great video :)
Hey QB, I don't play tanks nearly as much anymore. But thanks for the good times back in 2013-2015
Thank you for the profound comparison and the very personable appearance! 👍 😃
at2020 flat and crisp
AKG - weird
NT-USB - great!
yap
severgun AT2020 and NT-USB actually sound quite the same. However, you should note that the AT2020 was at a low volume. When you increase the audio for it, it sounds almost the same.
I love the sound of the Rode NT-USB, and I've been using it for a few months now. Absolutely awesome piece of hardware with a solid build.
Your comparison is probably the best I've seen on RUclips and you covered all 3 microphones I'm interested in! I want to buy a decent USB mic for my RUclips channel. I'm hesitating between Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ (with headphone jack for monitoring) and Rode NT-USB. To tell you the truth I feel Audio-Technica AT2020 was the most neutral in your comparison. Rode seems to color your voice a little bit - but it's just my personal opinion. I was taking AKG Perception 120 into consideration, but after your video I'm absolutely sure I don't want to buy this mic. As for now, I'll probably go for Audio-Technica AT2020USB+. Thanks for sharing your video, it's very helpful!
Amazing comparison !! Great video.
What software are you using btw ?
As it says in the description, I am using Apple Logic Pro X. But that's really just because I know how to use that one, you can use any DAW available for what I am doing here.
I had a tough time deciding between the NT-USB and the AT2020USB+. In the end, I'm keeping the AT2020USB+.
While I prefer the slightly warmer sound of the NT-USB, the AT2020USB+ does a better job of rejecting background noise.
Does it? I'm planning on getting one of these myself, and i mostly have alot of background noise..
Great info - thanks! I am definitely going to look for a Rode NT USB.
Thanks for this comparison video, although I went with the AT2020 because of the value and quality, I still feel that the Rode had the best sounding results. I hope that Audio Technica makes a updated AT2020 that has improvements. Also thanks for publishing the video under a Creative Commons licence!
The AT2020 is really great value for its price, and honestly, all those three mics were usable and I was surprised by the quality, I don't think you can go wrong there. :)
Why do you care about the CC license, do you want to use some of the video? Just curious... I try to publish in CC whenever I can. :)
Florian Fahrenberger No, just wanted to note that as I enjoy free content and and free culture work. Anyways I've got to try the Rode NT-USB at my local audio store and it sounded a bit better than the AT2020.
Man wtf you can sing bro! Thanks for the in depth review!
wow Turned me onto a cool new song never heard it before nice choice !!!
I liked the At2020. Sounds very clean.
yeah same here !!
i like the NT-USB. it almost sounds like a ribbon mic
i have a friend who records with the perception 120 and sent me some tracks to mix. i had the same problem with the weird boosted frequencies.
Thank you. This is a great review!
Rode for male voice. Shut your eyes. You can hear how good it is.
I can't wait to get singing again!!
Good review, and nice singing!
Erik Karlsson, I can't reply to your comment directly, since you don't seem to have a G+ profile...
I have a Millenium MA-2050, which I think is a brand owned by big German music retailer "Thomann", and I don't think it's available easily outside Germany. So I think you'll have to go look on your own.
Hi! I have a question.... Are you German? :)
TheBest Pl4y3r You are kidding me, right? I myself can hear that within the first few words... but yes, I am German.
Das war eine ganz normale Frage... kann ja sein, dass du aus Österreich, der Schweiz oder so kommst -.-
Aber jetzt mal meine eigentliche Frage: Hält das Millenium MA-2050 das Rode Nt-USB gut, oder ist das Mikro zu schwer?
Danke
TheBest Pl4y3r Das hält wirklich problemlos. Der Ständer ist ja schon für Großmembran-Kondensator-Mikrofone gemacht, und unter denen hat das NT-USB ein durchschnittliches Gewicht, die sind alle recht klobig.
Alles klar, danke.
Brauchtest du noch einen extra Adapter für das Gewinde, oder passte das Rode NT-USB auch so drauf?
Great comparison! Thank you so much! May i ask that if I want to pick one between NT-USB and AT2020 for music recording (especially vocal) at home, which one would you suggest?
Great video! I am getting the rode nt usb for youtube videos, thank you this video helped! :)
What a fantastic review! You are so objective & i love that you dont pick any certain winner & try to affect us, but let us use our own ears & make a decision! Iv been listening around to a few mics (Audio Technica 2020, Blue Snowball (whichs half the price range..) Blue Yeti & Rhode NT. For me, like for you the NT takes the cake. I love the dynamics/warm of the mic & ithink the way the treble is not overpronounced may not acually be a bad thing. In my ears the Blue Mics seem to have a very pronounced treble/timbre, which in itself may not be a bad thing, but what happens when you EQ it to your liking. Well im gonna stop here as im no expert, & yet again thank you for your wonderful objectivity & sense(ful) to-the-point(ness) Wish you well with upcoming reviews! :)
In the start, there was a lot of hiss if am not wrong! How did it become normal all of a sudden? 😕
i feel the NT is higher quality but thats also cause it is more exspensive, its warm and clear. at2020 is very flat but crispy seems like you need to get real close to it to create bass, the AKG was suprisingly good for its price, its nuetrel but picks up room noise alot, but hey the U87 picks up room noise like crazy to, my choice would be the NT and the AKG second. thanks for the video
Thank you so much. This was an exceptionally informative review. I'm going to get the Rode! 😁
This is really in depth and helped me decide what mic I wanted thank you :) I'm getting the Rode NT-USB. Thank you for making my choice easier :D
Also I liked and subbed :D
•UltraGamerAlex | Gʀᴀᴘʜɪᴄs ∂εsιgη• does it have delay when you want to hear playback from the PC? like when singing over an instrumental song.
Actually not a bad singer... 100X better than I'd be able to do. Anyway, I ordered a RODE NT-USB today... Sounds great in my opinion :D
@Florian Fahrenberger
I have the Audio Technica AT2020 and it doesn't sound to great. I've looked at tones of NT-USB reviews, and Blue Yeti reviews. I'm torn between which one to get! :). What do you suggest?
:/
if you have 2020 go for Rode, Yeti would be a step down imo...
Very nice and informative review. Audio-Technica released and updated AT2020USB+, I've ordered that one. What program do you use for EQ and compressing?
+Attila Boros I used Apple Logic Pro and its stock plugins, but really any DAW should be able to do the exact same thing, this was nothing special or particularly amazing...
@Florian Fahrenberger Hello What software are you recording on? and what are the EQ's and other stuffs that you are using while recording the songs?
This is a very simple recording, so it really doesn't matter what DAW you pick. I happened to pick Apple Logic Pro, since it has a decent automatic drummer for the song. On the voice recoding, I added nothing but the Channel EQ, Compressor, and Reverb that shipped with the software. Keeping it simple.
Hi Florian I noticed you didn't use reverb on the at2020 does that mean it might sound better if you add reverb to it?...hehe I'm sorry if this sounds stupid but I'm kinda new to recording at home, use to have someone that recorded my vocals but since I'm in university now I have to do things myself and I'm looking for the best usb recording mic for vocals. Recent reviews showed that the at2020 was really good but on this video I seemed to like the Rode NT-USB mic better, it sounded more clear. Also can you tell me which recording software you are using or would recommend.
I was actually considering just sticking with the Audio Technica ATR2500 despite its annoying connection issue but after watching this review you have convinced me to go with the Rode :D
Well for me, I currently own the Audio-Technica ATR2500 and it has a really loose connection that cuts out if you knock it and apparently the cable isnt the issue and its the connection itself so replacing the cable wont fix the issue. So looking for a new one, for me the Rode really stands out for me especially in comparison to the AT2020.
Lovely presentation.
You come across as being both likeable and professional.
You should be on television.
The Røde Nt-usb is my clear choice
Hey, your singing is not bad :)
Listening to the Rode....Switches to Audio Technica... WOW lol, so flat in comparison. What a difference.
One thing Florian, be careful with opinion about "Chinese" quality of stand. If an European pays so little for a production, then the quality is adequate. I am convinced that a European product with such a budget would be much much worse... Thank you for a test!
Don't sell your self short on the singing, it wasn't half bad! Much better than anything I can do!
It is a shame that youtube does a great deal of compression to the audio, so that the At2020 sounded a lot less flat in the lower end than the rode :O
Niklas Åvall The audio compression is noticeable but not too bad, video is much more destructive. It certainly won't affect the frequency responses. But keep in mind that the mic I tested here is the AT2020. There is a newer version out with a + in the name, the AT2020+, and it is supposed to be much more refined. It just wasn't out yet when I did this comparison.
I noticed when you were singing with the AT2020 and the AKG Perception, whenever you took a breath it made the air sound so thick and hard to breathe. With the NT-USB, I noticed that the air was a lot clearer sounding. I dunno, listening to the inhales on the later two mics just made me feel like I had something caught in my throat. I personally like the NT-USB the best because of this
to be completely fair, Rode has an integrated pop filter which has only one position - exactly the right distance from the mic. If your pop filter is too close to the capsule it doesn't work as well, and I think that's why the AKG and AT mics picked up heavier plosives and breathing sounds in this review. They're all good mics, but you can hear the difference in their dynamic range. I agree with you, I think the Rode is out in front, the AT2020 a very close second (doesn't pick up bass as well) and the AKG a medicore third.
Damn it. I just bought the NT1A and I didn't know about this. I am going to spend a lot more going the route I did and that's getting the mic for $139. With this we don't need a preamp.
Honestly, if you bought it at any recommendable store, they will grant you a 30 day return policy. I would make use of that. This is exactly why online stores do this: You can't try the mic in the store, so you can try it at home. And when you notice that it doesn't work with the equipment you have, you can return it.
I hope it's not too late for you. Otherwise: The NT1A is an amazing mic, and if you ever plan to upgrade, it is easier to use with a better sound device and you can attach other mics to whatever device you buy. With these USB mics, there is no mix and match. :)
Florian Fahrenberger Yeah, I'm going to contact the seller and see what they can do. They've already shipped it though. I had no idea this was on the market. I'm just wondering if the USB model is as good as the NT1A. It's noise is only 5db and I didn't see this advertised on the USB version.
Godless Glen
Well, the noise floor is hard to compare, since you can only get a preamplified signal from the NT-USB, and the preamp plays into that a lot.
But from what I've tried, if you record a decent signal (like an instrument or a human voice) at close proximity (less than 3 feet), the NT-USB can basically be considered noise-free for all amateur purposes. If you buy an audio interface with preamps for less than 200$ for your NT1A, you will roughly get the same amount of noise from that preamp alone. Honestly, the noise floor is mostly important for a mic with which you want to capture very quiet things like room tone or maybe Foley. But for studio mics, it is not as crucial.
Think about it this way: Can you hear any distracting noise in the NT-USB recording in this video? If not, there is no problem. :)
Imma go for Rode NT-USB
Thanks
i came here for the audio technika 2020 and i believe i left with rode looks really good and at least the same price point like 2020usb+ like i where going to take.
Great voice, come here to listen mics, end up listen more than mics!
wow Turned me onto a cool new song never heard it before nice choice !!!
I think there is very little difference between all these U.S.B. microphones..(I own a Rode U.S.B. and Blue Snowball) .By the way your vocals sound really clear and crisp..Could you give me any indication of the EQ/Compressor settings you use...I use Audacity...
Could you upload these recordings to soundcloud or something similar maybe? :) Well done btw!
You mean the bare voice recordings, or something similar? I would probably make a package with the Logic-Pro-X-recording. That contains the audio files as well as the mix, so you can judge by yourself.
I'll try to get that done, but I can't promise a date since I am crazy busy this week.
Audio-Technica AT2020 Trash compared to other two 💩
I would prefer the AT2020 because I feel like the NT-USB is a little too bright, making vocals sound siblance.
Great video! But I'm wondering which one of these picks up the least amount of background noise, completely unmixed, without any compression or noise gate on them? Which picks up the least amount of background noise (like computer fans, keyboard sounds, etc.) when only considering the raw track, as that is the only thing I'm really interested in this case. Not which one is the easiest to work with afterwards. Thanks!
Mustis1524 I had to go back and check the original files, since I didn't pay attention to this. Funnily enough, I hear the least background on the Rode (it was really mostly my laptop's fans), but the difference is tiny and I could hardly tell. Sorry, I didn't really test them in a noisy environment...
hello Florian, thank you very much for your review as i am looking fo a USB microphone to record a voice over for a short movie.
i can't test the 3 microphones. Please could you tell me which one would fit the best to record a "cinema like" voice over Thank you in advance for your help
What do you think of the Samson G track Pro, Have you tried it?
I waspretty-much sold on the NT-USB from other reviews; however, This was a particularly good review and has helped me a lot in choosing a microphone. Thanks.
Which microphone did you go for in the end? And how is it keeping up? I doubt that you'll even see this reply, but it would be great if you could reply.
+Florian Fahrenberger thanks for your great effort.
rode and audio are great but rods.ks more clean
The Rode Nt-USB is the best, the at2020 is the flattest.
Thanks for the video. Do you know if there's any difference in sound quality between audiotechnica usb and usb+ ?
Apparently, the new USB+ is way better, much more on par with the other two. That's what I've heard. I have not used it myself though, so take that as it is. :-)
@@FlorianFahrenberger thanks !
the perception sounds boomy like with added low frequencies, the other two sound really well, but I prefer the rode sound
I need a USB mic for Rap/Singing vocals, but I can't decide between Røde NT USB, Blue Yeti Pro and the AT2020. I will be recording in my living room because I don't have the possibility to make a studio booth setup, but I still want great quality recordings I can upload to RUclips, Spotify etc. So I'm hoping for minimal backround noise of course. Which one would you recommend?
+Revem Music FIrst of all: I can not tell you which one is the best for you. First, I have never tried the Blue Yeti, but more importantly, I don't know what your voice sounds like, and a different mic might be best for you than for me.
That being said, here are three tips:
1. The background noise a microphone can influence is never the one you get from your living room! This is only about if the mic adds some more background hiss or noise to that. And in that respect, all three of these are pretty good. To reduce background noise from your room, the best way is to get very close to your mic while recording. This will also add some bass to your voice, which might be beneficial for rap.
2. If you decide to get at AT2020, be sure to get the new version "AT2020+" (the plus at the end is important). The old version is deprecated and definitely of lower quality.
3. I would probably recommend the Rode, not for sound but for practicality, since it offers a headphone jack for direct monitoring. This will reduce the lag when recording and actually helps the timing for rap.
That helped a lot! Thank you. Now I'm actually going to buy me the Rode mic next week and give it a try :)
Boost low end on Rode and cut lows on AT... great job dude, you make people with no ears blindly choose Rode. The difference is fucking huge.
You are one of the people because whom I almost chose not to give an opinion end get asked in the comments all the time. This is very much a matter of personal choice, and for exactly this reason I included the recordings directly out of the mic, so everybody can give it a spin, as well as linked the original files in the description. Yes, I did EQ afterwards to play to my personal taste of sound, and yes the AT was way too bassy and I cut the lows. The new AT2020 USB+ (with a plus at the end) is apparently way better, but it wasn't out yet when I ordered these. Out of these three, I liked the Rode the best, before EQ and after. Your opinion might be different.
whos the artist of the your song sample?..good video though
I don't get what you are asking...? The song is a jazz standard, originally written in the 40s, called "Autumn Leaves". And the dude playing and singing is... just me?
I just bought the new rode nt usb mic and I'm having problems not with the mic but with garageband. When I drag the playback into garageband and record vocals over it the vocals seem to be quiet, and when my vocals are loud I still can't hear my vocals very clear, please reply.
Honestly, the AKG cannot even compare to the other 2 microphones.
The Rode sounds nicer to me because it has more bass to it, however, the AT2020 is definitely flatter, which means it could probably be modified with an equalizer to have more bass.
I personally prefer the Rode, and I think it is the microphone I'm going for, but the AT2020 is no slouch.
I'm looking for a mic to record documentive videos such as "topmostrare" videos
but I dont know what mic they are using
can you help me to choose ?
when you were recording were u hearing your self through the mic? or just the music or both and if both then how did u do it???
+Chrisson There is usually a monitoring function within your recording software where you can adjust what tracks (including the one you are recoding to) you can hear. However, if you do this via two different sound devices, it will result in a short time delay and might irritate the singer. In my case, since it was a very slow song, I had no trouble with it.
If you use the Rode NT-USB, this option is built in: You can just plug your headphone into the mic, and there are two nobs: One to adjust the general headphone volume, and one to smoothly mix between the computer playback and the microphone input (without any delay). So if this is important to you, this is certainly the easiest option to do it.
If you have a different mic, it depends very much on your recording software how to achieve this.
What was the name of the voice editing program on the MacBook ?? With what program?...
plzzzz telll meee
That was Apple's Logic Pro X. But honestly, it isn't much better or worse than other DAWs, it depends what you want to do...
I'm really quite new to microphones and recording - and I'm not a native English speaker, so I apologize if this should have been clear from the video. The way I understood, the Rode allows you to simultaneously listen to both the soundtrack channel on your PC and the microphone channel being recorded. The others don't have this option built-in, is this correct? So with those mics you'd have to plug your headphones into the PC, which results in a delay between what you're saying/singing and what you're hearing, right?
Exactly, you nailed the point. Another nice thing that I didn't mention about having this headphone plug is that usually you need the headphone plug where your singer is, and that is usually close to the microphone. I try to put my computer far away from the mic for serious recordings to avoid fan noise. But even if your headphones have a very short cable, it will usually be enough from the mic to the singer. :)
Florian Fahrenberger Awesome, thanks for replying so quickly! :)
DaTux91 Also the AT2020USB+ (Plus) has the same mic monitoring connection and dials if needed.
I think he got the Rode and AT2020 mics confused in the conclusion. The AT2020 was the neutral one and the Rode was the bassy one. At least that's how I heard it.
im a singer what do u think about this new rode compared to the rode podcaster?which seems to be a fav.? or the shure usb one???????????thnx
I said it in the video and I'll say it again: I won't dare to recommend a certain mic for somebody until I've tried it with their particular voice. The best option absolutely is to order all three of them and listen to which one suits your voice the most.
That being said: The Podcaster was not designed for singing but for a live talking voice. So the signal does come out fairly compressed and it is a little less sensitive. The NT-USB is much more geared towards studio work and will most likely sound better for recording singing. If by "The Shure one" you mean the "Shure PG42 USB", I have no idea since I have never tried that microphone.
ok thnx kindly!!!! god bless! sry if i made u upset!!!!!!!!!
RedNeckLover77
Don't worry, I'm not upset. I just wanted to stress that there is no "one mic to rule them all", it really depends on your voice. Almost all (online and offline) stores will allow you to try the mics for a day or two and pick your favourite, and that's absolutely what you should do! :)
Jenny Plett, I can't reply to your comment directly because you don't have a Google+ profile (yes, I know it sucks).
Have you opened your "Audio-MIDI-Setup" tool? In that software (it comes with your mac) you can choose which sound device to record from and especially at what level to record. It sounds like you just have a very low recording level set there for your NT-USB.
Thank you for your help:)
Your anti-poppy is placed wrong. ;) As Near as you can to your mouth, not to your mic.
I know. :-) However, in this case it was supposed to mimic the pop shield that was included with the Rode, to make it better comparable. In any case, I've tried, and it really doesn't make a big difference as long as it is somewhat between your mouth and the mic, and it actually avoids the popping. :-)
Im planning to buy Audio-Technica AT2020 USB. Which software are you using to record your vocals. Can it be used to record vocals with karaoke ??
Hi Florian, your video of comparison of 3 mics is great but I am looking for one that can connect directly to my Android as external mic for singing, particularly, I like NT. Could you help me to solve that wonder?
Quick question that I haven't been able to find on-line anywhere. Could the Rode Mic be used with an iPhone 5 if you had a usb to lightning adapter? Thank you so much, I really enjoyed your video.
I don't have an iPhone. The NT-USB says "iPad compatible" on the box. Given that the devices use the same operating system, I would guess that it will work. The only problem could be that it will definitely draw quite some power from your phone to operate the condenser and preamp.
By the way: A google search for "rode nt-usb iphone" gave this as the sixth hit:
provideocoalition.com/atepper/video/review-rde-nt-usb-studio-grade-digital-microphone
It clearly says what I expected: The guy contacted Rode about iPhone or iPod Touch, and it will work but drain your battery rather quickly so they didn't want to list it as officially supported.
Florian Fahrenberger Thanks!
I don't hear any big differences.. even if we want to find, this is to subtle...
Florian compared to the three mics where is the g-track which i have located? I really dont hear that sound coming out of the mic..
+Arjuna 1 I'm sorry, but I have never tried the G-Track and can't tell you how it compares. But if you don't hear any sound at all, I am fairly sure the problem is somewhere in your system's audio settings. But with so little information (what operating system? what software? what exactly do and don't you hear), I really can't help you, this would be pure guessing...
Florian Fahrenberger
No, i mean by that, the sound equals to that sound quality coming out of your mics. the g-track sounds not that good.
+Arjuna 1 Well, the quality of a microphone is only one part of the recording chain, and without a direct comparison I can't tell if the G-Track is actually worse. A big factor is how close your mouth is to the mic, and how noisy the room is that you are recording in. Another part are of course still the software settings, how you record and what your gain level is. The G-Track doesn't seem to get terrible reviews online, so I doubt that it is actually a really bad microphone.
But as I said: One really can't compare two different people with two entirely different setups recording something very different. So this is all speculation.
Florian Fahrenberger
Ok, thank you!
If you can't hear the differences between them then I think it's because of your headphones. They sound distinctively different to me.
Just my opinion, but my preferential results were almost the opposite. I preferred the AKG pretty much across the board - mostly because although it didn't seem to have as much 'presence', I thought it sounded more neutral and uncolored, giving me more flexibility in post. It sounded to me a little bit like the other two, though sounding very good, also pushed the sibilance a bit more than I like.
Thanks for a great comparative video review, Floh. These are handy to have for practical product reference.
Thanks, Jon! See, that's why it's opinions! :) If you know this much about audio, you will probably want to order your own mics anyways and compare them with your voice and really listen to them closely. I have to admit that after I mixed the video and am listening to it now, I really don't like the AKG as much anymore. But during mixing, it really felt terrible in comparison... that's how much can change just when mixing, exporting and re-encoding things. :)
I just though I'd do the comparison since I hardly found anything on the new Rode mic and was very curious myself...
11:19 .. 11:40
you have a great singing voice :-)
Do you think the rode nt-usb will be a good upgrade from a At2020? Im a streamer and looking for better quality. Or will it be better to go with an at2035 with an interface?
RekklesGaming Honestly, not really. If you already have any of these three mics, buying another will only give you slight advantages that are not worth the full cost of the mic. Maybe the price difference is worth it if you are deciding which one to buy, but upgrading from one to another I probably wouldn't do.
Instead, if you are a streamer, you should think about getting a mic that you can position closer to your mouth while not messing up your view on the screen. Like a head mic or lavalier mic or something right on the headphones... that would probably help more.
I stream with an NT USB and it sounds great. I use a boom mic stand set off to one side, with the mic sideways at about chin level, angled slightly up so the capsule is pointed right at my mouth so I'm speaking across the mic, not directly into it. I have a completely unobstructed view of my screens, the mic capsule is about 5-7 cm from my mouth for the nearfield effect and between the pop filter and talking across the mic rather than directly into it I have no problems with sibilance or plosives. I get a lot of compliments on my voice and questions about what mic I use with the Rode set up this way. As an added bonus, it's pointing slightly up, so my keyboard is still behind the mic in it's dead zone.
That said, if anyone reading this comment on a year old question, the Rode isn't much of an upgrade from the AT2020 in terms of sound quality. If you own one or the other and want a better audio for your stream, do three things. One, use the noise gate in OBS. Two, get voicemeeter banana and tailor your mic channel's EQ to suit your voice (maybe even add some compression, if you stream in a fairly quiet environment. I don't use it myself because I end up picking up too much background noise.) Three, think outside the box when you're setting up your mic's position. It doesn't have to be upright and in front of your face, it just needs to be nice and close to your mouth.
I can't think of a single lav mic or headset mic that would come close to the vocal quality you can get from the NT USB or AT2020. Lav mics don't exclude sound so well (I had a chance to try a borrowed Rode smartLav and the keyboard sound in the background was very bad, but that's just a lav doing it's job - they're omni-directional which means they pick up everything around, whereas a cardoid condenser mic has a much more directional pickup pattern and only capture what they're pointing at.) As for headset mics, well, it's hard to find one that actually has the advertised dynamic range, they tend to cut out the lowest frequencies in my voice, especially compared to the Rode.
I highly recommend the Rode or AT2020 for streaming mics. I'd say I'd rather have any condenser mic for commentary/pod casting/voice overs/singing, a lav mic for interviews or ambient recording and the headset mic as a cheap option if I couldn't afford a better mic or wasn't bothered about dynamic range or broadcast quality audio.
Florian your comment about a mic that doesn't mess up your view of the screen is definitely valid, I'd just like to point out that you can use these mics if you place them horizontally instead of vertically. Out of a choice of a lav, a headset or a condenser, a cardoid condenser with proper placement will sound the best for streaming. I say this as an audiophile and a streamer who's used a few different types of mics and settled on the one that I think gives my broadcasts the best vocal quality.
Hey! I was actually wondering if I could buy the NT usb from you if it isn't the mic your currently use, of course I will pay a reasonable price but I do have a budget and unfortunately neither eBay or other website meet that, pls get back to me
Great stuff mate!
I reckon you sold me on the Rode NT-USB.
Good work!