Rode NT2a vs NT1a (and a CAD e100s) 

We miss you Mike. Come back.

NT-2A sounds best overall to my ears! Thanks

I found your channel just for simple pop filter comparisons, but I ended up watching the rest just for your voice - so relaxing!

I will be setting up my studio for podcasting once I'm home from working/travelling abroad later this year. This video has been super helpful. Thank you for the great tips and advice!

It is the most professional review found on RU-vid for this microphone. That's why now I understand really why I should take the NT2A.

Enjoyed this vid, and the way you explained the different patterns was succinct and helpful.

Super useful video, thanks a lot !!! I have the NT2A years ago and never touched the -80, -40, etc...so, now I understood the differences very well :) greetings from Spain

Always quality work brother!

Another Booth Junkie-certified video to cheer up your day : )

That intro killed me dead. I came back to life and watched the rest of the video. Great comp of two great Rodes

It was fun to watch this video. I've owned the NT-2A for 15 years or so and it just suits my voice well. I have tried a lot of other mics and I just keep coming back to my Rode. For folks shopping, take your favorite pair of headphones and try out as many as you can... This one wasn't on my radar, but I immediately loved it once I tried it in the store. Final note... and some folks might really disagree with me on this, but if I'm in a situation where I am moving around some, the figure 8 pattern seems to help balance the amplitude and proximity... you just have to be aware of what is behind the mic.

NT2 SOUNDS MASTERED AND CLEAN

WOW GREAT JOB EXPLAINING THE DIFFERENCE!!!!!!!

I like the clarity of the NT2A on your voice although the CAD is a little warmer

BEST INTRO EVER

EXCELENTE VIDEO FELICITACIONES. igual dejame decirte que tu voz en el rode nt1a suena increible. ambos son maravillosos micros.

that e100s ! amazing!

Hello Mike Booth ;) I love your videos and think it's too bad it's so far between us, (I live in Sweden) or I've sent you a bunch of microphones for testing and comparison. Continue with these entertaining and information-rich videos. Wishing you all the best and having a nice weekend Mike! SINCERELY Tommy F Sweden

Didn't know Mark Hamill has a RU-vid channel xD

Great comparison of the 3 mikes. Personally, I thought the non-Rode mic sounded a bit covered in tone, like the limited treble frequencies coming from a portable cassette player’s speaker. The NT2-A seemed to have more clarity.

Mike Delgaudio's Mics and Audio.

Sir, you are the Bob Ross of audio!

Your name has mic and audio in it.

Great video. What I've got to find now is an NT1 vs NT2a comparison.

Great video man ! Thanks!

The CAD e100s sounds nice!!!!!

Thank you bro you helped me a lot. Nice Video!

Your voice is much more beautiful with Rode NT2a compared to other microphones! His voice was brilliant but it was also warm with beautiful bass. For me the Rode NT2a has a quality above its price. I saw some videos that he is compared to the renowned Neumann, and fortunately the Rode NT2a did very well! That was one of the reasons I was convinced to buy it. Thanks for your videos and have a lot of success :)

You have a Sub good sir, simply the best on this subject on RU-vid in my Humble Opinion...just starting to research to get my first VO set-up together to delve into the Hobbie. :)

Amazing review! Just want to keep hearing him talk lol. I honestly could not tell the difference between 1a or 2a until mid video when he talks about "S" and smoothness

Hey, Mike! Do you have any experience using the NTG2 for vocals? It looks good for field recording, but I would love your opinion on it for vo work, thanks!

His voice makes me want to fall asleep i don’t know why 😂😂

Hey Haircut! I can imagine where the NT 2A is a good choice. I think there are way more whistles and bells that a typical VO might need. I'm a bit partial towards the e100s, but the NT did have a fairly smooth sound (compared to the 1A). Is it a 'match' for the CAD? Depends upon who is using it.

Best mic review!

Thank you for your great explainations

Great video. For straight dialogue there's not really enough in it to justify the 2A. That's where the 1A scores well, as a straight no nonsense cardioid with a nice upper presence that doesn't cost too much. However, you'd be totally justified for spending the extra on the 2A if you've got more uses beyond a straight cardioid dialogue/vocal mic and could do with multi patterns, padding etc. for instrument work etc. Cheers, Dave.

Thanks. Very well done.

great buy, set up was very easy, Awesome!

I have a discontinued Monoprice 600850 lollipop condenser mic that has all the same features of the 2A and I love the versatility. Have you ever heard of it, Mike?

There's something different in the upper mids.. can barely tell them apart tho. Nice comparison.

Mike, Have you ever used a Neumann U87i? I'm curious how it compares to newer mics. I used one when they first came out in 1969 and thought it was great. Ralph Gould

I love this channel

Nt2a almost sounds as if its putting out a "mastered" audio with it being crisp, sharper and giving more of a crushed sound while still sounding warm. The NT1a is slightly quieter but very warm imo. Both are very excellent mic's, none is better than the other. Depends on your own voice and preference. Great channel.

I agree, the 2A sounds better with your voice..

Hey mike! Relatively new booth junky here! I've been working on a simple active ribbon mic for the past few months and I want to know your opinion on figure 8's for voice-over. I know it can be harder to cancel out bg-noise and the such but it's NTR quality at ~1/8th the cost, not to mention I'm also going to be using it for recording band sessions so the pattern comes in handy Do you think I can stick to the simple figure-8 or should I invest some time making it cardioid?

I love this channel!I listened to this on a pair of Mike and Ike earbuds from the 99 cent store. I could notice a negligible difference between the Rode mics. But, even without my real headphones, the difference between the CAD and the Rode was noticeable. Hard to believe, considering the mpeg compression and the horrific earbuds. To me, it seems that a bit of EQ could get even the NT1a to sound as warm as the CAD, especially considering that most people are going to be listening to the finished product through equipment that is relatively crappy compared to what a Booth Junkie would be using. My voice is similar to Mike's, and I use an NT!a. I'd be curious to hear myself through the CAD, but I think I'd recommend that people save the money and put it toward buying a used copy of iZotope Ozone 7 Advanced since 8 really isn't that much better. The dynamic EQ plugin could easily get that Rode to sound as nice as the CAD, plus it does SO much more! Bottom line is that 99.9% of people listening to the final product are not going to notice the tiny differences that we can hear through studio monitors on uncompressed tracks. I still love these comparison videos. I must be crazy, because I'm not even in the market for a new mic. Considering what the iZotope products can do, the only other mic I'd go gaga over would be the Sennheiser MKH416-P48U3.

Hi! Great video. Have a question... For recording songs... (singing) which one do you recommend?

I like my NT2A. Sounds great! Like to use omni setting to record drums helps get the ambience of the room.

Hey, love your videos! Could you please give your opinion about Studio Projects microphones? Especially interested in C1 model. Thx and keep going, great channel

How do you feel about your NT1 vs the NT2A for a similarly gravelly Male voice?

I love the NT1A - but have to agree about the top end being a bit too hot !

NT1a sounds warmer for me.

Interesting question. Should a podcaster use a USB mixer for voiceover work, or is it better to run it flat through a straight USB interface and fix in post process? The added noise is my concern.

I'd be interested in seeing you review the Røde NTG2 shotgun microphone, compared to your other shotguns.

Mike, hi! I definetely would like to hear your thoughts about these mics someday: 1) Oktava MK-105; 2) Oktava MK-519 (both of these mics made in Tula, Russia); 3) ISK-bm800 (yes, it's chinese mic; yes, it's cheap enough, but I'm really interested in your professional opinion about this mic) Best regards, Damir!

I think I get why he likes the CAD e100s more - it sounds more "breathy" - like more air comes through, and perhaps that's more natural to his voice, depending on what it sounds like to an average human ear. And I think it sounds more pleasant, like he thinks, because it's more breathy. It sounds great to me for reading books, especially, and for a calm, low, warm voice for a character for voice acting (that his voice is like). The NT2a sounds more condenced and less "wide" with the sound.

Hi, great video! What do you recommend to power that NT 2A? I would like to start to do some vocal recording but I don't know what I need between my PC and NT 2A :)

Excelente video. Que interfase de audio usaste ? O fue a una grabadora directo ? Algún preamp? Etc

I use the Rode NT 1 with the Rode AI 1 interface. Just wanted to see your opinions.

Do you boost these at all in post or is it all the preamp?

The Nt2a definitely has a smoother range than the 1a, that CAD does sound tighter though to my ears

Yo Mike! Greav video! If you could please review the AKG C-214 it would help a lot!! wonder how it will stand up against the CAD e100s :D

Hi! Love your video's! (all the way from The Netherlands) What microphone do you recommend for a higher/younger/female voice?

Thanks Alot.

The Nt 2A sounds flatter than the others. A more "grown up" sounding microphone in my opinion. What I mean by that is that kids these days usually enjoy their EQ like a smiley face, and by having a flatter sound signature, there's more you can do than just please those who want it to sound good from the box. The CAD on the other hand is more of a specialist item in my book. You don't get it to sound flat, you get it because it sounds like an E100s and that's the sound you're after. The NT 2A, I can imagine you can have a bit more say in what you want it to sound like in post.

Would you ever think of testing a Studio Project C1? I always hear a lot about them and hype about it being near a U87 and all that for like a 10th of the price but I don't know whether it's actually a good mic or not really.

Could you do a review on something a little wierd; Microphones that are on headphones. I have one I am not very experienced when it comes to audio. I would love to see your opinion on one.

NT1A sounds a bit harsh to me. It has too much low end IMO making it sound a bit boomy but the high end is also a little to thin and harsh giving the mic a very uneven tone to my ears. The E100s sounds better than the NT2A to me.

Did you have to send the NT1 back to Rode? If not, why not test the NT2A against the NT1, which you (and most others) like better?

NT2-a sounds more refined and professional but I like the sound of the NT1-a more

Looking for mics.. 4th video I’ve watched and it just got good, just realized you were switching mic audio as you talk hence the names popping up 😆

Deffo prefer the E100. Losing the bass and highlighting the upper range makes the Rode sound cheaper than it should.

I will choose the NT-2A ..

Which would you recommend between NT1 (not nt1a) and NT2a?

Thee ole You of Tube suggested this video and it’s good timing as I was comparing the NT1/NT1a to similar mics. So with that handy button. Sounds like the NT2a might be better if your voicing characters that might be yelling at times.

Get NT1. Its neutral without higher boost and all that stuff. If you want that, it always can be adjusted with a simple equaliser. What you need is a decent neutral fuller sound without any boost ups on certain frequencies.

IMO, I'd recommend Rode NT's for women vocals. Sounds about right in that range.

I am looking to buy either one of these microphones for me to sing. I enjoy singing on smule, that is what I will be using it for. I have a soprano voice. What would be best for my voice please. Any advice I would really appreciate xx

does e100s use an electret capsule? it is so similar to tsb2555

Es mejor para ti el nt2a que los nt1a y nt1?? Según tu opinión?

Hey I'm getting a mxl 770 as my first proper studio microphone. Any thoughts on it?

That e100s sounds better (to me) than the other 2

May ask you a question? About the sensitivity in the background, compared to Samson C03 and Rode NT2A. Which one is more Sensitive. I am using the Samson C03, and now I want to upgrade to Rode NT2A but I don't have a good treatment room. I love Rode but I afraid that Rode is so Sensitivity more than Samson C03. I am a voiceover. I know that the price of them so different, So I just want to ask about the sensittivity Could you please give me an advice? Thank you so much!!!

If i buy a microphone in europe, it will work if i connect in an american equipments?

NT2a or NT1? Mainly podcasting. Thanks in advance for the suggestions ;)

I hope you one day can compare the Lewitt 440 Pure to these microphones.

is hard to make the difference. but the the CAD i feel it more natural but you also have a cool wave voice but you can make many wave patterns. but still hard to make a difference.

I hope you see this comment. So I currently have a microphone the samson c01u pro that i use to make youtube videos. But The fan in my room is super loud so I need to do a bit of noise reduction on audacity. But when I do it it makes the voice sound a bit echoy. Like there's this mechanical sound to my voice that I don't know how to fix. Plus I live next to a busy street. And it is really hot over here in Bangladesh. So turning the fan off in a room without ventilation if feels like I'm being cooked alive at over 100°f Plus the added heat from my pc. So I'm thinking of getting a Shure SM58 cause from what I've seen it's really good at not being a d*ck when there's a lot of noise. But should I get an SM58? Or do you recommend something else? Since me and a friend of mine are going to be recording together Using my condenser is a bit of a problem. Cause we would be sitting at a slight distance so it would sound weird. Plus doing that noise reduction really messes with the voice then. So I'm wondering what I should do. Cause we'd be getting an SM58 each. Would that be a good mic for us? Or do we want something different? My channel is real small and if youtube doesn't workout I don't wanna feel like I spent a shit ton of money for no reason. and from what I've seen the SM58 is on the cheaper side. But then when I go to buy it there are a lot of counterfeit mics. It took me a while to find the real deal. So do you have any recommendation? It would really help us out.

Correction the E 100s is clearly different and with this man's voice there surely is a reason that he likes it. Nice for voiceover no doubt. Is it worth buying just for that ... maybe not.

You are outstanding.. I bought rode nt2.... Advise you to stand up in a local election for being member of Parliament.... I are good speaker.... N I am not kidding.... I am a vocalist bought rose nt2 package in 385 dollar... Thanks god bless.... Rgds... Sarfaraz

Yep, the pad is for recording amplified sources.

wonder how the 2a compares to the rode nt1

for studio recording for me the nt2a was a big step up from the nt1a...more refined sound and better versatility (nt2a are especially good for guitars).....nowadays I complement them with SE2200's You pay for what you get.....

Which Would you recommend for baritone singers

nt1a, like you said, to much eq'ed. the lows are too prezent along with the highs, compared to nt2a, which is more flat. But i don't have found yet what to choose between nt2a and the e100s. E100s sounds that the highs are just a bit more prezent than the nt2a. Thanks for the review

For Voiceover and podcasts if you need to decide between the NT1 or the NT2A. Which can bring me more value ? And less complicated. [The money is not an issue]

Hey, Mike, hope all is well. Just wanted to say hi ^^

3 Mikes in the booth 🤣 Mike, Mike‘s Mike and a Mike that is not Mike‘s Mike 🤪

hey cool test :) you sound like the radio guy from gta vice city ;D

For work I feel like the NT2 would be better just because of the extra options