Rode TF-5 Review / Test (vs. KM184, sE8, M5)

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HQ Audio Of Review: podcastage.com/rev/tf5
Today i review the Rode TF-5, a premium small diaphragm condenser from Rode. This offers a pretty healthy bass response, clear and open mids which sound less forward than much of its competition, and a nice amount of detail and articulation in the upper frequencies. The only downside I hear is the slightly higher self noise which sounds like it may be a bit above the advertised 14dBA.
RECORDING SETTINGS:
• Interface: Focsurite Scarlett 18i20 2nd Gen
• Conversion: 24-bit / 48kHz
• Gain: ~12:00
• Boosted in Post: +9dB
SPECS:
• Polar Pattern: Cardioid
• Freq Response : 30Hz - 20khz
• Sensitivity: -29dBV
• Self Noise: 14dBA
• Max SPL: 135dB
• Impedance: 63 Ohms
• Phantom power: +48V
Buy the Rode TF-5 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: geni.us/rodetf5
Sweetwater: sweetwater.sjv.io/tf5
Thomann: www.thomannmusic.com/rode_tf_...
Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: geni.us/2i32rd
Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/k6g4d
B&H Photo: bhpho.to/42lcWDF
Thomann: www.thomann.de/intl/focusrite...
NOTE (FULL DISCLOSURE): As an associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info check my FAQ page links below.
00:00 - Intro / Setup
00:30 - What’s in the Box
00:54 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
01:19 - Specifications
01:46 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
02:06 - Plosive Test
02:28 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
02:50 - Background Noise Test
03:07 - Untreated Room Test
03:26 - Underboom & Overhead Booming Test
03:58 - Shock Rejection Test
04:15 - Mic Resonance Tap Test
04:30 - Windscreen Tone Test
05:09 - Self Noise Test
06:28 - ASMR Test
07:00 - Intro to Comparison
07:29 - Rode M5 Comparison
08:06 - Earthworks SR117 Comparison
08:46 - Lewitt LCT140 Air Comparison
09:21 - Sennheiser E614 Comparison
09:56 - sE Electronics sE8 Comparison
10:29 - Shure KSM141 Comparison
11:05 - Beyerdynamic MC930 Comparison
11:44 - Neumann KM184 Comparison
12:23 - Neumann U87 Ai Comparison
13:04 - Music Test
14:57 - Pros & Cons
17:06 - Overall Thoughts
19:10 - Recommendation
#Studio #SDC #MicReview
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Merch: podcastage.com/store
Company Relationship Disclosure: podcastage.com/disclosure
Personal: www.bandrewscott.com
My RU-vid Setup: podcastage.com/studio
My Favorite XLR Mics: podcastage.com/rev/favxlr
My Favorite USB Mics: podcastage.com/rev/favusb

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Опубликовано:

31 май 2024

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Комментарии : 89

16 дней назад

I'm thinking, hey, a budget microphone review! Let's quickly search for what it costs..... Ah. Nevermind.

@AudioDestinyHQ 16 дней назад

Every. Time.

@Fl4ppers 16 дней назад

I'm still blown away by the Lewitt 040 match set I bought. Dirt cheap

@omar13018 16 дней назад

Xm8500

@Fl4ppers 16 дней назад

@@omar13018 not a fan myself, but if that's the price you can afford look at their own SDC which is better.

@badmiddens 16 дней назад

@@omar13018 Today's random blurt brought to you by "Microphone Tourettes"

@mallard. 16 дней назад

your music tests always slap. the acoustic test in this is just beautiful

@ObscureMics 16 дней назад

That guitar work was so relaxing

@damienharrison1 16 дней назад

Wow the M5 sounded so thin compared to the TF-5 :O

@BoomstickGaming 12 дней назад

Thanks for the audio help! Lunch is on me!

@thebreakfastmenu 14 дней назад

Fantastic review and demo as always Bandrew. But I miss woah woah boop.

@TSGEnt 16 дней назад

Better late than never, right? Thanks for the review. Came for the mics, stayed fo the song. Loved the moody light.

@artysanmobile 16 дней назад

These have a very unusual polar pattern, much narrower for low voice freqs than for high freqs. It can be useful but it is rare. On axis the TF5 sounds truly excellent, with good body and a fine restraint in the high end, reminiscent of my standard KM84. Very close to Beyer’s 930 which I have used quite a bit on live stages. The TF5 is a serious contender, a mic that would never get put away. The price may holds its sales back some and I would not be surprised to see an adjustment someday.

@EU_DHD 16 дней назад

I'm surprised you didn't include the Shure SM81, I think that mic is super flattering to your voice.

@themellowhost 14 дней назад

WE SOO NEED AN ALBUM OF THESE MUSIC TESTS!!!

@johnkotches8320 16 дней назад

There's a clarity to the TF5 that is missing from most of the other entry level/inexpensive microphones. At $200 the Earthworks SR117 is to my ears remarkable. Caveat, I have issues at 3K in one ear, and 4K in the other so I am not sure I'm the best at judging sound quality anymore.

@MonkeyworkPlays 16 дней назад

Quick question - what do you have connected to the headstock of your guitars?

@Philafxs 16 дней назад

Røde sent these to Bandrew when they were still TF-1's. That may be why the measurements are different.

@BandrewScott 16 дней назад

I don’t know if this is a joke about how long it took to review or if there was actually a change in the microphone design.

@Philafxs 16 дней назад

@@BandrewScott Sorry, was just a joke. Though I couldn't find the other measurement on Røde's site. The datasheets seem to show the blue-lined graph only, so I guess that's the one.

@Podcastage 16 дней назад

@@PhilafxsI pulled it right from rode: edge.rode.com//pdf/products/148/TF5_Datasheet_FA.pdf

@Philafxs 16 дней назад

@@Podcastage Weeiiird. I see that linked on the product page indeed. had overlooked it. They have a different SPL there too (120 dB opposed to 135). Every datasheet I found had the blue one. Have any contact over at Røde, assuming that relationship didn't expire and sour in the meantime? Imagine my misinterpreted joke leading to the discovery of secretly changed internals. To me, the red line's drop-off in the lower end seems rather much compared to how it actually sounded though.

@cward2986 15 дней назад

I miss the 80’s also, and would enjoy an ASMR test on other mics. Your videos are always a pleasure even if these mics are beyond my budget.

@chradon. 15 дней назад

Good review! Do you have any plans to review any super or hypercardioid microphone?

@The-Skyking 15 дней назад

I love a lot of Rode mics, but the NT5's I returned same day. These on the other hand sound really nice in comparison.

@johnheiser2604 15 дней назад

I like the warmth. Very nice.

@LuisAlexanderAlarcon 14 дней назад

I love the ASMR section!

@fallinmor 16 дней назад

I need back story on this. Was there an email from rode or were the mics found and then panic? I need to know.

@Danny-Lightning--Audio-Tech 16 дней назад

That's a lot of loan lol. Those sound pretty good

@markpullar8159 15 дней назад

As someone who uses an SDC for chat while I play games. I liked the Sad W key part.

@maxhammer4067 14 дней назад

Could you do a tutorial on how to set up a neumann u87ai and a mk184 to record acoustic guitar and vocal at the same time and have no phase issues and get great separation ❤

@Itslegitman 16 дней назад

sE is suprisingly good for its one-third price of TF-5

@sapelesteve 16 дней назад

Excellent review as usual. However, I am wondering why Bandrew is not doing his normal ending routine at the conclusion of the videos? 🤔🤔

@Podcastage 16 дней назад

Just experimenting. Seeing if it has any impact on the retention or video performance.

@drewwilliams2411 5 дней назад

I found I can tell a significant difference in sound quality when using sdc’s (and other mic types as well) in drum recordings. That being said, the TF-5 was imo a winner as drum overheads when compared to other sought after models/brands of sdc’s on the market. …All complexities considered, a great pair of sdc’s for less than $1500usd does exist. The Rode NT-5 for example is still a contender and people love them for good reason. They sound exceptional with a budget friendly price.

@techmed-rainer 16 дней назад

Danke!

@samuelwittke511 15 дней назад

When will the Schoeps SDC review come?

@Lishtenbird 16 дней назад

1:40 ...but is it a Neumann?

@lumann89 16 дней назад

Can you review the WeissKlang L1? Would be great :)

@clicks59 16 дней назад

The Beyer and sE/8 sounded the closest to the TF-5 to my ears. The Rode NT5’s and Audio Technica AT2021’s would have been nice in the mix. I have recorded with both and have had decent results. Thanks!!

@Podcastage 16 дней назад

I can’t update the video and I don’t have the NT5s, so I’m not able to do this.

@clicks59 16 дней назад

@@Podcastage It’s all good! Maybe in a future video? Thanks

@karllautman 16 дней назад

Another great review, but why'd it take 5 years? Also, any plans to review lavs? Seems like virgin territory a lot of people could benefit from.

@Podcastage 16 дней назад

I wanted to get more comfortable with SDCs before reviewing these. I have a number of lav reviews already: ru-vid.com/group/PLsbiTKk7c_YD_uLcWI_eIj8Gy64Hjn5Gn&si=cVaemPLqt4_u4k4k

@karllautman 16 дней назад

@@Podcastage > lavs: ooops; should have checked first. Just seems like I haven't seen a review in the few months I've subscribed to your channel. My bad. Thanks for the link.

@karllautman 16 дней назад

And, of course, now I see you've had three in the last six months. Don't know how I missed those. Ignore me. ;-)

@keithsiu 16 дней назад

Hi, I would like to know what headphone you are using.

@Podcastage 16 дней назад

Rode NTH100s for monitoring. Sennheiser HD650's for more critical listening.

@keithsiu 16 дней назад

@@Podcastage thanks so much

@IliasPanteliasGR 2 дня назад

It's crazy but in all the comparisons with the other mics, we can hear the low rumble that shows up on your mic isolation test with the 184.

@tcause 16 дней назад

I have a pair of NT5s that have the usual big bang price to value equation that we associate with Rode. A big step up from the M5s. Being Australian I try to support Rode and they have some mics that are outstanding.. K2s are killer at any price. NTG3 is a great mic. Up against the 184s at the same price it would be a difficult choice. I believe they have been specifically designed as a room pair which is how I would use them. A head to head in this context would be interesting.

@kennethbailey7105 16 дней назад

Patiently waits for Bandrew to review the sE electronics T1 👀

@AfferbeckBeats 9 дней назад

I bought a pair of these a few years ago for just $1000 AUD on sale which I couldn't pass up. Still haven't actually used them for anything!

@AnwaarAliOfficial 13 дней назад

Please, review the new mic by Telefunken, TF 17.

@dmbdwn 13 дней назад

pls review the new warm audio WA-19 ^^ i dont trust any other channels for microphone reviews 🙃

@JoshColletta 16 дней назад

Just based on what I'm hearing, the frequency response graph in the manual looks more accurate. That newer graph shows a low end rolloff starting around 250 Hz, and I'm definitely not hearing any indication of that in your audio.

@Podcastage 16 дней назад

I agree. I think the original is the accurate graph.

@artcamp7 16 дней назад

Would like to see this vs the Rode NT5

@filipmichalsaffray441 16 дней назад

Hi I got the TF5 since 2021, it is a great main pair stereo for orchestra ORTF. In same level with Schoeps cmc6 and MK4 but they are not as flat cardioid pattern is little different but they got some character...

@HungryForTastyFoodAndComicArt 15 дней назад

I prefer the AT 4021 (cheaper, but needs some attention to audio-reflection) and the Røde NTG 5, but I work with words, not music.

@Hablmet 16 дней назад

Wowee Rode definitely has some pricy equipment. The TF-5s sound great.. but do they sound $1500/pair good? I don't know. I am partial to the Soyuz SDCs and SE8s myself. The Neumann ones are also great.

@Podcastage 16 дней назад

Totally. They’re competing with some heavy hitters at this price point. I haven’t tried the Soyuz SDCs yet, but I’m curious about them.

@spidif2544 16 дней назад

@@Podcastagemade in Russia so breaking sanctions

@benoittissier58 16 дней назад

Glad to hear the self noise test ! Will you do the same for the SE8 on Podcaststage 2 ?

@Fl4ppers 16 дней назад

Sounded bad to my ears on the electric guitar. Noise sounded bad too for a premium SDC. The Neumanns are £1000 a pair here right now, the Austrian Audio are the same quality but £700. Have you tried the Gefell m300's? Also superior.

@magoostus 15 дней назад

ASMR test was successful 👍

@thatchinaboi1 16 дней назад

I can see a gamer using this mic without any pop filter, on purpose. 🤣🤣🤣

@ScottGrammer 16 дней назад

Rode is selling $1,500 mics? Dang! I didn't know they sold anything that expensive. But at that price level, they're competing with Neumanns. I admit I have not watched the video yet, but I hope these are good.

@se6369 12 дней назад

Fun fact, 'røde' means '(to) talk' in Norwegian

@gaborb6577 16 дней назад

🎉mics are better and better every day.

@loudandclearmedia 15 дней назад

Paying Neumann money for Rode is a problematic long-term investment unless it sounds MUCH better. In this case, it does not.

@Fl4ppers 15 дней назад

The Neumann are actually cheaper for a stereo pair here in the UK right now for some reason. About £1k ish

@meistudiony 16 дней назад

Doobalee done. Wonder if the response chart is another result of Røde not using 1/3 octave smoothing in older documentation? Dang these are kinda bright. The windscreen helps quite a bit in that regard. Woah the ASMR thing... naaa lol. Gotta drop that hahahahahah. These seem a little pricey. Is the stereo bar metal? The one that UA gives with their pencils is a plastic POS. Great vid as always! Keep rockin it!

@Podcastage 16 дней назад

I’m guessing it does stem from some kind of smoothing, but the graph that’s published today doesn’t look even remotely close to the original from the documentation. I can’t imagine smoothing would turn a cut in the treble to a broad treble boost and then remove what looks like a high shelf in the air. Pretty weird…unless they redesigned the mics to sound completely different. Yeah definitely on the brighter side. What? You don’t like me whispering at you? You found it as creepy as I did? HAHAHA! The stereo bar is plastic.

@caseyholford 14 дней назад

Studio owners who are using these are likely people sponsored by Rode, and once the Rode guys leave they take out the 184s again 😅 (PS - great music demo 👍)

@45KevinR 16 дней назад

Have you even gone to do a review and discovered the product has been discontinued? Got to say you'd kept the box in good condition!

@Podcastage 16 дней назад

Many times I have gone to start testing a mic only to realize that the item has been discontinued. HA! Just happened the other week. Zoom h1n...discontinued for the h1e.