Rode NT4 Microphone For Field Recordings - What Do You Think?

Discussion in 'Soundgear' started by phloopy, Nov 14, 2017.

  1. phloopy

    phloopy Audiosexual

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    I need some feedback from people who have worked with this microphone.

    I´ve just bought one myself (second hand) for about 250 us. I´ve tested it a little... got it today and here are my first impression - all outdoor recordings: wind, leaves, running cars etc:

    The stereo perspective is extremely good and the sound quality is superb.... I´m blown away!

    So what are your experience with this microphone besides field recording?
     
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  3. Herr Durr

    Herr Durr Guest

    sweet deal... I don't own one... but I have several other Rodes that are just well made
    especially the K2 and NTK...

    I have seen some youtube vids on this mic.. and some people use it to record acoustic guitar..
    I think it sounds great... it is picking up this performance room like a boss !


     
  4. phloopy

    phloopy Audiosexual

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    Thanks for your reply/opinion Herr Durr :like:
    I guess this is a mic very few has any personal experience with since you´re the only one coming with a comment.
    It should be great for overhead too I´ve read!

    Any with personal experience with this microphone?
     
  5. Herr Durr

    Herr Durr Guest

    I'll get one someday... especially now I have heard again how well it picks up ambience ( the environment)
    that seems to be the strength of this mic... so you pretty much know already what it's for
    and how well it does it... and you already bought it....so how about this...

    try it out and post some results here so I/we can see if it measures up to expectations...

    cheers and have fun with your new (used) mic :yes:
     
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  6. phloopy

    phloopy Audiosexual

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    Good idea Herr Durr ..... I´ll post something soon!
     
  7. I hear people speak very highly of field recording using M/S for idiot proof recording. where there is not much that can go wrong. You would of course need a figure 8 mic as well as a directional. None the less it is important to procure stereo bar as well as wind protection. That Rode mic will suffice and will get the job done, but there might be better with nicer off axis response.
     
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  8. Death Thash Doom

    Death Thash Doom Platinum Record

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    I've got a good few Rode microphones and I like them, They are fair for the money and proper workhorses. I have not tried or thought about the model you've got and are really like due to having a handful of dedicated stereo microphones to chose from already and also due to having a good number of options for both matched stereo pairs and then even more so mid/side configurations, I'm a big fan of using the mid/side method for capturing sources along with processing sounds with it that is nowadays a common feature of plenty of plug-ins.
    I will put it on the list to try and look for used at a good price too as I love me a used bargain.
    I do not do often require such a portable setup for recording anything but I do think it is great that such setups are available for anyone at many different price points. I went for a humble little Zoom H2N for the purpose and it covers me just fine even though it is far from the highest quality device, I've got good results/far better than a device so inexpensive and small has any right to be capable of delivering at practice rooms on a mic stand as an example. It has a silly number of mics and configurations inside the little thing, I use the X/Y or M/S modes as I do not need "4-channel surround" or whatever it actually is and what methods are used regarding the encoding. It uses both the X/Y and M/S configurations at the same time when set in that "4 channel surround" mode.
    Always good to hear/read about someone finding a piece of gear really good as it helps narrow down what one might think about putting on the shortlist when needing something to cover the ground or to add to what is already available since I do not trust magazine reviews as much as I do people that have shelled out their own hard earned money, The reviews in publications are useful so I don't mean I think they are not of any use...Not at all do I mean that, They are useful, TapeOp in particular was the king and the website with forum is good stuff, Simply that they are best supplemented :)
    So in that respect awesome and great to read that you are more than satisfied

    All the best to all as always :wink:

    Dean
     
  9. wire

    wire Noisemaker

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    In the studio I have a NT4, plus a couple of NTK and a couple of NT1 and the low end shotgun NTR1 (or something). Both the NT1 died about after 3 to 4 years.
    The NTK is top quality tube mic for the money. I have a couple of M149 that are kings but the NTK holds its own. I personally also have a Studio Projects TB3 tube that is a little better and a customized U47 tube clone that sounds great.
    The NT4 it is ok. It has tough competition in the studio from 4x KM184, 4x M160 (ribbon but very balanced). I personally have a couple of MXL 603s that sounds close to the NT4.
    The NT4 is more of a convenient mic than a spectacular one.
     
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  10. phloopy

    phloopy Audiosexual

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    Thanks for you feedback wire.

    Basically my use of this mic will be first: field recordings and second: overhead.

    I like you use the word "convenient" because I have no need for a spectacular mic for field recordings.... I need something easy to work with if you get my point.
     
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