RØDE - NT1 5th Generation

I would not buy a Cloudlifter just so I can use a mediocre mic like the Samson S9U. Seems like a waste of money. I would not buy an SM7B or SM7DB just for work calls and gaming. That’s ballpark $500 just so your coworkers and gaming buddies can hear you. People want the SM7B because we are living in an era of peak SM7B hype… every streamer and podcaster seems to use one. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good mic, but you shouldn’t buy an expensive mic just for the hype. Get a Røde NT1 or AT2035 or similar large-diaphragm condenser under $200. These all have higher sensitivity, which means you can turn the gain down on your audio interface. You’ll sound clear and the mic will work great with your interface. IMO, spending $400 instead of $200 doesn’t get you a much better mic. Most of the really good-sounding mics cost somewhere north of $700, with a few excellent, less-expensive dynamics below that price point (but you need more gain to use them).

Do you know what it means for a microphone to be more sensitive? It means that the microphone puts out a stronger signal for the same sound. Play the same sound for two microphones… if one microphone puts out a stronger signal, you that the microphone is more sensitive. But, isn’t that exactly a solution for your problem? Your problem is that the signal is not strong enough, and it sounds quiet. So if you get a more sensitive microphone, the signal will be stronger, and you can turn the gain down. “Sensitive” does not mean that the microphone picks up more details or anything like that. There is a kind of myth that dynamic microphones somehow don’t sound bad in a poorly-treated room. Maybe it’s time to put that myth to rest. But a lot of people believe that myth, and keep repeating it on YouTube and Reddit. Coincidentally, Dan Worall complained about that myth in a video he posted today: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP74656yTi8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP74656yTi8) “No, condenser mics don’t pick up more background noise. Not really.”

Definitely this. Great mic, and can switch to using it with interface once the piggy bank runs to one

Rode Condenser 5th Gen. Just a heads up Rode will be ghosting you when you present them with issues. Like they’ll reply and then you’ll reply and then ghost. And it happens like that unless you are on their ass.

I got the Nt1 5th gen and i got no problems in my untreated room, but its not that loud where i live but the vocals are really good

The Snowball is a cheap condenser mic. They tend to pick up more transients in my experience and I've measured increased ambient sound with them but they are *crisp* and can record in higher fidelity. Dynamic mics have to be closer usually and seem to have a tighter pickup pattern. They sound slightly more compressed as well. Usually a new person working with a dynamic mic can get away with more than a condenser. MXL makes some decent cheap condenser mics but ifg you want a good one, the Røde NT1 5th gen (XLR and USB) or the Signature Edition (same but XLR only) is a very good starter mic. It will pick up the cat in the litter box downstairs, though. DISCLAIMER: Yes, I am in fact an asshole. !

Nt1 is great for quiet recordings, but tbone actually have 16db noise and are very inconsistent. I suggest Earsight Omni Standard, inexpensive but handmade, small, very sensitive and low selfnoise.

The Rode NT-1 Fifth Generation is an absolute win. Internal self-noise nine dB better than a $4,000 Neumann U-87, plus a built-in 32 bit floating point A/D and USB 3 interface on a USB-C connector hidden between the pins of the XLR. 32 bit float is a total game changer for VO, especially audiobooks, video games, and animation. It’s not about more “punch“, “kick“, or “air, LOL.  It’s about headroom and never again clipping, without ever having to ride a gain fader (because there isn’t one).  Regardless of the material I’m doing, I can fearlessly, whisper, or scream my brains out, and as long as I don’t physically shock the microphone diaphragm, I can deal with any dynamic range issues later.  As far as additional storage requirements go, memory has become “too cheap to measure“.  You can always export in whatever bit rate and sample size the client wants. It’s like shooting with a 4x5 view camera and distributing super sharp wallet size photos. 😁 Here’s some background: https://www.wired.com/story/32-bit-float-audio-explained/ https://youtu.be/6V52O2ELcz8?si=ZWFT6qpgUd3J4sUr https://www.reddit.com/r/LocationSound/s/OuofccZSRt Zoom UAC-232 set up video https://youtu.be/6iwMcqN6kus George Whittam has a nice piece on it as well: https://georgethe.tech/service-page/training-module-32-bit-float-recording-2024-1713484863459x875899476379435000 PS - That means you don’t need an interface either, and at a retail of about $250 for the mic, that means you’re almost getting it for free.

Rode NT1 all the way. The rest of this stuff is junk. Fine if you're doing a podcast or streaming on twitch, but if you want to be taken seriously, you need equipment that doesnt sound like shit.

Spend another $20 and get an NT1

Rode NT1. Got it used for $200 AUD, sounds great for vocals and guitar amps.

Rode NT1 - 5th gen if you need to start with USB, signature series if you already have an interface For that budget: AT 2035 (bit of a richer sound than the AT2020, because it has a larger diaphragm), AT 875R if you want a shotgun (good for less-than-ideal spaces) Need more recs? Audio Ninja Recommended VO Gear - [https://www.jordanaudio.ninja/recommended-voiceover-studio-gear](https://www.jordanaudio.ninja/recommended-voiceover-studio-gear) My VO Resource Doc (look for "Step 2: Home Studio") - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HYWjTw1j97KkfYR6\_ORM3VAfkwa7SWw6MGlXq8-sohA/edit?tab=t.0](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HYWjTw1j97KkfYR6_ORM3VAfkwa7SWw6MGlXq8-sohA/edit?tab=t.0)