Hi all! Just like to add my opinion having recently bought a Rode K2,
I must say I was disappointed at first as I was actually looking for an switchable omni tube with heaps of character for vocal, upright bass and kit overhead and for me it's too neutral.
I had been using a CMV563 bottle with M7 capsule via Gefell adapter at the studio I was working at and absolutely loved the super top end and excellent detail in the upper mids which worked wonders for room miking, overheads and vocals...Possibly the most sensational female vocal sound I've ever heard!
I did have problems with it's reliability and crackles and always needed to boost the bottom end or slightly reduce the sibilant frequencies occasionally and It was noisy but I still love those babies.
Last week I started recording an album for a well know singer with an awesomely dynamic voice with beautiful air and we both agreed that the K2 is the best sounding mic I have for her voice and she preferred it to the Manley Gold reference she'd be used to...which is really something...Very detailed, fantastic dynamic range due to non-existent self noise, smooth top without being nasty and just the right amount of mid and bottom needing only compression (I like the LA2A sound too for may voice, slowish attack and fast release) to sit perfectly in the mix of drums, noisy guitars, cello and upright bass.
Definitely beat the Neumann TLM 103 and Audio Technica 4050 in this particular use...we didn't even listen to more than a few words of them before deciding without any doubt on the K2.
We did like the Ribbon and decided to use it for it's darkness and bottom end later but never did...
I also used it on the upright bass player in combination with a Nady RSM-2 ribbon mic (actually it's a Thomann RB500 which is actually what the Nady is! but that's a whole other story) in omni about 1 foot away from the bridge and she and I both were floored by the sound of the K2 alone. It was sooooo good that she quickly booked me to record her solo bass album which she is doing for her masters in music (she is a pro orchestral and popular bass player here in Berlin).
The story does not end there...the k2 has now ousted my ribbons as my favourite drum overhead mic (I'm a self recording drummer who plays on almost everything I record too) and sounds monstrous on a bass cab! Sounds great on solo snare played with brushes and ok on acoustic guitar although I prefer fet mics for acoustic guitar for a little more attack and crispness.
The variable pattern is superb for recording slightly different sounds when multitracking voice too...I tend to prefer more of a figure 8 pattern for voice (2pm on the k2's dial).
What I really wanted/want was/Is a Wagner U47 (4,500 EURO!!)for it's special character (and I must admit prestige!)and the k2 is not that but what it is is a ridiculously quiet and superbly made piece of audio recording gear that has many uses and sounds exceptionally good most of the time and forgettably neutral the rest. I am loving loving not having to EQ anything recorded with it when mixing...it just works superbly full stop.
A bargain that my future child will probably cherish just like the PZMs and Akg D200S I got from my dad way back when..
Buy it and use it for a while in a real mix situation and I'm sure you won't be unhappy. After all, mics are for capturing the sound as efficiently as possible and the K2 does that with leaps and bounds...
simon
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Bit of background. Been recording using my dad's gear first (from the age of 6 helped him setup his mics, plug-in his leads etc...He was a very good jazz and orchestral engineer who built his own gear in the 70's) and since 19 as professional engineer for both bands and film sound and since the age of 21 as self recording session and touring drummer having played on dozens of albums and film soundtracks. (now i'm 34).
Now live in Berlin, germany after re-locating from Australia 5 years ago and work daily as musician engineer with own mobile and home based studio with Creamware SCOPE DSP system KRK V8, KROK passive monitors, analog 2" and 24bit RME and computer MAC based gear. I have around 35 microphones including large and small diaphrgms and dynamics from my father's and my own 60 odd years of combined collecting from Sanken, AKG, Gefell, Neumann, Audio Technica, Shure, Beyer, obscure RFT East German stuff and 2 of the possibly first, original Rode Nt1s sold in Australia . Which look like pieces of rubbish but are very good for kick drum, snare and toms and acoustic guitar...yes really!