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...As you probably know the K2 is back in your studio now. Jordy picked it up & borrowed my keys for his session on the weekend. I gotta say I was a little disappointed in it. I'm not saying it's a bad mic, or that it's not good value. I guess I was just expecting more. It sounds good on some things, bad on others, like a lot of mics, but it doesn't actually excel at anything that I tried it on. I have some mics that I picked up for 50 bucks here, 80 bucks there etc, that sound freakin' awesome on one or two things, so much so that I would use them first over expensive mics. But, whilst I wouldn't complain about having a K2 in my collection if someone gave it to me, I couldn't see it demanding to be used on anything in particular like these other mics I have. Anyway, I used it on a 2 song project recently & I decided to persevere with it for most of the recording because I find it hard to judge these things well until I've mixed the results & heard how it all fits in. Here's what I used it on & what my thoughts on it are: Drums overhead - Probably the most useful result in this project. Nice, clear even sound. Nothing particularly special, just neat & tidy. Bass cab - Most potential IMO. I actually didn't end up using it in the mix (I used solely the DI), but it did make me want to try it on different bass rigs & players. It could actually be a really good bass mic, it just didn't suit for this particular recording which I don't think was the mic's fault in this case. If I was you I would be trying this out as much as possible (have you tried the Classics on bass btw? Have you tried the C12b's on bass yet for that matter?). Acoustic guitar - I guess if someone held a gun to my head I might use this on acoustic guitar again. Then again, no - I would rather take my chances with the bullet. Actually, it would be a really good mic to demonstrate on acoustic guitar if you were trying to sell someone an equaliser. Female vocalist - Generally too 'essy' & strident on the particular female vocalist I used it on. She is a bit 'essy' in the first place. Female puppet vocals - Quiet good for character voices, which tend to be mid-rangey. The soft mids on this mic make for a more natural result. So maybe, if I owned this mic, it would be a first choice for puppets (which is a regular gig for me - I just have to remember to mic up the puppeteers mouth, not their hand). Male vocalist - This particular male vocalist has quite a loud, harsh voice. I've had trouble over the years getting him to sound good & I find that the only mic that really seems to work for him is a Coles 4038, except that it's a bit darker than I would prefer. The soft mid-range on the K2 helps again here. It still sounded a touch harsh, but with more detail than the 4038. Somewhere in between the two mics would be perfect for this vocalist. So there you go. I know Jordy tried it on electric guitar, so you might want to ask him about that. I think he thought it was ok. I really do respect Rode & the general quality at their price point. But where they often suffer is when they are being used as the sole mic for an entire project. Lately I've mixed a lot of stuff where this is the case & it has a certain sound that builds up over the whole mix & sounds a bit harsh & unnatural. I think this is what you commented on isn't it? It'd be nice if Rode produced for my clients some kind of affordable 'production pack' consisting of 3 mics - one of their condensers, a moving coil dynamic (providing it didn't sound 'hyped') & either a ribbon or perhaps just a darker or smoother condenser mic. IMO this would provide for more tonal balance over the recording of a project. I know that Simmo has advised along similar lines when being consulted about home studio set ups. It'd also be nice if Rode came up with a really classy design as a flagship mic. I'm not saying I could afford to buy one, I just want something to be patriotic about. And, I could always afford to borrow one. Cheers, Glenn |
jetbase wrote on Mon, 16 August 2010 07:08 |
It'd also be nice if Rode came up with a really classy design as a flagship mic. I'm not saying I could afford to buy one, I just want something to be patriotic about. |
Tim Halligan wrote on Mon, 16 August 2010 12:56 | ||
I want to like Rode...just for the patriotism factor alone...but the truth is I've never heard a Rode mic that didn't suck. I want to investigate Beezneez mics and see if they could fit the bill. Cheers, Tim |
jetbase wrote on Sun, 15 August 2010 21:18 | ||||
Hi Tim, I recently bought a Beesneez Jade (their lowest priced mic) with a K7 capsule. I've only tried it on female vocals so far & it did very well. It sounds quite natural, particularly in the top end where so many budget mics seem to get ugly. I'm looking forward to trying it on more sources. I have male vocals coming up next & later in the month will have the opportunity to try it on drums, bass, percussion, acoustic & electric guitars, so perhaps I could post my thoughts on this mic later in the year. If they are compatible it would be interesting to hear a Rode valve mic with a Beesneez capsule. FWIW I personally don't think Rode mics "suck", at least the ones higher up in their range don't. It's just that they seem to be not quite 'there'. I know Dave Peach, formerly of Peach Audio, now works full time for Rode. I have no idea what he's working on but I'm very interested to find out what kind of developments he makes to the Rode range. Cheers, G |
Glenn Bucci wrote on Fri, 13 August 2010 22:34 |
...If you are looking for a nice sounding tube mic in the below $1,000 range, I recommend checking out the K2. |
Michael_Joly wrote on Wed, 08 September 2010 02:38 | ||
That's interesting. Because I receive a regular supply of K2, NTV, and NTK (plus FET mics like the NT1000, NT1 and NT1A) for modification. While RODE has terrific industrial design and circuit implementation their capsules have a very consistently bright voicing many folks grow tired of and seek to re-voice. |