Microphones are funny things. This one sitting in front of me is about 25 years old. It’s an original Rode NT1 and, from memory, it cost around $500 when I bought it. Back then, that felt like a serious investment. Newer versions of the NT1 are a similar price 25 years on …
Next to it is another microphone that costs roughly three times as much. It’s an entry-level Neumann (a TLM102), and Neumann is one of the biggest names in the microphone world. When people talk about quality microphones, Neumann is always part of the conversation. And yes, it is a quality microphone. The fact is it sounds clearer and more detailed than the old Rode.
But here’s the interesting part. For some reason, the old Rode suits Julie’s voice in OLDER better than the Neumann does. Or I guess I should say the the combination of her voice and the style of music we do. So despite all the technology, prestige, and extra cost, the Rode remains our go-to vocal microphone.
That’s one of the lessons I’ve learned over the years. At the end of the day, it’s not really about having the most expensive microphone. It’s about the singer, the voice you’ve been given, how that which microphone suits their voice best, regardless of the price. Bono from U2 famously recorded vocals on a relatively cheap live microphone – an SM57 which produced amazing results.
People often think they need to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on equipment to make professional recordings. The reality is that you can spend an enormous amount of money chasing gear without better results. This Neumann is considered an entry-level model, and it’s around $1,500. If you really want to venture into the high-end microphone world, you could easily add another zero to that figure. Yet this old Rode still does the job brilliantly with Julie in OLDER.
For most people, a microphone like this is more than capable of producing professional results. In fact, I’d argue that improving your singing, your recording technique, and your mixing skills will have a far bigger impact on your sound than endlessly upgrading equipment. Of course, I’m rather attached to this old microphone as well. It’s been with us for a long time.
I don’t even know which way around it’s supposed to face anymore. At some point, years ago, I drew a smiley face on one side. I assume that’s the side you’re meant to sing into. It seems to work, so I’ve never questioned it.
Then there’s the Neumann. Tiny little thing. Three times the price and about half the size. Go figure.
The longer I spend around music, the more I realise that great recordings rarely come from expensive gear alone. They come from understanding the tools you have, knowing the voice you’re recording, and learning how to bring out the best in both. Sometimes that tool is a shiny new microphone. And sometimes it’s a 25-year-old Rode with a smiley face drawn on the side.
