A Great Microphone for Recording Acoustic Instruments
Hello friends,
This time I want to tell you about a great choice in a microphone for recording acoustic instruments. The Neumann KM184 is a studio go to choice for recording acoustic instruments. It sounds wonderful, but the challenge for many of us is the cost outlay to buy one, or a pair as I will advocate.
Checking my local Neumann dealer, I find that a single KM184 retails for $1075 CAD. If I wanted a matched pair (I do, and you do as well) that initial outlay is $2025 CAD. If you are a studio recordist, charging for your time and your equipment, you could earn back enough to pay these costs for what is absolutely a superb microphone. However, if you are a hobbyist or home recordist, that outlay may be out of the line of practicality. It is for me at present, so I searched elsewhere.
And found an answer. It comes from RODE Microphones and is called the NT5.
This is not to be confused with the MT5 which looks similar but does not sound the same.
RODE NT5
The NT5 is a condenser microphone, which means it needs 48v phantom power (although it will work at 24v), using a 1/2 inch capsule that is gold sputtered. I had no idea what the heck gold sputtered meant, so I checked and after some research, discovered that it means that the gold is aerosolized to layer a thin coating on a substrate, in this case the capsule. Gold does not tarnish or corrode so that makes sense why a company may choose to do this. The NT5 is often referred to as a pencil microphone, although it strikes me more as a short cigar of moderate ring size. In real life this means it is about the same diameter as my middle finger and about one inch longer. For those who like that sort of thing, here are the specs.
| RODE NT5 Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Active Electronics | JFET Impedance Converter with Bipolar output buffer |
| Capsule Diameter | 050 inch |
| Polar Pattern | Cardioid |
| AddressTuype | End |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 20KHz |
| Output Impedance | 100 ohms |
| Max. SPL | 143 dB SPL |
| Max Output | 13.9v at 1 KHz with 1% THD |
| Sensitivity | -38 dB |
| Equivalent Noise Level | 16 dBA |
| Power Requirements | 48v, 24v from mixer / interface |
| Weight | 101 grams |
| Dimensions | 118mm x 20mm x 20mm |
| Output Connector | XLR |
Audio Sample
I recorded a short sample of my Boucher JP Signature acoustic guitar. The microphone was mounted in the included microphone clip on a boom and pointed at the end of the fretboard at a distance of about seven inches. I only used a single microphone for the example, but typically I would point one microphone at this spot and a second microphone at the soundboard just behind the bridge.
The JP has no internal pickup at the time of this writing, although I do have a K&K Pure Mini in a box for when I feel the time is right. While I think that the K&K is the best pickup out there, I am quite content to record acoustics using microphones rather than a pickup, DI and then interface.
My recording mode was pretty straightforward. The microphone was connected directly to an Apollo Twin X with a Neve 1084 preamp using the basic acoustic guitar preset in the UNISON slot. The signal then went straight into Logic. After I edited it for time, I duplicated the track twice. Track one became the left side panned 19L and track two became the right side panned 19R. The third track was reduced in level 6.6 dB below tracks one and two.
On track three I added a UA Pure Plate Reverb plugin with the reverb delay at 1 and the mix at 1. I do this often to give the acoustic track some space.
On the stereo out track which takes all the tracks together, I added a UA 1176 LN compressor limiter using a UA preset called guitar shine.
While I recorded at higher fidelity, when I bounced the project to an MP3, the clock rate was reduced to fit MP3 specifications. I think it is still very indicative of what the guitar sounds like live.
What I Love About the NT5
The smaller diaphragm in the capsule makes this an ideal microphone for acoustic guitars. Some engineers and producers also use them for cymbals, drum overheads as well as room ambience. The original Neumann has a little bit of a hump in its treble response and while I did not find that this is documented for the NT5, the NT5 is definitely meant for the Neumann K184 audience.
A single NT5 retails for $289 CAD and a matched pair in a plastic case, including microphone clips and slip on foam windscreens retails for $569 CAD. That is a price that is more palatable for someone who is not generating income from their recording habit and for about half the price of one Neumann, I get two of the RODE units.
Why a Matched Pair
It’s not uncommon to be recording a single acoustic instrument with two microphones. While you might choose to mix microphone types, a more traditional mode is to use two of the same mics that are sonically as close to identical as possible when recording. This makes sense for acoustic guitar, but is also done regularly for woodwinds such as flute or saxophone as well as for strings such as violin. The engineer wants the sense of the entire instrument and while the levels on each track may not be identical and likely are not it allows for adding context such as bow sound, or valve sounds. Don’t knock it until you try it.
Final Thoughts
To be fair, I have not done a side by side between an NT5 and K184. What I do know, is that I really like the sound and response of the NT5 and for acoustic guitar, I recommend it highly.
Thanks very much for reading. If you have questions on this microphone, please click this link and send me your question. Until next time, peace.
A Matched Pair of RODE NT5 microphones
