Rode NT2-A Studio Solution Set

First a bit of background on me. I have a home studio set up using Cubase and a Yamaha N12 mixer and use the equipment for song writing and demos. My live recordings are done in a less than ideal environment normally standing next to the desk.
I looked at various reviews and did a fair bit of detective work before I bought this and it seemed to be a little bit better than the NT1A which I was also looking at, for only a little more money. I use this mainly for vocals and occasionally for acoustic guitar.
A while ago when I worked in a studio I borrowed a number of different mics, AKG 414, Neumann U87 and did some A/B testing on my voice to see which worked best. A Shure SM58 in this context was the equal of everything else and that is what I normally use, live and for recording.
My SM58 gets a little noisy when I drive it hard to get a decent vocal level and I was really looking for something to give me an equivalent sound but with less noise. Also something that I could use to record the acoustic guitar which would let me push the levels when recording.
So, onto the review. The NT2A does exactly what I wanted. My vocals sound great with this mic. I’m guessing that it boosts a little to give some presence and so it’s not dead flat, but it’s a very musical sound. It’s also very very quiet and does not introduce any noise into the recording. I can really crank the gain and record at a distance from the mic and there is no hiss at all which makes it very easy to use. MY aim in buying this was to get something that I would not need to upgrade, and I think I have succeeded. I don’t think I’m going to need to change this unless I win the lottery and equipment envy gets the better of me.
When purchased with the kit, the mic comes with a shock mount and pop shield which is great, plus a bag to cover it when you are not using it to keep the dust out, which is a nice touch. The rubber in the clamp on my shock mount does not hold very well and I get micro phone droop where it does not stay level. Would be nice if Rode could design this problem out, but considering the price, I’ll live with it. When I get round to it I’m going to take it apart and put some gaffa tape or similar inside so it has more grip. Overall it’s a lot easier than using a separate pop shield as the pop shield is at exactly the right height.
I haven’t used the directional switching, or the pad switch but it’s nice as a feature. I have used the high pass switch and this does what it says, to ensure that the mic doesn’t pick up any low end stuff.
Overall, very pleased and I think its good value and will make my recordings better, and I would buy again.

I bought Rode NT2-A Studio Solution Set for my home studio, and totally surprised with the quality and variability of the ways that I can use this microphone. I use it in conjunction with Ableton Live + Focusrite Scarlett 6i6. I can record from 1 to 4 or even 6 vocalists in one time due to three variable positioning polar pattern. Also i easily can record acoustic guitars, percussions like shakers etc. and even a piano.
As for sound quality - the recording is a little better I heard only at the Neumann microphones and old ribbon microphones - but it is another price category... The cable and pop filter that cames in set are okay! Very convenient when everything is sold in one set.
That was pros.)))

As for the cons - I can say that the microphone itself has no cons. But I think that the shock mount that comes in set is pretty flimsy, and I'm afraid it might tear. But maybe it's just my imagination.)))
And yes - the microphone sleeve looks really cheap - but who cares?...)))
I recommend this set to everyone who appreciates high-quality sound, and knows how to count money! Good luck! And long live rock'n'roll!!!

I've been using this product for over 2 years now in my home studio, and I'm totally satisfied with it. I read about the features of it at the time of the order, and the product lived up to my expectations.

It is amazing how versatile this microphone is. I hook it up to my Steinberg UR44 audio interface , switch the phantom power on, and it is ready to record speech, singing, rapping, acoustic guitar, bass guitar from an amp, cajon, darbuka, various noises, or even low volume ambient sounds.

In addition to the Rode NT2 A condenser microphone, there are some other items in the package:
- a Rode SM6 shock mount with a pop filter (easy to use and adjust, and the pop filter part can be bent away in seconds if not needed)
- a 6 m XLR cable (I have never had any problem with it, the quality is great)
- a dust cover bag which comes really handy (I can leave the microphone on its stand and just put the cover on it)

All in all I am really satisfied with this product, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to have a solid all around condenser microphone in their home studio. :)

This is a great one for both vocals and guitar. It is very sensitive (like all high quality large d. mics) so there is a certain need of room acoustic treatment, unless you already own a studio. There is another way though, I have used EQ Acoustics Classic Wedge 30 to absorb reflections in my self made vocal booth (its similar to closet with open doors).

I have studied almost every test and review of Rode NT2-A before buying it. In my opinion, this is a best choice for this price range, at least in 2015. I was thinking about buying AT 4040 but Rode NT2-A had several advantages:

1. Studio Solution Set had really useful gadgets (popfilter is solid and stylish)
2. The price of Rode NT2-A was significally lower
3. The sound of Rode NT2-A is similar to 900 EUR+ Neumann models, although high freqs slightly lie to achieve that. But that lie is not that obvious as in case of Rode NT1-A. AT4040 high freq. seem to sound "true", but the "lie" of Rode NT2-A makes the sound more "crystal". Anyway, both mics sound great and allow your recording to sound pro.
4. Rode NT2-A is switchable between omni, figure of eight and cardioid patterns
5. I like the view of Rode NT2-A, simply love it:)

The only disadvantage may be the sound of extremely high women's voice on records via Rode NT2-A. However EQ surely solves this little problem. So, it is a great choice, definitely recommend that. By the way, thank You Thomann for excellent service!

I was about to but the lower version of this but there's a technical issue when purchasing. I did not regret the money spent. This is the best mic I have ever had.

Pros:
+ The pattern changing option on the mic itself are very useful. If you only want to buy 1 mic, you should choose this. You can use it for vocal, duet, or instrument recording.
+ The pad is useful if you are in a small home studio. Sometimes you just need to sing and listen to your own voice through a speaker. The pad can help to minimize feedback even though the real purpose was to record high dB sounds
+ The noise level is at the absolute minimum. My DAW record the voice from the mic with extremely low signal yet when I normalized, the noise is still undetectable.
+ The sound color suits my taste, especially when I use mostly to record female voice and teenagers.

Cons:
- The SM6 shock mount makes it not possible to place 90 deg between you and the mic stand because where you mount the mic and the pop filter are in a straight line.

All in all, I like it.

The quality of the mike itself is first class, it’s solid and well constructed and pretty heavy so feels like a quality product. Most importantly it sounds great, previously I had been using my go to stage mike (SM58) but for home studio use, the Rode is more fit for purpose. The cradle which comes with it works well as does the pop filter, though the latter is a little flimsy, so I’ll see how durable that will be over time, but useful nevertheless.
Initially I wanted the the NT-1 as I need it almost entirely for vocals so I thought I would never need the additional features on the NT-2A but already I have used some of those features and for just a little additional investment it seems well worth it and I’m glad I went for the upgrade.
Clearly you can spend a fortune on a quality condenser mike, but for real world, normal use eg a home studio, the Rode does the job and the sound quality Is perfect for this application. At this price point it is an excellent addition to my studio.

Product was dot on Time and Packaging was awesome..
Product Quality : Mic is rock solid and heavy. the moment you grab it into your hands you will feel you have invested in the right product.. its robust.. coming to shock mount Its steady and heavy too. both mic and shock mount are bit heavy .. so you need a heavy duty stand for it..
MIC Quality: i have been using AKG p120 MIC for 1.5 years ... after plugging in Rode NT2A .. I felt like it gave me Wings to my vocals and to this price range its the best... low frequency are warm, mid is smooth and highs are crisp for vocals...
I also recorded Acoustic guitar and its really crazy.. i never expected this would really change the quality to this extent.
Before ordering the product i was bit skeptical weather to invest near to $280 for home studio. but its worth it and you can take it too if u can afford it...

I have quite a few dynamic and condenser microphones at various price points (some well above this price point), but I wanted the NT2A strictly for it's optional Figure8 pickup pattern as a side microphone in a mid-side stereo recording array. Absolute tonal quality was therefore not vital to me.

Having previously owned Rode's slightly cheaper fixed cardioid NT1A microphone, I was expecting the NT2A to exhibit a similar sonic characteristic... i.e. sibilant, overly bright and difficult to use in an untreated room, but with the added convenience of 3 selectable pickup patterns.

Well I can tell you the NT1A and NT2A are different animals, and irrespective of the added features the NT2A is a much better microphone.
Used in cardioid mode as a vocal mike, it is much more natural sounding than the NT1A and does not exhibit any of the sane excess sibilance or 'hyped' top end.
I put it up against my more expensive Shure KSM32 (a £500+ single pattern microphone) and it did not disgrace itself. In fact it sounded better in some circumstances.

With it's selectable pickup patterns, great sound quality, and bundled cable and shock mount for £209 all in (at the time I purchased it), The Rode NT2A studio pack is really great value.
If I'd discovered this model earlier, I probably would've saved a small fortune by not buying much more expensive models from other manufacturers.

Any downsides? Not really. However a word of advice to novice recording artists... if you need to maximise subject isolation in an untreated room, you might be better off with a good dynamic model (e.g. Shure's excellent SM7B) as they tend to pick up less of the room.... just be aware that if you go that route you'll need a pre-amp with at least 60db of clean gain. The NT2A does well off more modest pre amps.