I love this mic... but I wouldn't buy it | Rode NT1 5th Generation | REVIEW

The Rode NT1 5th Generation: Who is this mic for?! Rode sent it to me for free in exchange for a review, and I absolutely love it. It sounds amazing, and I'll be using it! But... I probably wouldn't buy it. Let's find out why in this review focused on the pros and cons of 32 Bit Float and the specific USB implementation in this particular mic.
CHAPTER LINKS
0:00 I'm not dead
0:40 Intro to this mic
1:45 Recording chain
2:30 USB fancy stuff
3:05 32 Bit Float
5:55 When to use 32 Bit
7:30 Clipping example
7:55 Why I won't use it (monitoring)
14:50 I say something nice
15:56 Audiobook narration example
16:25 Singer songwriter example
17:35 Overdrive electric guitar example
18:36 Solo singing example
19:18 Pop filter test
20:30 My honest opinion
PRODUCT LINKS
▸ Rode NT1 5th Gen: amzn.to/444O19a
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[@SteveEricJordan]

man, the black one with the silver grill is just the sexiest microphone i've ever seen and it's not even close. combine that with the fact that it makes voices sound warm and deep and it upgrades your attractiveness just by sitting next to you.

[@SusanClarkeatenterin]

Great to see you Brian! Glad things are going well for you. Much blessing to you and yours!

[@bjoecool]

Great review, especially of the USB capabilities and key drawback

[@BenjiDWJ]

Glad to see you back Brian! You’ve been sorely missed my friend. 😄👍👍 Cheers to you, my man! 🥃🥃

[@nobodycared3333]

I’m amazed at how honest your review is. It’s inspiring and now I feel so much better about my FIRST studio mic purchase! I just ordered a used 4th Gen NT1 ($190 USD Amazon Warehouse) and I can’t wait to record. I was doubting if I should have ordered the 5th Gen purely for the 32bit capabilities. Thankfully you easing my worries, as I am just beginning to set up a home studio. I really appreciate your candor and quality commentary!

[@Wreckfinata]

Bro literally same

[@Wreckfinata]

How do you like it so far?

[@nobodycared3333]

Absolutely love it!@@Wreckfinata ~ I thought it broke after a month but I just had to deep dive the sound settings and make sure my Input/Output channels were all set to the correct rates. Otherwise absolutely no problems. Currently paired with the RODE AI-1 Single Channel Audio Interface 🙂

[@Wreckfinata]

@@nobodycared3333 nice! Same here bro, I have it paired to my UAD Volt 1, I absolutely love it!

[@HrWisch]

There's the signature series which is a 5th gen without the USB function.

[@mohamedthabit3935]

One of best reviews I have seen. Thanks

[@marcodimartino2810]

Welcome back! We missed youuuu!

[@Turbobrat_Motorsports]

You just gained a new subscriber! Thank you for your honest review.

[@williamedaniels]

Coach, glad to see you. I have leveled up since watching you.

[@AudioforContentCreators]

Thrilled to hear that, William!

[@Ellieways]

3:12 Brian: "I guarantee you already know what that means because there's no way this is the first video you are watching about this microphone." Me watching this as the first video about this microphone: ; *sweats*

[@stopandthinknow]

Hello Brian: Good to see and hear you back, even for a short visit. Like a Phoenix rising from the rising from the ashes. I hope all is well with you and that Milo continues to give you and your wife great joy. Best regards, Hank Druckerman

[@AudioforContentCreators]

Good to hear from you, too Hank! Life is very well and loving every minute with Milo and the family. Best to you!

[@ainursery]

This is the best review I have ever seen. Amazing how honest you are! And yes, monitor latency would be a complete no-no for any series vocal recording attempts. And having 96dB of "head"room with 24Bit is more than enough. Let me tell you that I have a heavily treated room. Have spent more than 2500€ on broadband absorbers, bass traps and stuff, just to make the recordings via an NT1 to be usable. And guess what? They still are crap. The mic still sounds tinny and really picks up everything. Even what is behind it, like birds outside. It's frustration level max with this microphone.

[@JerrySchulze]

Hi Brian, glad you are back.

[@alihosseini4298]

Totally helpful! Thank you.

[@mattwaters6987]

Great review! 👍

[@Stormwoken]

I mean, it's a studio mic, as you say. If you are podcasting, you are likely in your studio. If you are in your studio, you are likely to use an XLR. I see USB as a convenient method to record something when you're out and about (laptop or iPad plug-and-play), maybe an odd rehearsal or a solo performance.

[@offplanetfilms]

I bought one of these for using the 32 bit float on guest voice actors who have mediocre mic technique. (But with editing, it allows me to construct a perfect take in post.) Apart from that, I use other (and better) condensers, but the Rode will always be a viable option for guest stars.

[@RodPriester]

Great review! Have you used the Lewitt lct 440? How would it compare to this, if you have?

[@ww1www]

Nice to see you back. I have the previous generation NT1 and I love it. When I saw this new gen, I thought of buying it. But two dealbreakers: no headphone jack and gain/volume control for USB and that according to Rode, USB is not compatible with smartphones.

[@AudioforContentCreators]

And you! Yeah, I'm right there with you about the no headphone jack or gain/volume control for USB. Missed opportunity to make this thing REALLY useful.

[@outbackstudio]

@@AudioforContentCreators Gain / volume control is superfluous with 32 bit float and usb goes into a computer which does have headphone jack.

[@user-lh2ed7zu6i]

should i necessary install drivers or any software to use it? I've just bought this mic with audio interface(komplete audio 2), and everything works nice. However, there is a self noise while i'm using this mic and i have no idea why it is happening cause it has less than 5 db of self noise. I'll be very grateful if you could tell me the potential reasons of this noise...

[@cyb]

This is great for beginners who'd like to upgrade to xlr somewhere down the line.

[@hunter1339]

I see that Kramer in the back. Subbed.

[@victord.4388]

Hopefully the 6th generation will include a headphone jack + volume control. I will definitely buy it then. Cheers!

[@NashMusicStudios]

Grab an interface like a Scarlett for about a hundred bucks, then plug in whatever you want and control gain and volume through that. Way more versatile then waiting for a cheap do it all mic that locks you to one option.

[@SimonHaestoe]

Or A-1?@@NashMusicStudios

[@PeterMossUkulele]

Welcome back. I loved this video and have watched others on the same product, yet yours contained some real issues like monitoring with latency with USB against XLR.. I get what you are saying with the lack of a headphone output on the actual microphone, but in my mind it would create another problem. You demonstrated Rode's DSP software such as compression which is a cool free addition but you need to monitor what is happening with that DSP as the way I understand it, it's just on the recording and not post? - With the latency this would make the product pointless. Next the 32 bit float section. I saw your signal path from Mic to Tascam (with built in interface) to your Daw. Since the output of your Tascam is USB, you can connect to your computer and should be able to record at 32 bit float in any DAW that supports 32 bit without any need of the USB output from the microphone? or have I got it wrong? Peter.

[@AudioforContentCreators]

Hi Peter! The DSP compression is captured in real-time during recording, not applied in post. That's correct. Also, using the Rode Connect software negates 32 bit float. Can't use both simultaneously. For the Tascam, it doesn't have 32 but float functionality so I would not be able to capture 32 bit even if my DAW was set up that way.

[@PeterMossUkulele]

@@AudioforContentCreators Thanks for responding. Just out of interest when you personally record, do record all of your tracks onto the Tascam's SD card and then later into a DAW like Logic to mix?.....

[@AudioforContentCreators]

@@PeterMossUkulele If I'm livestreaming yes. If I'm just recording I use the Model 12 as an interface and record direct into DAW.

[@dachreport]

Wow. Aren't you so lucky that you are recording in the perfect environment and the perfectly controlled vocalist 😅

[@JuanPreciado87]

If I don't have an acoustic space in my house and I want good quality and around the same price... What other microphone so you recommend?

[@dranek]

The data that is transferred over the USB cable is digital. It doesn’t degrade over longer distances the same as an analog signal. You might get a usb cable that is so long that a signal can’t be sent, but the loss in quality is not exactly proportional to the length of the cable.

[@Wreckfinata]

So does it degrade or does it not bro im confused

[@dranek]

@@Wreckfinata you either have the signal or you don’t. With a cable this length, you definitely have the signal. There is no degradation because the cable is long.

[@gigigap2636]

@@dranekwhy you make the first paragraph confusing

[@aoa4596]

thanks for you / what this mic stand model brand or name ?

[@jasiek36]

@AudioforContentCreators Soo, how to choose a nice mic for streaming games if you do not want to hear keyboard, and loud fan noise? I was thinking about this one... Can you give me a hand on that one?

[@vezzongaming2230]

So I managed to get a 5th Gen through luck of the draw at an Amazon return store for $12 lol I’ve gradually been working on getting a streaming set up going and I know NOTHING about audio devices like this. What do I need to research and learn before using this thing? Because from all the reviews I’ve watched it seems like this is not something I can just plug in and start using right away. Any help would be extremely appreciated!

[@garrrbarr]

You say controlled space. What mix would you use in a less controlled space?

[@AduderReviews]

Is this mic a big upgrade from a blu yeti?

[@gabi8o]

4:40 My ears left the video.

[@dr_candiru7817]

iPad set up recommendation?

[@JTB--]

32 bit Float looked intriguing and thought this was a good budget mic to Record in GarageBand. Then read 32 Bit float doesn't work in GB. 😠

[@PriyankaChakravarty]

What about home- bedroom recording? Are NT1 suitable?

[@SLEEPZAY]

I’ve got the 5th generation for my home studio and I feel like it’s not the best honestly, especially a not fully controlled room

[@dreamz808]

Thanks i had a feeling my area isn't gonna be treated enough for this mic. I'll just stick with dynamic. Still want to upgrade though. ​@SLEEPZAY

[@JordanDEstrada]

❤

[@TwiztidPain]

I would rather have proper gain control, that away I can keep it where I want it.

[@BOKHTARIMUSIC]

Rode nt1 5gen vs Lewitt 440 vs Lewitt 441

[@paporotnikjo6091]

Please tell me, is this microphone suitable for rap?

[@gigigap2636]

Tell me too when you find out plssss

[@paporotnikjo6091]

@@gigigap2636+

[@RobVespa]

I don't get what you're saying. Isn't this true of every condenser mic? Something to consider - If you don't have other equipment, this mic will save you money. It comes with a shock and pop filter and you don't need to buy an audio interface. Otherwise, if you're not using the 32-bit float, why not get the Signature, which is the same mic without the USB connection... and one of the best deals out there now. That is, if you can manage a condenser and like the sound.

[@chuckschillingvideos]

If I set Rode Connect to ultra low latency, then there is ZERO detectible latency and all of the kerfluffle about not having a headphone out on the mike is just that - needless kerfluffle.

[@Ahmetgumus4829]

Hello, upon recommendation, I bought the Rode nt1 5th generation Microphone, but there is a delay while recording. When I lower the Buffer size, I hear crackling sounds. That's why I place the vocal on the beat with my hand. Is this normal? I record in Studio One. I use it at 432. Buffer size i is also in the Asio interface of the microphone. I have a buffer, but when I change it, there is no change in the delay. I would be happy if you help me. My laptop's processor is also powerful, i5 10th generation H processor.

[@SunnyExMusic]

3:34 tips from a new viewer…dont do that. I dont know what 32bit is, this is the first video im watching

[@LanceisLawson]

Your consulting firm needed a consulting firm perhaps.

[@MichaelW.1980]

I wholeheartedly agree on the implementation of floating point. There are very few situations, where it comes in useful. Let me give another example, where floating point doesn’t really help. I am a hobbyist streamer, but with a strong interest in the technical side of it. Of course, I was very interested to see that function coming to audio interfaces a few years ago. But when I realized, how it has to be implemented in the streaming setup, I had to accept, that this wouldn’t be the miracle solution RØDE advertised it to be. So usually people will stream from a windows PC. But with windows, you just need to have the ASIO API, to even make use of 32 bit float. By default, the streaming software OBS doesn’t support ASIO though, even though it basically is a 32 bit floating point environment. And while there is a 3rd party plugin for OBS that adds it, the fact that you have to add more software that potentially makes OBS less stable, is what will keep most streamers from getting access to an easy fix for clipping audio, let alone modern VST plugins, as OBS is Limited to VST2, which Steinberg has stopped support for. But let’s say you do include the plug-in, then it still will not stop distortion everywhere. If any kind of voice chat software is used, you are stuck with having to do proper gain staging, because absolutely no voice chat software that I know about is going to support ASIO either. And even if it did, it’s not a given, that any ASIO implementation will allow multiple connections. And if it did you still needed VST plugin support. And while I have found a solution to bypass it, setting that up is far from the grasp of the average Joe’s grasp and of it wasn’t, just setting the gain properly would be way more practical and way less work. As for the pricing: You’d be surprised. I checked for prices on Thomann for Europe and Sweetwater for the US. The 5th generation NT1 is cheaper from both, then the previous generation.

[@BBC_The_Mythical]

Let’s not ignore the fact that he was playing the fck out of that guitar 🎸

[@OneStepToday]

Aren't all digital recording 32 bit float?

[@iljin9089]

previous generation is more expensive...wouldn't you still buy it? :)

[@mladenstojanovic973]

You lost all credibility with a comment on long USB cables losing audio quality.

[@kumarsajal8400]

5th gen is low quality and is for noobs. Not for professionals. Rode is degrading it's image. I bought a 4th gen in spite of it being expensive. 4th gen is comparatively expensive because it's quality.

[@BOSSBALBAS]

Disagree bro.. i have them both. They have the same quality.. rode is not for noobs. Do not use rode if you are noob. Maybe your knowledge is not enough to hear the good quality or your room is not acoustic treated.

[@user-fj4mz4nu3w]

Hi! I am a twenty-three-year-old college student majoring in film in Korea. Although I can't use English very well, I watched some of your KZbin videos and found them very informative, so I subscribed. I want to thank you for being a professional and providing good information, but I have a question for you. I'm in an extremely bad financial situation for a movie I'm making, so I'm not able to do simultaneous recording, so I'm going to do it with an MKE400 that I recently got from a friend. The camera is my BMPCC4K, I know it's ridiculous, but we don't have a sound professional on the team, we don't have the money, and we're pressed for time: the shoot will take place in just five days, and we have about six hours. We have to shoot 79 shots in that time. The location we're shooting at is inside a building on the outskirts of the city, and there's traffic right next to the building. We're shooting on the second floor of the building, and the last time I was there, the noise wasn't too bad. I've only ever been involved in shooting and directing, so I've never worked with sound before, and I don't have any basic knowledge. When I've shot with BMPCC4k, I've usually worked with a simultaneous recording team, but that's not an option this time. The movie doesn't have a lot of dialog, but it will be shot mostly indoors, and I haven't even done any on-set acoustic testing. To summarize, 1. BMPCC4K - MKE400 I need to shoot a 5 minute movie with these two devices. 2. the shooting location is not a very noisy environment. 3. I don't have access to a sound test. I don't have time to check the acoustics on location. In this situation, I would like to ask you how to set the BMPCC4K's Power Amp setting and the MKE400's setting to ensure the safest sound recording. I would be very grateful if you could answer this question. Have a nice day.