I purchased the NTG-2 as a voiceover mic to use for audiobook production and VO recording. I'm running the mic through the preamps on an M-Audio ProjectMix I/O and into Pro-Tools M-Powered 8. I run the incoming signal through the Waves SSL Channel plugin for some light compression, and that's it. I rarely need to EQ.
The resulting tone is clean and clear without being too intimate. If I get too close, it tends to get a little boomy and the low-mid ranges are a touch muddy. However, if I position the mic about 12-18 inches from the mouth of the VO artist, and slightly above the axis of the mouth, the sound quality is stellar. On male voices, in particular, the mic lends a depth and warmth that is often desirable for certain types of voice work. As would be expected with a mic of this type, the proximity effect is fairly pronounced.
Being a shotgun mic, it does an excellent job filtering out much of the background noise if your space is not sound-proof. (For instance, I'm using a small booth in which one wall is an exterior wall with very little sound insulation. Even when cars and trucks drive by, the mic won't register the sound.) It's an excellent choice for small project studios in homes. The mic does a good job of not catching every single saliva slurp or tongue noise while keeping the voice sounding natural.
The included wind screen is a little on the wimpy side, and it's unfortunate that the mic doesn't come with a shock mount...but that's not uncommon for mics in this price range. Likewise, I wish the mic had come with a decent hard case rather than the pleather zippered pouch that comes with, but again, that's not uncommon in this price range.
I've used four very different mics for VO work: a Studio Projects C100 Large Diaphragm Condenser, an AKG C1000 small diphragm condenser, a Heil PR40 Large Diaphragm Dynamic, and the Rode NTG-2. I was using the Heil almost exclusively until I got the NTG-2. Now this is my first-call mic for 80% of my VO sessions. For the price, it really can't be beat for high-quality spoken word recording.
Pros:
* Great Mic for the Price
* Narrow Pickup Pattern to reduce noise
* Clean and clear tone
* Natural sound
Cons:
* Can get a little boomy in low-mid ranges if speaker is too close
* Pronounced proximity effect
* No shock mount/case included Rode NTG2 Condenser Shotgun Microphone
I have my NTG2 connected to a Canon GL2 through a Beachtek XLR adapter, and I think this mic sounds pure and true. In fact, when I monitor my sound it doesn't even seem like I'm listening through the mic. I've used Audio-Technica's AT897, and though it is a decent microphone, I believe that NTG2 is the better choice. Besides the great quality sound, here is a list of why I like it so much:
-Wonderful super-cardioid pick-up pattern
-Well functioning bass roll-off switch (for excessive wind)
-Phantom or battery power
-Max sound input @ 131dB (AT897 only 115dB on battery power)
-Very Durable
There are some things I don't like:
-The battery life is not nearly as good as the AT897
-Need to use a flat-head screwdriver for bass roll-off switch
-Brand sticker is coming off
-Wind screen is just OK
The stock wind screen isn't going to be that great any shotgun mic. And the bass roll-off switch is made to prevent accidental switching. Just keep an extra AA battery in your bag and you'll be happy.
A good mic for the price. As others have noted about condensers, however, they pick up everything. A bit muddy in the low end, but a nice mic nonetheless.
The mic should be on a stand or boom, because holding it in your hand picks up every last bit of handling noise. Very annoying.
I would rather give this mic 3 3/4 stars, but can't feel right about giving it 4.
Please note that this review is only in terms of using it for voice-over work at a range of 12 to 18 inches. I don't use it for anything else.
I'm a little disappointed with the sound, and feel it's a bit muddy in the low-mid range. I also don't feel like this mic has as wide of a dynamic range as I had hoped. This mic seems to deliver more of a compressed "news" sound than what I'd call a professional VO sound. The low end is also a smidge boomy, rather than full and moving.
It should be noted that I am also using a small Behringer board on its own phantom power. If I had a better preamp, perhaps this mic would "wake up" a bit. I have used the internal battery-powered preamp, but found it was slightly less desireable to the audio board's pre's.
Don't get me wrong -- this isn't a bad microphone. I think it would do well for the money if I had used it more for it's intended purpose. I just feel like I could have done better purchasing something else for a VO mic, given the price I paid. Also, it doesn't reject noise in my room as well as I had hoped it would. If I put the mic in an insulated box, this improves a lot. - Audio - Shotgun - Microphone - Rode'
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