RODE NTK 赢得2002年 EM 最佳低价位话筒称号的全文（英文）
RODE NTK 赢得 2002 年 EM 电子音乐家杂志 编辑最佳选择大奖
奖项是“最佳的低于1000美元的话筒”
Microphone (under $1,000)
R?DE MICROPHONES
NTK ($999)
R?de has long been on the front lines of the microphone bang-for-buck shift — you know, the one that brought quality large-diaphragm condenser mics within reach of the personal-studio buyer. This is R?de's second EM Editors' Choice award: the company also bagged one in 1998 for the NT1 (originally $499, now $349), a microphone that its maker recently proclaimed “the world's No. 1-selling studio mic.” Although we can't vouch for that claim, we can make one we deem more important: R?de's latest creation, the NTK, is the finest large-diaphragm tube condenser for less than a grand (for a review, see p. 130).
Granted, as tube condensers go, the NTK is pretty bare-bones; it ships in a cardboard case with a zipper pouch, a power supply, a 30-foot cable, and a simple clip. The mic, too, is minimalist, with no pad or filter and only a cardioid polar pattern. What you do get, though, is rock solid (the NTK weighs in at nearly two pounds) and lovely, thanks to a beautiful satin-nickel finish.
But what really turns our heads is its sound. As our reviewer notes, “The NTK was designed to be musically pleasing rather than clinically accurate.” This mic has a big rich sound with solid, unhyped lows and mids as well as a presence boost that peaks at 5 and 12 kHz. The result is a bright, in-your-face sound, yet the brightness is pleasantly tempered by the twin-triode 6922 tube (or valve), which imparts a subtle sheen and roundness of tone.
Something else is going on, too: personality. Rather than a linear response, the NTK's character changes as you work the capsule closer, seeming to blossom with attitude. That makes it a great vocal mic, of course, and excellent on other sources, including piano and acoustic guitar (steel and nylon string). Moreover, the NTK is remarkably quiet for a tube mic, has a substantial dynamic range, and can handle inordinate levels of sound pressure. Considering that all those qualities come together in a tube mic for less than $1,000 — well, we think that's one heck of an achievement.