Recording - October 2016 - 46

B Y PA U L V N U K J R .

RØDE is Australia's premier microphone company. It's well known for a broad range of mics
for all users. Beginners are well served by,
among others, the excellent NT1 largediaphragm condenser and M5 pencil condensers, both reviewed August 2014. More
advanced users can choose from a variety of
mics like the NT2000 with its continuously variable polar pattern and the beautiful K2 tube
mic. The company also makes a line of USB
mics, and a few dynamic designs for handheld
live and broadcast use. RØDE is also a worldclass contender when it comes to mics for use
in video production and location recording,
with everything from starter-level camera-mount
mics up to the $999 NTG-8 shotgun mic.
This month we are looking at a completely
new kind of RØDE mic: a unique new ribbon
design dubbed the NTR.
Inside the box
Normally I leave talk of packaging out of my
microphone reviews, as very often a box is just
a box. Not so with the NTR; it comes in a large
black display-style box that reminds me of an
expensive CD box set that you'd put on your
shelf as a conversation piece. The mic also
comes with a "Crown Royal" style dust bag
and a hard ring mic mount.
Out of the box, the NTR is the heaviest ribbon microphone I have ever used. Yes, it's even
heavier than a Coles 4038, tipping the scales
at a hefty 2.31 lbs. The black coated milled
brass body is 8.5" tall with a large 2.5" diameter base. The entire mic looks well sculpted
and is modern, classy, and classic all at the
same time.

one up close and tight and the other wide and
at a greater distance. This design is intended to
leave the mic with a natural sound while the
ribbon is well-protected. Lastly there is a small
removable brass set screw on the top that is
used to stabilize the ribbon motor during storage and transport; it's removed before use.
Specs and sound
The NTR is an active ribbon mic that requires
phantom power. Internally it uses a large custom step-up transformer and a signal-balanced
preamp stage. It has a frequency response of
20 Hz to 20 kHz, a maximum SPL rating of
130 dB, an output impedance of 200 Ω, and
a signal-to-noise ratio of 79.3 dBA.
Looking at its frequency response plot, like
most ribbon mics the NTR is fairly flat and
smooth, with only a slight low-end boost and a
slight 4 kHz peak of about 1 dB. From there,
the mic does roll off gently, but unlike most classic ribbons it maintains a gentle slope down all
the way out to 20 kHz.
The NTR sits squarely in the larger ribbon family populated by classic designs from RCA/AEA,
Cloud, Coles, Mesanovic, and the like. As such,
it has a smooth, classic ribbon tone with a nice
thick low end. However, it differs slightly due to
its extended high frequency response. This leaves
the NTR sounding a touch more open and less
darkly rounded.
Bright, condenser-sounding ribbon mics have
been a bit of a trend in recent years, and I
need to clarify that the NTR has an extended
high frequency response, but not a hyped treble like some other mics. In other words, the
high end is not pushed or mechanically EQed

RØDE NTR Ribbon Microphone
The Australian maker's first ribbon design is a real eye-opener
Inside the mic
Designwise, this mic has a lot of science behind it. The ribbon motor is built around a 1.8 micron aluminum ribbon that
is laser cut, which RØDE claims cuts down on microscopic
fraying and tearing common with hand-cut ribbons.
The motor is placed in a unique large internal shockmount
that is suspended so that none of it touches or interacts with
the body. Next, the frame that holds the suspended assembly
in place is made to fit perfectly into the side nulls of the NTR's
figure-8 polar pattern, so it never interferes with or influences
the sound. The ribbon motor assembly is covered in a chemically treated all-metal mesh wind screen. This screen is actually
made up of two separate protective layers over the ribbon,
46

RECORDING OCTOBER 2016

to sound brighter and more open. Instead, it's a classic
smooth-sounding thick ribbon mic with a farther upper end
reach. This makes it sound a tad more open and natural.
This increased range also extends to the low end of the mic.
The NTR manages to capture a full, deep low end, but uses no
filtering or tricks to boost its low-end capture.
In use
If you are familiar with my past reviews, you will know that I
am a ribbon mic fiend. I tend to use them more than condenser
mics, on... well, pretty much everything. I have been curious to
try the NTR since it was first announced and was excited to
receive a pair for review. Over the past few months, I have put
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - October 2016
