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AMT or Rodes NT5

toddc 16 March 2010

Which of these microphones would you recommend and why?

1. Rodes NT5
2. AMT 404

Can anyone tell me what distinguishes one from the other?
I think they both come in matched pairs.
They are both polar cardiod condensor mics with near equivalent SPL level, THD, and sensitivty.
The frequency response from the Rode does go to 20hz. But for vibes this just means undesirable rumble.

The AMT costs $239 per pair I think. (Tony: There is no unit of measure at the store)
The Rode is around $450.

Has anyone done a sound comparison?

Of course I'd love to use U87's but I from middle earth and don't have astronomical amounts of money.

The specs and the price on the AMT sound good.
Does anyone want to change my mind or make another suggestion?

tia,

Comments

tonymiceli Tue, 03/16/2010 - 16:03

i love my amt's. i helped develop them and now i sell them.

SUBSCRIBERS will get a GREAT discount on them, I promise that.

hey everybody feel free to chime in with options. i understand. i'd like everyone to buy the amt's but i realize there are budgets and preferences.

there are a few links here about mics and some inexpensive ways of doing this here on the site.

the amt's rock, 2 above and 1 below so it's a 3 mic system. dave samuels uses them and loves them, and i think he sets up with 2 most of the time. i love it with the 3rd mic underneath. i also want to experiment with 4, 2 above and 2 below!! :-)

i swear by them. they just sound beautiful and they're simple and they work.

------------------------
Tony Miceli
www.tonymiceli.com (new)
s k y p e: tjazzvibe
tony@tonymiceli.com
www.facebook.com/people/Tony-Miceli/604414578
http://twitter.com/tonymiceli
http://www.myspace.com/tonymicelivibes

toddc Tue, 03/16/2010 - 16:07

I think you're talking about the AMT VP3 aren't you?

Todd Canedy
If you think a drummers job is to keep time; go buy a watch and let me know how that works for ya?

Randy_Sutin Wed, 03/17/2010 - 07:02

I have to get back to the vibes mic project. The recession and a few other things kind of knocked it off track. Daoud and I had a plan which we never finished...

That said, you will be very happy with the AMTs, I think. Both sets have their advantages. The sound is clear and the price is right.

My assumption here is that you mean for live sound. I just mention that because, to me, the U87 would be one of the very last mics I would use for that even if I could afford it. It is delicate and sensitive to dust, etc. so it could easily get damaged. It picks up everything, so feedback would be an issue.

Another issue is how you play. Do you generate a lot of sound off the instrument or are you a rather moderate player? This sounds like a nutty question, but I am rather agressive in my playing and know that I can overdrive the electronics in many small cap condensors and a whole host of dynamic mics. There is one setting I play in frequently in a studio where I have taken to changing up my mallets and style of playing to get a decent sound because I know the engineer is going to put up mics I will distort. That said, I have never had an issue with Tony's recommended AMTs, so I am sure they are fine in that way.

My current favorite pair, used overhead, for live sound in normal to moderate volume situations are the Rode NT1A. They are higher priced than the AMTs. They may be dark to your ears, so I wouldn't do that without hearing them first to make sure you like them.

In very high volume situations, I still use a set of stupid mounts I built with ring binders, rubber bands and duct tape that hold the mics (4 across) under the instrument. In that setting I use 4 good old Shure SM58s...only about 4 inches from the bars. These mics only work well for vibes with a good preamp (I have a pair of Presonus MP20s I use for that). It also picks up any noise your axe makes, so if yours rattles like mine, only use this in the LOUDEST of situations where you have to and all that is masked anyway.

Thus far (and until the project is done, I may never know), my favorite in a studio is still my old Earthworks SR69. That model is long since discontinued; I just had mine refurbished last summer and they sound great to my ears. The current model is the SR30.

Sounds like you are on the right track though. Dollar for dollar, my bet is with the AMTs.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I have to give my buddy a call and get the project back on track.

Peace
randy

toddc Wed, 03/17/2010 - 09:49

@Randy:
I don't play vibes gigs yet and if I did the clubs around here are really small. I was thinking more about recording than live. Sorry I should have said that out front. My bad.
I would not go on the road with U87s unless you're paying for the vallium.

Thanks for your insight.

Todd Canedy
If you think a drummers job is to keep time; go buy a watch and let me know how that works for ya?

toddc Wed, 03/17/2010 - 10:02

Ok I'm biting on the carrot.
Can you be a little more specific?

Todd Canedy
If you think a drummers job is to keep time; go buy a watch and let me know how that works for ya?

toddc Wed, 03/17/2010 - 13:53

Mike keep me posted. I'm about ready to make that jump.

Todd Canedy
If you think a drummers job is to keep time; go buy a watch and let me know how that works for ya?

Steve Shapiro Wed, 03/17/2010 - 13:34

Todd,

I have the NT5's, which I like for drum overheads. They are intended as a Neumann KM184 type of mic, which does OK on mallets, but gives you a lot of attack. I am a fan of Rode, but If you are looking for a warmer sound, I would recommend the AT large diaphragm series, which I believe now starts around $99. AT mics sound great on vibes. If you saw that video of Gary B with the Generations band posted a few weeks ago, you can hear these - I thought they sounded pretty great on that (although the more expensive model). Also, the Studio Projects mics are terrific for the money - the C1 as a U87 knockoff, or the C4 as the KM184 type.

I've tried many things, and outside of the Neumann's, these are my favorites.

Steve

toddc Fri, 03/19/2010 - 15:53

Well I made my purchase because my local store just called made and me an offer I coud not refuse for mics and some other stuff.
I ended up with CAD e70s. Go figure.

So we'll see how these work and I'll let you know.

Todd Canedy
If you think a drummers job is to keep time; go buy a watch and let me know how that works for ya?

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