Rode has announced a new microphone. It’s the Rode NT1 Signature Series (buy here), and from what I can tell, it’s largely the same as the recently released Rode NT1 5th generation (buy here). But, it has one significant difference.
There’s no USB-C port on this one, just XLR. So, you’re not going to be able to plug it into your computer. You need to go into a mixer, field recorder or audio interface. It’s also available in six different colours, and it’s $100 cheaper.
Rode NT1 Signature Series – No USB connection
The Rode NT1 has been a staple of studios everywhere for three decades. The Rode NT1 5th Generation is the most recent iteration of the NT1. Like most large diaphragm cardioid condenser microphones, previous generations of the NT1 only sported an XLR port.
The NT1 5th generation has both XLR and USB. Presumably, this was done to appeal to a wider market – particularly YouTubers. But, the addition of the USB port came at a significant price increase.
Now, Rode has announced the new NT1 Signature Series to help address this. It lacks the USB port, DSP processing and other digital features of the Rode NT1 5th Generation, but that price has come way down.
Available in six colours
The Rode NT1 5th Generation is available in standard black or silver. The Rode NT1 Signature Series, on the other hand, is available in six different colours. Of course, one of the options is the usual black, but there’s no silver version.
Besides black, though, you do get the choice of red, pink, purple, blue or green colour options. While most studios will probably go for black, YouTubers and podcasters are able to match the colour schemes of their studio.
The Rode NT1 Signature Series comes with the Rode SM6 suspension shock mount and pop filter. This provides isolation from vibrations hitting the microphone. So, if you put this in a podcast or YouTuber studio, you can bang the desk as much as you like without worrying about vibration noise.
A 20ft XLR cable is also included in the box, as well as a dust cover. It’s great to see a shock mount and XLR cable included in the box at this price. So many other microphones out there at this price point don’t, which bumps up the overall cost of ownership quite a bit.
Price and Availability
The Rode NT1 Signature Series is available to pre-order now for $159 in Black, Red, Pink, Purple, Blue and Green. It’s expected to start shipping very soon.
