When it comes to microphones it's always best to find a microphone that will suit your specific needs. That means a mic that brings out the vocal may not be great for your drums or instruments. There are some microphones however that try to offer some versatility and can be key tools in a producers arsenal. One such product is the Rode K2. This award winning product has a loyal fan base and building on the technology of the NTK, the K2 is worthy of the fandom its gained so far. The Rode K2 is a variable pattern dual 1" condenser valve mic. Now i know that seems like too many words to describe a microphone so let me explain what all this means.
Variable Pattern
Mics all have a specific polar patterns which cater for various environments. What the polar pattern determines what the microphone picks up while recording. Each have their own benefits. For instance Cardioid mics contain a forward facing pattern so will pick up noise when placed in front of the diaphragm whilst cutting out anything else. So what does a variable pattern mic do? Well... it's in the name. You can use the included power supply to alter the polar pattern which means you can use it for different scenarios. The Rode K2 offers a Cardioid pattern but also offers figure of 8 which picks up sound from front and back equally, and omnidirectional which picks up noise from all around it equally. The benefit of this is being able to record the room to add some natural environment to the recording.
Dual 1" Large Diaphragm
The advantages of a large diaphragm over a smaller, is they tend to be much more sensitive and has less self noise. This is because due to the larger surface area of the large diaphragm there is less air pressure impacting it. Smaller diaphragms behave like hard surfaces and so any air impacting it will cause more noise than a more flexible larger one. The other advantage of a large diaphragm is that is captures more acoustic energy and so would produce a higher signal. The idea behind large diaphragms is to add colour to the sound and make it pleasing to the ear. This is why they are usually the go to choice for recording vocals. Smaller diaphragms are better when trying to capture a sound without adding any colour, when trying to reproduce the sound as accurately as possible whereas the larger generally makes a sound seem bigger and fuller.
Valve Microphone
Tube technology has been around for decades and at one point was the only option when it came to recording however solid state microphones have become more and more popular due to the low costs. Valve microphones historically have been a much bigger investment and even now generally tend to cost more than solid state mics. As of recently however the price of valve mic has come down and with the Rode K2, you get a great quality valve microphone for a relatively affordable price! The main benefit of valve mic is the rich warm sound the tube circuitry produces. The reason for the resurgence of tube circuitry is down to the popularity of the vintage sound of the 60's and 70's. Many musicians want to recreate a classic redbook sound and now it is possible at a more affordable price.
Conclusion
The Rode K2 is winning awards for a reason. Rode have managed to produce a high quality condenser mic incorporating a great warm sound from the tube circuitry. It comes shipped with a seperate power supply to ensure its being driven to its best potential. The K2 picks up great detail and accentuates nuances in your vocal due to the high sensitivity and low self noise.
The Rode K2 is available to order at www.djtechdirect.com
