RØDE NT55 Versatile ½"Small-diaphragm Condenser Microphone (Matched Pair) with Adjustable Polar Pattern (Cardioid and Omni), Pad and High-pass Filter for Music Production and Instrument Recording

I'm not an expert, so take this review with many grains of salt. I bought the NT55 matched pair and the two AT4022s, and then spent a few days comparing them as field recorders, both indoors and outdoors. My first impression was that the NT55 at times seemed to resolve more detail than the AT4022, but the more I listened to both, the more I found I preferred the AT4022. The sound of the NT55 was comparatively thin, piercing, and lacking in low-end presence. I suspect that many of the differences I heard are solely the result of the NT55's considerable treble boost. The AT4022 has a smoother, more lifelike sound, and though it has a pronounced bass boost, that's rather easily fixed with EQ. Fixing the NT55's sound seemed a more challenging problem -- and despite the reported frequency response, I found that its low end didn't reach as deep as the AT4022's. So I kept the AT4022 and returned these.

Very happy with these for the most part. Cardoid capsules great for acoustic guitar and drum overheads which is what I imagine most people will be buying this for. Omni capsule is good but not amazing. Doesn't compare to a mic such as the 4006 but it does an excellent job while being in this price range. Build quality of the pre is great - surprisingly (and unnecessarily) heavy as are a lot of Rode mics. Case is ok but doesn't have a specific place to hold capsules so I have been storing them in the wind shield so as to not get dust on the connector.

Appariement correct, bonne sensibilité, peu de bruit. Avec ses deux paires de capsules, voilà un rapport qualité prix vraiment excellent.

Work fine as a stereo pair.

I decided to buy 4 matched pairs of small condenser mics and shot the out in my home studio. This was one of the pairs and the NT 55s had a lot of great features. Ultimately I decided not to keep them for a few reasons: 1) a little on the bright side (high frequency bump). 2) the case was pretty cheap and seemed like it would breakdown quickly. As for the positives: 1) multiple pick up patterns 2) the capsules seemed more sturdy than the competition. (No sharp pins for the connection point for the capsule to the body of the mic) 3) the tension clamp for the mic clip. I decided not to keep these because I think they would work better in a larger environment with more sound dampening. I betting that they sound fantastic on a choir, orchestra or for a quartet. Just weren’t right for what I’m working on.