Rode NT3 Discrepancy

Professional audio recording and studio engineering, post #43,483
Author:
Date:
Subject:
 mattrglenn@gmail.com
 2008-06-10 12:05:49
 Rode NT3 Discrepancy
I have been interested in the Rode NT3 as a low-budget hypercardioid
mic for a while now. I noticed at one point that the rode website, as
well as sweetwater.com, listed the NT3 as a cardioid mic. I passed
that by since everywhere else I looked said hyper, not to mention the
many reviews (and even a video podcast) I had seen boasting the NT3s
quality as a low-cost hypercardioid boom mic for film. But recently I
noticed that the cardioid descriptor was still up for the rode.com.au
and sweetwater.com so I called Rode and left a message. They called
back and said that the mic is indeed a cardioid mic. I know for a fact
that until now all sellers of the NT3 and reviews that I have read
have clearly state that the mic has a hypercardioid pattern, so such a
large-scale mess up is kind of bewildering.

Does anyone have one or know which it is for sure? Could it just be a
narrower cardioid than that of other similar mics?
Thanks for your help as always.
~Matt
Author:
Date:
Subject:
 Scott Dorsey
 2008-06-10 15:42:15
 Re: Rode NT3 Discrepancy
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>Does anyone have one or know which it is for sure? Could it just be a
>narrower cardioid than that of other similar mics?

A hypercardioid is not just a narrower cardioid. A hypercardioid mike has
a rear lobe. Talk into the back and into the side... if it is louder in
the back than on the side, it's a hypercardioid.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."
Author:
Date:
Subject:
 RDOGuy
 2008-06-10 15:20:51
 Re: Rode NT3 Discrepancy
On Jun 10, 2:42 pm, [email protected] (Scott Dorsey) wrote:

Of course, the term "cardioid" refers to the heart-shaped polar
pattern of a directional mics. It occurs to me that a hypercardioid's
rear lobe makes the polar pattern look something like a common fruit.

"Appleoid," anyone? : )