Rode M5 MP

I bought these for my home studio and have had them for a few months now. I have been using them primarily as drum overheads, but also for the stereo recording of an acoustic piano (a 100 year old Bluthner, but that's another story) and the results are fantastic. I have had recording experience in a professional studio in the past (with Neumann microphones no less) and I can't honestly say that the huge price difference was manifest in the sonic results...

Some details:
I generally recorded the drums at my home studio with an 8 mic setup - kick, snare, 3 toms, 2 overheads and room mic. After changing my previous overheads (admittedly a cheap brand I won't name of pencil condensers) with the Rode M5's - the difference is staggering. I now find that I don't even need most the of the microphones and I only use 4 for the final mix - the Rode M5's for the overheads using a ORTF configuration on a stereo bar (the K&M 23550, which is way more affordable than Rode's separately sold model), a single SM57 for the snare and an AKG D112 for the kick. And I must add that the drums sound great even with only the two overheads... The clarity is staggering, the nuances are all captured, the stereo image is superb, there are no phase issues using the ORTF configuration and the room sound is captured perfectly.

Pros:
- Superb clarity
- Lend themselves perfectly for matched stereo image recording (drum overheads, acoustic piano etc.).
- 10 year warranty from Rode
- Capture room sound and acoustics amazingly well.
- Affordable without sacrificing quality

Cons:
- Don't include a stereo bar which could have been a nice touch but is understandable at this price point. Suggest getting the cheaper K&M model mentioned above and not the overpriced Rode model sold separately.
- Don't include a case - but again, understandable at this price point. I just keep them on the stand anyway and cover them in plastic bags when not being used...

As my first matched pair of mics I was really looking forward to getting my hands on them from the moment I made the purchase. I can say nothing but great things about these microphones, they are absolutely fantastic for their price and in my opinion excellently built. Whether your recording or gigging they can take a beating with their robust structure and finish. The mic clips are a little stiff but I wouldn?t class that as a bad thing as they are sure to stay secure in the clips.

So far I have used these microphones to record piano, guitar and also as drum overheads. I have also used them underneath a stage from Irish dancing as FX mics and I was really pleased with what they picked up.

Having worked with more expensive mic in the past the M5s are truly a bargain and I would highly recommend them.

Great work from Rode again!

Thomann has a nice comparison video between different overhead mics on YouTube. I was considering between these and the Rode NT 5 matched pair and eventually realized that I don't hear enough of a difference between this pair and the NT 5's that would justify the price difference.

The M5 mics sound really good, a balanced sound across the frequency spectrum. Nothing seems to be boosted or cut, which is what I look for in overhead mics. SPL is enough for just about anything.

Build quality is sturdy and the mic clamps are TIGHT. I can't yet say if they will loosen over time, but right out of the package, there is absolutely no risk of the mic dropping out of the holder, even if you decide to wave the mic around for whatever reason. I'm not here to judge your decisions.

The mics themselves are pretty light and compact, so they don't get in the way easily nor do they need a heavy duty stand to hold them in place.

There really are no features to speak of. I would have no reason to have a -20 db pad or a high pass filter with this pair, but for some, it might be a preference.

I have found these microphones to be absolutely fantastic for their price, excellent (mostly) flat frequency response gives a beautifully clear representation of whatever you're recording and in my opinion adds a slight bit of it's own warmth to the texture of the sound. so far I have used these microphones to record uilleann pipes, violin, mandolin and banjo using them as a close and far set, I am also using them to record piano, guitar and drum overheads in AB position. In my experience these microphones are boxing above their class in terms of price, competing with much more expensive microphones including the Rode Nt-5s. Could not recommend them more for a beginner producer on a budget.

This is probably the cheapest stereo pair not made in China. There are enough written publications and comparison videos at least with it's bigger brother NT5, so I will not go into that. I will only mention that if we start comparing and choosing microphones we make life way difficult. Far more important are factors such as room, musician and instrument. And if there are compromises with them, even if the most expensive microphones are used, miracles will not be achieved. Exactly the opposite. In that case, it makes sense that the M5's would be used by people on a tighter budget who don't have a great room anyway, can't hire very good and famous musicians, etc. And if the room is not good, the smaller part of it we capture, the cleaner our recording would be, and the atmosphere will be created in post-production. In such case, I would not use the overheads to capture the entire set, but would look for specific cymbal sounds - hi hat, ride or close above a group of cymbals. Then the only requirement for these microphones would be to reproduce the cymbals as naturally and pleasantly as possible. And these microphones can do it - nicely tucked under the ride or hi hat cymbals, so that they capture the details.