The RØDE NT1 is a real workhorse and sounds good on just about everything.

The NT1 has a friendly, vintage look. The low-noise, transformerless circuitry is internally shock-mounted in a machined aluminum shell with a light gray enamel finish. It feels solid in the hand but is amazingly light (320 grams) and well-balanced. The grille has two different densities of mesh: The first layer is an open weave, and the second layer is made of a fine steel fabric. This assembly forms a rugged transducer cover that is acoustically transparent but physically strong.