Rode NT-2000
A multipattern condenser with a continuously variable polar pattern and an $899 retail tag. Rode's own advertising called it a "world first."
Overview
The NT-2000 is a multipattern condenser studio microphone. What sets it apart is what Rode billed as "Totally Variable" controls. Continuous pots set into the mic body control the polar pattern. It's a sweep, not a switch, so the user can dial in anything between one pattern and another instead of choosing between fixed detents. That stepless approach is the whole pitch of the microphone, and collectors and studio owners mention it first.
The company's advertising framed the NT-2000 as a quantum leap rather than a step in a model progression — "not just another mic," in the marketing's words, "a WORLD FIRST." That's advertising copy, not a verdict, and it should be read as such. But the capsule and the variable controls are the substance behind the claim.
Pricing landed at $899 retail, and that bought more than the microphone. The package included a molded, padded protective case that houses both the mic and its shockmount. A studio condenser without proper storage and isolation is a studio condenser waiting to get dinged. Mix (November 2003, p.118) covered the NT-2000 as a multipattern condenser and noted the $899 retail price along with the included molded case and shockmount. It described the variable controls as the feature that sets the mic apart from the rest.
Today the appeal is the combination: a large-capsule condenser with a sweepable pattern control, a purpose-built capsule, and a factory package that assumes the buyer is going to use it in a room. The NT-2000 shows up in working facilities rather than display cases. One broadcast build-out documented in the trade press specified Rode NT2000 microphones at each position on a custom interview table, mounted on articulating arms.
eBay Listings
As an eBay Partner, we earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support our independent vintage technology research.