This imposing valve mic from Australian newcomers Rode looks and sounds expensive, but costs a lot less than comparable models from more familiar manufacturers. Jolly swagman PAUL 'BRUCE' WHITE looks down under, on top, and inside...

Australians have a reputation for saying what they think and for taking a no-nonsense approach to life. Likewise, the Aussie-designed and built Rode Classic mic pulls no punches. Rather than setting out to copy either the look or sound of an existing classic mic, Rode have taken the same approach as Groove Tubes and have created their own tube classic -- the only concession to tradition is that the mic uses the same GE6072 twin triode valve as found in some other vintage mics. Apparently, this particular valve has been out of production for 15 years, but Rode somehow managed to stumble upon, then buy up, a previously undiscovered hoard of the things.

Essentially, the Rode Classic is a large-diaphragm capacitor microphone incorporating a dual-element, pressure-gradient transducer, allowing any traditional polar pattern to be reproduced under remote control. Because of the non-standard power requirements of valves, the mic has its own mains power supply, which also doubles as a remote control for adjusting the polar pattern, selecting the high-pass filter (bass roll-off) characteristics, and switching in either a 10dB or 20dB pad.

Everything about this microphone is big. The mic itself looks as though it's been built in a shell case -- any bigger and it could be mistaken for a Thermos flask! The power supply also features huge front panel graphics, and Vox AC30-style, bakelite pointer knobs. A special multi-pin cable is included for connecting the mic to the power supply, and a standard XLR socket on the power supply is used to feed the signal to its eventual destination. No shockmount is provided, but a simple swivel bracket with threaded stand adaptor is built onto the mic body. Everything comes in a neat aluminium flightcase.

Looking more closely at the microphone, the case is machined from solid brass, which has been hand polished and bead blasted before being nickel plated. Only the presence of a gold-plated screw on one side of the mic gives any real clue as to which end you should sing into. Via the remote control box, the mic's polar pattern can be set in nine discrete steps to provide omni, cardioid, or figure-of-eight patterns, as well as several in-between positions. The diaphragm assembly uses a 6-micron, gold-sputtered mylar film, and the entire capsule is hand assembled.

Unusually, there are no pad or filter switches on the mic -- the remote control box operates tiny relays in the mic body to allow these functions to be controlled at a distance. Though two different low-cut filter settings are provided, in addition to a flat position, I couldn't find any reference in the documentation as to their characteristics.

On the technical front, the Classic has a sensitivity of 13mV/Pa, which is not untypical for this kind of microphone. The frequency response is nominally flat (within +/-3dB) from 20Hz to 20kHz, but like most large-diaphragm mics, there are little bumps and dips in the response, which are part of the mic's character. The flattest response is achieved in figure-of-eight mode, where there is just a hint of a presence rise above 5kHz, whereas in cardioid and omni mode, there's a definite peak centred between 10 and 12kHz. At this frequency, the peak is more likely to give a sense of 'air' than traditional presence. Music is art, and the purpose of art is to interpret life, not mimic it perfectly -- otherwise Picasso would only have needed a camera and some odd-looking models with rare skin conditions! So it is with mics: some models are bought for their accuracy, others for the way they interpret sound. The Rode Classic falls squarely into the latter category.

The maximum SPL this mic can take without succumbing to excessive distortion is 130dB, which means that you can use it on drums and percussion if the mood takes you. However, I wouldn't dream of placing this mic where a drummer might accidentally hit it! The quoted noise figure is 32dB, and though there are quieter mics around, the chances are that this one is going to be used fairly close to the sound source, so noise should never really become an issue. Slightly higher noise tends to be the penalty you have to pay for any kind of tube circuitry.

Though this mic is in no way technically accurate, it has a seductive quality that leads you to believe that this is the way real life would sound if the world were in some way better than it is. The sound is intimate and warm, yet the top end creates such a sense of openness that perfectly respectable studio mics can sound quite nasal in direct comparison. The nearest I could get to matching the sound of this mic was an Audio Technica 4033A, though the Rode sounds just a hint 'thicker', no doubt because of benign valve distortions. I would imagine that most people would use this mic mainly for vocals -- it sure flatters the hell out of most singers -- but it also sounds stunningly good on acoustic guitar. Most of the tests were done in cardioid mode, but switching to omni reveals an extra degree of openness -- an expected characteristic of omni mics.

When this mic first arrived at the office, we were under the impression that it cost around £1800 plus VAT, which would have made it comparable in price to other 'industry standard' studio mics. If this had been the case, I was prepared to say fair enough -- it's expensive, but a serious studio could really get results from a mic like this. However, as we later discovered, the Rode Classic doesn't cost anything like that kind of money -- in fact, it weighs in at a little under £1000, plus the inevitable VAT. This puts an entirely different light on what was already going to be a very positive review. It's still a lot of money for the semi-pro studio owner, but this is a dream of a mic, both to use and to look at, and given that good mics seem to go on forever, the weekly cost of owning one is actually quite small if you spread it over a 10-year period.

Several of us have taken the mic home and tried it in our own studios, and the phrase, "I must possess it!" has been bandied around rather a lot. Indeed, the effect the Rode Classic has had on the SOS editorial staff makes Golum's ring fixation seem like a minor affectation! I can't afford one -- I can't justify having one -- I don't do enough work to warrant one -- I have enough good mics already -- how much did you say it was again? Hmmm!

When we first plugged in this mic, we were mystified as to why we couldn't get much level out of it -- until we figured out that I was singing into the wrong side. Do watch out for the gold-plated screw Paul mentions, which is the only way to quickly differentiate between the two sides.

Many people expect valve mics to sound conspicuously 'warm' in use -- and some do, giving an almost 'fuzzy' effect to a vocal. The valve in the Rode Classic, however, lends such a natural warmth to its sound that you soon forget that it's a valve mic at all when singing through it. If you're at all competent as a vocalist, the Rode simply makes you sound as though you always thought you should sound, with a wonderful transparency and presence. Even switching off the reverb, which makes the average singer cringe, doesn't take the shine off the sound of this mic. Plugging in my usual mic, which I've always been very happy with, was a bit of a let-down after this! Debbie Poyser

pros
• Sounds like a dream.
• Looks like a dream.
• More patterns than a Laura Ashley catalogue.
• Very reasonable price for what it offers.

cons
• May have a devastating effect on the life of anyone who tries one and can't afford it!
• No 'bundled' shockmount.

summary
As you can probably tell, I quite like it!

info

£ £1173.82 inc VAT.

A HHB Communications, 73-75 Scrubs Lane, London NW10 6QU.

T 0181 962 5000.

F 0181 962 5050.

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