K2

As a vocal mic, the K2 sounds very classy indeed, and it has been deliberately engineered to be reminiscent of classic studio mics. It is, however, rather quieter than some of these tube classics, and probably a lot cheaper to service given that the tubes used in the Rode mics don't belong to an endangered species.

Anyone in the market for a large-diaphragm multi-pattern mic should audition the K2.

The K2’s specs are impressive and the continuously variable pattern control is no gimmick – it’s a winner.

The K2’s sound is extremely smooth, lacking any hint of harshness – it’s a great sounding microphone.

And the $64,000 question: how does the K2 stack up against the C12/U47 yardsticks? Well, after a number of weeks with this mic, in my opinion, RØDE can hold its head high in such lofty company.

The K2 is a perfect all-rounder for studios large and small with Tube technology that you would expect from a unit ten times its price.

Since I started using the RØDE K2 my U-87s have been gathering dust

I was quite impressed and would gladly put this in the running with many other great vocal mics in my collection.

As you can tell, I like this microphone very much.

The danger is that you’ll read this review, note the price, and assume that the mic can’t be that good. Do me a favor: Put the price aside and give this mic a listen. I think you’ll be extremely impressed. I sure was...

I have owned and used just about every RØDE microphone for one reason - they work in critical environments and make engineering easier! A pair of K2s were my main overhead microphones in a busy studio that I managed where time was critical. The K2s always allowed my drum sound a warmth and clarity despite the not-so-perfect room. They are so versatile and can wear the many hats that are needed in any studio environment, whether it be a home studio or a commercial facility where bang for buck is important. You will always be happy that you invested in a RØDE microphone because it will work for you.

The RØDE K2 Tube microphone is nothing short of amazing. It could very well be the very best mix of quality and value in the highly competitive mic market today.

I myself have been using the K2 for about 6 months now & have completely fallen in love with it. I love the clarity it brings to the vocals as well as the depth it posses & can make any person with headphones on hear all of their flaws which proves it possess 100 percent clarity. I have found that any type of vocals I record with the K2 have always come out clear even when doing vocal parts such as whispers or soft spoken parts. You can always rely on this model to shine through no matter if you're recording vocals for Hip Hop, Pop music or R&B music, we even used it for one or two rock projects & still the K2 passed the test for outstanding quality & tone no matter what kind of voice is being recorded. Bottom line is the K2 is my only choice no matter who or what style music I'm recording.

I did an exhaustive comparison and listened to AKG, Neumann and other commercially available studio microphones. The comparison was fascinating to say the least.

In terms of outstanding performance and excellent value for money the K2 from RØDE was the standout for me and that's what I bought. If there was a better bang for my buck, I couldn't find it.

Being Australian made and coming with a 10 year warranty were also major influencers.

The build quality is excellent. These are some of the finest tube mics being made.

I have owned K2 for almost one year and used it mainly for vocal. The high SPL handling is really impressive comparing to other mic I have ever had, nevertheless the variable polar pattern and full package including the large shock mount.

Used this mic on my old Gibson tube amp. Sounded warm and gorgeous

As a small project studio owner, I was searching for the one microphone that I could use on the most sources. After weeks of research, I decided to purchase the K2. Wow. I was not dissapointed at all. If you are looking for an accurate mic, look no futher. The multipattern feature alone is worth the price of admission. Great on vocals, especially hip-hop, and great on acoutic guitar. Put it in Omni mode and throw it over a drum kit. Grab another figure 8 mic, and use the Blumlein technique. This mic is SO versatile, I would reccomend it to anyone looking for a mic that can do more.

Having now used the K2 in a variety of situations for over a year, I can safely say that I have never used such a dependable, excellent sounding microphone in anything near this price range. You owe it to yourself to really listen to this beauty. What I like most about it is the absolute predictability of its sonic character and response. After a 15 minute warm up, it is rock solid for as long as you can stand to record it. The smoothness of the frequency response is a MAJOR plus for an engineer, requiring only simple, non-obtrusive EQ to obtain spectacular results! The low noise, high SPL handling, and balanced sensitivity are a joy to work with in almost every way.

I've yet to find something that won't sound good on this mic. Can handle very high SPL. This is one LDC that i'm not afraid to use on a guitar amp or a bass drum. I liked it so much that the following day, i got my second K2.

Just when I thought I'd heard it all from RØDE, they went and threw me a curve. I had already owned the NT1-A, NT1-A and NT2000, but wanted something with a bit different character. The one element I insisted on was Rode's benchmark non existent self noise. The K2 did NOT dissapoint here. It went further. I finally had a chance to cut some vocal tracks with it a few weeks ago. The clarity coupled with the overall smoothness is something you can NOT describe with words.... you HAVE to hear it. Built like a Rolls Royce and with a superb power supply, it has it all (including that nice long power supply cord which should take you easily from control room to recording room). What a great product for an unreal low price. I truly feel this affords a NO compromise result...

I compare this mic with reference to u87 as standard. If YOU need a rich,creamy vocal that can be compete with modern commercial quality, this is the mic. A quality preamp will do alot for this mic, i match it with a avalon 737, pull up the a few db on 20k for abit of air, and i can say honestly, nothing within even twice the price can beat.
Don't even look at the price....is unreal compared to the quality it gives.