As if by some strange convention, microphone manufacturers produce among the worst technical diagrams I have ever seen in a career as a technical editor. This is unfortunate as one thing you come to realise is that the frequency response curve of a microphone is something it helps to be familiar with. Does it have a bump somewhere in the middle or higher audible frequencies that'll make it a bit bright? Or a bass response that might make it a good idea to use a rolloff filter? Not always easy to see on the manufacturers' diagrams, some of which look as if they're straight off the engineer's test bench. Never mind, here they are for the more significant mics mentioned in these pages, along with polar response diagrams.

Neumann TLM 103 (large-diaphragm cardioid)

The mic we are using to record in the music sessions. Polar pattern in diagram is for 1 kHz; on the Neumann site you can click to see the pattern for a range of frequencies. Dead-flat frequency response curve between 70 Hz and 3 kHz. The ones we're using may not be quite that good!

Neumann GmbH TLM 103 page

Audio-Technica AT 3032 (small-diaphragm condenser omnidirectional)

Cardioid version is the 3031. Inexpensive mic with low self-noise.

Audio-Technica 3032 page

Rode NT1-A (large-diaphragm condenser cardioid)

An inexpensive studio mic that's causing quite a stir. Described by Rode as an "Externally polarised 25 mm (1”) condenser".

Rode NT1-A page

Rode NT1-A audio demo page

To aid legibility I've added the red lines and blue axis legend on the frequency plot

Rode NT55 (compact condenser with omni and cardioid capsules)

Newly out, so a recent purchase by me, these are Rode's development of the NT5.

Rode NT55 page

Rode NT55 audio demo page (none yet)

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