This is a pretty unique combo mic. It is actually like two mic capsules in one. There are two small diaphragm condenser capsules housed at the end of a single mic body, and they are configured in a permanent 45 degree XY setup. This is obviously a huge convenience if you want to have a good pair of condensers for stereo miking. The capsules are assuredly matched to one another in terms of specifications, so you know you're going to get a consistent stereo field. The output on the mic is necessarily stereo, so you may wonder what kind of a weird cord you'd have to have in order to connect this. Rode does provide you with said weird cord, which basically just connects to the mic's output on one end and on the other end are two separate standard XLR connectors, so you will just need two separate XLR inputs on your preamp or converter. The mic does need normal phantom power to operate, but it also can be powered internally by battery which is nice. Rode also provides you with a nice case as well as a wind shield which comes in handy if you're miking outside. The overall sound on these mics is quite nice, coming across as fairly even sounding across the spectrum. The sweet spot for this mic seems to be about 3 feet in front of it depending on the source.

OVERALL OPINION

I bought one of these when they came out, thinking I could keep one set up permanently in my studio for when I needed a quick stereo mic job. These aren't the purest sounding mics in the world, but they are clear enough and at less than $600 for the "stereo pair" it's a great value. I do recommend this mic for anyone who really likes XY stereo miking, likes the sound of Rode's condensers and doesn't want to deal with the hassle of aligning capsules manually. Nice product!