I got the opportunity to replace my Rode Podmic with a Rode NT1 and I’m worried because my room is not treated but at the same time I have a dbx 286s as well that has a gate that could be used to rule out low volume sounds that would otherwise be naturally rejected by the Podmic.
Is this a good upgrade? Will the NT1 work well with the dbx? I never had a condenser microphone before so I don’t know if the compressor/gate will interact with it.
A gate will not solve the room reflections with a condenser mic so your next purchase should be acoustic treatment.
Failing that you may find recording in a wardrobe or closet full of clothes may be sufficient to dull the room reflections.
Moving blankets hung around the recording area can also have a deafening effect on the room reflections.
In short you’ll need some form of acoustic deadening to handle the room tones as a condenser mic will pick up a lot more of them than a dynamic mic will.
However once you’ve got that sorted out an NT1 and dbx286s will make a great pairing.
It just depends on the room acoustics. DBX is great and will solve a lot of issues. The best thing to do is ensure that it’s set up correctly for your NT1 mic and then do any further treatments from there on. Some acoustic tiles may be beneficial, but also simple tweaks like making sure you have nice thick curtains in the room, rug on the floor and good position of the mic in the room itself - all of this can make a big positive difference.
Thanks for the tips!