Rode Complete Studio Kit review

A studio in a box!

  • £339

MusicRadar Verdict

An extremely solid entry point to the world of recording.

Pros

  • +

    A great set for beginners.

Cons

  • -

    Not the most fully featured interface.

MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you. Find out more about how we test.

Recording your guitar doesn’t have to be difficult, however, for some it is still confusing. 

The array of mics, cables, software, boxes and buttons is a necessary learning curve for newcomers to achieving what you really want to do: get your ideas recorded. 

Rode’s Complete Studio Kit takes the stress out of this by providing an all-in-one solution straight out of the box. The kit consists of an old favourite in the shape of the Rode NT1 condenser mic, the newly- launched AI-1 - the first interface from microphone veteran, Rode - a suspension mount, vocal pop shield and even a copy of Ableton’s Live Lite recording software. 

The NT1 should be no stranger to budget-recording enthusiasts - since its introduction it has remained one of the ‘quietest’ (low noise) large diaphragm condenser mics on the market, and as such provides a brilliantly clear, transparent and noise-free way of capturing your acoustic or vocals, and is robust enough to position in front of your cab too (at sensible levels). 

The AI-1 interface takes a utilitarian approach: a combination mic preamp (with phantom power to power the mic)/instrument level input socket means you can record one source at once, meanwhile, the back of the unit is home to a USB port, plus a pair of outputs for connecting monitors. 

Overall, this represents an extremely solid entry-point to the world of recording: you might outgrow the interface, but for many it features exactly what’s needed and no more. Plus, the NT1 will remain a decent go-to mic indefinitely.

Stuart Williams
Drums

Stuart has been working for guitar publications since 2008, beginning his career as Reviews Editor for Total Guitar before becoming Editor for six years. During this time, he and the team brought the magazine into the modern age with digital editions, a Youtube channel and the Apple chart-bothering Total Guitar Podcast. Stuart has also served as a freelance writer for Guitar World, Guitarist and MusicRadar reviewing hundreds of products spanning everything from acoustic guitars to valve amps, modelers and plugins. When not spouting his opinions on the best new gear, Stuart has been reminded on many occasions that the 'never meet your heroes' rule is entirely wrong, clocking-up interviews with the likes of Eddie Van Halen, Foo Fighters, Green Day and many, many more.