Rode are an Australian company who manufacture microphones. That is pretty much all they do. From years of research and limited funds I am personally drawn to the Rode range for their high quality and affordable prices.

The NT4 is a high quality, condenser mic with matched capsules making it a convenient choice for recording stereo sounds. Apart from looking great, it is simple to use and does exactly what it is designed for. In the world of microphones there are many, many choices which cover a huge range of quality, application and price range. For single stereo microphones on a professional level though, the options are much fewer which makes the choice a little easier.

The ZOOM H4n is a portable audio recorder aimed at the armature professional market and is a great starting point when looking at portable audio recorders. Compared to the high end options like Tascam and Sound Devices it may look like just a kids toy and while it may not have some of the nice features of the bigger players, it does offer great quality recording at 1/20th of the cost.