How about Ribbon Microphones?

[RexRed]

I am looking at this thing.

Golden Age Project R2 MKII Ribbon Microphone

https://smile.amazon.com/Golden-Age-Project-R2-MK2/dp/B00506YCFS/ref=sr_1_3

I assume this microphone would work with my GAP Pre 73 MKIII preamp.

[RexRed]

 

Golden Age Project R1 MK2 Ribbon Microphone

https://smile.amazon.com/Golden-Age-Project-Ribbon-Microphone/dp/B004ZGQKGI/ref=psdc_11974521_t1_B00506YCFS which one is better?

The figure 8 polar pattern would not be good for a single close mic vocal would it?

[RexRed]

I found this

What Is A Bidirectional/Figure-8 Microphone? (With Mic Examples)

https://mynewmicrophone.com/what-is-a-bidirectional-figure-8-microphone-with-mic-examples/

[RexRed]

Five Reasons to Start Using Ribbon Microphones

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/pro-audio/tips-and-solutions/five-reasons-start-using-ribbon-microphones

[RexRed]

I think for now I am going to stick with the SM7B

I don't like that the ribbon mic only goes to 18khz but my SM7B goes to 20khz.. 

Look at the price of this mic and it only goes to 15khz...

https://www.shure.com/en-US/products/microphones/ksm313

Edited July 24, 2022 by RexRed

[rsinger]

It depends on what you want to record. If you're recording guitar do you want anything over 15K? What about vocals? Vowels likely top out at 1.4k and consonants around 8k. The Royer R-121 is popular for both. It's 30 - 15K. They run around $1200. 

https://www.amazon.com/Royer-R-121-Large-Element-Ribbon-Microphone/dp/B00328HPIM

 

[Byron Dickens]

You seem to me to be falling victim to - the best word I can think of is numberitis.

Looking at bare numbers on a spec sheet.

Bare numbers don't tell you the whole story.

The whole 20Hz - 20kHz range of human hearing is purely theoretical. Not only can nobody with any significant number of years behind them can really hear to those extremes, there really isn't much useful information towards the extremes anyway.

You are much better off with a good microphone with a frequency range of "only" 30Hz - 15kHz than a crappy one with the whole 20 - 20K.

Forget spec sheets. What do your ears tell you?

 

[DeeringAmps]

Happy with my R121 and my AEA88. Both are superb on many sources including vocals. @Bapu is your R84 still your go to?

t

i would caution tho, I am the one who recommended RME; so there is that (still smarting a bit at the way RME has failed you…)

Edited July 24, 2022 by DeeringAmps

[Alan Tubbs]

Good ribbons are good mics.  I use a basement bottom mxl to record a lot of guitar.  With a fender twin in a damped room I pick up some goldy oldie tone.  Perfect for old style blues or rock.

[Jim Roseberry]

If you're looking for a nice Ribbon mic, don't overlook the Royer R10 ($500).

I actually prefer it to the R121.

R121 has a metric ton of proximity-effect... and the upper mids have a character I'm not overly crazy about.

That said, R121 combined with a SM57 is a classic combination.

 

R10 placed about a foot back off the guitar cab speaker (near center with a very slight angle down) results in a great balanced tone.

You can add a SM57... but (IMO) it's not absolutely necessary.

[Bapu]

On 7/24/2022 at 4:04 PM, DeeringAmps said:

@Bapu is your R84 still your go to?

t

Yup

[Tim Smith]

On 7/27/2022 at 10:48 AM, Jim Roseberry said:

If you're looking for a nice Ribbon mic, don't overlook the Royer R10 ($500).

I actually prefer it to the R121.

R121 has a metric ton of proximity-effect... and the upper mids have a character I'm not overly crazy about.

That said, R121 combined with a SM57 is a classic combination.

Jim might be using these to guitars, however ribbons are excellent for recording violins too.  I second his advice on Royer even though it's a bit of $$. I tried  a Golden Age Ribbon MK-2 .I was not impressed. It sits in my studio unused in the case.

Edited August 3, 2022 by Tim Smith

[Eric Parsons]

I really enjoying recording with a ribbon mic.  I have a Cascade Fathead.  I use it on guitar amps and woodwinds.

The one thing I found I needed with a ribbon mic was more signal gain.  My Focusrite Scarlett didn't really have enough gain

for this mic.  I ended up buying a Cloudlifter that is powered by phantom power.  This did the trick for me.

[Bapu]

On 7/24/2022 at 4:04 PM, DeeringAmps said:

@Bapu is your R84 still your go to?

Yep. It's the only quality mic of mine that works best in my 'crappy' voice. That's all I use it for.

[Bruno de Souza Lino]

Ribbon mics are no better or worse than regular diaphragm mics. They're just a different way of picking up sounds. Most of them are figure 8 only and they have one glaring disadvantage: air pressure directed towards them could potentially destroy the ribbon element, which is very thin and delicate.

[Alan Tubbs]

23 hours ago, Bruno de Souza Lino said:

Ribbon mics are no better or worse than regular diaphragm mics. They're just a different way of picking up sounds. Most of them are figure 8 only and they have one glaring disadvantage: air pressure directed towards them could potentially destroy the ribbon element, which is very thin and delicate.

There is also a chance that phantom power can ruin older ribbons mics.  And I don’t know if it has been mentioned but many if not most ribbons t need a lot of gain.  If all you have is a 55 dB gain preamp your vocals may be low in vol.  

[Bruno de Souza Lino]

9 minutes ago, Alan Tubbs said:

There is also a chance that phantom power can ruin older ribbons mics.  And I don’t know if it has been mentioned but many if not most ribbons t need a lot of gain.  If all you have is a 55 dB gain preamp your vocals may be low in vol.  

You also have to take care and make sure your mic cables are wired correctly, as phantom power could still get to the mic if it's not wired correctly. While Royer says their mics are not affected much by phantom power, they still recommend it to be off for mics which don't need it, like the R-121