Ribbon mic question

P

patrickcrisp

New member
Hi. I've been looking at and listening to ribbon mics online the last few days. One of them was a stereo Ribbon mic from Royer that sounds just lovely and it got me thinking; if Ribbons pick up sound from both sides (figure 8) why would you need a stereo version? Sorry if thats a really dumb question. Maybe I just don't get it......
Thanks in advance.
 
True...a ribbon will pick up from both sides in a figure 8 pattern...but the signal will remain mono.

A stereo ribbon mic gives you L/R stereo output...using two ribbons in a crossed, Bluemlien pattern.
 
Because even with the two lobes (which can be turned and seen as L and R'), it is still a mono mic?
 
It's still a mono signal. Just like cardioid mic will still 'hear' things to the left and the right, but it all comes out as mono.

Look into the physics behind m/s micing.
It exploits the difference between positive and negative pressure, or front and rear sound, to create two mono signals.
 
Steenamaroo said:
It's still a mono signal. Just like cardioid mic will still 'hear' things to the left and the right, but it all comes out as mono.

Look into the physics behind m/s micing.
It exploits the difference between positive and negative pressure, or front and rear sound, to create two mono signals.
Click to expand...

So 2 mono signals into one mic gives one mono output
 
It's one mono signal...not two. It just happens to pick up in a figure-8 pattern.

I have a tube mic with dual diaphragms, and you can turn the pollar pattern selector from pure Omni all the way to full figure-8...but the signal is always mono.

Omni picks up from all sides, 360 degrees...but it's not surround, it's still a mono signal.
 
It stems from the visual problem.
Turn the mic on its side, it favors picking up things on the left, on the right real good, leaves a nice wide gap in the center..
But it's still all piled together mono. :D

Did ya know the ribbon side to side is wide in the high frequency pickup where 'long way is narrower?
(Yeah I remember that now but then usually forget it during set up :facepalm:;)
 
patrickcrisp said:
So 2 mono signals into one mic gives one mono output
Click to expand...

No..think about it. there are no 'signals'.

There is the environment, and the microphone, which is mono.

Whether you are behind or in front, the mic will pick you up.

If there's one source or thirty, it's still a mono mic.

Simples. :)
 
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