Shinybox ribbon sample on dirty cab... (Mesa Stiletto)

[tubedude]

Some friends and I wrote a little quick song a few months ago that I had tracked the guitars with a Mesa Dual Recto. I got a Stiletto Trident Series I in the house a few weeks back, and thought for fun I would retrack the guitars and see how they sat.
I'm using the Stiletto straight into a Mesa Recto 2x12 cab with a Shinybox stock ribbon right on the center of the cone, dead on, slightly angled, into a BAE 312a preamp.

http://www.lightningmp3.com/live/file.php?fid=5973

Gain is set pretty low at about 11-12:00 and I boosted the highs at the amp since the ribbon was kind of doing its ribbon thing in that regard. Total setup time for the guitar tracking was 4-6 minutes or so.
Like it or hate it? I kind of like it a lot, and I think the Stiletto recorded easier than the Recto did. The Stiletto doesnt come in until the drums do at the beginning, the opening riff is another amp.

Shinybox was the only mic used. Keep in mind the amount of time spent on the setup, too. It could have been better or worse I would imagine. This was a toss it up and go. I like it.

[Doug H]

Yup, lol...you just stick one in front of the amp and you're half way there.

Sounds good to me.

How far off the grill were you?

[tubedude]

The amp was pretty loud. Michael Wagener has me beleiving n moving a lot of air now, so I'm cranking it, and when it was really loud the mic seemed to be breaking up a little, so I moved it back some. I'm thinking it was maybe 8 inches to a foot. The cab was completely surrounded by broadband absorbers.

[soundchaser59]

Originally Posted by tubedude

and when it was really loud the mic seemed to be breaking up a little, so I moved it back some.

Most ribbons can take 140db SPL, you really think you are going over 140db? More likely you were just over driving your mic preamp and didn't notice it redlining.... it's harder than you think to distort the mic diaphragm...or ribbon. But just to be safe you could put a pop screen in front of it. I may have memory problems, but I thought the Apex 210 was rated for 165db...??

[SRR]

Originally Posted by soundchaser59

Most ribbons can take 140db SPL, you really think you are going over 140db? More likely you were just over driving your mic preamp and didn't notice it redlining.... it's harder than you think to distort the mic diaphragm...or ribbon. But just to be safe you could put a pop screen in front of it. I may have memory problems, but I thought the Apex 210 was rated for 165db...??

Ya 160-165dB is the rated spec, but as Harvey pointed out in one of these threads, at what frequency?

But like you pointed out I would bet it was either the preamp or needing a pop filter to stop air coming off the cone.

[tubedude]

A 150 watt amp is going to move some air, and it was turned way up. Completely surrounded by broadband absorbers in a different room and it was shaking the walls and floor in the room I was in, with a 2x12 cab.

Wagener has his so loud that if you walk into the amp room it will physically make you sick. He replaces his ribbons as he sees fit though. I cant afford all that.

[Doug H]

lol

surrounded by absorbers sounds like the plan. I get a nice airy quality around 4 inches or so but the room gets the best of the track so I usually put mine pretty close and roll off the bass as required

[tarnationsauce2]

What Shinybox Ribbon is it? The MX (stock xfmr), MXC (cinemag) or MXL (lundahl). Or is it the 23?

[tubedude]

Stock 46. And an un-necc sentence to make the stupid post long enough to actually post up on the thread.

[Freudian Slip]

Wow. Sounds good! Has very nice presence and a good bottom. It tastes great and is less filling

Now I'm lusting

F.S.

[tubedude]

Well, I might sell it to ya Actually I'm thinking about getting into a Royer 121 and selling the SB, even though I like it a lot. The Royer is slightly tastier and realistic. Not a lot, but just enough to make you want one.

[Myriad_Rocker]

Hhhmmm...I might have to get a Shinybox ribbon now.

Too much high end for my taste, but that could be changed. Then again, I'm listening on my laptop.

[tubedude]

Yeah that was my fault I'll dialed in a tad too much at the amp trying to compensate for the ribbon thing...