Ribbon Microphone

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ex351d

Member
Hi! so i just got a condenser mic, an sE electronics X1. just found a ribbon mic for sale locally an X1R. would it be useful to record the room during drum recording or i could just use the condenser? I still need to get more mics to have enough mics for toms.
 
Ribbon mics are good for many things including room mics. I would give it a try if the price is right.
 
btyre2013 there is only 1 mic for sale not a pair. jg96 im still a beginner at this, so where else can i use the ribbon mic apart from room mics? would the condesor work well as a room mic or not? and would i be better off buying more dynamic mics for the toms or just get the ribbon mic?
 
ex351d said:
btyre2013 there is only 1 mic for sale not a pair. jg96 im still a beginner at this, so where else can i use the ribbon mic apart from room mics? would the condesor work well as a room mic or not? and would i be better off buying more dynamic mics for the toms or just get the ribbon mic?
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I don't know what your mic locker is looking like right now so its hard to me to say for sure. If you only have a couple mics at the moment I might hold off on the mic unless its a crazy good deal. Condenser mics can also make great room mics.

Ribbons are fairly versatile: they can be great for overheads, room mics, guitar cabs, some vocals, horns, and whatever else you can think of. The downside is if they get whacked or hit with a large blast of air they can be damaged. I would not use them as tom mics unless you were to put them under the toms.
 
For drum mics....focus on dynamics....though for any OH/room mics, confessors would be better, IMO.

Ribbon mics can make good room mics, and even OH mics. They tend to smooth out harsh highs, so could work very well as OH mics to smooth out cymbals/hats. They also tend to pick up more bottom, though I think often that could be more of a perception thing since they roll off the highs....but I have notice that the ones I use will certainly add some low end fatness too.

I love ribbon mics on guitar cabs, especially for taming icepick-in-ear tones and for smoothing out harsh/edgy crunch tones.

They usually need preamp with a lot of gain capability, especially in more distant miking situations.
 
ex351d said:
btyre2013 there is only 1 mic for sale not a pair. jg96 im still a beginner at this, so where else can i use the ribbon mic apart from room mics? would the condesor work well as a room mic or not? and would i be better off buying more dynamic mics for the toms or just get the ribbon mic?
Click to expand...

I think you should just get the ribbon mic, and try recording it first, THEN think about getting more mics, but it'd be a good idea to have at the very least 1 bass drum mic, 1 snare drum mic and an overhead as a bare minimum.
 
At the moment I have an SM 58 from my giging days. Then I got an SM57, SE X1 condensor. AKG D112 is on its way and im about to buy two small condensors I think a pair of rode NT5. if i dont get the ribbon mic i think i would go for 3 sennheiser e604 or e 609 for toms
 
Ribbon mics add a completely differant sonic pallette to your mic locker. There I said it.
Your choice. Have fun
Rich
 
I use ribbons on all guitar cabs, as well as strings, and even though I've only done it once or twice, use them on wind instruments as well.
 
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