Best budget pre for a Ribbon Mic.

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cactuseskimo

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I'm looking at getting an Apex 210 as they are a good price at my local music store.

However, I only have a Joe Meek 3Q pre which has 60 db of gain and is supposebly kinda noisy at the high gain settings.

Are any of the other pre's more suitable for ribbon mics, like the dmp-3, or the vtb-1?

Thanks.
 
I'm using a VTB-1 and it's got plenty of juice and is pretty quiet too. The toob blend knob is nice too. You get 60dB with the gain knob, and there's a output volume knob that gets you an additional 12dB for 72dB total.
 
The Studio Projects VTB-1 is a great low cost pre for ribbon mics.
 
I'll pile on for the VTB-1. Works great with the NADY RSM-2.
 
Also, before going with the aphex check out the "shiny box" ribbon mic. It's the same mic but you get it from a small company which offers various upgrades and options. It comes in a hard case (yes it's shiny :D) as well as the padded bag, which makes it easier to store the mic vertically. Plus, if I ever need a re-ribboning I feel a lot more confident about being able to talk to someone there who actually knows what I'm talking about.
http://www.shinybox.com/

EDIT: Also, the shiny box mic is modded so the normally integrated XLR cable is now converted into a XLR male jack. A big plus in my book.
 
i've been eye-balling a shiny box for a while now.

what would you say, the 23 or 46?
 
I think just about anything that has a variable impedence option.

Without that option, then you should probably go for the lowest impedence mic amp you can find, as originally, most of the lower-output ribbons and older dynamics were designed with a much lower impedence in mind.

Believe it or not, I believe the ART Tube MP might have the lowest ohms of anything I've seen in the budget range, and it's not a terrible mic pre at all. You could totally get by with it.
 
chessrock said:
I think just about anything that has a variable impedence option.
Click to expand...

I tried both settings with the VTB and I liked the higher impedence setting better. The lower impedence sounded "spongy" to me, not as solid especially in the low end.
 
giraffe said:
i've been eye-balling a shiny box for a while now.

what would you say, the 23 or 46?
Click to expand...

I went with the 23. I got a Nady first and really like the sound but unfortunately the mic stand adapter was messed up so I returned it and got the 23 instead since it was more like the Nady and a bit cheaper if I remember correctly. The swivel on the 46 looks a little suspect too, although it's probably sufficient. It's just that these things are damn heavy and I'd hate to have one come loose and swing down into the stand one day.
The two transformer upgrades look interesting too, I've heard people say the Lundahl sounds less "stuffy" than the stock transformer.
 
I had my eye on the "Shiny Box" line...any one know the differenes between their various models?
 
reshp1 said:
I tried both settings with the VTB and I liked the higher impedence setting better. The lower impedence sounded "spongy" to me, not as solid especially in the low end.
Click to expand...

Hmm. Must be one of those new Chinese el-cheapos. :D
 
punkin said:
I had my eye on the "Shiny Box" line...any one know the differenes between their various models?
Click to expand...

I know that one difference between them is the transformers used. Like the "L" model has a Lundahl transformer.
 
SonicAlbert said:
I know that one difference between them is the transformers used. Like the "L" model has a Lundahl transformer.
Click to expand...

yea, but i'm to stupid for that to realy mean anything i can take with me, ya know?
higher output? better sound?
wazzzup.
 
I picked up one of the Shinybox 46L's a while back and I've been really diggin' it to mic acoustic guitars and amp cabs ...not at the same time, of course. ;)

Jon (from Shinybox) is really nice to work with as well. Actually, I think he *is* Shinybox! :D ...One man shop, I believe. Likes to talk mics, he does...

Hope this helps.

-mr moon
 
The L's stand for Lundahl, the C stands for Cinemag, both the type of output transformer. They have sound clips showing the difference between the types.
The 46 is the same ribbon as the 23 in a smaller body. They say the output is slightly hotter and the mic is a little brighter. The way the mic is mounted to the "yoke" is also different.
I haven't spoken to Jon, but from his emails I got the feeling he runs the whole show too. Always good to know there's a real person to talk to when something goes wrong.
 
i just e-mailed him and asked the differences. (ask??????? the guy who knows???????? i'm a little slow, but i get there.)

i'll let you know what he says.
 
Impedence & ribbons

reshp1 got it right on the impedence, higher is better. Modern ribbon mics have an impedence in the 200-300ohm range. The minimum recommended preamp impedence for this would be 1000-1500ohms (5x), and optimum would be more like 2000-3000 (10x). Lower impedences will tend to load down the output Xformer on the mic, which is most audibly apparent in the low frequencies.

BTW there's a great article in the Nov. Electronic Musician on ribbon mics.
 
Apex 210

I purchased the APEX 210 and am using the ART TPSII tube preamp. The sound quality is excellent. I do run the tube preamp on the high end but since I am recording a brass instrument there is plenty of drive. :)
 
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