Best Ribbon Mic for Female Vocals

[Al Sim]

I'm looking for opinions on the best ribbon mic for female vocals. We're recording an alt-country CD with a retro flavor, hence the interest in ribbon mics. Our best guess on the singer's range is mezzosoprano.

Thanks.

 

[AGCurry]

Well, if you want a real "retro" flavor, you should find an RCA 77, the standard of the industry for vocal mics from the early 40s to the mid 50s.

The RCA 44 is also quite good, having more "reach" but less "presence". It was used on thousands of recordings from the 30s until ... now.

Unfortunately, your chances of finding either one of these that's in good shape for reasonable $$ are not so good.

I haven't used the Coles 4038, a British mic which is still being manufactured, nor have I used any Royers. These are both very good makes, but I'm not so sure they're considered great for vocals.

I generally reach for one of my AEA R84s. The R84 is a postmodern take on the RCA 77, with somewhat wider frequency response. It likes pretty much every voice it's heard. My second favorite is a Shure SM33 which I snagged on eBay. Unlike most long-ribbon mics, it has a pretty tight cardioid pattern.

A viable alternative might be a Beyerdynamic M500 with the Stephen Sank modification. I don't much care for any of my M500s, but none of them have the mod.

 

[Al Sim]

Thanks for the response. How do you typically position the AEA 84 for vocals? I've read that the strong proximity effect requires about 3' between the singer and the mic. At the distance, and with the figure 8 pattern, I'm concerned about getting too much of the room in the track, and I don't have the budget for acoustically treating the room. But I've never worked with a ribbon mic or a figure 8 pattern, so maybe I'm all wet. Anyway, I'm reassured that you singled out the AEA 84 since that's the mic I've been zeroing in on. Thanks again.

 

[mshilarious]

Thanks for the response. How do you typically position the AEA 84 for vocals? I've read that the strong proximity effect requires about 3' between the singer and the mic.

I don't have the AEA 84, but I have a couple of Shures (315, 330). 3 feet seems pretty excessive, 18" should do. A mezzosoprano isn't going to generate much low-frequency content anyway.

 

[AGCurry]

Thanks for the response. How do you typically position the AEA 84 for vocals? I've read that the strong proximity effect requires about 3' between the singer and the mic. At the distance, and with the figure 8 pattern, I'm concerned about getting too much of the room in the track, and I don't have the budget for acoustically treating the room. But I've never worked with a ribbon mic or a figure 8 pattern, so maybe I'm all wet. Anyway, I'm reassured that you singled out the AEA 84 since that's the mic I've been zeroing in on. Thanks again.

I generally go from 4 inches to 18 inches, depending, of course, on a) the loudness of the singer, b) whether it's a lead or backup part, and c) how much proximity effect I desire. IMO part of the "retro" vibe you're looking for incudes some proximity effect. Think Bing Crosby, Ernest Tubb, or, for a female, vintage Judy Garland or Ella Fitzgerald. The proximity effect is what made the whole "crooner" style possible.

 

[AGCurry]

I'll add that I also have an AEA R44CNE - the "cheaper" ($2900 instead of 3100!) AEA remake of the RCA 44 - and for that mic, 3 feet is completely practical. I did a session once where I really wanted the lead singer, backup vocals (7 people), and the clarinet all recorded at once, for a good live sound. No one was closer than 3 feet away from the 44, with some of the backup singers 8 feet away, and everything was picked up beautifully. That mic has an amazing reach!

 

[cuibono]

Ive gotten my hands on an RCA 77 by renting, and was very pleased with it. very smooth. we were using it ~6" for lead female vocals. I would guess royer mics would be very good too. Ive met a couple of those guys and they are pretty dedicated to what they do.
-Patrick

 

[Al Sim]

Thanks everyone. This is a big help.

 

[Warhead]

3 feet seems pretty excessive, 18" should do.

Agreed, with the R84 I would start around 12" actually and work my way around but 18" would probably be max distance in this application.

War

 

[Al Sim]

Sold. I'm ordering an AEA R84. Again, thanks to everyone.

 

[Sonic Idiot]

I'm sure your choice will be fine, just remember there is no "best mic" in any style at any price point. A better way to phrase your question might be "What has been your experience with ribbon mics on female vocals?" and then use the responses to make an informed dicision on which mic might meet your needs.