i want that smooth vintage crooner feel

[chessparov]

An Electro-Voice RE15 (or RE16) sounds a lot like the RCA 77 ribbon on vocals.

Chris

 

[Marcellovalerio]

An Electro-Voice RE15 (or RE16) sounds a lot like the RCA 77 ribbon on vocals.

Chris

Even with an inexpensive pre?

 

[chessparov]

Anything like one of the new Joe Meek's or a DMP3 would work fine.

Am assuming you're not stacking a bazillion tracks and/or recording Michael Buble BTW . Just that it's for something like making a "nice demo" or indie kind of thing.

Haven't scoped out the "under $200" pre's lately, but at the time thought the
3Q was the best bang for the buck in this catagory. It seemed to sound somewhat cleaner/larger imaging vs. the M-Audio IMHO.

Good news on the EV mics is that they're not as fussy as a SM57 regarding "which pre" is used.

The sound quality of a recording room (or lack thereof!) is a much bigger factor in any event...

Chris

 

[Han]

There's also that t-bone ribbon, that is similar to the nady (?), but cheaper...

Can anyone tell me how Franky Sinatra got the reverb going?? Did they have a chamber, or they just pick up ambience from the room with extra mic's, or since it's a figure 8 mic does it get a lot of reverb anyway?

I'm afraid of getting a ribbon then finding out it just sounds like my other mic's...Nice to get a sample above!

I believe they had an echo chamber, Bill Putnam Sr was the first who used an echo chamber.

 

[David Katauskas]

Here's a song with my voice through the NADY RSM-2 ribbon (Studio Projects VTB-1 was the preamp and there was some FMR RNLA on the way in, I think). I'm quite pleased with the vocal sound, although I have no expensive ribbons with which to compare.

scrubs, your voice sounds very nice! Did you have a simple chain? (mic>preamp>daw (or tape))
Oh yeah...nice song too.

 

[PHILANDDON]

Guitar Junkie,

You and I are after the same sound. I can tell you that I bought the AEA R84, which is modeled after the old-RCA 77. The thing sounds silky and beautiful. Definitely croonerish. As for some of your idols (i.e. Nat King Cole), they sang into an RCA 44. Wes Dooley/AEA makes an EXACT duplicate of that mic. Mind you it is very expensive. But if that's the sound you're looking for you should at least look into it.

I am also interested in that Electro Harmonix model. Electronic Musician did a review of most of the ribbon mics on the market a few months ago. And that model was written up as being very dark with a steep roll-off at 8Khz. Could sound interesting, or it could sound too dark on vocals.

I just want to say that for the sound you want you are definitely going in the right direction if you buy a ribbon mic. Keep in mind two things:

(1) Ribbon mics have low output, so you want a preamp that has lots of clean gain. I'm using a Grace 101 modified for 70db of gain (Sounds Gorgeous)

(2) Ribbon mics employ a figure 8 pattern, which means that the mic hears what's in front of it and what's in back of it. So, it can be a tricky mic to use if your room has lots of reflections.

Good Luck

It's refreshing to see someone on this board who likes real singers....I.E. Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby. To that list may I add, Gene Autry, Hank Williams, Judy Garland, Sam Cooke, and, of course, Sinatra. They were all recorded with ribbon mics; Chiefly RCA 44's and 77's.

 

[mshilarious]

Ribbons are naturally figure 8, but other patterns can be created in the usual fashion. The Shure 330 is cardioid.

 

[AGCurry]

It's refreshing to see someone on this board who likes real singers....I.E. Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby. To that list may I add, Gene Autry, Hank Williams, Judy Garland, Sam Cooke, and, of course, Sinatra. They were all recorded with ribbon mics; Chiefly RCA 44's and 77's.

As was early Elvis, and Percy Mayfield, and Louis Jordan, and Maria Callas, and... really, anyone in a studio from 1935 to 1955.

But... I'm sure that Sinatra recorded with RCA ribbons in his EARLY days, but at least from the mid-to-late 1950s on, he used a Neumann LD condensor.

 

[guitar junkie]

It's refreshing to see someone on this board who likes real singers....I.E. Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby. To that list may I add, Gene Autry, Hank Williams, Judy Garland, Sam Cooke, and, of course, Sinatra. They were all recorded with ribbon mics; Chiefly RCA 44's and 77's.

yes you may add those guys to my list!

i grew up on "real" music and even though i don't play like a lot of those people i still want to have some of that tone with my voice... some other artists to add to my list would be....


Johnny Cash,Roy Rodgers,Tex Ritter,Rex Allen.

also any singer on 1940's radio with NBC or CBS radio networks... i love the people that sang in studio for all those old shows...

 

[scrubs]

Dude...Sweet. How far from the mic were you? It seems to have picked up your voice very well, yet it's clean. No sibilance, or distortion. Very nice....

scrubs, your voice sounds very nice! Did you have a simple chain? (mic>preamp>daw (or tape))
Oh yeah...nice song too.

Thanks, guys. I don't generally take notes when tracking (a bad habit, I know), but IIRC it was the Nady Ribbon into the SP VTB-1, with the FMR RNLA on the Insert, then into my Delta 66 card. I rolled off the bass (around 100Hz) in Cubase and added a touch of reverb. I think that's about it. I was probably around 12" from the mic and used a standard mesh pop filter.

 

[Bassman Brad]

An Electro-Voice RE15 (or RE16) sounds a lot like the RCA 77 ribbon on vocals.

Chris

Yes, indeed it does!

In fact, most of those large diaphragm dynamic mics (RE20, SM7) do a very passable imitation of a ribbon mic, IMHO. In fact, I've always thought of the SM7 as a "poor man's ribbon" mic - the mic that you get when you want a ribbon-like sound, but can't actually afford a real ribbon mic. Plus, I always feel like I should put on a dinner jacket every time I use one.

Bassman

 

[guitar junkie]

Yes, indeed it does!

In fact, most of those large diaphragm dynamic mics (RE20, SM7) do a very passable imitation of a ribbon mic, IMHO. In fact, I've always thought of the SM7 as a "poor man's ribbon" mic - the mic that you get when you want a ribbon-like sound, but can't actually afford a real ribbon mic. Plus, I always feel like I should put on a dinner jacket every time I use one.

Bassman

seems kind of like using a V amp to get a marshall sound.... it will do it but....


sorry i had to sort of hit things home for the tonesnobs in the guitar forum...

 

[cominginsecond]

i thought this was interesting to read...

http://www.mojopie.com/rsm2.html

very nice review of the mic i am wondering what Hervey has to say about these things myself...

I wrote that review. If you want to hear the clips that I used to write the review, check them out here. Maybe you'll come to a different conclustion than I did.

 

[guitar junkie]

very nice clips! i love the acoustic guitar sound... vocal is a little higher than i am planning on singing but still very nice... i will have to get all those clips later dial up sucks.

 

[sizzlemeister]

scrubs, that was a really sweet piece. Great voice. That mic sounded just fine.

 

[bigtoe]

Yes, indeed it does!

In fact, I've always thought of the SM7 as a "poor man's ribbon" mic - the mic that you get when you want a ribbon-like sound, but can't actually afford a real ribbon mic.

heck - i have 4038's, a 77DX, an M500 and a BK-5...a lot of times its the mic i use when i want a ribbon-like sound (smooth highs...blah blah...) even with the ribbons around.

Mike

 

[Dogman]

Thanks, guys. I don't generally take notes when tracking (a bad habit, I know), but IIRC it was the Nady Ribbon into the SP VTB-1, with the FMR RNLA on the Insert, then into my Delta 66 card. I rolled off the bass (around 100Hz) in Cubase and added a touch of reverb. I think that's about it. I was probably around 12" from the mic and used a standard mesh pop filter.

Thanks, man.
Ed

 

[mikey@thecave]

why don't you check with Harvey on his new SP T-3 and get his opinion on if it gives that old vibe your lookin for.

 

[Bassman Brad]

Your mic collection must ROCK!

heck - i have 4038's, a 77DX, an M500 and a BK-5...a lot of times its the mic i use when i want a ribbon-like sound (smooth highs...blah blah...) even with the ribbons around.

Mike

FOUR ribbons! Wow, man! That's quite a mic collection you've got. (I can't seem to find the smiley that means, "I'm so jealous.")

The reason I've always thought of the SM7 as being "ribbon-like" is that, the first time I heard it being used in a studio, I actually thought it WAS a ribbon mic. I walked into the control room while they were tracking a female vocalist, and I thought that I recognized it as a ribbon mic, just by the sound that was coming through the monitors. Then, when I first actually saw the mic, I thought, "Wow, that's the funkiest looking ribbon mic I've ever seen. And it's a front address mic, too!) Well, I was quickly informed that my assumption was in error. But, I've been absolutely smitten with the SM7 ever since. I don't HAVE one yet, but I certainly WILL own one someday.

Brad

 

[homestudioguy]

Hey Scrubs! Incredible song, Incredible lyrics, Great sound too!

Hey!
Thanks for sharing your tune.
I think it's great.
I think it is incredible!
You should be very proud of your talent and hard work.
Bob G.
PS-I am now selling everything and going back to the trombone...
Also!-please forgive me for I am a trained musician (I pee on the paper very well) and studied arranging (I move my furniture around regularly) yada yada yada. Have you considered lightly adding a drum kit and bass guitar somewhere part way into the song and then backing them out as you near the end? Perhaps some slow moving strings about 2 octaves up from middle c moving in and out as well Doing a do ti la ti do re mi re do kind of thing.....?
OK, I'll shut up now!
Bob G.