Is There Really No Way To Buy Ribbons?

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DavidNJ

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The DIY ribbon stuff uses very thin imitation silver leaf aluminum. .6 micron vs. 1.8-2.0 micron that seems to be used by the manufacturers and rebuilders (Joy, Peluso, etc., guys who really seem to know their business). Then it has to be corrugated; one writeup used a tube squeezer another used a camera barrel.

No one sells these parts?
 
There are industrial suppliers of 2-5 micron leaf, it's just they tend to have a minimum quantity requirement that ends up costing like $100 for an order, which is enough to make like 100 ribbons. As for the corrugation machines, I suspect most are jigs fabricated by the individuals involved.

I suppose we could have an aluminum leaf group buy if there was enough interest . . .
 
Who's this Joy cat in the mic business ;) ?

Anyway...getting the ribbons, even if they are corrugated is only about 1/4 of difficulty of re-ribboning a mic. This work is sort of like learning to play an instrument - there is no substitute for practice, errors and iterative corrections during installation and tensioning.

If you do a search you'll find the tips I've posted for slicing, corrugating, installing and tensioning to proper resonant frequency. But reading these instructions is no substitute for handling 1.8 micron aluminum. I don't want to dissuade you, I totally support DIY, but believe me, you'll need to do this a dozen times before its close to right.

That's why ribbon mics have been traditionally been repaired by experienced practitioners with materials, tools and techniques acquired over years of practice. But yes, you could re-tension a slack ribbon in an evening and not break it if you're careful. There is a guy on eBay who sells corrugated ribbons I think. But this is a bit like selling parts for a mechanical heart. Yep, there will be people from Chance Pataki's group buy will will be installing their ribbons any time now. Will they nail the resonant frequency? Maybe.
 
Who's this Joy cat in the mic business ;) ?

Anyway...getting the ribbons, even if they are corrugated is only about 1/4 of difficulty of re-ribboning a mic. This work is sort of like learning to play an instrument - there is no substitute for practice, errors and iterative corrections during installation and tensioning.

If you do a search you'll find the tips I've posted for slicing, corrugating, installing and tensioning to proper resonant frequency. But reading these instructions is no substitute for handling 1.8 micron aluminum. I don't want to dissuade you, I totally support DIY, but believe me, you'll need to do this a dozen times before its close to right.

That's why ribbon mics have been traditionally been repaired by experienced practitioners with materials, tools and techniques acquired over years of practice. But yes, you could re-tension a slack ribbon in an evening and not break it if you're careful. There is a guy on eBay who sells corrugated ribbons I think. But this is a bit like selling parts for a mechanical heart. Yep, there will be people from Chance Pataki's group buy will will be installing their ribbons any time now. Will they nail the resonant frequency? Maybe.

Joy is Joly after I spent 4 hours finishing my taxes! :)

"Nailing the resonant frequency"...would you have to have a variable tone generator and an oscilloscope to measure that? Wouldn't it be more about providing the tension that optimized the relationship between stiffness (preload) and damping?
 
I figured it was something like that ;)

tension is a means to an end - which is resonant frequency. Really, there's lots of info posted on this topic here, at Gearslutz and The Lab. Oh, and at tape op. I'm a bit too pressed for time to repeat here the two techniques I've posted.
 
I had just found them: http://www.lebowcompany.com/foils_list.htm#ALUMINUM 

Ok, which size is best or are different thicknesses better for different uses. They seem to list .8, 1.2, 1.8, 2.5, and 4µ. Mike Joly's website says he uses 1.8µ.

This site has 2µ sheets in 50x50mm and 100x100mm They seem alot more expensive; is the quality better? The material different?
 
ALUMINUM Al 99%

Low cost sheets,

Made in Japan


0.65µ 5.5 x 5.5 inch/ 14 x 14cm P/N 0.65Al-14x14cm
0.8µ 9.4 x 9.4 inch/ 24 x 24cm P/N 0.8Al-24x24cm
1.2µ 8.2 x 8.2 inch/ 21 x 21cm P/N 1.2Al-21x21cm
1.8µ 8.2 x 8.2 inch/ 21 x 21cm P/N 1.8Al-21x21cm
2.5µ 10.0 x 10.0 inch/25 x 25cm P/N 2.5Al-25x25cm
4.0µ 11.8 x 11.8 inch/30 x 30cm P/N 4.0Al-30x30cm
7.0µ 11.8 x 11.8 inch/30 x 30cm P/N 7.0Al-30x30cm
12.5µ 12.0 x 12.0 inch/30 x 30cm P/N 12.5Al-30x30cm

1-9 identical sheets $25.00 ea 10-29 identical sheets $20.00 ea 30+ identical sheets $15.00 ea
I'd think either the 1.8u or the 2.5u would do fine. You get a little more of the 2.5u for your $25. You'll need it to practice on.
 
Bought the 1.8µ before I saw your post. Should be enough for 20-30 ribbons (I need 2) so more than enough to practice with. Also bought a tube wringer to corrugate them.
 
Bought the 1.8µ before I saw your post. Should be enough for 20-30 ribbons (I need 2) so more than enough to practice with. Also bought a tube wringer to corrugate them.
Where'd you buy the wringer? I haven't seen one of those offered for sale.
 

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