Looking for a good/inexpensive ribbon mic?

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Dr. Jeep

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Any ideas on what kind/brand of ribbon mic is a good investment?
 
A royer 121 if you've got the budget. Its something you'd never get rid of.


Ryan.
 
Beyer M160 (instruments primarily) or M500 (vocals primarily).
AEA R84 (general purpose).
 
inexpensive GA R2 here in da UK it retails for £100

I'd give my eye teeth for a royer or a coles

SE electronics mics aren't to be sniffed at either
 
byer m-130. Figure 8 pattern, killer response.
 
Yo Canibus! A ribbon mic is a subcategory of dynamic mic that uses a thin ribbon, often made of aluminum, instead of a diaphragm. They were used extensively in broadcasting and music recording in the day, and are still prized possesions of most big time studios. They usually have rather weak output. That's not a bad thing, but they like to be paired up with a preamp that provides *a lot* of clean gain. The wicked expensive classics are by RCA (thousands of bucks for a used one), and Royer and Coles are very respected. Beyerdynamics makes some handheld versions that are cheaper, especially if you can find them used. Their current version is M130, about $600 new. The older, discontinued M500 can be found on ebay for $200 or so used, if you are patient, and good at sniping. AEA R84 is about $1000, and the newer R92 is $800 or so.
Advantages of ribbon mics- the better ones are simply great mics. They are great for vocals, guitar cabs, and brass in particular. The standard of the industry for folks like Frank Sinatra. I'll be honest with you, I have no clue what happens if you rap into one. Downsides- they are often expensive and delicate. Don't drop one, smack it with a drumstick, or blow into it.
Two new developments in ribbon mic technology that are of interest- First, the Chinese have been building a cheap studio ribbon (now two different models) sold under a variety of brandnames- Shinybox, Nady, etc. I've never heard one, and I don't know how they'll hold up over time, but the initial reviews by folks on this board have been encouraging. A bunch of folks here own one, and can tell you more.
Secondly, a company in Massachusetts, Soundwave Research Labaratories, has begun producing a line of revolutionary ribbon mics under the brand name Crowley and Tripp. They have greatly increased output, comparable to a stage dynamic, and greater in some cases.
Up 'til now, the main offerings have been fairly pricy, mainly the Studio Vocalist ($1695) and Proscenium ($1795). They are frankly, great mics. Their newest model is The Naked Eye, priced at $745, just a little less than an AEA R92. The weird thing is, it's a figure 8 mic, but the 2 sides of the figure 8 produce very different frequency profiles. One side is dark, and is recommended for cabs, and the other side is brighter, and is recommended for vocals and acoustic guitar. I have not heard this mic, but I'm hoping to soon.
I have Russian ribbon, an Oktava ML-52, which is a $360 "buy it now" on ebay, but you can find them for a lot less. I bought mine new at Guitar Center for $175 a couple of years ago. I'd be interesting in hearing from anybody who has tried ribbons for rap, and what the results were like. Hope this helps.-Richie
 
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Richard Monroe said:
Yo Canibus! A ribbon mic is a subcategory of dynamic mic that uses a thin ribbon, often made of aluminum, instead of a diaphragm. They were used extensively in broadcasting and music recording in the day, and are still prized possesions of most big time studios. They usually have rather weak output. That's not a bad thing, but they like to be paired up with a preamp that provides *a lot* of clean gain. The wicked expensive classics are by RCA (thousands of bucks for a used one), and Royer and Coles are very respected. Beyerdynamics makes some handheld versions that are cheaper, especially if you can find them used. Their current version is M130, about $600 new. The older, discontinued M500 can be found on ebay for $200 or so used, if you are patient, and good at sniping. AEA R84 is about $1000, and the newer R92 is $800 or so.
Advantages of ribbon mics- the better ones ore simply great mics. They are great for vocals, guitar cabs, and brass in particular. The standard of the industry for folks like Frank Sinatra. I'll be honest with you, I have no clue what happens if you rap into one. Downsides- they are often expensive and delicate. Don't drop one, smack it with a drumstick, or blow into it.
Two new developments in ribbon mic technology that are of interest- First, the Chinese have been building a cheap studio ribbon (now two different models) sold under a variety of brandnames- Shinybox, Nady, etc. I've never heard one, and I don't know how they'll hold up over time, but the initial reviews by folks on this board have been encouraging. A bunch of folks here own one, and can tell you more.
Secondly, a company in Massachusetts, Soundwave Research Labaratories, has begun producing a line of revolutionary ribbon mics under the brand name Crowley and Tripp. They have greatly increased output, comparable to a stage dynamic, and greater in some cases.
Up 'til now, the main offerings have been fairly pricy, mainly the Studio Vocalist ($1695) and Proscenium ($1795). They are frankly, great mics. Their newest model is The Naked Eye, priced at $745, just a little less than an AEA R92. The weird thing is, it's a figure 8 mic, but the 2 sides of the figure 8 produce very different frequency profiles. One side is dark, and is recommended for cabs, and the other side is brighter, and is recommended for vocals and acoustic guitar. I have not heard this mic, but I'm hoping to soon.
I have Russian ribbon, an Oktava ML-52, which is a $360 "buy it now" on ebay, but you can find them for a lot less. I bought mine new at Guitar Center for $175 a couple of years ago. I'd be interesting in hearing from anybody who has tried ribbons for rap, and what the results were like. Hope this helps.-Richie
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thanks for the explanation :D
 
i wonder if thats the same apex that makes 27" flat screen tvs that cost $175..
 
treymonfauntre said:
i wonder if thats the same apex that makes 27" flat screen tvs that cost $175..
Click to expand...

No. Apex Digital, Inc. of Walnut, CA makes TVs. Apex Electronics of Niagara Falls, NY imports microphones. AFAIK, the two aren't related.
 
Beyerdynamic still makes the M160 (a double ribbon hypercardioid microphone) and the M130 (a double ribbon figure of eight microphone). The sound is essentially the same, but the pattern is different. Depending on what you are recording, one may be more useful to you than the other (or they may both be useful if you are doing stereo recording using Mid-Side (MS) technique). Among other things, the M160 is primarily responsible for the drum sound of When the Levee Breaks. A great cab mic as well as useful on strings and horns. They are great mics and "mid-priced" in the scheme of ribbon mics. The M500 was issued as a performing vocal mic, allegedly Frank Sinatra's mic of choice, but has since been discontinued. Commonly available on e-bay. It is useful on instruments as well, but is really great on some voices. Has a bit of a presence peak and is a bit hotter mic than the M160 and M130. They all still need a good quiet preamp with substantial gain however.
 
Originally Posted by kidvybes
Good + Inexpensive =
http://www.frontendaudio.com/APEX_A...hone_p/7489.ht

Who says it's good? It isn't even due for delivery until late April. I'm betting if you look inside, you're going to find the same rebranded Chinese mic everybody else is selling. I'm not saying it's a bad mic, because I haven't heard it. Have you? One thing's for sure. The entry of cheap Chinese and Russian ribbon mics into the market is going to create incentives for price drops by Royer, Coles, AEA, Beyerdynamic, etc. The jury is still out on how the new cheap ribbons will stand up to the classics. My guess is about the way Chinese condensers stand up to Neumann, Brauner, Schoeps, etc. The big name mics are still better, but the cheap competition is often usable, at a very attractive price. What will be interesting is to see the middle ground. How about a $300 Australian made Rode ribbon, with Rode customer support behind it? That would rock.-Richie
 
Richard Monroe said:
Originally Posted by kidvybes
Good + Inexpensive =
http://www.frontendaudio.com/APEX_A...hone_p/7489.ht

Who says it's good? It isn't even due for delivery until late April. I'm betting if you look inside, you're going to find the same rebranded Chinese mic everybody else is selling. I'm not saying it's a bad mic, because I haven't heard it. Have you? One thing's for sure. The entry of cheap Chinese and Russian ribbon mics into the market is going to create incentives for price drops by Royer, Coles, AEA, Beyerdynamic, etc. The jury is still out on how the new cheap ribbons will stand up to the classics. My guess is about the way Chinese condensers stand up to Neumann, Brauner, Schoeps, etc. The big name mics are still better, but the cheap competition is often usable, at a very attractive price. What will be interesting is to see the middle ground. How about a $300 Australian made Rode ribbon, with Rode customer support behind it? That would rock.-Richie
Click to expand...

...the formula was "Good + Inexpensive"...I already have the Nady RSM-2 and RSM-1 (same mic as the Apex 205 as well as the Shinybox 46)...same 2" long/2-micron ribbon element in both mics...yes, definately a "generic" Chinese variation...

...Shinybox describes their version as having:
"high output for a ribbon microphone, and has a frequency response that has a rise in the high end and low end when compared to other ribbon microphones. In many applications, this presents you with a "ready to mix" sound. The smaller body dimension exhibits less proximity effect. An exceptional value for the price, the ShinyBox 46 stands up to microphones many times it's price, without breaking a sweat."

...as far as the "jury is still out", here's some pretty credible testimony that might impress the jurors:

http://www.proaudioreview.com/june05/nady.shtml
http://www.mojopie.com/rsm2.html
http://www.musictechmag.co.uk/mtm/reviews/rsm-2
http://emusician.com/mics/emusic_ribbon_revival/
http://mojopie.ipbhost.com/index.php?automodule=blog&blogid=5&cmd=showentry&eid=137

...I rest my case... ;)
 
Gee, I don't know. Here's an excert from Fred Bashour's review of the Nady version:

"After lunch, I copied the files to my desktop DAW Mac and while we edited and mixed down, I got a chance to compare the two mics carefully. Their levels were within a dB of each other and the sound was definitely "from the same family line." However, it didn't take us very long to pick the winner. The AEA mic sounded just like the listener was in the room with her, while the Nady sounded like... well, a microphone. Sure, on quick A/B comparisons, they sounded almost the same, but it didn't take long for both of us to notice that the R84 had "higher highs, lower lows," and much more of its special signature "you're right there" quality. The Nady was a little bit honkier in the midrange, much less open in the highs, and its low end sounded considerably thinner than the R84's. But we must remember that the RMS-2 goes for something like one-third the price of an R84! If one were to listen to it by itself, you'd be amazed at how nice it sounds. "

This comparison is against an R84, which many would consider a mid-priced ribbon. Sounds like about what I said- inferior to the big boys, but nonetheless usable. Such comparisons may be less important to those with a $200 mic budget, but I think I'm still saving for a pair of Royers. This is an Indy racer that is 80% as fast as the competition for 1/3 the price, but finished 23rd. This jury member is also uncertain how the current crop of cheap Chinese ribbons will hold up over 5-10 years, and what kind of customer support will be provided if it craps out 2 years down the line. Note what I said above. I am not saying they are bad mics, only that I doubt they are comparable to the big name ribbons, for a variety of reasons. There is a valid place in the market for equipment at every price point, as long as it provides good value for the price.

Every good project studio is an unholy alliance of cheap gear that works pretty well, and a few carefully chosen pieces of gear that really are top of the line. I've been known to plug Oktava MC012's into an Avalon AD2022. I'm also always skeptical of magazine reviews. In the end, these are the same people who told me a Studio Projects C-1 sounds like a Neumann U87. I am pretty conservative in my mic choices, whether cheap or pricey. Before they can sell it to me, whatever it is, it will have to be used by a lot of people, both professional and amateur, over a considerable period of time, and proven to be a useful addition to a well rounded mic cabinet. After it does that, I'll consider adding it to my cabinet, whether it costs $50, or $5,000. The prosecution requests a recess for about 5 years.-Richie
 
At the price, the Chinese ribbons are one of the best values in audio right now, IMO. In my experience, they are much closer in quality to their expensive counterparts than inexpensive condensors are to their expensive counterparts. I fell in love with ribbons based on my Nady RSM-2 (I wrote the mojopie review above), and I've since gone on to get an AEA R92 which is such a great mic. I'm just glad that I'm living in an age where you can get such quality for such a low price.
 
cominginsecond said:
At the price, the Chinese ribbons are one of the best values in audio right now, IMO. In my experience, they are much closer in quality to their expensive counterparts than inexpensive condensors are to their expensive counterparts. I fell in love with ribbons based on my Nady RSM-2 (I wrote the mojopie review above), and I've since gone on to get an AEA R92 which is such a great mic. I'm just glad that I'm living in an age where you can get such quality for such a low price.
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...thank you...the defense welcomes other testimony... ;)

***PLEASE CHIME IN IF YOU HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH ANY OF THE NEW NADY, APEX, SHINYBOX, STELLAR OR OTHER BRANDED CHINESE RIBBON MICS...ESPECIALLY YOU "GROUP BUY" RECIPIENTS...THANKS!***
 
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FWIW..........I received an EH "Made in Russia" ribbon for X Mas.
I used it on a guitar track. Using a Brick as a pre I was really happy with the result. I have not used it on drums yet. I was "concerned " about it's low output but this is one characteristic. Really neat low end and it almost felt like it was breathing with my pick dynamics. I have been recording for years and years and this really sounded different than any other set up I have used.
I would like a more high end one but I am spending lots of $$$$$$$$$$$
on home improvement so maybe later!!!!!!!

Rico
 
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