Ribbon Mic for around $800 USD in 2024

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mattkw801

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Any suggestions for a Ribbon Mic for around $800 USD.

Primary use would be drum overhead (mono) and guitar amps and acoustic guitar.

Well now that I say that - the more versatile the better.

Can someone hit me with some suggestions?

Bonus points for also suggesting a stereo set for around $1000 USD.
 
There used to be a ribbon from the disco company citronic. I have a stereo pair of them and they sound amazing and when new, were cheap. The occasionally come up on ebay. really well made and worth a go if you ever see them for sale. Thomann have some ribbons, own branded, and I suspect they may well be very close to the Citronic ones. For the price, I'd be tempted to buy a pair and give them a test. thomann site
 
The Rode NTR is worth considering. You should be able to find one in the US for around $800

Rode NTR

Rode take the established ribbon–mic formula and apply some novel design ideas to come up with what could well be a future classic.
www.soundonsound.com www.soundonsound.com
 
Used AEA R84 is probably about there. I picked one up open box and love it. I have a pair of the Royer R10s and they're affordable but not sure it would be my first choice for your application.
 
fig of 8 for drum overheads sort of assumes a really nice sounding room? They're also quite heavy mics, and that means a really top notch boom stand, or a heavy duty one with counterbalance? Drums tend to hit anything that gently drops down.
 
You can get a Fat Top Brown w/Upgraded Lundahl 2912 by Pinnacle (Formerly Cascade Microphones) $425 or the Fat Top II Black Active Passive for $689 - which is a superior mic to the Fat Top Brown- The active mode requires phantom power and will add up to 20db of gain - it is quite nice.
 
A ribbon on acoustic guitar could be a challenge for the pre amp. What do you have?

Dave.
 
Thanks for a all the replies.

I have Warm (Neve) Preamps.... the WA series.
I would say my room does not sound fantastic. It's slightly treated. Sounds ok enough to jam in but... it's not a professional studio space.

The Pinnacle's and the Royer R10's appeal to me.

I'm also a Beatles and White Stripes fan... so sometimes I wonder if I should not double the budget to save for a Coles 4038.

I'm awfully worried about breaking / maintaining a ribbon mic, having never owned one before.
 
Don’t worry at all about ribbons. Despite what you hear, I have never broken one in my life, and I’m ancient, by normal use. The only thing, going back to my first Reslo is blowing hard enough into them which slackens the tension by untightening the zig-zags. The ribbon has little mass so even big jolts are survivable. Even the often quoted 48v powering ‘disaster’ has never been problematic. Mine is never off! The real thing that’s stops me using them more is the rear pickup. In a church, on a choir or orchestra, lovely but in my studios not good at all. Hence why cardioids are so popular. I have no use for ribbons in my spaces. I now have 7 in my collection.
 
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rob aylestone said:
. In a church, on a choir or orchestra, lovely but in my studios not good at all. Hence why cardioids are so popular. I have no use for ribbons in my spaces. I now have 7 in my collection.
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You don’t like the Figure 8 setting of Ribbons? I am the opposite - I like them in my studio but not live - because the figure 8 pattern.
 
Nope - in the studio, the back of the mic is pointless. One studio is hard walled and sounds boxy on a fig-8 pattern - because the room is reflective, and in the other, it's much deader and while not as bad, often there are noises from fans that the pattern makes work, being a video space. Live in nice spaces, I love the sound - Blumlein being my favourite pattern to make the space bigger and more sort of impressive. I guess it's what we like in the spaces we use that decides?
 
rob aylestone said:
Nope - in the studio, the back of the mic is pointless. One studio is hard walled and sounds boxy on a fig-8 pattern - because the room is reflective, and in the other, it's much deader and while not as bad, often there are noises from fans that the pattern makes work, being a video space. Live in nice spaces, I love the sound - Blumlein being my favourite pattern to make the space bigger and more sort of impressive. I guess it's what we like in the spaces we use that decides?
Click to expand...
My space is acoutically good - I even go so far as to say it’s sounds great - that makes sense then if you have errant noises why you wouldn’t like it.
 
If I didn't mention it before - I am in Canada.

Anybody have any luck getting Pinnacle (Cascade) in Canada?
 
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