so who is the big cheese in ribbon mics this week?

[guitar junkie]

I really want a ribbon mic soon, am just wondering who is making the top dog around the market now....

It does seem to change from month to month (just like a woman)


Nady seems to have had that one mic out really early and then Shinybox

But who else should I take a long look at, at what kind of price range?

 

[scrubs]

Well, AEA, Royer, Coles, Beyerdynamic and others are trusted brands, but more expensive than the newer chinese mics.

Of the cheapies, many of them come from the same factory and are rebadged, so Nady, Shinybox, Cascade and others sell some of the same basic mics.

 

[pohaku]

Well, how much do you want to spend? What do you want to use it for?

There are the low cost Chinese mics that are sold by Nady and others or are modded by Shiny Box. Then there are the mid cost mics made by Beyer and Peluso (and others) -- specially the Beyer M160 -- that run about $300- $600. There are discontinued Beyer ribbons as well like the M260 and the M500 which are mid priced ($300-$350) and very useful. Then there are the AEA, Royer, Crowley & Tripp and Coles mics as well as the vintage RCA mics at the upper end of the tiering.

Personally, I like the Beyers a lot - especially the M160. I also like the AEA R84 which is a wonderful mic for some vocals, cabs and especially horns. A Royer is next on the acquisition list. The Chinese mics are nice for the money (I have one that I got through a group buy), but I'd rather save a little longer and only buy once. I haven't yet had a chance to play with a Shiny Box or the new Peluso ribbon mics and they certainly sound like they have possibilities.

See:

http://emusician.com/mics/emusic_ribbon_revival/

and

http://emusician.com/mics/emusic_ribbon_mic_summit/

 

[kojdogg]

As far as Chinese mics go, there are the Alctron mics that are all the same and get rebranded as Nady, Cascade, Stellar, Shinybox, Apex, PPA (and probably some other companies), these all have gotten a generally good response. I have a couple of Karma K-6 ribbons, which are great-- they are Chinese ribbons, but are made only by and for Karma by their own company, and distinguish themselves from the Alctron mics by being phantom-powered (they have much higher gain than the Alctrons which is a big plus as ribbon mics often suffer from low outputs)

 

[SRR]

I say start your collection of ribbons at the bottom, (meaning bottom of the price spectrum) get a shinybox.

That is my latest recording/mix with a stock shinybox 23, into a AEA TRP preamp, into a ART PRO VLA, into a M-Audio 1010LT, into Reaper along with UAD-1 plugs and plugs that come with reaper.

 

[zorf]

was curious about the K6's.


Wonder how it would compare with my 23L from shiny. (which i like a lot)
Anybody here have both?
The chart on the Karma site shows a pretty radical drop of the highs for this mic. Is this typical of ribbons?

 

[BigRay]

i just got a pair of coles 4040 ..best ribbons ive ever had..

 

[tubedude]

Someone give me a palce to post some samples of dirty guitars with the Whinybox and I'll post some later. I'm about to go make some here in a bit.

 

[tubedude]

Haha, I put Whinybox by accident. Must be a flashback to my last 3 girlfriends. To hell the editing its kinda funny.

 

[NL5]

Someone give me a palce to post some samples of dirty guitars with the Whinybox and I'll post some later. I'm about to go make some here in a bit.

www.lightningmp3.com

 

[guitar junkie]

well i am thinking something along the lines of $250 or less....

seems like the fathead units might be the way to go for that....

also shinybox

 

[hungovermorning]

well i am thinking something along the lines of $250 or less....

seems like the fathead units might be the way to go for that....

also shinybox

Spend a little more and get a Beyer M160, in my opinion, it's the greatest guitar mic ever. I go through a lot of gear, but I've never even though about sticking another mic in front of an amp after I heard the difference. Remember, buy cheap buy twice.

 

[guitar junkie]

well i never mic guitar amps any more, all i want is something to sound kind of vintage on my vocals.

I am a folk musician, not a rocker doing multi tracks of drums and amps and bass guitars, distorted guitars and all that, in fact just me and an acoustic most of the time with some mandolin and banjo and fiddle...

 

[kidvybes]

well i am thinking something along the lines of $250 or less....
seems like the fathead units might be the way to go for that....
also shinybox

...IMHO the K6 is a noticeable step-up (read:keeper) from the stock Alctron ribbon mics (Nady, Apex, Shinybox without upgraded tranny, Cascade, etc.) and still in the price ballpark...especially if your mic pres top off around 60 dB (since it's phantom-powered)...
http://karmaaudio.com/6.html

 

[Caotico]

I can't get shinybox's website to open.

 

[littledog]

well i am thinking something along the lines of $250 or less....

Sounds like you are more interested in the little cheese...

 

[tubedude]

I just posted a brief review and a sample over at that slutty forum on the "Low End Theory" boards. Chiggety check it out if you wish...

 

[zorf]

Hi KIDVYBES,

Are you saying then that the K6 is more or less in the same ballpark
as my MODDED alcatron?
The low gain on my shiny has been a challenge on quiet sources.

 

[gcapel]

I hear that royer 121 is the sheeiot. Its little over a grand, it better be.

 

[stetto]

These guys are planning to release one...

http://www.pmiaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=240

I've had good experiences with the SP's I own so far...I recently read a pretty good review of the Cascade Fathead in either Mix or Recording mag, can't remember which...

Eric