ribbon mics

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Today I was at git-center getting a m-audio microtrack II, so I can record some sounds of nature and stuff (different story) and I looked up and saw a Nady RSM-4 ribbon mic. I just listened to the PSN podcast where Big Al and Slau talk about ribbon mics.

They wanted 79.00 for the RSM-4. I said where's the RSM-5? They said they don't carry those, I said WTF? They said I can order it... So I said ok, maybe later, let me check this one out then. I liked the RSM-5 the best on the podcast shootout.

I'm never going back to the SM-57! I was tweaking and placing that SM-57 for hours, eq'ing, double tracking neck/bridge pickups (for 4 total tracks), and all around fiddling just to get a sound which was almost exactly like throwing the ribbon in front of my amp, wearing headphones, and going... ooh, yeah I see, I hear, ok right there... then BAMM same sound (albeit double tracked).

I'll throw up some mp3's of each so you can hear. I have been using "save-as" tonight, so I can definitely just bounce some solo'd tracks.

Oh and I love massey's tapehead for crunching guitars. I'm gonna buy that from him soon. I mean the demo is awesome. I have to memorize my settings and all, but I've just been going back to that plug over and over, definitely need to send him some cash. How does the DUY tape plug compare, as far as guitars go? The Massey one sounds great on drums too. I'm using strike for drums mostly, and it just makes my strike drums stand out in the mix. Every time I've used it on vox, I took it back off, but on guitars it just adds this great crunch that I love so much.

[Strat+AC30]

After two years of "wow, I can't ever imagine using anything but a ribbon mic on guitar", I've slowly migrated towards the middle ground "it all depends on the arrangement & corresponding sounds".

There's times where a part just needs that 57 aggression to cut through, and no ribbon will do it. There's other times that I want a rhythm track to be so fat that all the patented "57 fizz" would only make that harder.

But yeah, I can't imagine going back to guitar sounds without ribbons as an option.

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After two years of "wow, I can't ever imagine using anything but a ribbon mic on guitar", I've slowly migrated towards the middle ground "it all depends on the arrangement & corresponding sounds".

There's times where a part just needs that 57 aggression to cut through, and no ribbon will do it. There's other times that I want a rhythm track to be so fat that all the patented "57 fizz" would only make that harder.

But yeah, I can't imagine going back to guitar sounds without ribbons as an option.

I hear ya, I mean I'm still a total noob, but the 57 seems to have that nice gritty bite, but against this here ribbon it sounds like AM radio! I just recently got a nice sound out of the 57 by angling it off axis (30 degrees maybe?) up on top of my speaker (ac-30), right above where the wood is cut. Everything else seemed too bright. My first night with the ribbon, it's off 4-5 inches from the grill, near the edge of the speaker cutout, and sounds sweet.

I may be having the new mic, so everything sounds cool thing, but it just sounds better than what I was doing before. Its kinda what I was looking for in a mic'd cab. I think... I mean 1 day isn't going to change the world hehe.

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Fish57.mp3 is 4 tracks, neck pickup and bridge pickup, eq'd and messed with forever... SM-57



And fish_ribbons1.mp3 is a Nady RSM-4 stock in front of the AC-30, first try double tracked...

[Pancho Ballard]

Not sure which I prefer but your timing is slightly better on the ribbon mic track! ;-)

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Not sure which I prefer but your timing is slightly better on the ribbon mic track! ;-)

Yeah, because it's only 2 guitars. With 4 it gets muddy. I'm not gifted at double tracking :)

[Pancho Ballard]

My main concern about comparing the two mics at the moment is that your 57 track has been " Eq'd and messed with forever, " whereas the ribbon mic track is supposedly just the mic in front of the amp. I'd like to hear the 57 track without any work done to it.

The results would be very interesting as I'm currently debating whether to get a ribbon mic myself. I'm not sure how it would suit my guitar sound but I have a feeling I have the sort of voice that would benefit from being recorded with a ribbon mic.

[takk]

I listened to the PSN podcast too. I have to say I wasn't THAT impressed with the Nady's, the Apex's and the mods, even the Coles on the drums I was like "pretty cool".

BUT when I heard the Coles 4038 on distorted guitar I WAS TOTALLY FUCKING FLOORED!!!

The sound was so vibrant and full with just the right amount of highs without piercing the eardrum, nice tight lows. I instantly said "I NEED THIS MIC!" (And I need $1,300, damn!)

On the next PSN Al and Slau talked a lot about the Cascade Fathead. That's more in my price range. I'm considering one of those right now.

Brack, what ribbon did you end up getting? and what pre are you using?

Good thread!

[Brendo]

Oh and I love massey's tapehead for crunching guitars.

How does the DUY tape plug compare, as far as guitars go?DUY Valve sounds much more similar to Massey Tapehead.

It's a different sound though, Massey has an obvious distortion to it, the DUY stuff fattens without having the obviousness to it until you hit stupid high settings.

Like you know what Tapehead does to the tone? Except do it without adding the crunchies.

[pacAir]

I haven't used one of these (Cascade VinJet Long Ribbon), but I did order one on a special deal to try out:

http://www.cascademicrophones.com/cascade_VIN-JET_edeals.html

I inspected a friend's Cascade Long Ribbon microphone and the construction and materials were first rate, much higher quality than I have seen on any of the imports (and a much longer warranty so they appear to stand behind their product).

I have high expectations and can't wait to try out my new "xmas toy". It is intended to be a "partner" to the SM57 I normally use. For what you get (Mic, spider suspension mount, stand mount, padded bag, aluminum case and tech pouch) I think the package has the makings of a "bad-ass" deal for those of us on a budget.

Another plus is that all Cascade Ribbons are billed as being tolerant to Phantom Power as long as you don't do something stupid:

http://www.cascademicrophones.com/cascade_PhantomPower.html

:)

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Another plus is that all Cascade Ribbons are billed as being tolerant to Phantom Power as long as you don't do something stupid)

Yeah I almost made a fatal phantom power mistake lol. I have to learn to turn it on, rather than turn it off :(

[brack]

My main concern about comparing the two mics at the moment is that your 57 track has been " Eq'd and messed with forever, " whereas the ribbon mic track is supposedly just the mic in front of the amp. I'd like to hear the 57 track without any work done to it.

The results would be very interesting as I'm currently debating whether to get a ribbon mic myself. I'm not sure how it would suit my guitar sound but I have a feeling I have the sort of voice that would benefit from being recorded with a ribbon mic.

This is kind of embarrassing, I mean the 57 mics to me don't sound like something I wanna share, but I'll put them up un-messed with.

Remember I'm far from being paid, some people might pay me to stop playing lol (I mean I hope not, but shit you never know). I'm just saying I'm not in a real pro-like studio, I'm in a basement on a budget. So results may vary! hehe.

2sm57_bridge is 2 tracks, r/l, placed where I thought it was a good spot - bridge pickups. 2sm57_neck is the neck pickups, then the "together" file is both, but the bridge pickups are turned down a bit to give the overall guitars more fatness.

These are leveled for the mix, I didn't turn the guitars up, nor are there ANY effects, plugs, eq, anything.

I'm using the projectmix i/o stock preamp.

Since I can only put 3 files in a post, the next post is the ribbon.

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As I promised, this is the RSM-4 stock, I didn't play with the placement near as much as I did with the SM-57. If my AC-30 speaker were a clock I'd say I put it at 2 o'clock near the outer edge of the speaker. That took me about 5 mins of placement versus I'm thinking 2 hours of placing the SM-57.

I'm not glorifying the ribbon, and I hear the modded versions are better, I mean this is my first ribbon and all, but at this point I'm definitely going to look at ribbons for amps before anything else.

For 79.00 shit its cheaper than an SM-57.

This file is neck pickups double tracked r/l no eq, no plugs, just straight into the projectmix.

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And here's the rsm-4, with massey's tapehead on settings 7 and -6.1 with some compression and no eq in a mix (not the end mix, but I'm just solo'ing bass/drum/ribbon mics).

The massey plug by itself is, well.. distorted, but in the mix I think it crunches so awesome. I'm also using the tapehead (settings 8/-6.1) on the drums.

[Wireline]

If it means anything to anyone here...I bought a pair of Fathead IIs in with the shockmounts, mounting bar, etc, for a stupidly low price, based solely on the recommendation of a well known and regarded friend...

Plugged them in, and immediately was blown away at what they were giving,... not the perfect mic for every occassion, but good enough that we retracked some things previously done with a 57 at the request of the guitarist... that much of a difference...

[lambro]

of sound pressure to sound good on guitars, otherwise they sound gritty

Royer 121 ribbon close & LDC back about 8 feet for some air with vintage style pres

done