Ribbons take EQ extremely well because they generate virtually no self distortion. When you boost any frequency, even by extreme amounts, you increase only the musical response you’re looking for, not unpleasant distortion artifacts. Well designed ribbon mics all share this trait. Due to the cheaper components used in many of the less expensive ribbons
We call this “The Horsepower Race.” That 165 dB SPL rating is a bit misleading – it’s for signals at 1 kHz. While that is very loud, it’s not generating a massive amount of sound pressure. Our 135 dB SPL rating is at 20 Hz – a huge signal that generates a lot of sound
One of the advantages of our active microphones (R-122 MKII, R-122V, SF-24) is their ability to drive long cable lengths, up to 100-200ft. without signal loss. The limiting factor would be the quality of the phantom power being supplied to the mics. A high quality phantom system should provide a solid 48 volts at level
We’ve kicked that idea around because ribbons handle EQ so well. Ultimately a decent outboard EQ unit or a good EQ plug-in will do a better job of shaping your tone, while giving you more options. Always remember the value of good miking technique – many times a slight change in mic placement will give
Good ribbons generate a signal that is extremely low in distortion artifacts and transformer ringing, so A/D converters have an easier job tracking and translating the signal. The frequency response of ribbon mics is also important. Ribbons are naturally warm microphones, with a roll off in the highs that is closer to the sounds we
Under normal working conditions, phantom power will not damage a Royer ribbon. Phantom power is actually required for operation on our active R-122 and SF-24 microphones. The two exceptions are miswired cables and “live cross patching” on a patch bay. When a mic line is crossed-patched at the patch bay, there is a temporary short
Use a quality pop screen. Our PS-101 metal pop screens are excellent choices, but any quality pop filter will do. Nylon popper-stoppers and foam mic covers are pop filters. They often affect high frequencies. PS-101’s are pop screens and have no appreciable affect on high-frequency information – their screens simply redirect wind downward and away from the
The bass response of most ribbon microphones on guitar cabinets is much better than that of dynamic microphones. Traditional ribbon microphones will be damaged if you position them too close to an extremely loud guitar cabinet, but our R-series mics were designed to take high SPL’s and can handle close miking duties on a loud
Ribbon mics can be excellent for voiceover work. Their proximity effect gives the big bottom that VO artists love and their smoothness and lack of sibilance make the engineers happy. Due to their consistent off-axis response, ribbons are especially useful if the VO artist is moving around. As the artist moves, the pickup remains uniform
While most engineers automatically reach for a condenser mic for recording vocals, you can get excellent results from using the right ribbon microphone. Many of the great classic vocal performances were captured on ribbons. Ribbons are great for sibilance problems, singers with a harsh tone, or any time you want a little more color and