Ribbon Microphones Compared to Large Condensers as Drum Overheads

[SuperDRadio]

What would be better for radio voice-overs/radio presentation?

condensor or ribbon?

[AUdioHipster]

@SuperDRadio I think the first choice nowadays would be a condenser for VO, and if your on a budget, we just got these true 1.25 large diaphragm condensers from Recording Tools (German Co. Oktava Asian collaboration i am sure) it is a MC-520 it seems to be a take on the TLM103, it is FET and very quiet, and extremely transparent. and the good is the price, we will be putting these on our AUdioHipster web page soon. 110$ for 1 and 200 for a pair. best bang for the buck i believe.

[AUdioHipster]

@SuperDRadio Altho i do love ribbons... the quick transient response and warm fat tone, soon i hope to do a shoot out on a few ribbons now a days you have not only long but short, duel, active, even tube ribbons... we received MRP-01 from Recording Tools to try, other then the ribbon element has no easy access, a big drag, but for the cost, it is just a ribbon & a transformer, all i can say is it rocks, sounds so much more transparent then the other passive ribbons, i have, i am in disbelief.

[toolowd]

does someone think this sounds good?

[AUdioHipster]

@toolowd Man, I think ribbons are underrated & just 2 ribbons here nothing else also no extra volume just as it hit the recorder, we recorded Jonathan Scales and used 2 ribbons on his pans and the fast natural transients, of the R102 MKII ribbons were perfect. the ribbons sound great, but drummer sounds like shit... next time I will get Yonrico Scott to play. Cheers Doyen

[Diegel]

What I found is that ribbons sound better on drums when the drums are soloed. But I think condensors work better in the mix. My 2 cents. 15 years of recording experience.

[AUdioHipster]

The R102MKII HF has definitely been a flop as far as sales in the US, i got one from the Nam show and was very impressed, it has a true flat response that travels way below 20Hz with EQ'ing it is amazing... can sound like almost any mic but this amazing transients... too bad this mic sucks at sales.. i brought 6 over and i bought 2 a engineer at Southern Tracks bought one... and the other 3 sits in my office / store room. this is one of the most lovely usable classical ribbons i have used.

[dashboardmenagerie]

The mics don't sound bad...but the kit...

[nvguitarguy]

Listening through my 7506s I hear more LF with the ribbons. It's a nice mellow sound with pretty good detail on the high end. I hear more detail in the high sounds with the LDCs but the kit sounds better overall with the R102 HF. I'm not a percussionist but I'm thinking a blend of the two types would be the best. Good post, very useful comparisons. I'll let you know how the R102 does on nylon string in a few weeks.

Craig

[AUdioHipster]

@nvguitarguy Hi I tried blumlein stereo mic technique on a Millennium Classical, 1 large condenser fig8 and 1 R102 ribbon about foot or so off the floor in front of the player 20 inches or so from the guitar. It worked very nice... Thanks and let us know how the ribbon works. Doyen

[AUdioHipster]

Man I don't know if anywho ... see's it ... Ribbons ..Like Naked .. maybe you like that maybe you don't the LG True.... Partial clothing ...  But wooden't U like to see More???

[rzapen]

thank you for the audio education :)

[chase1]

SUPERLUX and Audiohipster ROCK

[2LEELEE1]

Wow, those mikes sound awesome!! Weren't you playing innagadadavida?

[chase1]

@2LEELEE1

[AUdioHipster]

@2LEELEE1 Hey Thanks for the Laugh... haven't heard Iron Butterfly in a while... but Black Oak Arkansas w/ Jim Dandy will be up the street in Athens in Jan... want to see them ...I'll have to invite them to stop by the studio. Anywho your right I don't normally use ribbons for OH but they are great for Room mic's and tom's even kick if your ribbon can handle it... and if you stereo them closer and right over the cymbals and mic the snare, kick hi-hat and room. and the MKII's EQ well. Heaven

[chooseaai]

This rocks! Let us know when you post new videos, this one is way better than the other mic videos out there.