Ive heard it both before and after, and i have to say, it now sounds really, really nice compared to what it originally sounded like, which, honestly, was pretty bad. I am recording with the n72 mic pre into ensoniq paris proit all sounded very analog to me. For more info about the aea ku4 ribbon microphone visit. The audio files are given in wav format so that you can download them for. The vr1, a passive ribbon to bring out the bite and edge from your guitar cabs with no. On youtube videos i notice a particular mic being used for vocals. The opposite would be true with a round, warm, and dark sounding male vocal. I like the vocals with this mic, especially for female vocals as it really retains the sparkle in the female voice. A waterproof pelican case holds and protects the mic for ribbon safe transport. Ribbon microphones are typically bidirectional, meaning that they pick up sounds equally well from either side of the microphone. Another option available in the rock domain is the use of ribbon microphones. That doesnt mean the v77 will always beat the 77dx, but for this singer, it did beat it.
Normally active ribbon mics are only available at extremely high price points. There are good quality mics, terrible mics, and boring mics that just do the job. David bocks u95s, 2 royer ribbon s, at4050s, akg414eb, km84, studio projects c1, blah, blah. Its a great choice for lush, breathy vocals, without overly accentuating sibilance. Its stunning in all the obvious applications, and for my taste its the first ribbon ive been truly happy to use on lead vocal. Invented in the 1920s, they were the highend mic of choice in both recording and broadcast for decadesor, as wired magazine once put it. On more open sounding rock tracks that do not need crisp articulate vocals, a ribbon can work quiet well at keeping the top end tamed.
The electronics are housed in a robust metal chassis with a balanced 3pole female xlr. It delivers clarity and balance in frequency response, even when positioned just inches from the source, and can stand alone in a mix without the need for the blending additional mic signals due to its extended topend. Using ribbon mics to warm up digital recordings pro. Were recording an altcountry cd with a retro flavor, hence the interest in ribbon mics. Aea ku5a active supercardioid ribbon mic aea ribbon mics.
But music, and music production is a subjective experience, in. The sennheiser md 421 ii cardioid dynamic mic is the top choice for many broadcasting applications and diverse recording conditions. Im considering sending him my mxl 860 for a transformer. Typical of blue mic s products, the woodpecker has a very stylish look, with a retro wood finish and gold components. A ribbon mic with unusually warm and natural sound.
I had a 2nd one reribboned, and its darker and quieter. Whether starting a new studio or expanding your mic locker, spark sl is ready to ignite your creativity. Im looking for opinions on the best ribbon mic for female vocals. It includes ethereal, passionate, flowing, mysterious, wailing and whispering vocals for film, tv and game composers as well as songwriters, new age artists and zen horticulturists. The superlux r102 is a ribbon mic with the characteristic warm sound of the classic ribbon mics like the rca 77dx. Youll hear one voice through every mic at fixed distances 9 and in some cases also 4 inches, and a second voice at a distance selected for subjectively optimum results. For a ribbon mic with all the quality and a little less attitude, the beyer m is a great sleeper ribbon. It is not a usb microphone as some people think it is. Lots of presence, and perfect low end for male or female vocals, and its unidirectional, so no figure 8 pickup pattern.
We tracked a neumann u87 next to each ribbon, at both distances, but youd need to download the session to hear the u87 tracks. Without a bright mic to open it up, it might not cut through the mix enough. A better match might be a darker, warmer tube microphone that rolls off the top end, or even a ribbon or dynamic mic. The 67 is a very unique and wonderful mic that tends toward warm, yet without sounding dull. The only downside of this mic is the noise ratio of 20db which is a little higher as compared to other mics. Im trying to decide between a blue yeti mic the standard one, not springing for a pro. It definitely sounds like a far more expensive mic. A bbc recommendation for ribbon mics is that the microphone should never be used at a distance less than approximately two feet. For over 35 years, this mic has been considered to be one of the best mics in the world.
Voices of passion is a tool designed to use vocal samples as the foundation for creating new instruments, and includes female vocals from wales, syria, india, bulgaria and america. Wich is the best condenser microphone for a female voice. I have used this mic on acoustic guitar, vocals and electric guitar, and as a drum room mic, and it has never failed to impress, even if it hasnt always been the most suitable choice. The big advantage is that active ribbon mics are more consistent with a range of preamps with different input impedances and typically have stronger output levels than passive ribbons. If a reliable, great sounding mic, with a classic vintage look is what youre after, i highly recommend it. In this virtual mic shootout we listen and compare the slate vms. If you are looking to record your own songs, or a demo at home, then you want the best studio microphone for vocals within your budget so you can get the best possible sound. Last week, on the barbara dane sessions you can look her up on the internet if you dont know who she is, i started with an rca 77dx ribbon mic for her vocals, but switched early on to the marshall mxlv77 with a big improvement in the sound.
Isnt 8 inches normally considered extremely close for a ribbon mic. A ribbon mic is actually a type of dynamic microphone. The power of matching the perfect vocal mic with your. Aea r84 series ribbon microphones aea ribbon mics and. The pair i tested had the lundahl transformer, and sounded great easily the best budget ribbon i heard, out of about 30 different models. Released in 1953 the c12 is another iconic mic which has a gorgeous highend sheen and sparkle, due to the uniquely designed ck12 capsule. Ribbon microphones captured iconic sounds from bing crosbys pillow talk vocals to ringo starrs cymbal crashes and the audio of many iconic recordings made before the 1980s. A ribbon microphone, also known as a ribbon velocity microphone, is a type of microphone that uses a thin aluminum, duraluminum or nanofilm of electrically conductive ribbon placed between the poles of a magnet to produce a voltage by electromagnetic induction. The vj has a longer ribbon and much wider frequency response. I believe they tend to forget about the mic very quickly and just sing. If i did not have my aea r84 id use this one for me.
For more info about the aea r84 ribbon microphone visit. Get ready for this gamechanging female vocal sample pack with an attitude. If recording female rock vocals that do not need supreme clarity, a ribbon may actually be a better choice than a dynamic. Its more neutral than the 160, can be fantastic on strings and horns and it makes a beautiful side mic in an ms stereo pair. There are endless ways to pan the above ribbon mic combo, depending on your needs. Thats why we collected 50 largediaphragm condenser mics in sweetwaters studio a and recorded female and male vocals through each under carefully.
The 7 best ribbon microphones for home studio recording. Some will work wonders for recording vocals, yet wouldnt last five minutes on. The ribbon usually gets the bottom, beefy tones, thick in the 2002 khz range, while the other mics handle the mids and highs. In this case the brighter mic would be the perfect vocal mic. Instead of a dynamic microphones diaphragm that is attached to a moving coil that vibrates within a magnetic field, ribbon mics feature an extremely thin strip of metal most often aluminum suspended in a strong magnetic field.
Its a staple in so many industry microphone closets for a reason. We felt it would make a great first tube ribbon mic for someone seeking some tube character, with the advantage of having that big, warm ribbon lower midrange. At2020 is a cardioid condenser microphone, the vocals are clean and direct. Rode nt1a condenser mic top pick home studio the rode nt1a captures a very natural sound but with a hint of lowend lift around 120hz adding a little bit of warmth and depth to vocals, without negatively changing the source sound. Its a wonderful microphone for vocals because it lacks sibilance and gives a warm, dark sound for vocals. The best and most recommended microphone for vocals list.
The r84 series balanced and manageable proximity effect bolsters the lowend of vocals, drums, and brass, from. Townsend labs sphere uad audio plugins universal audio. The ribbon acts as both the diaphragm and the transducer. Based on the character of the legendary r44, r84 series ribbon mics provide classic. Since 1996, sonic circus has worked with recording studios, broadcast studios, live sound companies, and independent engineerproducers, providing equipment, technical design, and support for all aspects of audio production. Aylene new wave trap vocals provides no less than 17 full vocal acapellas, ranging between heavyautotuned singing and. As a micro studio, i was up against needing to purchase several mics a dynamic for guitars, a ribbon for guitars, a large diagram condenser that suited male vocals, one that was more suited to female vocals, a pencil condenser for acoustics, etc. Call 888sc4gear 8887244327 for sales, service, and support for all of your pro audio needs.
It provides improved sound for ribbon and dynamic microphones. Never before has a ribbon mic delivered as much clarity and breadth of sound in a. The royer didnt sound bad on anything i have also used this for drum rooms and in front of kicks, where it served well, but is best suited to guitar amps. Female vocals ribbon mic shootout recording hacks recording. Every man, woman and child who has sung into the sm7 simply loved it. In a competitive modern industry, even home recording requires high quality results in order to get your demo or original songs noticed. At this price point, it wouldnt be hard for anyone to add a ribbon to their mic locker.
Female vocals 4 inches and pop screen ku5a listening library. This mic was one of the first microphones i ever used in my home studio. The sm7 offered yet another take on the dynamic mic sound. An altos range falls below a sopranos range, though there can be some overlap. Have you tried analog tape and mixers with tons of eq and still just got only close to that sound. It was more open than the re20 and we could clearly hear adams diction but there was also less warmth. The best blue microphones to add to your mic locker. Ribbon mics where the essential ingredient of that sound.
When you are looking for a great tonal quality you can straight away reach for the heil pr40 dynamic studio recording microphone because it is the best microphone for vocals with an ability to reproduce sound as low as 28 hz, the heil pr 40 is great for live recording and broadcasting. Aea n22 active ribbon microphone aea ribbon mics and. Iso1 subsonictuned isolation boommount optional, yokemount standard. Specwise, the rode ntk vocal mic is a tube condenser microphone with a cardioid polar pattern. The nearfield n22 is a modern ribbon mic that challenges expectations of traditional ribbon technology and can reframe the way you record with ribbons. Show some love to your ears this valentines season. Have you ever wondered why vocals from the 50s sounded so sweet. Mxl r144 ribbon microphone female vocal video mxl r144 ribbon female vocalist demo. Ribbon mics how they work and when to use them sweetwater. In fact, for a dynamic mic, the results werent bad at all, and the panel agreed that theyd be happy to use this mic on adams vocals if it were essential. Like most ribbon mics, it features a figure8 polar pattern but unlike most ribbon mics which are normally passive, the woodpecker uses active circuitry for higher gain. Download r84 series specs pdf download r84 series manual pdf. Its amazing they can make such a great sounding mic at the price they are asking. A friend of mine had a nady ribbon mic i dont recall the model, and sent it to joly for a transformer swap out.
This microphone is actually the cheapest condenser microphone in this list but you get a lot of microphone for the price, as its a really great microphone. In 20 years of working in studios ive discovered that theres no such thing as a best microphone. The best thing ive done for my clients was to buy and use an sm7 on vocals. The woodpecker is blue microphones first ribbon mic and uses their many years of microphone design savvy to create a ribbon mic that rivals the beyer m160 and audio technica at4081.
It is a passive mic with an internal shock mount, multilayered windscreen, and comes with an external shock mount and hard case. The aea r92 ribbon mic, for example, works very much better when teamed with a. Condenser microphones dynamic microphones wireless systems ribbon microphones drum. While passive ribbon microphones deliver fantastic sound quality when paired with the right preamp, active ribbon mics make it easier to accomplish that sound. Trying out a new mic the aea r92 big ribbon mic to me the vocals sounded very smooth and warm. Produce stunning recordings for vocals, guitars, drums, pianos and more with spark sls detailed, transparent sound and versatile highpass filter and 20db pad. This one seems best on female vocals 1x akg solidtube. The mic is great for recording the guitar and drums thanks to its high sound pressure level, the large diaphragm, and the. Were recording an altcountry cd with a retro flavor, hence the interest in. Ive loved it on lead vocal, violin, drum overhead, guitar cabs, and even in a. The effects of this were most obvious where female vocals were being pushed. Like most ribbon mics, it has a standard figure8 polar pattern, which for vocals, can work especially well for singing duets. The neumann u87 is a damn good microphone and makes just about anything sound great.
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