MXL R144 Ribbon Microphone Review / Test
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- Опубликовано: 19 июл 2024
- Today I review the budget ribbon microphone, the MXL R144. This is a figure 8 ribbon mic that is only $100, significantly cheaper than the majority of ribbon mics. It is a very dark, and warm sounding mic and pairs decently with a brighter presence boosted dynamic like an SM57.
Buy the MXL R144
Amazon: geni.us/r144
Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20
Amazon: geni.us/2i32rd
Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/k6g4d
00:00 - Intro
00:12 - Price
00:27 - Setup
00:45 - Why I’m Recording in a Different Location?
01:19 - What’s in the Box
01:42 - Build Quality
02:22 - Specifications
02:50 - Polar Pattern Test
03:23 - Plosive Test
03:43 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
04:01 - Background Noise Test (Keyboard Test)
04:21 - Shock Mount Effectiveness Test
05:00 - Untreated Room Test
05:15 - Bare Microphone vs. With Reflection Shield
05:45 - Intro to Music Test
06:23 - Music Test
07:51 - Pros & Cons
09:43 - Overall Thoughts
11:28 - Recommendation
12:16 - Outro
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I have a Royer that lives on electric guitar cabinets. Mostly blend with a 57, but end up hardly ever using the Royer in the final mix. For some mixes, the darker features of a ribbon mic can add a texture that the 57 can't provide, but 90% of the time it's something I have and don't use.
Steve Freeman A ribbon is the very last thing I would use on guitar. I’m not sure why they got a reputation for that. Brass instruments on the other hand, are very flattering with a Royer.
Peter Yianilos it’s all personal preference. I like a small blend of the tonality that the Royer adds to electric guitars. I’ve used it on all over 20 million albums sold that I’ve produced, it’s just a part of my process
Steve Freeman Actually, I never use an SM57 on guitar either, it’s a terrible sounding guitar mic! Maybe the Royer is the only reason the 57 works for you? Something to think about.
@@artysanmobile to be honest i just saw Warren's Royer review and i liked it on the acc. that warmth is awesome. i liked it more on the 12-14 fret position
frozn colors Yes it can be very flattering on acoustic guitar, depending on the player. And I agree to keeping it away from the body. Ribbons take HF boosts very gracefully. Because the response is falling so quickly but smoothly, any boost takes on a ‘presence’ characteristic. Very little risk of becoming too wispy.
Hmm.. actually sounds really good to me. Like a smooth creamy, yet slightly dark tone. Happy holidays boomdrew
Happy Holiday to you as well good sir! =)
I love that you explore affordable options and give such a transparent and easily comparable standard of tests. I thought it was an awesome idea to test and show them being blended together too! Thank you for taking the time to do the tests in a better treated area. Awesome jerb! Merry Chrimmas, Bandrew!
I think it actually sounds pretty nice on your voice. 😀
It’s smooth and dark, there’s no denying that, and smooth and dark microphones really benefit my voice type (hence why the 7b is one of my go tos). Perhaps with a large high pass on it, it would sound more usable.
So if used for Voice over Application in a vocal booth I would bypass the Jonh Hardy Preamp and go directly to the Apollo Twin Duo but NOT Adding Phantom Power? Like the Juxtapose Factor that the mic has Dark and Warm.
Great Video Happy New year! 🥳
The magic behind using ribbons is the EQ, they take it like magic, you can run 12~16db high freq boosts on these things and still sound natural, try it next time!
@@vazdaqui8513 Will do!
@@vazdaqui8513 Helo Vaz Danqui any opinions on the Shure KSM313/NE Dual-voice Ribbon Microphone? Have a great day.
I would absolutely love to see you review more ribbon mics. I was going to reach out to you today to do so. Merry Christmas Bamdrew!
I love the sound of this cheap mic recording a trumpet with it. I did it a few years ago and it sounded fantastic! Thanks for your review!
This was the 1st ribbon I added to my collection. Since then I've added 2 more active ribbon mics that require phantom power. I like the warmness they add to my recordings. In your tests, I really liked how the acoustic guitar sounded. I was ready to hear Perry Como or Nat King Cole begin singing along. Great review as always.
I _really_ liked the way it fattened up the acoustic guitar. I loved that sound.
Now more ribbon mic reviews! Cascade makes some products I'd love to hear you check out.
This review was just perfect.. Answered all my questions - even pairing it with a '57 on the guitar.
I even had an interactive argument with you about whether I should sample that spring bounce on the boom arm where you basically stopped ✋️ me by convincing me not to. Thanks.
I liked the smooth tone it had which probably needs to be used carefully and for the right instrument/recording situation, but it was nice and interesting to hear something completely different with a new set of rules & regulations to make sure it's not broken in minutes!
Excellent review. Look forward to more ribbons. Thanks.
Merry Christmas, mate. Thanks for another beautiful review.
Cheers.
Thanks for another great video, It would be great, regarding ribbon microphones, reviews on the sE VR1 and Royer R-10, (which are mid-priced mics) would be awesome.
I've had this for a long time but never ended up using it. Used it recently on a tabla. Really good fat warm signal. in definitely coming back to it!
the blended tone is really noticeable, great use-case example. I'd love a comparison between this and a Fathead ribbon mic. Happy holidays, friend, I love this channel.
I have this and a fathead ii - the fathead is the better mic but is also darker and more bottom end heavy than the MXL so only useful in certain situations, with the right gear and if you know what you're doing.
Definitely interested in more ribbon mic stuff. I probably won't be buying a ribbon mic any time soon but I'm definitely interested in learning more about them.
Please, please, more ribbon mics, you are the king Bandrew!!! Merry Christmas to you!!!
You will never be the same after working with ribbon mics.
For room mics on drums, they sound just spetacular! I've heard they sound very nice too on cymbals, but I never tested. Have been working with a MXL R144 and it's just awesome on eletric and acoustic guitars, vocals and, as as just said, room mics for drums.
Your reviews are very, very good! Going direct to the point.
Greetings from Brazil!
Ribbon mics are exquisite in a fraction of situations, horrific in most, and work best with quality preamps that have monstrous gain. If you have a cheap USB interface, it's usually not a good choice.
If you have a great recording space, a preamp with enough clean gain, and a source that benefits from ribbon (horns, woodwinds, vocals with naturally harsh, nasally mid-high-end ~2k and above-ish, etc...) then a ribbon is a marvelous paintbrush in your collection.
For podcasters, only if you are in an immaculately treated dedicated recording space and it compliments your specific voice. Even then, you may be more liberal with the EQ than you're used to. It's ok, ribbons love gobs of EQ.
In other words, as a unique tool to use in unique situations, ribbons are marvelous.
For 99% of streamers and podcasters, it'll make you want to throw your computer out the window. Stick with a decent condenser or dynamic.
Very well said! In short, you have to have at *least* proprofessional setup.
They can also be used for mid side miking. Stringed instruments really shine on them also. And if your voice sounds too nasaly lower the mic. Use a Cloudlifter on normal preamps. Sometimes bring the mic close to the wall to minimize reflections hitting backside of mic. And yep gobs of EQ. Brighten it up. Just to try and get even close to as good of a sound as I get from a SET of dynamic mics. One cardioid one hypercardioid set right next to each other. :-P
I actually use my Nady RSM-2 ribbon mic through a cheap Behringer USB mixer and I absolutely love the way mine sounds (it sounds very similar to this mic). On my voice, the darker smoother sound is exactly what I was going for. Mine also sounds fantastic on acoustic guitar. While it's not my favorite on guitar cabinets, (the Sennheiser MD-421 is my fav), I still very much enjoy it on there. Ribbon mics are definitely a niche mic, but personally I dig their sound and have always kept coming back to it for my own voice.
A condenser works fine if I do somewhat speech level singing, that I have in my channel from many years ago, but now that I've started a classical training, the voice sounds harsh when miked the same way. I have no other option in a bedroom, but opera singers use a technique meant for the theater and as such, a big space. Maybe a ribbon mic is the answer, and then I fake the big space with plugins.
Don't forget that an inline preamp will give you enough of a gain boost and it will also protect the ribbon mic from phantom power.
You actually covered exactly why I bought one myself- to have a little bit darker mic and more room noise to blend with another mic. For the money, it performs excellently for the purpose it was purchased for.
Happy Holidays to you too!
I recorded a tenor sax with a Superlux ribbonmic and was absolutely thrilled. The Superlux is one of the few active ribbonmics and has a built-in pop filter, so it is less sensitive. It moves approximately in the same price league. For speech recording and percussion it’s also a good choice.
Yes please I would love to see more tests with ribbon mics preferably maybe with a Royer are 10 or Royer 121? Maybe even up against a few other ribbon mics, if possible thank you very much and great vids!two thumbs up
I'm kinda blown away. I love this ribbon sound and your video! I thought your review was pretty honest and authentic but I will say I've watched hundreds of mic reviews for various reasons, as I need them for various situations, like sound healing, this is a phenomenal microphone. I mean compared to the average mic I mean even the average podcaster mic this sounds amazing and I'm watching everything with a Marantz with some nice speakers. Maybe that's why. But everything I compare thought this. Now, I'm a fan of dark punk music like AFI, Ghost, and even pop punk with slightly darker and heavier tones. If you're comparing this to the average podcast mic for example, not that it's fitting for that, but if someone were to have a softer voice this would make them sound phenomenal for the price. It doesn't have a "cut off" a sound like almost everything nowadays. Especially zoom equipment. In a lot of other mics they just have this annoying sound, it sounds like mids are getting cut off and I know some of them have a built in limiter but this just sounded open and smooth for the price it sounds better than many $300 microphones...but it's a ribbon you could break it....but if you want a better sound and you're careful this sounds like some four or $500 podcast mics or even better because they have that chopped off sound...
Well, it does wonder to your voice. Even with somewhat dark cans, it works very very well.
I own this mic and can confirm that there is a diode or something - phantom power causes no injury
Def a great video and very useful to me. Thanks!
More ribbon mic reviews would be awesome, especially the more expensive variety. Happy Holidays to you Bandrew! Please don't do anything that I wouldn't do! OH and Hail Santa........... 👍🎁👍
Sounds a little overly warm on voice, but amazing on the acoustic guitar. I really liked the R144/SM57 combo on the electric too.
Exactly. For acoustic guitar it is an amazing mic. Makes my Taylor GS mini bass sound incredible also.
I bet it's a good choice for a budget mid-side setup. I think I'll grab one eventually!
4:46 That's actually a really cool sound. You could use that mic on a springy boom arm for some weird experimental music.
I thought the same!
Yeah! I was thinking; SOUND FX LOL
This mic is so good on the ears.
I use this exact mic in my home studio to record trumpet and flugelhorn. I sometimes pair it with a 57 for a brassier high register sound. I've had it for around 6 years now, so if you treat it carefully, it will continue to serve you well.
Hi,
Love your Demos! Do you remember how you Mic'd the Guitar cab with both mics??? Sounded Perfect!
Thank you Bandrew!!
This guy sounds quite good on you at your alternative room!
merry xmas bro im waiting on amazon right now for my new mic all this xmas stuff there behind i wanted to build a ribbon mic i see diy videos looks managable
HAIL SANTA!
santana
Hail ODIN. :-) yes he goes by Santa also. Look it up.
I think it sounds really good on your voice.
Merry Christmas Bud... Any chance of doing a review of the Rode NTR at any time?
I'm a huge ribbon mic fan. Knowing what I know about MXL, I expected this mic to be worse than it was in this video, and certainly not better. It did sound decent on acoustic guitar though. You gave an excellent objective review. Thank you!
Happy Holidays for you... Microphone Legend.
I purchased this mic to use as a room mic when recording drums and my drums finally sound a lot more full. And I've also used it on guitars and bass as a room mic. I didn't like it on vocals or acoustic guitars unfortunately. I would recommend this mic to people who need a room mic for live drums.
I really like your voice on this mic.
Very easy to listen to. It really makes your voice sound smooth and bassy.
Throw on a low pass filter and you've got a perfectly usable vocal sound. I have one and use it on guitar amps and acoustic instruments all the time. I use it in front of an acoustic guitar with a condenser overhead and the combination sounds awesome.
Thank you for the enlightenment at a rather boring day.
What about testing boundary / surface microphones (like the new Behringer 19 someting or a Shure, Beyerdynamic, ...)
Happy holidays
.
I love the way this sounds. It makes me want to put on a smoking jacket and slippers and grab a hot cup of cocoa.
Merry Christmas Bandrew.
Mike, you got the feeling!
Great review! Great content!
Please make another one about Neat King Bee. Crazy deal right now 99.99$ only
Need your opinion
I have got a samson c01 studio condenser microphone through your review. It does my job perfect. :)
Honestly I thought that it sounded better than I expected on spoken word, even though it has some exaggerated bass/proximity effect. Filter that out and it wouldn't sound that bad as a broadcast mic. It'd still be pretty far down the list for me though :)
I've got a couple of Cascade Fatheads and I love them dead-center on a guitar cabinet's speaker (a position I wouldn't dare try with any other type of mic). They're also terrific on hand percussion like tambourines and shakers, they have a cool vintage flavor as drum overheads, and I think that they're unbeatable as drum room mics.
Great review, man. I've come to really enjoy your content over the years.
Nice to see a budget ribbon mic. I also liked the pairing, which I’ve seen elsewhere with a small diaphragm dynamic. I’m specifically interested in recording opera singing in a hall. Opera singers normally are recorded to sing the hall they’re in, especially ones that are acoustically tuned for it. I know you deal mostly with spoken word dynamic levels and of course amplified instruments, but it would be nice to see what techniques are used for opera singing because you are mostly dealing with formants at 2500 to 3K and 8k to 9.2 k freq’s which I would like to see ribbon mics handle.
i'm a tenor and the speech level singing that I have on this channel recorded in a bedroom sounds ok through a condenser, but the same thing using a technique for the theater sounds harsh. I hope the mxl ribbon helps me with that. I can fake the space in the daw, as I don't have the space in the bedroom to sing far away from the mic.
Kinda love the black recording space
Interested in more ribbon mics as you get them. Perhaps a mid level and high level to compare it with or understand what higher end ribbons can do (I'm new, can you tell? hahaha) but I come to this channel to learn and hear about the microphones you demo/review.
That was by far the funniest review ever. Genius. Have a question. No fathom power needed so if I'm recording onto a 4 track cassette recorder I can just go right into the recorder? N if I want preamp or need to interface for phone Jack can I just turn fathom power off? Same question applies if I had channel strip for eq n compression into phone or cassette deck.
I actually enjoyed your video! I know! I was shocked as well! You presented the R144 as what it is, a budget ribbon microphone. IMO, I believe a small project studio should have either a mic locker or in my case a small collection of microphones for different applications. Let's also remember that this microphone is less than $100.00! For the price, this is an amazing sounding ribbon mic. One thing I must point out is, because I cringed so badly, you spoke about the cardinal rules of handling a ribbon mic so you don't damage the ribbon (do not drop, do not use phantom power, and watch the plosives) then you speak into it without a pop filter! I wanted to reach through the screen and slap you! That being said, I subscribed to your channel. In summary, If you have a small project studio, you can't go wrong by adding a ribbon mic to add some flavor, this one sounds great and will not break the bank!
Thanks for the neat review. Since the MXL R144 is a passive ribbon mic which shouldn't use 48v phantom power, is it possible to use it combined with the Shure SM57 (or any other condenser mic) connected to a Focusrite 2i2 3rd gen? Can you leave the phantom power on one of the preamps and turn off the other? If not, what is a decent/affordable usb audio interface similar to the 2i2 where you have individual preamp 48v on/off? Thank you.
"The Rear Lobe of Sensitivity". I've just found the name for my new band! Happy Merryville!
Google translation, sorry.
First, thanks for your videos, they have always been useful for me, seriously.
Second, I wanted to ask you about the Shure x2u audio interface, people say there is no noise if the volume of the PC input is at 3%, did you try that option? Could you tell me if it really is as good as they say?
You tried this interface but you didn't do it with dynamic microphones, I would like you to tell me that please
have one and I love it thank you
More ribbon microphones reviews please!
this sounds really dope with the sm57. on my christmas list! little christmas that is. january 7th. LOL
I have enjoyed your videos, just wondering. Getting a quality mic is important, but how much does it matter on the device that is recording the sound? Absurd hypothetical, would a $600 mic sound better than than $100 mic hooked to my phone?? I hope you understand what I am getting at.
My plans are currently recording solo trombone and vocals for jazz. I think I’m going to pair the MXL and the 57 together to get all the characteristics I want on both spectrums.
By the way, I meant Royer R10 ribbon mic
thanks again for the great videos !!!
Can you make a video abaut isolation shields? (Pls)
I'll stay with my Audio Technica AT-2020..
Btw what do you think of the AKG P3s/P5s? i Think those are good Mics for about 35€, but i would love to see a Review of it!
I've had ribbon mics for about a decade and I really like them, though I also have condenser and dynamics mics. If you're looking for a vintage sound for a hundred bucks, this seems pretty good, though if I were buying my first ribbon mic now, I'd look at the SE Voodoo or something similar as they're much more balanced with more highs and controlled lows.
0:56 what webcam do you use sir? BTW great video,
Happy Holidays! Appreciate all the great videos this year; though I feel like the sticker destruction was a bit excessive...
Would a mic screen (the ones that basically form a little foam wall around the backside of the mic) help with making this more easily usable in more environments?
Thanks for the test of this mic. But I think you should test the Beyerdynamic M160. That mic should fit better.
i got a pair of Tannoy 802 studio monitors and a sm7b
well i mean got, i got them for myself,
what about you Bandrew?
Merry Christmas dude
Hola. Lo recomiendas para VoiceOver con la interfase focusrite??
Would be nice to hear some Mid/Side recordings or perhaps an explanation of M/S. I’m a mid/side nut and love ribbon for the sides. Used a sub zero r1 until I dropped it, loved it.
ahhhh perhaps I should do one and post it.......... hmmmm
Can i have tips on how to get this mic working? Like i want to it to get vocals exactly how you have it. Do you have to use a pre amp? I can’t get mine to sound good
Once upon a time I had a Superlux R102, which I sold, because I did not find anything to record with it. As I remember it sounded like this R144. Now i have a Octave ML-52 wich is something else. I love to put it on a pair of Congas, very close and directing to both skins. And there are 2 Beyerdynamic M260 and one M500 in my box. These are hypercardic ribbons wich are special but can be usesd for vocals, acc guitar, guitar cabinets, brass and wood, percussions - if you do not want to have a SM57 or a MD421 once again.
Hi @kingofbonngo there. could you please share your thoughts on octava ml-52 & comparison with your other ribbons. I heard in some cases (brass, sax) it almost match AEA, Royer, Coles quality. How it compare to your Beyerdynamic ribbons?
I'm thinking to buy this guy to complement my SM57 to record guitar. Do you think it would work well on bass as well? From the frequency response, I'd say yes, but I have zero experience with ribbon mic!
Hey pod! Love your vids man been subscribed since befoor 100k ❤️♥️ can you please do a review on the Ld systems d16 microphone kit?
-love
Yours truly
-VanVantelaquism
-there is nothing here just wanted to add another one
Would love to see the XR1, VR1 and/or VR2 ribbon mics.
At first bite, I thought you were a little arrogant-BUT no longer. You do a very honest service with your reviews, you entertain, you have a consistent format, you are meticulous in your perceptions and you impart valuable information to the world at large. Oh yeah--I love your funny bits-the box, the smoking jacket gag, etc. You've got it dialed in just right!
Thanks for the recommendations, Bandrew, and Merry Christmas.
problem with RUclips's audio compression is it cancels out any phase cancellation you might have in a live environment or live stream so none of that actually comes out in the youtube video. So i really look forward to the raw audio for this video you host on your site.
Gosh I thought I was going mad looking for that cancellation. Yes it didn't sound as good, but nowhere near as bad as it should have. Thanks for the info.
Great video as usual thanks a lot Bandrew! How about a review on the #stellar #x2 #microphone ? Happy Holidays!
José Gregorio Santaella V. Best mic I’ve gotten my hands on to date that didn’t cost an arm and a leg
@@htb123times I'd definetly consider it as a go to Mic Thanks!
It would be useful to know if you used a preamp or if you connected it directly to your soundcard. Thank you.
Personally, I really like the warm sound of a ribbon microphone and I would like to try a ribbon microphone on my trumpet because I always boost the mid and low frequencies when I have the trumpet in my mixes. Right now I am trying to get a budget ribbon microphone but I can't decide between the MXL R144, the SE Electronics X1 R, and the Golden Age Project R1 MKII/R2 MKII.
Andrew, could you review the Samson Q8X microphone, thanks!!!!
I am interested in ribbon mics - would you review an ART AR5 Active Ribbon Microphone for us? Looks like they are only about $150 new
I think it sounds great on video listening to you
Merry Christmas! Great review!
Just saw this... the R144 has a very neutral sound and requires some thought about mic technique. It's not crispy and needs a cloud lifter but overall serves vocals and acoustics very well. It is tweakable with a good eq setting contoured to the singer and is affordable. I concur on your review.
Could you do a review on a Coles 4104 commentator microphone?
I stayed at a house out in boulder co with a guy who look just like you. he played in a surf rock band. You guys look like twins. Good work on the mic test. would really like if you could do a $100-$300 ribbon shoot out.
I'm interested in more videos covering $500 or less ribbon mics.
Funny that im watching this in December and youre wearing a christmas hat. Great review, thanks!
Well happy December and Christmas. Thank you for the kind words Gabriel .
@Podcastage merry Christmas to you also:) I have the R144 heritage but haven't used it much yet. Hopefully I'll use it on my next cover song 🎵 😌
Will you review the se electronics voodoo vr1 in the future?
Sounds pretty smooth on voice I think.
There's some reasonably cheap active ribbon mics, with a built in preamp, that requires phantom voltage, so at least THAT reduces that risk a bit. I'd love to see a review of something like that.
I run my r144 into a cloudlifter.
I love ribbon mics, and this sounded best to me on acoustic and VO. I didn't think the electric guitar sounded all that great. For $100, it sounded amazingly 'natural' on acoustic, as you said. I'd like to hear some music that was recorded with only ribbon mics.
Throughout the video I was thinking, "WOW! That sounds awesome. But I wonder (and hope) Bandrew likes it for voice. "
Oh well.
I will listen to it again, but this time with my headphones on and let's see if I need to re-calibrate my ears.
that spring sound would actually make a great sample though....