Ribbon Mic Shootout - 9 Mono Ribbons for Drum Overhead
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- In this episode, we shootout 9 ribbon mics for drum overhead. They are grouped by the tone so you can compare the mics that are closest in sound, but ultimately your ears can be the judge.
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For me the 44 was the winner.. missed the Coles 4038 in the shootout, since it is a real classic. But as always, great job!!!
Agreed. Would've loved to hear these against a Coles 4038.
Beyer m160 was sorely missed too. I'm researching what floor tom-side mics would complement a middle overhead m160 in a Glyn Johns setup.
Ryan has a nice sounding room with high ceilings for the figure 8 patterns of the mics to really take advantage of. You can almost hear the Bonham ambience.
Yeah I made the mistake of getting a figure 8 ribbon for overheads in a small room with a 7ft ceiling. Sounds cool on other stuff so I kept it but I should have known.
1:21 - RCA 44-BX
1:33 - RCA SK-46
1:44 - AEA R88
1:55 - AEA N8
2:06 - RCA MI-6203
2:17 - MXL R40
2:28 - RODE NTR
2:40 - RODE 77-DX
2:51 - AEA N22
Thanks for this!
@@creativesoundlab there'a a hack! If you copy this comment into your video description, the parts will be marked in the video itself! :)
Thanks. BTW there's a typo - It's an 'RCA' 77 DX. :)
The mxl sounded nice especially for picking up the kick drum
AEA R88 by far the most useful tone for me. AEA BX had also a nice color, more vintage and mellow in a good way
This is one of my favorite vids. So fun hearing all of them back to back like that. The level matching that you do really makes it possible to evaluate their differences without getting psyched out. I hope you'll get a chance to do this same sort of test on that Deluxe.
a front of kit/close room type shootout with these ribbons would be cool! That's my vote! Maybe an outside/far kick would be cool too!
Very pleasurable. Thanks so much for taking the time to do this!
No surprise on some of the more obvious classics. Classics for good reason. Made me glad to have an R84 all over again. The MXL was quite shocking. Thought it sounded quite nice. Thought the Rode NTR sounded dreadful, but everything else showed a lot of merit while others were downright glorious :)
Thanks! Yeah I could mix with any of these. Didn’t know a 44 was that dark.
This is very intriguing. I found myself liking Tone Type #1 the most, as you could get away with just those mics in that position and have a pretty decent sound, or a great base for a full kit mix. My tow favorites we're the AEA N8 and the RCA SK-46. Both represented the whole kit pretty well.
Yeah I really like the N8. So easy to put on a stand and easy to get a balanced sound. The sk46 is such a vibey mic.
Yep, my choice too. Overall a warm sound but brings out the detail of the snare IMO..
I'm looking into getting ribbon overheads right now. This video couldn't have come at a better time! Great content as always, love your videos.The R88 and N8 really competed well with the vintage mics! I was also really surprised by the MXL, that wasn't a bad drum sound at all.
Yeah they are closer than I thought they would be but also I didn’t realize some of the differences too. Like the 44 is a lot darker than the r88. And I thought the r88 was dark but not as dark as the 44.
I love my sE VR2 ribbons. Been taking them along for live gigs at the jazz club I do walk in mixes at, and use them on violins and cellos when I’ve had them
Last weekend I used them on a Hungarian Cimbalum. Sounded sweet
I use them for room recording gigs I play too. Blumlin setup into a laptop via a stereo interface. They capture everything quite naturally.
Using them as overheads and a PR40 in the kick sounds great at home.
They are active so no special mix pre’s needed.
Just love them. The NTR is probably the closest. They both have a little more crispness than a regular ribbon.
Very cool. Yeah I love Blumlein and like you said, ribbons sound great. They make recording easy.
RCA Sk-46 ...!!!❤️
I just bought a Varacoustic on eBay after attending a concert with organ trio Blicher Hemmer Gadd last night. The saxophone was mic’ed with a Varacoustic and it was the best saxophone tone I’ve ever heard for both soprano, alto and tenor. Finally a dark saxophone tone that I didn’t find dull and lacking in the highs. Oh, and finally seeing Steve Gadd live was also great 🙂
Ribbon mics are absolutely fantastic on a brass instrument. Some trumpet players travel with their RCA ribbon mic because they won't record without them.
Great comparison, really interesting to hear the differences. The transients on the MXL were actually quite sharp while the bottom end on the dark AEA's was great in this position. I've been interested in the Rode for a while and it doesn't sound overly exciting amongst some of the others but it is a well balanced sound that seems very usable. Thanks Ryan!
Thanks Alien! Great to see you around!
@@creativesoundlab Always mate, I hope all is well :)
The R40 sounded good to me but yeah it did get a little barky @ the rack tom. A small change in angle would probably fix that though.
The mics that had tighter low end without leaning towards the bright category or losing thickness... cool
Thanks for making this video. Shopping for my first ribbon mic to use on drums. This was a big help. All sounded great. Nice editing, too!
Thanks for posting this, very informative as usual. I have 3 budget ribbon mics in my locker including the MXL R40. This video encourages me to use them more, such a rich sound. Perhaps you could do a shootout between some affordable Ribbon Mics, like Sterling, Nady and MXL, many of us can't afford the big boys, at least not just yet :-)
Dang! That mxl wasn’t terrible
Yeah it’s not too bad
Definitely for the price of the MXL ...not bad at all.
it made my subwoofer move air, which was surprising. Only one that did that. Like, 60 hz-ish I'm guessing.
it made my subwoofer move air, which was surprising. Only one that did that. Like, 60 hz-ish I'm guessing.
Brian in the Heartland yes that’s what I was hearing. I wonder how it takes eq
I was very pleased to see more affordable ribbon mics like the MXL r40 thrown in the mix
Yeah and hopefully I can do the bee ribbons too.
this was so cool and so helpful!! I also think the MXL held its on compared to the really expensive ones. Id love to hear the GAP ribbons and the Voodoo and Phathead in the mix too.
Thanks for the shootout. AEA R88 had a really cool vibe and the most pleasant character. MXL was not bad, actually (but had some nasty sibilance in the cymbals freq range, like the cheap LDC)
I think a pair of RCA SK-46 plus close mics for jazz-fusion tight drums would be a perfect match.
I remember an engineer using royer 121's as OH's on my kit once and thinking it was the best OH's i'd ever heard. Loving the 44, and surprised by the mxl considering the price! I might just add one to the arsenal. Loving your channel - I currently have 10 more tabs open to get through! Many thanks
Thanks Paul for the kind words. I didn't have it when I filmed this, but the Soyuz Launcher is really nice if you need a ribbon booster.
That was a great shootout. Thank you! I would love to hear how they compare on violin.
If I can find a player then that would be a great idea
Usualy I use 2 Rode NTR in stereo to record a Steinway piano, and 1 Rode NTR in front of a Fender tube amp with a dynamic SM57/MD421/I5 on the back phase shifted. Great results.
I loved the 6203 on those fills at the end, it had real crunch on the snare, I'd love to use that as a really overcompressed mono overhead supplementing a stereo pair as a character mic.
Noice. Glad you are digging the ribbons, Ryan!
Really awesome video Ryan. So much to listen to. So good to hear so many together like that. I agree the lil Sk-46 is mighty. And the MXL sounded great and really held its own! Most of the fun with the RCA mics is the nostalgia and vibe when using them, and of course they sound rad. I recommend the MXL r40/r144 to anyone on the fence about ribbon mics as they can be found for under 100 bucks, have dope shock mounts, and you won't have a seizure if it falls. The SK-46 has some type of lineage to the 44 - I believe it has the same size ribbon width. I liked how close some sounded to each other.
My favorites were the RCA 77-DX and the SK-46. And, I own BOTH of those mics!
The R-88 was killer. I suppose would be interested to hear how the R-84 sounds. And the Beyerdynamic M160 and Royer R-10. I was surprised at liking the Rode NTR quite a lot, might have been in my top 3, definitely not as nice as the R-88, but still but smooth, pleasant but articulate enough on the cymbal transients. When I went to check the price, was hoping the Rode NTR would be $300-400 each, but while they are still affordable, they're in the ballpark of the Royer R-10, or Beyerdynamic M160. GAP R1-A is another intersting pretty cheap option, at about 500 a pair
For budget, I’m very fond of the older ART M-Five ribbon mic’s. They’re super dark, but I’ve had great results on drum overheads and guitar cabs with them.
For great quality at reasonable investment, I think the AEA R84 is an absolutely incredible sounding mic.
As good as they sound, I can’t find enough reason to drop $4000 on a vintage RCA 44. No one but the owner of the mic will ever hear it in a mix (in my opinion).
Quick question, if you don't mind... How high above the snare, more or less, were these placed? Is proximity effect more of an issue with ribbon mics? Thanks, fantastic channel...
The Rode one surprised me. It had still the dark tones but with very defined cymbal "click."
the sk and the mxl will get it done, hendrix didnt worry too much about the tone, i think get a good pre great ad like a prism and enjoy creating, ive spent years and money on the tone road, a good solid affordable chain and back to the beats, cheers ry
RCA44 was my favorite, but that SK46 is definitely in the running. All the AEA mics were great, and even the MXL wasn’t all that bad. Wish a Coles, Royer, Beyer were thrown in to the mix. Nice grooving!
You can also buy a cheap mic and mod it: remove one of the blast screens, and install a better transformer. I did that to an MXL ribbon, using a Cinemag 9887, and the results were phenomenal: open at the top end, reigned in at the bottom end, clear mids. I just regret lending it to someone who hasn't spoken to me in a year.
Without the windscreens they probably busted the ribbon in the first 10 minutes and are avoiding you lol
and crazy how the high end isn't any better or worse really, in any of them but just a different tone where the emphasis is.
5:23 - Yep , you're right, Ryan ;)
I honestly use MXL R40s all the time. They particularly work well as room mics though I usually throw one up on amps to complement a 57 or 421. Ridiculous value, though I definitely prefer my Cascade DR2S stereo ribbon on OHs and pianos. I'm currently in the market for some active ribbons for guitar amp and probably ride purposes. I'm sure the general consensus for the next video will be guitar amps. Awesome work!
Could you try vocals next? It would be really cool to see your approach for ribbon mics for vocals. Nowadays everyone seems to use LDC or an expensive Dynamic (SM7b, RE20, etc...) as a vocal mic while they were used quite a bit in the older days.
The RCA 44BX sounds huge.
Yeah it really is huge
after using my little quick fire shootout list with all the time stamps, i came to the conclusion that i liked the MXL R40 the most... had the most weight to it
I was impressed by it too. It has a lot of sub information but subs often get filtered out in a mix. What sounded good to me was that higher above the subs sounded pretty clean too. And the transients weren't weird and poppy like ribbons on OH frequently are (like the SK-46 in this video).
Holy Blumlein Batman! That is quite a nice collection of enviables. I'd be very interested to hear a comparison with a (male) vocal and/or an acoustic guitar. I have just one ribbon mic, a €250,- GAP R1 active MkIII, I'm always surprised how good it can sound on an acoustic guitar.
Would you by chance own a pair of Sennheiser e609 mics? I've never heard them used as overheads. I know they can handle it if they can handle a snare or a Marshall amp without a hitch.... but I would love to see a shoot-out between the e609, the sm57, and your r40 ribbon. ... this would be a great low budget alternative if you have access to all these.
any chance you'll be doing ribbons on high gain cabs?
Affordable would be a category too. Sorry, just whining about lack of funds. Great vid, as always!
MXL is your ticket in the game. Score one of those and you will see the light. Great utility mic for all types of stuff.
If the MXL R44 sounds anything like the R40 which seems to be no longer available that seems like a steal of a Ribbon mic.... buttery smooth.
the mxl r144 and r40 are the same mic. The r40 was just a different model number for Guitar Center's exclusive model they offered for a period of time. They are the same and very good utility all around ribbon mic. Great on cabs too.
@@PaulyStax They're really good quality it seems for 100 bucks a pop. I may get a couple for over head mic options.
yeah, in general just 3 tone types. thanks for the video
Personally, as there were no other mica involved if I had to rely on a one mic setup or a dual overhead sound, I would spend the money on the Golden Age Project mic. it captured everything going on in the kit and had that ribbon vibe going on. I use the overheads and Bass drum as a starting point in mixing drums, I would want to get clear but all encompassing sound out of the Over heads then add snare and tom mics to highlight your sound.
RCA Sk-46 is really good considering the price ive seen 2nd hand.
Hello and thanks for this video. Can you please give me a bit of advise on positioning the one mic? I have 2 stereo ribbons and I'm not sure which options I should try. Thanks for any help given.
The rode ntr it's Great! I did not believe it...
You should check out the RM BIV1. Stereo pair for under 3 bills and com highly recommended. Often beats out my Peluso R14 & Fat Head short ribbon w/ upgrade. (depends on the source of course
Ok will do!
Now put them all on electric guitar cabs!! I mean, if it doesn't kill them. I guess older ribbons probably don't have the best SPL tolerance.
Yeah I’ve done the 44 and 77 on guitar cab and you just angle it and keep a decent distance. Like 8 inches to a foot out.
I see why you like those N8's
Does anyone have thoughts on the Nady RSM 5 ribbon mic? I order two as a stereo pair so I’d like to hear what people think of them (especially as drum overheads and room mics)
No Coles?!
There are two types of Varicoustic...the one I have is internally the same as the 44, same ribbon motor, etc. I think this is the same one here? Anyway, what were you using for a pre? Any "activator" type things like a Cloudlifter or the sE thingy?
Yeah I looked into that and couldn’t tell which one these were without taking the thing apart. These have the polar patterns and v1 and v2 if I remember right.
The Varacoustic is the same motor as the 77d. They made a hi and low impedance model of the varacoustic. These are the low impedance ones.
@@PaulyStax yep you're right- it's the 77 not the 44. I love mine but it really probably does need either an "activator" or some impedance matching and more gain than my desk's pres have.
@@jhowellkc Get the basic cloudlifter and you will be as happy as you could ever hope to be. Just get a cloudlifter. Your trouble will be over with the gain.
Is the layering effect really a thing? Could be a nice vid... I´m guessing is just a myth.
Record an entire song with the same mic on every source, you'll hear it
I got an R40. I love that fucking thing, got it on "stupid deal of the day" for like 60 bucks with free shipping. I like it as a mono OH with a kick mix, in a mix with drums, electric bass and two acoustics. It's perfect, and jesus h christ it's cheap!
Yeah it’s really not bad. I gotta test it out some more.
So it's yours? If not, you really will want to grab a pair. They make AMAZING room mics, whether for a kit lone or a whole band tracking live.The lows can get pretty thumpy - especially if they're up close on anything - but they take eq pretty well. They're also really sweet on a small (1x8" or 1x10") combo amp.
RCA SK-46
SK 46 sounded the best to me
no STC/Coles 4038??? pity
Yeah I know. I wish. I should just buy one.
44 n 40
Dude.. I love your chan, you gave me tons of things to think about but I try and equate to live audio in most cases... Recording may happen but after years of FOH how do you handoff questionable files to a younger engineer without second guessing your ears.
I'm still confident but know this will come up in the short term, just a lot of tracks come out of a live environment... usually cranked and shaped for the room...
What kind of crap do you get handed? I sent some crappy audio to people before that sounded awesome in a room.
Hit me up if this is new to you but I expect this would be a premium video for people trapped between what sounds good live and what's nailed down as an actual track.
After that can someone address how tracks have gone live and what it means for a mixing environment.
Toodles.