Velocity Microphones a.k.a. Ribbon Microphones are wonderful transducers to record with. I learned about ribbon microphones when I was 15 years old. From my mentor, Thomas M. Bray. An electrical engineering genius. Previously with Bell Laboratories. And then 23 years with Johns Hopkins University. And who also mentored another young engineer before myself. By the name of George Massenburg. Almost as famous as Bruce Swedien. In some ways more famous. Though, Earth Wind & Fire and Linda Ronstadt weren't exactly, Michael Jackson.. Aunt George and I had competing recording studios in Baltimore to each other. In fact! I got numerous rock 'n' roll band clients. That walked out on sessions with George Massenburg. It was very funny. Because they felt George had, insulted them. I thought it was very funny. And I used that insult on other bands LOL! Because it was so damned Funny!……" Why don't you send your guitars back to the factory to have them tuned?" LMAO! And I would get those sessions when they'd walk out on George Massenburg. And so it 15. Tom Bray taught me what ribbon microphones were all, about. And ever since then. I haven't been able to live, without them! And I have a nice spread of German and American, ribbon microphones. New and old. But I don't own a Royer. I wish I did. I haven't gotten one, yet. Because I like to buy them in pairs. And I haven't seen my way clear yet. Spending over $3000 for a pair of Royer's. Or more like $4000 today. Perhaps more. Depending upon the model and type. When it comes to percussion and plucked strained instruments and female vocals. You just can't beat a ribbon microphone. Because you get no more overblown spiky transients. With a ribbon microphone. Ribbon microphones fell out of favor decades ago. Because they were so fragile. Particularly fragile to wind and P Pops. Which can damage and destroy the ribbon element. And should never be used outdoors. They just are not well suited to outdoor use. They also fell out of favor due to, analog magnetic tape recording. Because the tape sound. Would, mush up the sound. And you would need a condenser microphone to cut through that mustiness. But when digital recording hit the scene in 1983. 40 years ago! When I started recording in digital. 40 years ago. Linear PCM digital recording had no mustiness to it. It was crystal-clear! And condenser microphones got rather, overly metallic sounding. On too many items. And ribbons were a logical selection! To smooth out that edgy digital PCM sound. Today there are numerous new, ribbon microphone offerings. Some from China that are incredibly affordable. And aren't any more money than a, SHURE, Beta 58. And totally affordable! Do they sound like a Royer? Very close but not quite. Until you pull one or 2 DB down at, between, 300 and 400 Hz. To take a little of the Boxy-Ness, out. Because it sounds a bit boxy. On those cheap and incredibly affordable, Chinese ribbon microphones. Marketed here in the USA under names like Cascades, Fostex and others. And all sound great! It should also be known. Ribbon microphone technology. Was the very first, high quality, high fidelity, microphone transducer. Dating back to I think, 1928? And came from the David Sarnoff Research Center of RCA. And created by Mr. Olsen. Where I am now having a senior moment and have just forgotten his first name? I thought I would never forget. And other American manufacturers also started making, Ribbon Microphones such as, Electro--Voice, SHURE Brothers, Stromberg Carlson, Altec Lansing and others across the pond such as, Cole's. There are generally 2 flavors of ribbon microphones. Short geometry ribbons and long geometry ribbons. A BK-44 RCA is a long geometry ribbon. The RCA 77-DX is a, short geometry ribbon. And they both sound similar but significantly, different. It's really hard to beat a ribbon on solo trumpet. But a condenser fine with a brass section. To get that zippy edgy sound on brass instruments. Which you will not get from a ribbon per se. They are truly wondrous recording transducers to use. Everybody should have at least one. RemyRAD
30:25 It's not because they were handmade that they might sound slightly different from microphone to microphone but it was because of the components, that had bigger diffrences value wise than modern components that fall in between 0.1% or 0.01% it think, at least that is what I learned from another great mixing engineer, who has more hardware knowledge.
What an incredible man, very eager to share and hold nothing back. Much thanks to Bruce for sharing his knowledge.
This is the most precious treasure in the world of Music and it's only 28 likes??? I don't understand anything in people....
It's our wondrous little secret.
RIp Bruce…. Great interview outtakes
Wish I could use his microphones
RIP Brucee..... Music First ❤
Velocity Microphones a.k.a. Ribbon Microphones are wonderful transducers to record with.
I learned about ribbon microphones when I was 15 years old. From my mentor, Thomas M. Bray. An electrical engineering genius. Previously with Bell Laboratories. And then 23 years with Johns Hopkins University. And who also mentored another young engineer before myself. By the name of George Massenburg. Almost as famous as Bruce Swedien. In some ways more famous. Though, Earth Wind & Fire and Linda Ronstadt weren't exactly, Michael Jackson.. Aunt George and I had competing recording studios in Baltimore to each other. In fact! I got numerous rock 'n' roll band clients. That walked out on sessions with George Massenburg. It was very funny. Because they felt George had, insulted them. I thought it was very funny. And I used that insult on other bands LOL! Because it was so damned Funny!……" Why don't you send your guitars back to the factory to have them tuned?" LMAO! And I would get those sessions when they'd walk out on George Massenburg.
And so it 15. Tom Bray taught me what ribbon microphones were all, about. And ever since then. I haven't been able to live, without them! And I have a nice spread of German and American, ribbon microphones. New and old. But I don't own a Royer. I wish I did. I haven't gotten one, yet. Because I like to buy them in pairs. And I haven't seen my way clear yet. Spending over $3000 for a pair of Royer's. Or more like $4000 today. Perhaps more. Depending upon the model and type.
When it comes to percussion and plucked strained instruments and female vocals. You just can't beat a ribbon microphone. Because you get no more overblown spiky transients. With a ribbon microphone.
Ribbon microphones fell out of favor decades ago. Because they were so fragile. Particularly fragile to wind and P Pops. Which can damage and destroy the ribbon element. And should never be used outdoors. They just are not well suited to outdoor use.
They also fell out of favor due to, analog magnetic tape recording. Because the tape sound. Would, mush up the sound. And you would need a condenser microphone to cut through that mustiness. But when digital recording hit the scene in 1983. 40 years ago! When I started recording in digital. 40 years ago. Linear PCM digital recording had no mustiness to it. It was crystal-clear! And condenser microphones got rather, overly metallic sounding. On too many items. And ribbons were a logical selection! To smooth out that edgy digital PCM sound.
Today there are numerous new, ribbon microphone offerings. Some from China that are incredibly affordable. And aren't any more money than a, SHURE, Beta 58. And totally affordable! Do they sound like a Royer? Very close but not quite. Until you pull one or 2 DB down at, between, 300 and 400 Hz. To take a little of the Boxy-Ness, out. Because it sounds a bit boxy. On those cheap and incredibly affordable, Chinese ribbon microphones. Marketed here in the USA under names like Cascades, Fostex and others. And all sound great!
It should also be known. Ribbon microphone technology. Was the very first, high quality, high fidelity, microphone transducer. Dating back to I think, 1928? And came from the David Sarnoff Research Center of RCA. And created by Mr. Olsen. Where I am now having a senior moment and have just forgotten his first name? I thought I would never forget. And other American manufacturers also started making, Ribbon Microphones such as, Electro--Voice, SHURE Brothers, Stromberg Carlson, Altec Lansing and others across the pond such as, Cole's.
There are generally 2 flavors of ribbon microphones. Short geometry ribbons and long geometry ribbons. A BK-44 RCA is a long geometry ribbon. The RCA 77-DX is a, short geometry ribbon. And they both sound similar but significantly, different.
It's really hard to beat a ribbon on solo trumpet. But a condenser fine with a brass section. To get that zippy edgy sound on brass instruments. Which you will not get from a ribbon per se.
They are truly wondrous recording transducers to use. Everybody should have at least one.
RemyRAD
Precious Comment good sir.
Is that a Trident?
Harrison 32
@@TrondBraaten Oh, that’s interesting. I wonder why he picked that one over a Neve 8068
That was a personal choice on his part. He allways went for what his intuition told him.
@@TrondBraaten True
what are these monitors. ?
They look like "old school" JBLs from the 4300 series. I can't tell which one those are.
@@NURREDIN he did mention once he used the 4310 but these look different
Westlake and Auratones driven by Electrocompaniet amps.
🤍🙏🏻
30:25 It's not because they were handmade that they might sound slightly different from microphone to microphone but it was because of the components, that had bigger diffrences value wise than modern components that fall in between 0.1% or 0.01% it think, at least that is what I learned from another great mixing engineer, who has more hardware knowledge.