Moderators Red Ant Posted June 4, 2011 Moderators Share Posted June 4, 2011 I was given this old ribbon mic, and while I can Google all the tech specs on it, I see almost no reviews or any first-hand experience reports. Anyone ever use one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 It's somewhat similar to the M260 and M160 models. Hypercardioid single (short - under an inch long) ribbon mic. Unlike the M160, which is a dual ribbon element design, the M500 is a single ribbon design - similar to the M260. The M500 N model used a DIN connector, the M500 N © has a XLR output connector. Outside of connectors, optional switch and cosmetics, to the best of my knowledge, all M500's were internally identical from 1969 when they were introduced, until somewhere around 1990 when they were discontinued. http://recordinghacks.com/microphones/beyerdynamic/M-500 http://www.sweetwater.com/publications/sweetnotes/sn-winter97/WinterSN_15.html http://www.coutant.org/beyer500/index.html It's a very good microphone. I really do prefer the M160 to the M260 and M500 (dual ribbons give the M160 a bit beefier output), but the sound of all three is fairly similar. The M500 comes across as the "brightest" of the three due to a more pronounced presence peak in the 4-10kHz range. Consider trying it on some of the following sound sources: * Saxophone * Banjo * Violin * Guitar Amps * Drum room mic / overheads (paired with a M130, it makes a great M-S pair) Hope that helps a bit. Congrats on the free ribbon mic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Red Ant Posted June 4, 2011 Author Moderators Share Posted June 4, 2011 Thanks Phil! * Drum room mic / overheads (paired with a M130, it makes a great M-S pair) Hope that helps a bit. Congrats on the free ribbon mic! I only have the one - a pair would have been sweet What about a hi-hat mic application? Its bright, its good for overheads... sounds like a hh mic! Besides, I'm most happy with my old matched pair of Km84s for overheads Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 KM84's rock on overheads - no doubt. I really wish they hadn't replaced them with the 184's. Yes, you can try the M500 on hi hat. I think the M160 actually is a little better on hat, but even the brighter M500 can still sound good in that application. It really depends on what type of a hi hat sound you're looking for. Give it a try on a few things and please let me know what you think of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Red Ant Posted June 5, 2011 Author Moderators Share Posted June 5, 2011 Yes, you can try the M500 on hi hat. I think the M160 actually is a little better on hat, but even the brighter M500 can still sound good in that application. It really depends on what type of a hi hat sound you're looking for. Give it a try on a few things and please let me know what you think of it. Absolutely - gonna play with it and get a feel for what it does. Its funny but the only ribbons i've used in a 30 year engineering career are the old RCA 44s and 77s, and mostly on horns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 Who did your Oktava mods? I've got a few of those sitting around - stock they're pretty good, and do have character that is somewhat reminiscent of the KM84. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Red Ant Posted June 5, 2011 Author Moderators Share Posted June 5, 2011 Who did your Oktava mods? I've got a few of those sitting around - stock they're pretty good, and do have character that is somewhat reminiscent of the KM84. My friend Mark Pauperas - he's a tinkerer, not really a "mod pro", but he did a killer job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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