Members rim Posted February 25, 2008 Members Share Posted February 25, 2008 So I wanna get into ribbon mics (probably from Cascade or Shinybox) and my best preamp is the DigiMax LT. I've read other threads about ribbon mics needing a lot of preamp gain and I've seen ranges from 40-55db to 55db-75db. I looked at the DigiMax LT specs and it says the maximum gain is 55db. So have other DigiMax LT owners been successful with ribbon mics? The main reason I want to get a ribbon mic is for female lead vocals. I just don't get enough warmth from the few mics in my locker for this type of source (been recently using AKG 414 BXLS but I've also tried AKG C4000B, Studio Projects C1 and even Senn MD421). The Cascade and Shinybox are both attractively priced and I may even buy a stereo pair to try with drums. I've heard good things about ribbon mics in general so I would try it on everything. Also, can someone tell me the basic difference between a Lundahl and a Cinemag transformer. If I read correctly they both increase the mic response, which seems like a good idea, but how do you choose between the two? Is it more of a personal preference or do they have strengths in different situations? Oh, and for those who still remember me, long time no hear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted February 26, 2008 Members Share Posted February 26, 2008 ShinyBox has a forum, and the guy who makes them answers tons of questions of this sort. I highly recommend you check out the forum and contact him. For this information alone, I'd almost favor purchasing from him (well, okay, he's supposed to make a really good product as well). He's really passionate about making a super great ribbon mic but keeping the price down. A lot, although certainly not all, of ribbon mics made more recently have hotter outputs which means you don't have to work the mic preamps as hard. Cinemag and Lundahl transformers are probably more a matter of preference. And finally, there's a thread about Heil mics in this forum that you should check out. Why am I saying that you should check out this thread, you ask? Because Heil mics apparently have a ribbon-like quality that people seem to like. And they're cheap. Check it out if this piques your interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rim Posted February 26, 2008 Author Members Share Posted February 26, 2008 Thanks for the reponse. It was actually a previous post of yours that got me looking into Cascade and ShinyBox. I couldn't find their forum but I sent ShinyBox an email. The Heil looks like a pretty flat response on the lower end but I was actually looking for a slight boost there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted February 26, 2008 Moderators Share Posted February 26, 2008 I got the Cascade Fathead II Blumlein pair with a stereo bar, shockmounts, nice carrying case and a couple cables, their NAMM Special, for $325. I don't know if he'd still honor the deal but he did for me just last week. I called and asked if he would... and he did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted February 26, 2008 Members Share Posted February 26, 2008 Thanks for the reponse. It was actually a previous post of yours that got me looking into Cascade and ShinyBox. I couldn't find their forum but I sent ShinyBox an email. The Heil looks like a pretty flat response on the lower end but I was actually looking for a slight boost there. Yeah, those were the two I was interested in before. I got the Heil because it sounds like it has the characteristics that I'm looking for in overheads and guitar cabinets. Hopefully that's the case. The Heil PR-40 is supposed to have a strong bass response. I don't know if it has a slight boost down low, but it's supposed to be great for kick drums, so if you haven't looked into that one...otherwise, the ShinyBox or maybe the Cascade may be a good bet, and I've also heard that the Beyer M160 is really great. My friend who plays bass in my band, Lee Flier, and Phil all really love the M160. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rim Posted March 6, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 6, 2008 A Shinybox rep responded to my email and I appreciate the guy's honesty. He said for recording loud sources like guitar and drums, the 55dB of the LT would be plenty but not enough for softer sources like vocals. He did suggest placing something that has a gain, like a compresser, in front. I asked him that an RNC1775 would give me an additional 15dB and he said that would be plenty for vocals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rim Posted March 6, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 6, 2008 I got the Cascade Fathead II Blumlein pair with a stereo bar, shockmounts, nice carrying case and a couple cables, their NAMM Special, for $325. I don't know if he'd still honor the deal but he did for me just last week. I called and asked if he would... and he did. That sounds like a great deal. I'll try that myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rim Posted March 6, 2008 Author Members Share Posted March 6, 2008 Emailed Cascade and they were going to honor $325 for the pair of Fat Heads (not Fat Head II), Blumlein bar and case (no cables mentioned). I asked about Lundahl transformers and they offered me the package with Lundahls for $600 so I bought them. yay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted March 6, 2008 Members Share Posted March 6, 2008 Lettuce know how you like 'em!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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