Your favourite Mic and why....

[BAXANDALL]

 

No way. Shut up! I posted my opinion after seeing the Cole. Nice choice ispunk, imo.

[ispunk]

 

No way. Shut up! I posted my opinion after seeing the Cole. Nice choice ispunk, imo.

 

 

I bought mine brand new 15 years ago. $400 was cheap for a good large diaphragm mic back then.

[Phil O'Keefe]

I've had a couple of E-200 Equiteks for ages. I just gave one of them away to a really good friend a year or so ago. Back in the day, there wasn't nearly the selection we have today, and the E-200 was a good mic in its day at a relatively affordable price.

[BAXANDALL]

Yup, me too. i think I got my E-100 in 1998. I've been thinking about getting a second these years but always find something else to test out. My latest is a Violet Gold Finger. It is really crisp and accurate in my ears. So far I've only used it on a bass track and one guitar track though.

[Squeakor]

I've used / reviewed a few MXL mikes. Some models are better than others. The 2003's been around a long time. It's inexpensive and generally liked by a lot of people. The R44 / R 144 is a inexpensive ribbon... at that price, it could be a big bargain, but I've never tried them in a serious way, so I can't say. Cascade's Fathead II is an excellent inexpensive ribbon mic alternative that I have used extensively and can definitely recommend.

 

 

Thanks! Will check out the Fathead II and dig up your MXL reviews.

[driverhasabomb]

Thanks! Will check out the Fathead II and dig up your MXL reviews.

 

The Fathead and Fathead II are the same mic... the II just has a nicer shockmount.

 

I have a Fathead w/ standard transformer and an R40. Both mics are great on guitar cabs. For acoustic instruments they're both very woody and warm, but can be way too dark for some instruments. I love using them on viola da gamba or upright bass. For acoustic guitar they work great for more of an old school subdued sound, definitely different from the modern small diaphragm condenser snap typically heard today.

 

Of the two mics I like the Fathead better but they're quite similar. Keep in mind you need a LOT of gain to use most cheap ribbons on the market. Here's a little test I did with the Fathead, not a lot of EQing going on. Excuse the playing

 

http://snd.sc/Ie9H7a

[Squeakor]

The Fathead and Fathead II are the same mic... the II just has a nicer shockmount. I have a Fathead w/ standard transformer and an R40. Both mics are great on guitar cabs. For acoustic instruments they're both very woody and warm, but can be way too dark for some instruments. I love using them on viola da gamba or upright bass. For acoustic guitar they work great for more of an old school subdued sound, definitely different from the modern small diaphragm condenser snap typically heard today. Of the two mics I like the Fathead better but they're quite similar. Keep in mind you need a LOT of gain to use most cheap ribbons on the market. Here's a little test I did with the Fathead, not a lot of EQing going on. Excuse the playing http://snd.sc/Ie9H7a

Damn! That sounds great. Nice and warm. Just the sound I was looking for out of a ribbon.

[V]

This is a track for a coffee shop promo I just did also with a blumline pair of fatheads on all the guitars. They seem to do well with some crunch:

http://soundcloud.com/cjmventer/cjmventer-mr-coffee

 

Of course they might just match well with my particular type of amp. I dunno.

[driverhasabomb]

That sounds really good V. I love the Fathead on a brighter amp like a silverface Twin or jangly AC30.

[captions87]

For those that use the Fathead, would a preamp like a dmp3 or studio projects vtb1 work? Or would you need a special preamp for ribbon mics to power those?

[V]

 

For those that use the Fathead, would a preamp like a dmp3 or studio projects vtb1 work? Or would you need a special preamp for ribbon mics to power those?

 

 

Ribbon mics are actually destroyed by phantom power, I believe, so you don't want that. I just use them with the preamps on my M-audio profire 610. Maybe not optimal but it seems ok to me.

 

And yeah, that's my JCM800/AC15 hybrid with a rickenbacker. Nothing else except the Heliocentric Tessellator (phase cancellation tremolo) on one of the lead parts.

[Phil O'Keefe]

 

Ribbon mics are actually destroyed by phantom power, I believe, so you don't want that. I just use them with the preamps on my M-audio profire 610. Maybe not optimal but it seems ok to me.

 

 

As long as the mic is close to a fairly loud sound source, it will probably generate enough signal that you can get by with most modern mic preamps... but when trying to mic a softer sound source (like a fingerpicked acoustic guitar) and / or at greater mic to sound-source distances, the low output of the typical ribbon mic will require more gain than many of the inexpensive preamps will be able to provide.

 

As far as ribbon mikes and phantom power... yes, under the "wrong" circumstances, phantom power can pop a ribbon, but it takes a pretty specific set of conditions. It's generally considered "best practices" to leave the phantom power turned off on any channels where you're using a ribbon mic. If your board has a global phantom power switch and you need to use both ribbons and condensers simultaneously, I'd recommend turning phantom power off, connecting the ribbon mikes, then connecting the condensers and turning phantom power on. Tear-down should be the reverse of that.

 

What you should generally avoid is connecting or disconnecting ribbon mikes when phantom power is engaged. If you get into the habit of checking that, you will probably never experience a ribbon causality due to phantom power.

 

 

And yeah, that's my JCM800/AC15 hybrid with a rickenbacker. Nothing else except the Heliocentric Tessellator (phase cancellation tremolo) on one of the lead parts.

 

 

Again, it sounds very good!

[captions87]

You don't need a "special" mic preamp for use with ribbon mikes, but the mic preamp that you use should have a few features. First of all, it needs to be a "clean" preamp with a ton of gain. When I say a ton of gain, it should be able to amplify the signal by 60-70dB. When I say "clean", I mean it should not only be able to add 60dB of gain, but do it without adding a ton of noise and hiss to the signal in the process. Some of the more affordable preamps on the market sound okay at lower gain settings, but when pushed up to their maximum gain settings (or close to it) they get pretty noisy. Since ribbon mikes are low-output devices, you'll need a lot of gain... Another thing that would be nice to have is a good high pass filter. Ribbon mikes tend to be bi-directional, and the figure-8 polar pattern is the most susceptible to proximity effect, which means a big bass boost when you put the mic close to the sound source. Having a good high pass filter will allow you to reduce that, and get rid of the low-frequency "gunk" that the mic will capture but that you won't need since it doesn't add anything "good" to the sound. As long as the mic is close to a fairly loud sound source, it will probably generate enough signal that you can get by with most modern mic preamps... but when trying to mic a softer sound source (like a fingerpicked acoustic guitar) and / or at greater mic to sound-source distances, the low output of the typical ribbon mic will require more gain than many of the inexpensive preamps will be able to provide. As far as ribbon mikes and phantom power... yes, under the "wrong" circumstances, phantom power can pop a ribbon, but it takes a pretty specific set of conditions. It's generally considered "best practices" to leave the phantom power turned off on any channels where you're using a ribbon mic. If your board has a global phantom power switch and you need to use both ribbons and condensers simultaneously, I'd recommend turning phantom power off, connecting the ribbon mikes, then connecting the condensers and turning phantom power on. Tear-down should be the reverse of that. What you should generally avoid is connecting or disconnecting ribbon mikes when phantom power is engaged. If you get into the habit of checking that, you will probably never experience a ribbon causality due to phantom power.

 

[Squeakor]

This is a track for a coffee shop promo I just did also with a blumline pair of fatheads on all the guitars. They seem to do well with some crunch: http://soundcloud.com/cjmventer/cjmventer-mr-coffee Of course they might just match well with my particular type of amp. I dunno.

 

 

Ok. You've just sold me on the Fathead. Lovely sound, mate.

[V]

 

Ok. You've just sold me on the Fathead. Lovely sound, mate.

 

 

Ha ha, thanks, man. Remember, though, that's the blumlein (thanks Phil) pair configuration, though, so you need two of them to get that specific sound. One does sound pretty good by itself, but I found this setup most accurate to what was going on in the room.

 

Basically what you do is point one mic at the sound source and the other is mounted right below it at a 90 degree angle (rotationally) from the other. This "sideways" mic produces one track which you make a copy of so you have two. Then you pan one hard left and one hard right and invert the phase on one of them. The one that's pointed facing the source is mixed in the center. This sounds more tricky than it is.

[median]

Classic mic, but you'll need a good preamp with lots of clean gain on tap to get the best out of it - they're a bit low-level in the level department.

Thanks for the input on this! I have some Neve clones I am using. I tested the mic last week. It sounds great!

[median]

What do you all think of the Mojave MA200?

[Ryan.]

I'm pretty big on this mic:



Neumann Solution DS

It is a great budget mic and captures every nuance of a great performance.

[Phil O'Keefe]

For those who want more info on Blumlein stereo techniques, here's an article I wrote on the subject, complete with pics.

[median]

What do you think of this mic?

[Rezrover]

1st Generation Beta 57's.

[eric.chambers]

Yup - it's just a RE20 with a different name on it. Make sure it's working and check the condition of the interior foam. It breaks down after about 10 years, and can be a PITB to replace, although EV does sell a replacement kit. Once it does break down, the repair of the mic gets expensive - a couple hundred, minimum. Assuming the foam's in good shape and it sounds good, it's definitely a great mic and well worth your consideration if the price is reasonable.

 

 

Well, I was thinking if the foam is a gonner, maybe I could send it back to EV and have it replaced free under warranty?

 

Also, would having no foam make the mic unusable?

[captions87]

Just got a fathead in the mail today. I just wish my amp still wasn't in disarray...

[six acre lake]

For guitars I love love love ribbon microphones. I have tried a lot of different ribbons over the years, form pricey to cheap and I gotta say not only because its really affordable but the proof was in the pudding when it came to tracking guitars and I can't say enough good things about the Cascade Fathead ll with the Lundahl tranny.

 

When it comes to drums... way back in the day when I bought my first ADAT, I rented a slew of mics, and I got the best sounds from an AKG 414 in Omni placed about 3' away from the snare, yet angled towards the two rack toms... Maybe it was the room... Maybe it was the drum kit... Maybe it was the player... I have know idea but that one mic in that spot on that day just sounded so {censored}ing good.

[Phil O'Keefe]

 

Well, I was thinking if the foam is a gonner, maybe I could send it back to EV and have it replaced free under warranty? Also, would having no foam make the mic unusable?

 

 

By the time the foam's gone, the mic is long out of warranty. A full overhaul from EV (there are others who do it too) is a bit over two hundred bucks last time I checked, and if the foam has crumbled, it often takes the capsule with it - it should be replaced too for optimal performance. Without the foam to cushion it, the capsule and diaphragm can be easily damaged.