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Post by mcirish on May 2, 2024 16:24:25 GMT -6
A stereo ribbon under $500 would be very cool if it was good. I'd like an R88 but...
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Post by thehightenor on May 3, 2024 1:39:28 GMT -6
AEA R92 I’ve yet to put a better mic on a guitar cab. How is it on vocals? Fantastic! It has a bright side and a dark side and specially designed reduced proximity effect. It’s a fabulous mic, I demoed it then had to keep it. |
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Post by Mister Chase on May 5, 2024 9:08:08 GMT -6
I have an r121 and two m160s. I've never really bonded with the 121. Pretty boring sound, to me. I think I've heard it on a couple things like trumpet that sounded like a great match. I prefer my AEA r84 by miles. Has a sound and works on everything. M160 is great on guitars and overheads. Guess I'm in the minority on the 121. I'll keep pulling it out from time to time though, maybe something will click.
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Post by drumsound on May 5, 2024 9:16:13 GMT -6
Everyone is throwing out options, so here is mine. If you want to stay around $500, give the Alder Audio H44 a shot.
Nice option! By any chance do you know of a nice stereo ribbon mic below $500?
I think the closes you'll get is $599 for the GAP stereo ribbon. |
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Post by smashlord on May 5, 2024 9:29:28 GMT -6
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Post by robo on May 5, 2024 9:57:07 GMT -6
Love my 121, even on acoustic guitars a times (rotated and phase flipped). But since some others have been suggested, I'd throw out the sE VR1's. Ever since I heard a pair of them on the song "Little Amens" by David Hodges, I was sold and grabbed a pair. Inexpensive too. I've since used them on guitar cab's, piano etc. VR1 is a great mic when you are happy with the sound of the amp, as it is very neutral and balanced for a ribbon. It’s my go-to for close micing. 121’s are cool when you want that specific mid-forward imprint. 160’s are great for cutting through with rhythm tracks, etc. I personally am happy with a stock Fathead, which is somewhere between these. People wrote them off because they were cheap and upgradeable, but the stock version has some magic in the mids I really like on amps. |
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Post by chessparov on May 5, 2024 11:03:40 GMT -6
AEA R92 I’ve yet to put a better mic on a guitar cab. How is it on vocals? What kind of vocal sound are you looking for? More Vintage? More Modern? (FWIW 44 Type is better than R84/92 on me) Soft spot for 77 too. Too many fantastic vocals cut on them. Many by Bones Howe. Ala 5th Dimension and Mamas/Pappas. Nat and Sinatra also. Bones' fave vocal mic of all.  Chris |
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Post by anders on May 6, 2024 8:25:32 GMT -6
Everyone is throwing out options, so here is mine. If you want to stay around $500, give the Alder Audio H44 a shot.
Nice option! By any chance do you know of a nice stereo ribbon mic below $500?
The NoHype Audio SRM1 is €462. Lots of links to reviews and youtube clips on the page. I'm fairly happy with mine. nohypeaudio.com/nhaproducts.htm |
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Post by Darren Boling on May 6, 2024 13:12:26 GMT -6
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nas
Full Member
Posts: 42 
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Post by nas on May 6, 2024 17:34:15 GMT -6
At the risk of stating the obvious and not really offering up a more definitive response, I would say that it really does depend so much on the source (room, performer, instrument, and front end signal chain)... as well as the genre of music and arrangement. It's helpful to describe the various characteristics of a particular mic with respect to frequency response, how well it takes eq and how well it can blend with other mics, but in the end I think it really comes down to matching the mic with a particular source on the spot and how it sits with the rest of the tracks. It's not only how it behaves in your signal chain... but if that in turn compliments and sits well with the rest of the mix.
This of course applies to all mics. It's really all about context and how it fits into the larger aural jigsaw puzzle we assemble. I know that it's very much something we have all come to realize, but it's something I always find myself returning to whenever I need to consider a new purchase and how and when I plan to use it. I have often found myself quite surprised at how well (or not so well) a particular mic worked on a track when I expected a different result.
Anyway, on a more constructive note... listening to sound clips or video examples on various sources can be helpful to give a general idea and if you are able to rent mics and try them out in the context of your particular music, it can can also shed some light. I think this can be particularly helpful if you are considering pulling the trigger on a mic with a pretty hefty price tag!
Sorry for the ramble - but hope that helps a bit.
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Post by ninworks on May 7, 2024 9:19:39 GMT -6
I see where Warm Audio has just released a 44 clone. That could be interesting. I have one of their U47 tube clones and it sounds pretty good for the money. A little dark but it has that tubey-mid-range-depth thing that sounds quite good to me. I also have their 1176 clone and while it's definitely NOT an 1176 it is certainly usable and sounds better than a lot of 1176 plugins I have. I'm curious about the 44 clone.
When the time comes I might get one and then rent a real RCA 44 from Blackbird and do a comparison just to find out for myself how it stacks up.
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Post by smashlord on May 10, 2024 12:27:54 GMT -6
I have an r121 and two m160s. I've never really bonded with the 121. Pretty boring sound, to me. I think I've heard it on a couple things like trumpet that sounded like a great match. I prefer my AEA r84 by miles. Has a sound and works on everything. M160 is great on guitars and overheads. Guess I'm in the minority on the 121. I'll keep pulling it out from time to time though, maybe something will click. I felt the very same way about the R-121 on guitars until I discovered despite all the photos you see of one jammed up close to the speaker, it actually likes to be back a bit. Sometimes 2" is all you need (behave, gentlemen!) and it turns from this muddy, boomy mess to something with a great, smooth midrange character. It also makes an excellent room mic. I love the R84 and think its probably the most versatile ribbon out there, but close miking a 4X12 is not one of its strong suits, IMO, where it is for the 121. The 121 can be a cool mono overhead, but I would also agree the M160 might be a better choice in that application. The m160 seems very sensitive to pre choice. M160 into a pair of TG-2s= fantastic overhead sound with little fuss needed after the fact. M160s into a pair of 312s= boxy, hard mids, strident 3khz range. |
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