I have a Royer that lives on electric guitar cabinets. Mostly blend with a 57, but end up hardly ever using the Royer in the final mix. For some mixes, the darker features of a ribbon mic can add a texture that the 57 can't provide, but 90% of the time it's something I have and don't use.
Steve Freeman A ribbon is the very last thing I would use on guitar. I’m not sure why they got a reputation for that. Brass instruments on the other hand, are very flattering with a Royer.
Peter Yianilos it’s all personal preference. I like a small blend of the tonality that the Royer adds to electric guitars. I’ve used it on all over 20 million albums sold that I’ve produced, it’s just a part of my process
Steve Freeman Actually, I never use an SM57 on guitar either, it’s a terrible sounding guitar mic! Maybe the Royer is the only reason the 57 works for you? Something to think about.
@@artysanmobile to be honest i just saw Warren's Royer review and i liked it on the acc. that warmth is awesome. i liked it more on the 12-14 fret position
frozn colors Yes it can be very flattering on acoustic guitar, depending on the player. And I agree to keeping it away from the body. Ribbons take HF boosts very gracefully. Because the response is falling so quickly but smoothly, any boost takes on a ‘presence’ characteristic. Very little risk of becoming too wispy.
You will never be the same after working with ribbon mics. For room mics on drums, they sound just spetacular! I've heard they sound very nice too on cymbals, but I never tested. Have been working with a MXL R144 and it's just awesome on eletric and acoustic guitars, vocals and, as as just said, room mics for drums. Your reviews are very, very good! Going direct to the point. Greetings from Brazil!
I love that you explore affordable options and give such a transparent and easily comparable standard of tests. I thought it was an awesome idea to test and show them being blended together too! Thank you for taking the time to do the tests in a better treated area. Awesome jerb! Merry Chrimmas, Bandrew!
It’s smooth and dark, there’s no denying that, and smooth and dark microphones really benefit my voice type (hence why the 7b is one of my go tos). Perhaps with a large high pass on it, it would sound more usable.
So if used for Voice over Application in a vocal booth I would bypass the Jonh Hardy Preamp and go directly to the Apollo Twin Duo but NOT Adding Phantom Power? Like the Juxtapose Factor that the mic has Dark and Warm. Great Video Happy New year! 🥳
The magic behind using ribbons is the EQ, they take it like magic, you can run 12~16db high freq boosts on these things and still sound natural, try it next time!
Ribbon mics are exquisite in a fraction of situations, horrific in most, and work best with quality preamps that have monstrous gain. If you have a cheap USB interface, it's usually not a good choice. If you have a great recording space, a preamp with enough clean gain, and a source that benefits from ribbon (horns, woodwinds, vocals with naturally harsh, nasally mid-high-end ~2k and above-ish, etc...) then a ribbon is a marvelous paintbrush in your collection. For podcasters, only if you are in an immaculately treated dedicated recording space and it compliments your specific voice. Even then, you may be more liberal with the EQ than you're used to. It's ok, ribbons love gobs of EQ. In other words, as a unique tool to use in unique situations, ribbons are marvelous. For 99% of streamers and podcasters, it'll make you want to throw your computer out the window. Stick with a decent condenser or dynamic.
They can also be used for mid side miking. Stringed instruments really shine on them also. And if your voice sounds too nasaly lower the mic. Use a Cloudlifter on normal preamps. Sometimes bring the mic close to the wall to minimize reflections hitting backside of mic. And yep gobs of EQ. Brighten it up. Just to try and get even close to as good of a sound as I get from a SET of dynamic mics. One cardioid one hypercardioid set right next to each other. :-P
I actually use my Nady RSM-2 ribbon mic through a cheap Behringer USB mixer and I absolutely love the way mine sounds (it sounds very similar to this mic). On my voice, the darker smoother sound is exactly what I was going for. Mine also sounds fantastic on acoustic guitar. While it's not my favorite on guitar cabinets, (the Sennheiser MD-421 is my fav), I still very much enjoy it on there. Ribbon mics are definitely a niche mic, but personally I dig their sound and have always kept coming back to it for my own voice.
A condenser works fine if I do somewhat speech level singing, that I have in my channel from many years ago, but now that I've started a classical training, the voice sounds harsh when miked the same way. I have no other option in a bedroom, but opera singers use a technique meant for the theater and as such, a big space. Maybe a ribbon mic is the answer, and then I fake the big space with plugins.
I _really_ liked the way it fattened up the acoustic guitar. I loved that sound. Now more ribbon mic reviews! Cascade makes some products I'd love to hear you check out.
This was the 1st ribbon I added to my collection. Since then I've added 2 more active ribbon mics that require phantom power. I like the warmness they add to my recordings. In your tests, I really liked how the acoustic guitar sounded. I was ready to hear Perry Como or Nat King Cole begin singing along. Great review as always.
You actually covered exactly why I bought one myself- to have a little bit darker mic and more room noise to blend with another mic. For the money, it performs excellently for the purpose it was purchased for.
the blended tone is really noticeable, great use-case example. I'd love a comparison between this and a Fathead ribbon mic. Happy holidays, friend, I love this channel.
I have this and a fathead ii - the fathead is the better mic but is also darker and more bottom end heavy than the MXL so only useful in certain situations, with the right gear and if you know what you're doing.
I liked the smooth tone it had which probably needs to be used carefully and for the right instrument/recording situation, but it was nice and interesting to hear something completely different with a new set of rules & regulations to make sure it's not broken in minutes!
I SWEAR by these things on guitar cabs. I prefer them over R144's. The heavy ribbon really focuses in on the low resonances I'm trying the capture that the parallel dynamic mic lacks.
I purchased this mic to use as a room mic when recording drums and my drums finally sound a lot more full. And I've also used it on guitars and bass as a room mic. I didn't like it on vocals or acoustic guitars unfortunately. I would recommend this mic to people who need a room mic for live drums.
Once upon a time I had a Superlux R102, which I sold, because I did not find anything to record with it. As I remember it sounded like this R144. Now i have a Octave ML-52 wich is something else. I love to put it on a pair of Congas, very close and directing to both skins. And there are 2 Beyerdynamic M260 and one M500 in my box. These are hypercardic ribbons wich are special but can be usesd for vocals, acc guitar, guitar cabinets, brass and wood, percussions - if you do not want to have a SM57 or a MD421 once again.
Hi @kingofbonngo there. could you please share your thoughts on octava ml-52 & comparison with your other ribbons. I heard in some cases (brass, sax) it almost match AEA, Royer, Coles quality. How it compare to your Beyerdynamic ribbons?
I recorded a tenor sax with a Superlux ribbonmic and was absolutely thrilled. The Superlux is one of the few active ribbonmics and has a built-in pop filter, so it is less sensitive. It moves approximately in the same price league. For speech recording and percussion it’s also a good choice.
Would be nice to hear some Mid/Side recordings or perhaps an explanation of M/S. I’m a mid/side nut and love ribbon for the sides. Used a sub zero r1 until I dropped it, loved it.
I got one and really like it. I use my preamp to boost the upper ranges and that works well to keep it from being too dim. My cheapest mic and also the one I like the most. However the sound rejection from the side is disappointing, not nearly as good as my dynamics. I am thinking of gluing some mass loaded vinyl to the sides and back of the body and leave only the front grill exposed but not sure if this will work or not.
Honestly I thought that it sounded better than I expected on spoken word, even though it has some exaggerated bass/proximity effect. Filter that out and it wouldn't sound that bad as a broadcast mic. It'd still be pretty far down the list for me though :) I've got a couple of Cascade Fatheads and I love them dead-center on a guitar cabinet's speaker (a position I wouldn't dare try with any other type of mic). They're also terrific on hand percussion like tambourines and shakers, they have a cool vintage flavor as drum overheads, and I think that they're unbeatable as drum room mics. Great review, man. I've come to really enjoy your content over the years.
This review was just perfect.. Answered all my questions - even pairing it with a '57 on the guitar. I even had an interactive argument with you about whether I should sample that spring bounce on the boom arm where you basically stopped ✋️ me by convincing me not to. Thanks.
problem with UA-cam's audio compression is it cancels out any phase cancellation you might have in a live environment or live stream so none of that actually comes out in the youtube video. So i really look forward to the raw audio for this video you host on your site.
Gosh I thought I was going mad looking for that cancellation. Yes it didn't sound as good, but nowhere near as bad as it should have. Thanks for the info.
Maybe ribbon microphones will make an old-school come-back as cassette tapes are doing. One question, Mr. Podcastage, what about using this mic on my 4-track cassette recorder? The grape-vine told me that.magnetic tape is known to add a gentle compression to recordings.
Yes please I would love to see more tests with ribbon mics preferably maybe with a Royer are 10 or Royer 121? Maybe even up against a few other ribbon mics, if possible thank you very much and great vids!two thumbs up
I'm kinda blown away. I love this ribbon sound and your video! I thought your review was pretty honest and authentic but I will say I've watched hundreds of mic reviews for various reasons, as I need them for various situations, like sound healing, this is a phenomenal microphone. I mean compared to the average mic I mean even the average podcaster mic this sounds amazing and I'm watching everything with a Marantz with some nice speakers. Maybe that's why. But everything I compare thought this. Now, I'm a fan of dark punk music like AFI, Ghost, and even pop punk with slightly darker and heavier tones. If you're comparing this to the average podcast mic for example, not that it's fitting for that, but if someone were to have a softer voice this would make them sound phenomenal for the price. It doesn't have a "cut off" a sound like almost everything nowadays. Especially zoom equipment. In a lot of other mics they just have this annoying sound, it sounds like mids are getting cut off and I know some of them have a built in limiter but this just sounded open and smooth for the price it sounds better than many $300 microphones...but it's a ribbon you could break it....but if you want a better sound and you're careful this sounds like some four or $500 podcast mics or even better because they have that chopped off sound...
At first bite, I thought you were a little arrogant-BUT no longer. You do a very honest service with your reviews, you entertain, you have a consistent format, you are meticulous in your perceptions and you impart valuable information to the world at large. Oh yeah--I love your funny bits-the box, the smoking jacket gag, etc. You've got it dialed in just right!
I use this exact mic in my home studio to record trumpet and flugelhorn. I sometimes pair it with a 57 for a brassier high register sound. I've had it for around 6 years now, so if you treat it carefully, it will continue to serve you well.
I actually enjoyed your video! I know! I was shocked as well! You presented the R144 as what it is, a budget ribbon microphone. IMO, I believe a small project studio should have either a mic locker or in my case a small collection of microphones for different applications. Let's also remember that this microphone is less than $100.00! For the price, this is an amazing sounding ribbon mic. One thing I must point out is, because I cringed so badly, you spoke about the cardinal rules of handling a ribbon mic so you don't damage the ribbon (do not drop, do not use phantom power, and watch the plosives) then you speak into it without a pop filter! I wanted to reach through the screen and slap you! That being said, I subscribed to your channel. In summary, If you have a small project studio, you can't go wrong by adding a ribbon mic to add some flavor, this one sounds great and will not break the bank!
Definitely interested in more ribbon mic stuff. I probably won't be buying a ribbon mic any time soon but I'm definitely interested in learning more about them.
I wonder if the shock mount experiment should be repeated with the springs deadened with a cloth sleeve (fleece, cotton, whatever), or even stuffed with cloth or cotton batting. Some of the noise could have come directly through the mic, and not through the shock mount, making that con the result of a noisy arm design, instead of the mic itself...
My plans are currently recording solo trombone and vocals for jazz. I think I’m going to pair the MXL and the 57 together to get all the characteristics I want on both spectrums.
That was by far the funniest review ever. Genius. Have a question. No fathom power needed so if I'm recording onto a 4 track cassette recorder I can just go right into the recorder? N if I want preamp or need to interface for phone Jack can I just turn fathom power off? Same question applies if I had channel strip for eq n compression into phone or cassette deck.
It sounded good on the acoustic but too woofy on the electric even with the SM57. Same on your voice. I'd be curious what it would sound like on piano or brass.
10:01 _"HOH! HOH!"_ 🤣 It certainly is boomy! While it's nowhere near an AEA or a Royer-both in sound and build quality-but it sounds pretty darn good, especially considering it only costs a C-note!
Throw on a low pass filter and you've got a perfectly usable vocal sound. I have one and use it on guitar amps and acoustic instruments all the time. I use it in front of an acoustic guitar with a condenser overhead and the combination sounds awesome.
More ribbon mic reviews would be awesome, especially the more expensive variety. Happy Holidays to you Bandrew! Please don't do anything that I wouldn't do! OH and Hail Santa........... 👍🎁👍
Oh c'mon... I wanted to hear some plosive tests at the end. Can't you give us that? Show us why you don't do that to a ribbon. Wanna collaborate and break one together?
I'm a huge ribbon mic fan. Knowing what I know about MXL, I expected this mic to be worse than it was in this video, and certainly not better. It did sound decent on acoustic guitar though. You gave an excellent objective review. Thank you!
There's some reasonably cheap active ribbon mics, with a built in preamp, that requires phantom voltage, so at least THAT reduces that risk a bit. I'd love to see a review of something like that.
Would a mic screen (the ones that basically form a little foam wall around the backside of the mic) help with making this more easily usable in more environments?
I'm looking for a mic to record Scottish smallpipes. The ribbon mic sounds attractive to give the sound of the chanter more of a smooth and warm feel. I'm using a condenser now (Samson G Track Pro), but it's not quite what I want to get out of the recording. Any recs? Can you get a USB ribbon? Any impairment in quality with USB?
I'm thinking to buy this guy to complement my SM57 to record guitar. Do you think it would work well on bass as well? From the frequency response, I'd say yes, but I have zero experience with ribbon mic!
Nice to see a budget ribbon mic. I also liked the pairing, which I’ve seen elsewhere with a small diaphragm dynamic. I’m specifically interested in recording opera singing in a hall. Opera singers normally are recorded to sing the hall they’re in, especially ones that are acoustically tuned for it. I know you deal mostly with spoken word dynamic levels and of course amplified instruments, but it would be nice to see what techniques are used for opera singing because you are mostly dealing with formants at 2500 to 3K and 8k to 9.2 k freq’s which I would like to see ribbon mics handle.
i'm a tenor and the speech level singing that I have on this channel recorded in a bedroom sounds ok through a condenser, but the same thing using a technique for the theater sounds harsh. I hope the mxl ribbon helps me with that. I can fake the space in the daw, as I don't have the space in the bedroom to sing far away from the mic.
Interested in more ribbon mics as you get them. Perhaps a mid level and high level to compare it with or understand what higher end ribbons can do (I'm new, can you tell? hahaha) but I come to this channel to learn and hear about the microphones you demo/review.
Personally, I really like the warm sound of a ribbon microphone and I would like to try a ribbon microphone on my trumpet because I always boost the mid and low frequencies when I have the trumpet in my mixes. Right now I am trying to get a budget ribbon microphone but I can't decide between the MXL R144, the SE Electronics X1 R, and the Golden Age Project R1 MKII/R2 MKII.
Probably ribbon mics are the way to go for close miking an opera singer in a bedroom. Condenser mics give me a harsh sound when using technique intended for the theater. I'm looking forward to get that mic.
I stayed at a house out in boulder co with a guy who look just like you. he played in a surf rock band. You guys look like twins. Good work on the mic test. would really like if you could do a $100-$300 ribbon shoot out.
Yeah I had one of these too. This microphone was horrible! Literally only good for acoustic recordings, If that. I've used it with a quality pre-amp, interface, usb, non-usb, you name it. This mic just sounds like a chinese $20 dynamic lol
Google translation, sorry. First, thanks for your videos, they have always been useful for me, seriously. Second, I wanted to ask you about the Shure x2u audio interface, people say there is no noise if the volume of the PC input is at 3%, did you try that option? Could you tell me if it really is as good as they say? You tried this interface but you didn't do it with dynamic microphones, I would like you to tell me that please
I have enjoyed your videos, just wondering. Getting a quality mic is important, but how much does it matter on the device that is recording the sound? Absurd hypothetical, would a $600 mic sound better than than $100 mic hooked to my phone?? I hope you understand what I am getting at.
Can i have tips on how to get this mic working? Like i want to it to get vocals exactly how you have it. Do you have to use a pre amp? I can’t get mine to sound good
Great review as always, however I get the feeling that your not terribly familiar with a lot of ribbon microphones and I can say that this microphone is MUCH more mid-range heavy then a quality ribbon would be, if you listen to reviews of RCA 77DX or even some royer microphones you'll find that it's actually quite normal for most ribbon microphones to have a very flattering top end and a more flat frequency response, Also you really don't need to worry that much about putting phantom power into new ribbon mics, most of them are built for it however if you patch a cable in and out with phantom you are likely to blow the mic, so just don't unplug it when phantom power is still on. I would not consider this microphone a good representation of a quality ribbon microphone.
I'll stay with my Audio Technica AT-2020.. Btw what do you think of the AKG P3s/P5s? i Think those are good Mics for about 35€, but i would love to see a Review of it!
Stupid question here: I'm a YT beginner and few days ago ordered mk f100tl. It comes with a tripod...but I need a boom arm, and I have no idea are boom arms and shock mounts are universal. If it's not, which one I shoud get?
I'm not super advanced but based on what I understand generally shock mounts are a bit more selective. Some mics have a shock mount built for them specifically. Boom arms are generally more universal though you may need a converter depending on the size of the adapter on the boom arm vs shock mount. The thing I'd caution you about on the boom arm is to consider how heavy the mic is. If it's a heavier mic you'll likely need a more expensive boom arm to actually hold the mic in place. If it's lighter a cheaper one may work.
Thanks for another great video, It would be great, regarding ribbon microphones, reviews on the sE VR1 and Royer R-10, (which are mid-priced mics) would be awesome.
Nice review. My only issue was that the blend of the 57 and 144 leaned way to heavily and felt pretty odd. I’d either lean way harder on the 144 or use subtractive EQ on one of them to make room for the other - though I imagine you want to avoid EQ in this type of comparison.
I have a Royer that lives on electric guitar cabinets. Mostly blend with a 57, but end up hardly ever using the Royer in the final mix. For some mixes, the darker features of a ribbon mic can add a texture that the 57 can't provide, but 90% of the time it's something I have and don't use.
Steve Freeman A ribbon is the very last thing I would use on guitar. I’m not sure why they got a reputation for that. Brass instruments on the other hand, are very flattering with a Royer.
Peter Yianilos it’s all personal preference. I like a small blend of the tonality that the Royer adds to electric guitars. I’ve used it on all over 20 million albums sold that I’ve produced, it’s just a part of my process
Steve Freeman Actually, I never use an SM57 on guitar either, it’s a terrible sounding guitar mic! Maybe the Royer is the only reason the 57 works for you? Something to think about.
@@artysanmobile to be honest i just saw Warren's Royer review and i liked it on the acc. that warmth is awesome. i liked it more on the 12-14 fret position
frozn colors Yes it can be very flattering on acoustic guitar, depending on the player. And I agree to keeping it away from the body. Ribbons take HF boosts very gracefully. Because the response is falling so quickly but smoothly, any boost takes on a ‘presence’ characteristic. Very little risk of becoming too wispy.
Hmm.. actually sounds really good to me. Like a smooth creamy, yet slightly dark tone. Happy holidays boomdrew
Happy Holiday to you as well good sir! =)
You will never be the same after working with ribbon mics.
For room mics on drums, they sound just spetacular! I've heard they sound very nice too on cymbals, but I never tested. Have been working with a MXL R144 and it's just awesome on eletric and acoustic guitars, vocals and, as as just said, room mics for drums.
Your reviews are very, very good! Going direct to the point.
Greetings from Brazil!
I love that you explore affordable options and give such a transparent and easily comparable standard of tests. I thought it was an awesome idea to test and show them being blended together too! Thank you for taking the time to do the tests in a better treated area. Awesome jerb! Merry Chrimmas, Bandrew!
4:46 That's actually a really cool sound. You could use that mic on a springy boom arm for some weird experimental music.
I thought the same!
Yeah! I was thinking; SOUND FX LOL
I think it actually sounds pretty nice on your voice. 😀
It’s smooth and dark, there’s no denying that, and smooth and dark microphones really benefit my voice type (hence why the 7b is one of my go tos). Perhaps with a large high pass on it, it would sound more usable.
So if used for Voice over Application in a vocal booth I would bypass the Jonh Hardy Preamp and go directly to the Apollo Twin Duo but NOT Adding Phantom Power? Like the Juxtapose Factor that the mic has Dark and Warm.
Great Video Happy New year! 🥳
The magic behind using ribbons is the EQ, they take it like magic, you can run 12~16db high freq boosts on these things and still sound natural, try it next time!
@@vazdaqui8513 Will do!
@@vazdaqui8513 Helo Vaz Danqui any opinions on the Shure KSM313/NE Dual-voice Ribbon Microphone? Have a great day.
Ribbon mics are exquisite in a fraction of situations, horrific in most, and work best with quality preamps that have monstrous gain. If you have a cheap USB interface, it's usually not a good choice.
If you have a great recording space, a preamp with enough clean gain, and a source that benefits from ribbon (horns, woodwinds, vocals with naturally harsh, nasally mid-high-end ~2k and above-ish, etc...) then a ribbon is a marvelous paintbrush in your collection.
For podcasters, only if you are in an immaculately treated dedicated recording space and it compliments your specific voice. Even then, you may be more liberal with the EQ than you're used to. It's ok, ribbons love gobs of EQ.
In other words, as a unique tool to use in unique situations, ribbons are marvelous.
For 99% of streamers and podcasters, it'll make you want to throw your computer out the window. Stick with a decent condenser or dynamic.
Very well said! In short, you have to have at *least* proprofessional setup.
They can also be used for mid side miking. Stringed instruments really shine on them also. And if your voice sounds too nasaly lower the mic. Use a Cloudlifter on normal preamps. Sometimes bring the mic close to the wall to minimize reflections hitting backside of mic. And yep gobs of EQ. Brighten it up. Just to try and get even close to as good of a sound as I get from a SET of dynamic mics. One cardioid one hypercardioid set right next to each other. :-P
I actually use my Nady RSM-2 ribbon mic through a cheap Behringer USB mixer and I absolutely love the way mine sounds (it sounds very similar to this mic). On my voice, the darker smoother sound is exactly what I was going for. Mine also sounds fantastic on acoustic guitar. While it's not my favorite on guitar cabinets, (the Sennheiser MD-421 is my fav), I still very much enjoy it on there. Ribbon mics are definitely a niche mic, but personally I dig their sound and have always kept coming back to it for my own voice.
A condenser works fine if I do somewhat speech level singing, that I have in my channel from many years ago, but now that I've started a classical training, the voice sounds harsh when miked the same way. I have no other option in a bedroom, but opera singers use a technique meant for the theater and as such, a big space. Maybe a ribbon mic is the answer, and then I fake the big space with plugins.
Don't forget that an inline preamp will give you enough of a gain boost and it will also protect the ribbon mic from phantom power.
I own this mic and can confirm that there is a diode or something - phantom power causes no injury
Sounds a little overly warm on voice, but amazing on the acoustic guitar. I really liked the R144/SM57 combo on the electric too.
Exactly. For acoustic guitar it is an amazing mic. Makes my Taylor GS mini bass sound incredible also.
I _really_ liked the way it fattened up the acoustic guitar. I loved that sound.
Now more ribbon mic reviews! Cascade makes some products I'd love to hear you check out.
This mic is so good on the ears.
This was the 1st ribbon I added to my collection. Since then I've added 2 more active ribbon mics that require phantom power. I like the warmness they add to my recordings. In your tests, I really liked how the acoustic guitar sounded. I was ready to hear Perry Como or Nat King Cole begin singing along. Great review as always.
You actually covered exactly why I bought one myself- to have a little bit darker mic and more room noise to blend with another mic. For the money, it performs excellently for the purpose it was purchased for.
the blended tone is really noticeable, great use-case example. I'd love a comparison between this and a Fathead ribbon mic. Happy holidays, friend, I love this channel.
I have this and a fathead ii - the fathead is the better mic but is also darker and more bottom end heavy than the MXL so only useful in certain situations, with the right gear and if you know what you're doing.
I would absolutely love to see you review more ribbon mics. I was going to reach out to you today to do so. Merry Christmas Bamdrew!
I love the way this sounds. It makes me want to put on a smoking jacket and slippers and grab a hot cup of cocoa.
Merry Christmas Bandrew.
Mike, you got the feeling!
I love the sound of this cheap mic recording a trumpet with it. I did it a few years ago and it sounded fantastic! Thanks for your review!
I liked the smooth tone it had which probably needs to be used carefully and for the right instrument/recording situation, but it was nice and interesting to hear something completely different with a new set of rules & regulations to make sure it's not broken in minutes!
I SWEAR by these things on guitar cabs. I prefer them over R144's. The heavy ribbon really focuses in on the low resonances I'm trying the capture that the parallel dynamic mic lacks.
I think it sounds really good on your voice.
HAIL SANTA!
santana
Hail ODIN. :-) yes he goes by Santa also. Look it up.
Well, it does wonder to your voice. Even with somewhat dark cans, it works very very well.
I purchased this mic to use as a room mic when recording drums and my drums finally sound a lot more full. And I've also used it on guitars and bass as a room mic. I didn't like it on vocals or acoustic guitars unfortunately. I would recommend this mic to people who need a room mic for live drums.
Once upon a time I had a Superlux R102, which I sold, because I did not find anything to record with it. As I remember it sounded like this R144. Now i have a Octave ML-52 wich is something else. I love to put it on a pair of Congas, very close and directing to both skins. And there are 2 Beyerdynamic M260 and one M500 in my box. These are hypercardic ribbons wich are special but can be usesd for vocals, acc guitar, guitar cabinets, brass and wood, percussions - if you do not want to have a SM57 or a MD421 once again.
Hi @kingofbonngo there. could you please share your thoughts on octava ml-52 & comparison with your other ribbons. I heard in some cases (brass, sax) it almost match AEA, Royer, Coles quality. How it compare to your Beyerdynamic ribbons?
I recorded a tenor sax with a Superlux ribbonmic and was absolutely thrilled. The Superlux is one of the few active ribbonmics and has a built-in pop filter, so it is less sensitive. It moves approximately in the same price league. For speech recording and percussion it’s also a good choice.
Would be nice to hear some Mid/Side recordings or perhaps an explanation of M/S. I’m a mid/side nut and love ribbon for the sides. Used a sub zero r1 until I dropped it, loved it.
ahhhh perhaps I should do one and post it.......... hmmmm
I got one and really like it. I use my preamp to boost the upper ranges and that works well to keep it from being too dim. My cheapest mic and also the one I like the most. However the sound rejection from the side is disappointing, not nearly as good as my dynamics. I am thinking of gluing some mass loaded vinyl to the sides and back of the body and leave only the front grill exposed but not sure if this will work or not.
Honestly I thought that it sounded better than I expected on spoken word, even though it has some exaggerated bass/proximity effect. Filter that out and it wouldn't sound that bad as a broadcast mic. It'd still be pretty far down the list for me though :)
I've got a couple of Cascade Fatheads and I love them dead-center on a guitar cabinet's speaker (a position I wouldn't dare try with any other type of mic). They're also terrific on hand percussion like tambourines and shakers, they have a cool vintage flavor as drum overheads, and I think that they're unbeatable as drum room mics.
Great review, man. I've come to really enjoy your content over the years.
This review was just perfect.. Answered all my questions - even pairing it with a '57 on the guitar.
I even had an interactive argument with you about whether I should sample that spring bounce on the boom arm where you basically stopped ✋️ me by convincing me not to. Thanks.
I really like your voice on this mic.
Very easy to listen to. It really makes your voice sound smooth and bassy.
problem with UA-cam's audio compression is it cancels out any phase cancellation you might have in a live environment or live stream so none of that actually comes out in the youtube video. So i really look forward to the raw audio for this video you host on your site.
Gosh I thought I was going mad looking for that cancellation. Yes it didn't sound as good, but nowhere near as bad as it should have. Thanks for the info.
Can you make a video abaut isolation shields? (Pls)
Maybe ribbon microphones will make an old-school come-back as cassette tapes are doing. One question, Mr. Podcastage, what about using this mic on my 4-track cassette recorder? The grape-vine told me that.magnetic tape is known to add a gentle compression to recordings.
Please, please, more ribbon mics, you are the king Bandrew!!! Merry Christmas to you!!!
I bet it's a good choice for a budget mid-side setup. I think I'll grab one eventually!
Hi,
Love your Demos! Do you remember how you Mic'd the Guitar cab with both mics??? Sounded Perfect!
Yes please I would love to see more tests with ribbon mics preferably maybe with a Royer are 10 or Royer 121? Maybe even up against a few other ribbon mics, if possible thank you very much and great vids!two thumbs up
I've had this for a long time but never ended up using it. Used it recently on a tabla. Really good fat warm signal. in definitely coming back to it!
I'm kinda blown away. I love this ribbon sound and your video! I thought your review was pretty honest and authentic but I will say I've watched hundreds of mic reviews for various reasons, as I need them for various situations, like sound healing, this is a phenomenal microphone. I mean compared to the average mic I mean even the average podcaster mic this sounds amazing and I'm watching everything with a Marantz with some nice speakers. Maybe that's why. But everything I compare thought this. Now, I'm a fan of dark punk music like AFI, Ghost, and even pop punk with slightly darker and heavier tones. If you're comparing this to the average podcast mic for example, not that it's fitting for that, but if someone were to have a softer voice this would make them sound phenomenal for the price. It doesn't have a "cut off" a sound like almost everything nowadays. Especially zoom equipment. In a lot of other mics they just have this annoying sound, it sounds like mids are getting cut off and I know some of them have a built in limiter but this just sounded open and smooth for the price it sounds better than many $300 microphones...but it's a ribbon you could break it....but if you want a better sound and you're careful this sounds like some four or $500 podcast mics or even better because they have that chopped off sound...
Merry Christmas Bud... Any chance of doing a review of the Rode NTR at any time?
At first bite, I thought you were a little arrogant-BUT no longer. You do a very honest service with your reviews, you entertain, you have a consistent format, you are meticulous in your perceptions and you impart valuable information to the world at large. Oh yeah--I love your funny bits-the box, the smoking jacket gag, etc. You've got it dialed in just right!
Happy Holidays to you too!
I have a 121 and these mics, too me they sound great. For the money they sound really really nice on B3 full and warm without harsh highs
Nice Bandrew… at 6:27 you were just fed up and started flipping us the bird! Nice! hahaha
I use this exact mic in my home studio to record trumpet and flugelhorn. I sometimes pair it with a 57 for a brassier high register sound. I've had it for around 6 years now, so if you treat it carefully, it will continue to serve you well.
I actually enjoyed your video! I know! I was shocked as well! You presented the R144 as what it is, a budget ribbon microphone. IMO, I believe a small project studio should have either a mic locker or in my case a small collection of microphones for different applications. Let's also remember that this microphone is less than $100.00! For the price, this is an amazing sounding ribbon mic. One thing I must point out is, because I cringed so badly, you spoke about the cardinal rules of handling a ribbon mic so you don't damage the ribbon (do not drop, do not use phantom power, and watch the plosives) then you speak into it without a pop filter! I wanted to reach through the screen and slap you! That being said, I subscribed to your channel. In summary, If you have a small project studio, you can't go wrong by adding a ribbon mic to add some flavor, this one sounds great and will not break the bank!
Definitely interested in more ribbon mic stuff. I probably won't be buying a ribbon mic any time soon but I'm definitely interested in learning more about them.
I wonder if the shock mount experiment should be repeated with the springs deadened with a cloth sleeve (fleece, cotton, whatever), or even stuffed with cloth or cotton batting. Some of the noise could have come directly through the mic, and not through the shock mount, making that con the result of a noisy arm design, instead of the mic itself...
This guy sounds quite good on you at your alternative room!
Could you do a review on a Coles 4104 commentator microphone?
My plans are currently recording solo trombone and vocals for jazz. I think I’m going to pair the MXL and the 57 together to get all the characteristics I want on both spectrums.
That was by far the funniest review ever. Genius. Have a question. No fathom power needed so if I'm recording onto a 4 track cassette recorder I can just go right into the recorder? N if I want preamp or need to interface for phone Jack can I just turn fathom power off? Same question applies if I had channel strip for eq n compression into phone or cassette deck.
It sounded good on the acoustic but too woofy on the electric even with the SM57. Same on your voice. I'd be curious what it would sound like on piano or brass.
10:01 _"HOH! HOH!"_ 🤣 It certainly is boomy! While it's nowhere near an AEA or a Royer-both in sound and build quality-but it sounds pretty darn good, especially considering it only costs a C-note!
Throw on a low pass filter and you've got a perfectly usable vocal sound. I have one and use it on guitar amps and acoustic instruments all the time. I use it in front of an acoustic guitar with a condenser overhead and the combination sounds awesome.
More ribbon mic reviews would be awesome, especially the more expensive variety. Happy Holidays to you Bandrew! Please don't do anything that I wouldn't do! OH and Hail Santa........... 👍🎁👍
Oh c'mon... I wanted to hear some plosive tests at the end. Can't you give us that? Show us why you don't do that to a ribbon. Wanna collaborate and break one together?
0:56 what webcam do you use sir? BTW great video,
Great video as usual thanks a lot Bandrew! How about a review on the #stellar #x2 #microphone ? Happy Holidays!
José Gregorio Santaella V. Best mic I’ve gotten my hands on to date that didn’t cost an arm and a leg
@@htb123times I'd definetly consider it as a go to Mic Thanks!
It would be useful to know if you used a preamp or if you connected it directly to your soundcard. Thank you.
I'm a huge ribbon mic fan. Knowing what I know about MXL, I expected this mic to be worse than it was in this video, and certainly not better. It did sound decent on acoustic guitar though. You gave an excellent objective review. Thank you!
There's some reasonably cheap active ribbon mics, with a built in preamp, that requires phantom voltage, so at least THAT reduces that risk a bit. I'd love to see a review of something like that.
I run my r144 into a cloudlifter.
Would a mic screen (the ones that basically form a little foam wall around the backside of the mic) help with making this more easily usable in more environments?
"The Rear Lobe of Sensitivity". I've just found the name for my new band! Happy Merryville!
I'm looking for a mic to record Scottish smallpipes. The ribbon mic sounds attractive to give the sound of the chanter more of a smooth and warm feel. I'm using a condenser now (Samson G Track Pro), but it's not quite what I want to get out of the recording. Any recs? Can you get a USB ribbon? Any impairment in quality with USB?
The N in the sign at the begining should be moved to the end. But Santa's pretty nice too.
Have you reviewed the M160? I would love to see you review that mic.
Hahaha! Whatt!? I just posted about it and I’m fairly certain I’m going to be putting my review of that out tomorrow.
Just about every mic you review is boosted a little in post. I noticed this one wasn't. Very sensitive, and that frequency response is amazingly flat.
With a cloudlifter it is even better. BTW quit stealin my name. :-P
@@chrisw5742 ROFL.. You are the very first other Chris W I've seen. Congrats on the great name!
Would love to see the XR1, VR1 and/or VR2 ribbon mics.
Excellent review. Look forward to more ribbons. Thanks.
I'm thinking to buy this guy to complement my SM57 to record guitar. Do you think it would work well on bass as well? From the frequency response, I'd say yes, but I have zero experience with ribbon mic!
Nice to see a budget ribbon mic. I also liked the pairing, which I’ve seen elsewhere with a small diaphragm dynamic. I’m specifically interested in recording opera singing in a hall. Opera singers normally are recorded to sing the hall they’re in, especially ones that are acoustically tuned for it. I know you deal mostly with spoken word dynamic levels and of course amplified instruments, but it would be nice to see what techniques are used for opera singing because you are mostly dealing with formants at 2500 to 3K and 8k to 9.2 k freq’s which I would like to see ribbon mics handle.
i'm a tenor and the speech level singing that I have on this channel recorded in a bedroom sounds ok through a condenser, but the same thing using a technique for the theater sounds harsh. I hope the mxl ribbon helps me with that. I can fake the space in the daw, as I don't have the space in the bedroom to sing far away from the mic.
Em, I'm not sure if it sounds absolutely terrible at your desk setup compared to the dark room, I thought it kinda sounds the same in both rooms lol
Interested in more ribbon mics as you get them. Perhaps a mid level and high level to compare it with or understand what higher end ribbons can do (I'm new, can you tell? hahaha) but I come to this channel to learn and hear about the microphones you demo/review.
Will you review the se electronics voodoo vr1 in the future?
I find some Rode mics 'dark' I think a dark sound is great.
Hola. Lo recomiendas para VoiceOver con la interfase focusrite??
I am interested in ribbon mics - would you review an ART AR5 Active Ribbon Microphone for us? Looks like they are only about $150 new
Personally, I really like the warm sound of a ribbon microphone and I would like to try a ribbon microphone on my trumpet because I always boost the mid and low frequencies when I have the trumpet in my mixes. Right now I am trying to get a budget ribbon microphone but I can't decide between the MXL R144, the SE Electronics X1 R, and the Golden Age Project R1 MKII/R2 MKII.
Probably ribbon mics are the way to go for close miking an opera singer in a bedroom. Condenser mics give me a harsh sound when using technique intended for the theater. I'm looking forward to get that mic.
Happy Holidays for you... Microphone Legend.
It’s Christmas Eve and you’re reviewing a microphone. Go out, get drunk, party and meet a sexy elf, microphones can wait for a while. Live a little
Andrew, could you review the Samson Q8X microphone, thanks!!!!
I stayed at a house out in boulder co with a guy who look just like you. he played in a surf rock band. You guys look like twins. Good work on the mic test. would really like if you could do a $100-$300 ribbon shoot out.
I love the smooth sound of ribbon mics. This may not be the best, but it's $100.
Had this mic a few years ago. Hated it. I think it sounds terrible even with a good mic pre. Now, the MXL V67g, however.... I own three.
Yeah I had one of these too. This microphone was horrible! Literally only good for acoustic recordings, If that.
I've used it with a quality pre-amp, interface, usb, non-usb, you name it. This mic just sounds like a chinese $20 dynamic lol
Google translation, sorry.
First, thanks for your videos, they have always been useful for me, seriously.
Second, I wanted to ask you about the Shure x2u audio interface, people say there is no noise if the volume of the PC input is at 3%, did you try that option? Could you tell me if it really is as good as they say?
You tried this interface but you didn't do it with dynamic microphones, I would like you to tell me that please
Merry Christmas, mate. Thanks for another beautiful review.
Cheers.
Merry Christmas, Bandrew!
Right back at ya Raf. Happy Christmas!
Podcastage 😀
I have enjoyed your videos, just wondering. Getting a quality mic is important, but how much does it matter on the device that is recording the sound? Absurd hypothetical, would a $600 mic sound better than than $100 mic hooked to my phone?? I hope you understand what I am getting at.
Phantom power only goes through one of the three wires and only if wired wrong can it harm any mic
Can i have tips on how to get this mic working? Like i want to it to get vocals exactly how you have it. Do you have to use a pre amp? I can’t get mine to sound good
how does that compare to the mxl r77
Great review as always, however I get the feeling that your not terribly familiar with a lot of ribbon microphones and I can say that this microphone is MUCH more mid-range heavy then a quality ribbon would be, if you listen to reviews of RCA 77DX or even some royer microphones you'll find that it's actually quite normal for most ribbon microphones to have a very flattering top end and a more flat frequency response, Also you really don't need to worry that much about putting phantom power into new ribbon mics, most of them are built for it however if you patch a cable in and out with phantom you are likely to blow the mic, so just don't unplug it when phantom power is still on. I would not consider this microphone a good representation of a quality ribbon microphone.
I'll stay with my Audio Technica AT-2020..
Btw what do you think of the AKG P3s/P5s? i Think those are good Mics for about 35€, but i would love to see a Review of it!
Stupid question here: I'm a YT beginner and few days ago ordered mk f100tl. It comes with a tripod...but I need a boom arm, and I have no idea are boom arms and shock mounts are universal. If it's not, which one I shoud get?
I'm not super advanced but based on what I understand generally shock mounts are a bit more selective. Some mics have a shock mount built for them specifically.
Boom arms are generally more universal though you may need a converter depending on the size of the adapter on the boom arm vs shock mount. The thing I'd caution you about on the boom arm is to consider how heavy the mic is. If it's a heavier mic you'll likely need a more expensive boom arm to actually hold the mic in place. If it's lighter a cheaper one may work.
@@MichaelVash7886 Thanks for your reply. I'll check it out and hopefully I'll make a good choice.
Thanks for another great video, It would be great, regarding ribbon microphones, reviews on the sE VR1 and Royer R-10, (which are mid-priced mics) would be awesome.
Bandrew: 2:06
Also Bandrew: 3:24
Hey i have the at2035 what's your opinion on that
Nice review. My only issue was that the blend of the 57 and 144 leaned way to heavily and felt pretty odd. I’d either lean way harder on the 144 or use subtractive EQ on one of them to make room for the other - though I imagine you want to avoid EQ in this type of comparison.
And yes, more ribbon mic reviews, please. And let me know if you go AEA - they’re a 5 minute drive away and really nice.