How To Make a DIY Ribbon Mic!

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  • Опубліковано 16 гру 2012
  • I found this mic in a junk bin at my favorite music store (www.ostaneksmusic.com/). When I asked about it they said it was shot so I took it home and decided to use the housing to make a ribbon mic. This video is a documentary/tutorial on how I did it. Enjoy!
    www.freddysfrets.com
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 517

  • @curtvincent3728
    @curtvincent3728 2 роки тому +17

    OK, I can't believe I am the only person in the world who appreciates this video! I saw it 5 years ago, 3 years ago and then reviewed all ribbon mic videos on youtube during this year's vacation. I still think this video demonstrates the greatest attention to detail on construction. Well done! I hope to post one with ribbon tuning and resonant frequency. I will reference this excellent video as prior art!

  • @lugarcia616
    @lugarcia616 8 років тому +133

    Nice reveal at the end ;-). Great video.

  • @curtvincent3728
    @curtvincent3728 6 років тому +7

    I think you did an outstanding job demonstrating that ribbon mics are simple and components are relatively cheap, yet the sound is all about skill of the builder with attention to detail. Well done! Thanks you for doing this!

  • @martynasvil
    @martynasvil 9 років тому +91

    omg what a twist at the end haha ! love the vid

    • @yony_music
      @yony_music 3 роки тому

      Yeah, it is crazy how good it sounds!

  • @BEEFBRSKT
    @BEEFBRSKT 8 років тому +60

    That is a nice sounding mic

    • @FreddysFrets
      @FreddysFrets  8 років тому

      +Declan Duff Thanks for the comment!

    • @BEEFBRSKT
      @BEEFBRSKT 8 років тому

      sell me one for really cheap please

    • @FreddysFrets
      @FreddysFrets  8 років тому +22

      +Declan Duff haha....make it yourself....I know of a youtube video that shows you how!

    • @BEEFBRSKT
      @BEEFBRSKT 8 років тому +1

      +FreddysFrets touchè im not so good at crafting stuff though, unless it involves a guitar

  • @ktommycary
    @ktommycary 11 років тому +2

    Your planning and design are wonderfully impressive, as well as the video itself. I'm partway through building a similar mic and am so glad I ran into your video. I happened to do several bits the same, right down to the notches in the plexiglass but you've taken some of the scare out of laying in the ribbon. Now I'm ready to proceed. Many thanks.

  • @michaelgamble296
    @michaelgamble296 5 років тому +4

    Thank you Freddy for this detailed manufacturing explanation! I noticed an important part was not referred to - the glass of Labatts Blue. I dig your ingenious 'crinkler' for the ribbon - great! You touched on and fully explained all aspects of the project - but was surprised you didn't use an f.e.t. amp. Presumably with a 1:37 step-up Xfmr this isn't necessary - and neither is phantom power! I admire your craftmanship and your voice-over explanation. To mis-quote Oscar Wilde: "To make one ribbon mic is splendid - to make two looks like sheer Stereo" Many thanks for this video!!

  • @vicdmise
    @vicdmise 10 років тому +1

    Fascinating build and a beautifully well-crafted mic. Nicely done. Excellent fit and finish and good warm tone. Didn't see a lot of electrical measurement, but I'd find it hard to believe this your first ribbon mic build and that you eyeballed it.

  • @stonedsavage7814
    @stonedsavage7814 4 роки тому

    What an incredible build and the plot twist at the end was amazing. Keep it up!

  • @ckillian
    @ckillian 8 років тому

    Sweet job. I've modded cheap Nady RSM-1 and RSM-4 ribbon mics in a similar way and am very happy with the results.

  • @alvinchallen7621
    @alvinchallen7621 4 роки тому +1

    you are a true artist; an art is a science with more than seven variables!!!!absolutely perfect!!!

  • @seasonedtoker
    @seasonedtoker 11 років тому +1

    I just knew when video was coming to an end that freddy recorded all the audio with it. man your designs are so smooth and clean. just love it! this video deserves a double like

  • @Metalshad0
    @Metalshad0 11 років тому

    It's a downright beautiful and caring build! And your Twist At the end Makes the Video all the more worthwhile

  • @barrysands1970
    @barrysands1970 8 років тому

    Great ability you have there and a very natural sounding mic at the end of it. Sounds as nice as my se1's, well played sir! Subscribed.

  • @otoniels
    @otoniels 7 років тому

    Man.! This is awesome.! The mic sounds very nice, with presence and bright, nice middles and very clear voice and not humming

  • @archivestereo
    @archivestereo 11 років тому +1

    This is so cool! I love ribbon mics and yours sounds amazing. And this is just fun to watch!

  • @lbochtler
    @lbochtler 9 років тому

    I am impressed with the sound quality of this mic! Good work!

  • @kronier
    @kronier 10 років тому +23

    What a great sounding mic, and absolutely beautiful craftsmanship.
    Although this isn't really DIY - with the tools and skill you have, you might as well be a manufacturer lol.

  • @tajosound4837
    @tajosound4837 10 років тому +1

    sounds very good! I wonder how would it sound with different spacing and/or materials.
    Thanks for the video.

  • @HowardEllisonUKVoice
    @HowardEllisonUKVoice 10 років тому +3

    You are beyond clever! The design, skill in making and the quality of the explanation. AND you play guitar.

  • @atheistsermons
    @atheistsermons 10 років тому +21

    Awesome! This video had a better twist than MIB3.

  • @curtvincent3728
    @curtvincent3728 8 років тому +10

    This is really brilliant! Well done! And the video itself was perfect!

    • @FreddysFrets
      @FreddysFrets  8 років тому +3

      +Curt Vincent Thanks for the comment!

  • @HeadfirstHumanity
    @HeadfirstHumanity 10 років тому +2

    Woa, the twist at the end was great haha
    and I'm loving the Rush Sector box set in the background ;)

  • @gamergrant99
    @gamergrant99 10 років тому +8

    That was probably the best thing iv'e seen all week.

  • @markg1051
    @markg1051 8 років тому

    Hey Freddy, thank you very much on this fantastic instructional video!
    Very thorough.
    Happy new year to you Sir!
    Mark G

  • @nanaandbump
    @nanaandbump 9 років тому +1

    Awesome work! Sounds great too, thanks for sharing!

  • @DaNewMusicChannel
    @DaNewMusicChannel 5 років тому

    Woooow, that's really amazing! Also it sounds really nice! Wonderful work!

  • @shaddoty
    @shaddoty 10 років тому +21

    I was listening to this on my DIY Ribbon tweeter

  • @jhudstudio4144
    @jhudstudio4144 2 роки тому

    So beautiful! I love the sound! Amazing!

  • @thunderbolt997
    @thunderbolt997 10 років тому +4

    didnt expect it to sound that good!

  • @starman5754
    @starman5754 3 роки тому

    Great info and video., well done. Awesome job with the mic, sounds GREAT!

  • @johnyradio2
    @johnyradio2 11 років тому

    One of the best tutes i've seen, for a sophisticated device. Well done!

  • @wigon
    @wigon 11 років тому +1

    That was absolutely amazing. I imagine that the mic tensioning bit requires some trial and error for those not experienced making these. I doubt I could make one as good as yours, but I know I have some old broken mics that I may attempt experimenting with as this definitely looks like a very fun and doable project even for a beginner.

  • @riddlesgun
    @riddlesgun 7 років тому +1

    Nice instructional video. Concise and well done. Microphone
    sounds great.

  • @jpnoll1781
    @jpnoll1781 9 років тому +1

    nice video, well done. I learned a lot about ribbon mics! Keep up the great work!

  • @das250250
    @das250250 11 років тому +1

    Your a genius with your mind and hands ... and a giant with your generosity in sharing your talents

  • @DeadKoby
    @DeadKoby 7 років тому +1

    Making stuff is always cool.... and satisfying.

  • @davidparnell1893
    @davidparnell1893 Рік тому

    Wow...I love the "O'Henry" ending. So cool. An amazing video by an obvious inventor of skill and promise.

  • @joshuabell2933
    @joshuabell2933 10 років тому

    Wow. That is superb! Great build.

  • @FreddysFrets
    @FreddysFrets  10 років тому +25

    I tuned the ribbon tension using a frequency generator. Resonance target = 30hz.

    • @Pinko_Band
      @Pinko_Band 6 років тому +21

      Oh dude, you gotta make a vid showing us how you did that! Puh puh pleeeeeease? lol
      I know this was 4 years ago, and I'll scan your vids for something like that if you've already made one, but if not, I think a lot of folks would get a kick out of learning from it! I love this stuff!

  • @TinkerInTheShop
    @TinkerInTheShop 7 років тому +4

    Great video. The sound quality is actually very, very nice. Nice rounded tone that's not too bass mid or high heavy. Do you recommend any particular videos that show how to make this in a little more detail? thanks.

  • @SoddingaboutSi
    @SoddingaboutSi 6 років тому

    Great mic. And a surprise at the end too.

  • @THEtimguitartaylor
    @THEtimguitartaylor 5 років тому +1

    Great DIY work! Nice job!

  • @ruskreeder2434
    @ruskreeder2434 6 років тому

    Excellent editing and presentation. No dead time.

  • @danagol1985
    @danagol1985 10 років тому

    Ha! I liked the little surprise at the end! I didn't expect the quality to be that good! Well made :)

  • @johnkew
    @johnkew 11 років тому

    Great job man, and great tutorial. Amazing what you did with this home project.

  • @johnmcchavs
    @johnmcchavs 11 років тому

    Very cool ! All yours vids are a pleasure to watch. Greetings from France !

  • @ivan868
    @ivan868 9 років тому +1

    You are amazing and smart person with excellent engineer thinking, thanks! :)

  • @miketype1each
    @miketype1each 3 роки тому

    Had a feeling that the end would be as I suspected. Good work!

  • @strictlybedroom6265
    @strictlybedroom6265 6 років тому

    Oh microphonesmith!
    You are my new hero.
    Excellent video

  • @RocknRollkat
    @RocknRollkat Рік тому

    Excellent presentation, fun to watch !
    I made a ribbon mic. like this back in the early 1970s I used transistor radio output transformer, 3.2 ohms into 500 ohms, it worked great !
    Bill P.

  • @giulioluzzardi7632
    @giulioluzzardi7632 7 років тому +1

    Fantastic mate ! I am going to try and build one.The reason is I had a really old RCA mic , the ribbon looked like silk ? I really want that tone again.The old rca got sold and then given to a pop star.

  • @BratyaOuOrojeye
    @BratyaOuOrojeye 10 років тому

    Great mic! It was a lot of fun to build. This video was extremely helpful. Had to make a case from scratch and used jb weld on mine: very bad idea. The magnets pooled the metallic hardener and it let go after a about a month. So a few revisions to be made but it was great fun!

  • @TomboLP
    @TomboLP 11 років тому +2

    Yes! Me too...about a minute before, I thought "wouldn't it be cool if..." and then, knowing Freddy, figured that he'd do it that way.
    Awesome vid and great sound from the mic. Freddy, you keep telling people that you're no genius, but then prove yourself a liar by doing such amazing work all the time!

  • @FreddysFrets
    @FreddysFrets  11 років тому +2

    Thanks. The mic pre was the only other thing in the chain before it hit the A/D conversion.
    And that was a tube mic pre that I built, I have a video of it here on my channel...the "VP8"

  • @chickenlickin3820
    @chickenlickin3820 Рік тому

    wow its bloomin' amazing sounding i'm very surprised at the outcome, well done brother!

  • @FreddysFrets
    @FreddysFrets  11 років тому

    Graham, you are very kind with your comment. Thank you!

  • @ggparma1
    @ggparma1 11 років тому

    THE BEST GUITAR/AUDIO/MUSIC VIDEOS!!! thx fred

  • @lovetothebone
    @lovetothebone 7 років тому

    very good video....well made....great sound on the mic

  • @dannyd1224
    @dannyd1224 9 років тому +2

    LOl awesome vid i like the twist at the end. Sounds awesome

  • @privatezeron
    @privatezeron 9 років тому

    Wow. The quality sounds great!

  • @xaleslusser7313
    @xaleslusser7313 9 років тому +1

    This was really awesome. :) Thanks for showing this. Dunno if I could make one (since I lack a lot of the tools that you used), but the first chance I get: I'm going to try. Cool video, cool outcome, just--cool!

  • @FreddysFrets
    @FreddysFrets  11 років тому +1

    Thanks! You could try reranch spray cans. I use them sometimes and you can get totally pro results with them.

  • @AJBuckleybutnottheonefromcsi
    @AJBuckleybutnottheonefromcsi 8 років тому +20

    What a twist!

  • @Meteotrance
    @Meteotrance 8 років тому

    a good transformer like the Lundahl you used is realy the key of good sound, it's suppres all the noise, Cinemag also do good transformer for that kind, we can also found good 3D print stuff for making the magnet support, im thinking about doing myself that kind of mic.

  • @Dan-folk-vechi
    @Dan-folk-vechi 11 років тому +1

    Thank you for sharing this! Very explicit tutorial. I may try now after seeing the video. I was thinking about doing it a long time ago but I thought that it's going to be very hard. Now you made a BIG light in my hed :D.

  • @BadChizzle
    @BadChizzle 10 років тому

    Super job, man! I had a feeling you were going to say it was the mic you were using. Ha! Niiiice! Sounds very good. I should add that you voice over chops are really good as well.

  • @PsyMongazoid
    @PsyMongazoid 11 років тому +1

    Keep em coming Freddy, especially the handcraft ones, and I'll keep watching em and thumbing them up! :-)

  • @ChanonWangtrirat
    @ChanonWangtrirat 11 років тому

    i used to thrilled when you said how it sound then you told me that the rest video use this as voice-over. Amazing!!!!

  • @FreddysFrets
    @FreddysFrets  11 років тому +2

    Thanks to everyone for the positive comments! I had a lot of fun with this project.

  • @wucwug
    @wucwug 6 років тому

    Awesome documentation!

  • @Billo1281
    @Billo1281 8 років тому

    You got yourself a new subscriber, sir. Great video!

  • @spurts
    @spurts Рік тому

    Sounds fantastic!!

  • @MikeDrohman
    @MikeDrohman 4 роки тому

    You are the coolest dude on the YT!

  • @zachkaplan9
    @zachkaplan9 11 років тому

    this was a very high quality video!
    thank you for the hard working

  • @giacfoli
    @giacfoli 11 років тому

    Freddy, you never fail to impress me with your videos. I truly enjoyed this one. You should be hired to build gadgets for the next 007 movie....

  • @natura808
    @natura808 8 років тому

    Great mic you build!

  • @SENTINELREPORT
    @SENTINELREPORT 10 років тому +1

    Wow ! I'm amazed and impressed ! How about a smaller stereo ribbon mic for D5100.... mmmm wonder would that work ?

  • @samhurley180
    @samhurley180 7 років тому

    Dude that was awesome. I would have never guessed

  • @uniukuyu1295
    @uniukuyu1295 10 років тому +28

    "I tuned the ribbon tension using a frequency generator. Resonance target = 30hz."
    Could you please explain that a bit more?

    • @willb3698
      @willb3698 5 років тому +6

      obvs the answer is "no".

    • @billbradleymusic
      @billbradleymusic 5 років тому +7

      Set a tone generator, tighten the foil to raise, or loosen it up to lower tone. Try and match the tone generator. Be careful to not touch the foil to the magnets while plugged in. Seems like a process. Plug in, check, unplug, tighten, plug in test etc.

    • @gavabundo_0072
      @gavabundo_0072 3 роки тому +1

      The human ear can only detect from 20hz to 20,000hz sounds. By tuning it to this frequency, i think... I THINK... it leaves some "breathing room" for the mic to give reasonable voltage output at low frequency, which is of course 20hz.

  • @sadiethebaglady
    @sadiethebaglady 10 років тому

    Excellent, nicely done!!

  • @frederickbouchard4632
    @frederickbouchard4632 11 років тому +1

    so cool... I'm guessing the quality of the materials and precise construction,
    reflects the quality of the sound...
    sounds Great...

  • @frequencymanipulator
    @frequencymanipulator 8 місяців тому

    The home made cogs to crinkle the ribbon is mindblowing. How do you judge the tension? Thanks for such an inspiring video.

  • @NDawg2112
    @NDawg2112 11 років тому +1

    This is so awesome! Been watching your vids for a while now and am always blown away by your seeminly endless talents! Lol. I have a question about painting guitars (maybe irrelevant to this particular vid but alas) I'm actually trying to build a replica of Alex's red strat from the Distant Early Warning vid. Got the floyd and everything. I was wondering what the best type of paint to use? (relatively cheap and easy way being a poor college student) Thanks and keep up the amazing work!

  • @llaneroloco1
    @llaneroloco1 10 років тому +1

    Oh man, that´s very, very good indeed. I only recently bought a pair of ribbon mics for my studio ( sE X1R) and got the best sound ever on my guitar amps (Fender HotRod Deluxe and Vox AC30) If I´d known you were making them I would have ordered them from you, hahaha! God Bless

  • @joeydinero9300
    @joeydinero9300 5 років тому

    Just incredible! Wow

  • @iheartsanman
    @iheartsanman 9 років тому

    wicked video mate, keep on rockin in the free world

  • @jackthefuckingblack
    @jackthefuckingblack 11 років тому

    this was amazing. sounds great for something that improvised :D

  • @azurplex
    @azurplex 10 років тому +1

    I got the same build plans called AUSTIN Ribbon Microphone from rick wilkinson (rickshawrecords at yahoo) years ago. It's a fun build with some challenges. Namely, your own breath when working with the aluminum leaf. I had to pull my shirt up over my nose for that step until I had the motor safely installed in the housing. Pop filters ar critical to keep from blowing out the ribbon. Back then, donor bodies were harder to come by, so the plans described the entire build including the body made from brass pipe, cap and brass mesh. Fastening the motor needed brass screws to stop the risk of having the screw pulled into the motor during assembly by those strong magnets. Also other ferrus metals in the body may affect the magnetic field and possibly color the sound. Nice build.

  • @matthewoneill6181
    @matthewoneill6181 4 роки тому

    amazing job. Good work!

  • @Alcalala
    @Alcalala 10 років тому

    Wow, it sounds great!!

  • @randallhelton6011
    @randallhelton6011 4 роки тому

    Wow, love the reveal at the end lol You had me shook.

  • @WIllyGilly321
    @WIllyGilly321 10 років тому +1

    That's one serious DIY. Looks like you have accumulated a lot of helpful tools along your journey.
    Although I'm not listening with a pro set of speakers; that sounded great to me; perhaps a bit light on the highs, but hard to tell with just spoken words. I would have enjoyed listen to is compared to other mics. I've been experimenting with the 25 cent Electret Microphones, they are so sensitive it's scary! They pick up my voice across the room whispering.

  • @bertklotentjes481
    @bertklotentjes481 11 років тому

    Great vid! It sounds like the mic has a very natural and flat frequency response.

  • @delunamendivil
    @delunamendivil 11 років тому

    Excellent, you are a very talented......everything! Cheers from Mexico.

  • @flyingzebras2476
    @flyingzebras2476 8 років тому

    Amazing! Thanks for sharing this!

  • @enderpea5251
    @enderpea5251 3 роки тому

    Wow! The video recordings from the actual mic? It's great quality! I thought it was a condenser mic or something!

  • @jorgiewtf
    @jorgiewtf 3 роки тому

    Dude! You’re the plot-twist king! Great video man!

  • @Sviolinist
    @Sviolinist 8 років тому

    Brilliant stuff man.

  • @hananas2
    @hananas2 6 років тому

    Sounds great!