apex 210 saggy ribbon

[Analok]

Depends. If the mic has age the ribbon might be a tad "clingy" to it's clamps, resisting to move while re-tensioning and tearing in the process. Patience & dexterity play a big part in a successful re-tension. Try taking in slack from one end only, not both...whichever has more excess ribbon to grab from as well as easiest accessibility. Even out the clamp screw pressures in quarter turns while both loosening and tightening the clamps to help keep the ribbon centered/equalized. Always breathe lightly and away from the motor during the entire process. Don't do the work by an open window, fan or foot traffic to avoid ribbon shifting or damage. And don't go overboard with the tugging or you'll remove the folds within the ribbon, making it less efficient. With all those things in mind you should be alright. HTH & good luck!

[mikante]

wow, it doesn't look like an easy job, but I can manage.
One more think, when you say grab, you mean with my fingers or should I use some kind of tool, I'm just worried I might tear it apart.
the microphone is new by the way.

[NothingTheory]

Originally Posted by mikante

wow, it doesn't look like an easy job, but I can manage.
One more think, when you say grab, you mean with my fingers or should I use some kind of tool, I'm just worried I might tear it apart.
the microphone is new by the way.

I use a qtip dipped in rubbing alchohol, the rubbing alchohol acts as kind of a lubricant and helps prevent tearing, and then quickly dries away.

Note there is a lot of skill and teqnique to this, expect to occasionally burn a ribbon.

also a ribbon that is too tight will sound "honky" and have minimal detail. A small amount of sag is better than too tight.

to test if the ribbon is actually too loose to begin with, set it up so you can hear it through monitors and hold it so the ribbon is horizontal, then filp the mic over. If you hear a "whump" sound, then the ribbon is too loose, otherwise its prob fine and trying to tighten it may make it sound worse.

[Silent Sound]

If you use the search function, you should find some detailed explanations of how to do this. I've done it a few times myself. It's not too hard, you just have to be careful. I also used the q-tip and rubbing alcohol method, only I used the rubbing alcohol as an adhesive. I wet the q-tip so the ribbon material would stick to the q-tip. I also wet the part of ribbon motor where I was laying the ribbon down with rubbing alcohol so the ribbon would stay in play while I gathered the screws and plate to secure it in place long term. It's delicate work that you need to do slowly and in a controlled environment, but it's not hard.

[Puffer Fish]

I used a toothpick to pull the ribbon tight on my two APEX 205 microphones. Like was said, loosen one end of the ribbon motor clamps, use the Q-tip or toothpick or whatever delicate 'tool' you have handy and are comfortable with. Take your time. Lay everything out, take a deep breath, relax and then GO FOR IT!

The WORST thing that can happen is you tear the ribbon. But do not worry about it if you do. You'll simply need to purchase some new ribbon material and a set of gears to crimp the ribbon and make a fresh install. It would likely sound better than the stock material anyway, since the stock ribbon material is too thick.

If by some chance you do tear your ribbon (but you will not if you are careful), look up this web site and buy yourself some new materials and try again:

DIY Ribbon Microphone Design - Ribbon Replacement Techniques

There may be other places to acquire the parts you need, but this fellow gearslut has done the homework for us all. You would have enough ribbon material for the rest for your life, most likely if you purchased a sheet of the stuff!

[mikante]

I did it, yes, I did tear the damn ribbon apart, but only a small piece, from the excess part coming out the clamp, what do you think? is it going to affect the sound?
I put all the pieces together and did a rough test, but I had to go to work, tomorrow I will take a better listen to the mic.

thank you all!

@puffer fish: thank you, that's some useful info you gave me right there.

[Analok]

Ouch. It should be alright, it doesn't 'have' to poke out of the ends in order to work. It just helps in re-tensioning if it ever needs to be. On the tools topic: I've had good results using a small drop of WD40 on the end of a toothpick, and let it wick into the outside gap of the ribbon clamp to help free up a stubborn ribbon. And simple tweezers work at tugging the ribbon thru...gently of course. I found some that had rubber tips (trying to avoid magnetic pull), but they suck. At any rate here's hoping you pulled it off (pun intended) Seriously, hope it's OK & now sounding better than before

[mikante]

I hope that too :D
and about my clumsy attempt,
I have used tweezers but I haven't noticed any magnetic pull, anyway, I was pretty fast, the damn ribbon didn't want to move not even a tiny bit, so I pulled too strong.

[trevjonez]

http://www.lkmusic.co.nz/ribbonfix.htm

here is the guide that i used to replace the ribbons in my R144's

It takes a few tried but don't give up just take your time and try to learn what works best for you.

I also bought the paplin paper crimper. it works great to put the folds into the ribbon just be sure to clean it really well before you begin.

[trevjonez]

http://www.lkmusic.co.nz/ribbonfix.htm

here is the guide that i used to replace the ribbons in my R144's

It takes a few tried but don't give up just take your time and try to learn what works best for you.

I also bought the paplin paper crimper. it works great to put the folds into the ribbon just be sure to clean it really well before you begin.

[Analok]

Friends, Please keep in mind that the OP is looking to merely re-tension the ribbon in his Apex, not replace it altogether. That task brings the difficulty factor up a few notches, and I don't think he's prepared to go that route just yet. TIA.

mikante: You mentioned early on that the 210 was 'new'. If you lose confidence in going further (which is completely OK on all accounts), button it back up & see if you can have it replaced by the supplier. These chinese ribbon mics will often have a larger than acceptable quality fallout, and the suppliers should be prepared to make good of those units that don't make the grade. Apex seem to have a better than average quality level, but they're not perfect & can't control every aspect of one unit's distribution handling. Simply explain to the supplier that you suspect a sagging ribbon & request a direct replacement. If still within warranty they should abide. If it's outside warranty window at least you exercised the option. Perhaps the supplier will be sympathetic and side up with you in that regard(the larger ones have the clout to do that selectively). No one here wants to force you to do something you're not comfortable with, only suggest how to proceed with your request/inquiry. Do what your inner gut tells you. We got your back

[Puffer Fish]

Originally Posted by Analok

Friends, Please keep in mind that the OP is looking to merely re-tension the ribbon in his Apex, not replace it altogether. That task brings the difficulty factor up a few notches, and I don't think he's prepared to go that route just yet. TIA.

mikante: You mentioned early on that the 210 was 'new'. If you lose confidence in going further (which is completely OK on all accounts), button it back up & see if you can have it replaced by the supplier. These chinese ribbon mics will often have a larger than acceptable quality fallout, and the suppliers should be prepared to make good of those units that don't make the grade. Apex seem to have a better than average quality level, but they're not perfect & can't control every aspect of one unit's distribution handling. Simply explain to the supplier that you suspect a sagging ribbon & request a direct replacement. If still within warranty they should abide. If it's outside warranty window at least you exercised the option. Perhaps the supplier will be sympathetic and side up with you in that regard(the larger ones have the clout to do that selectively). No one here wants to force you to do something you're not comfortable with, only suggest how to proceed with your request/inquiry. Do what your inner gut tells you. We got your back

Yes, good point. I admit that I become giddy suggesting DIY ribbon mic efforts, so forgive me my bias on the subject. I have read where some folks kept returning their ribbon mic to the store until they got one that did not have a sagging ribbon. That was nothing I had to deal with, because I always had every intention of tricking out my ribbon mics--but that effort is certainly NOT for everyone!

[mikante]

I was just trying to tens it up a little bit and I failed, miserably! now, put a new ribbon element in place and than "clamps" and "screws" and "centered" and "not loose" just sorry, I can't keep my concentration for ay longer than 5 seconds with that amount of factors and no one can be that fast to get the job done, certainly not me.

Now, I have done few tests, the mic seems to work pretty fine, I'm not 100% sure, not yet.

@trevjonez: thank you, that looks interesting, I'll take my time to read it.

[Analok]

No harm, no foul Puffer Glad to learn your ribbon is still alive, mikante. Some might categorize ribbon mic repair alongside brain surgery, so by all means don't beat yourself up over it. Even the pros will trash a new ribbon more often than they'd like...it's just nature of the beast. Nothing worse than laying in a fresh ribbon in a motor and having it's magnets pull in a star washer off your workbench you didn't even know was there!! The ribbon usually goes along for the ride. So, another key point to make is to have your workstation clean & clear of any & all debris while doing mic work. A good practice towards any electronic work in fact, right?

Off my soapbox. :/

[mikante]

I got a whole bunch of things laying around the desk, indeed, it's my trash desk, but don't worry, I always manage to find the space by pushing the junk.

[Analok]

I think I smell a new GS thread starting up: "Show us your workbench!" Maybe the Geekslutz forum has that one already...hmmmm.

[NothingTheory]

Originally Posted by Analok

I think I smell a new GS thread starting up: "Show us your workbench!" Maybe the Geekslutz forum has that one already...hmmmm.

YES !

[mikante]

but it doesn't have mine, I mean the picture.