Best Ribbon Mic for Female Vocals

[Al Sim]

I'm looking for opinions on the best ribbon mic for female vocals. We're recording an alt-country CD with a retro flavor, hence the interest in ribbon mics. Our best guess on the singer's range is mezzosoprano.

Thanks.

[picksail]

AEA R84-no question.

I find this mic can successfully handle the shrillness that is typically inherent in female vocalists performing within the range of mezzosoprano.

And...it takes EQ like a trooper.

[ribteen]

my friend just got the coles 4040 ribbon. we used it on his vocals (kind of high chest voice sound) through a pendulum quartet and man was it sweet and silky...i have an r84 and although it is great on many things, for vocals the coles is awesome!!!

[warhead]

Can't say enough good things about the R84. The new R92 has less bottom end and more high end response and might make a good fit as well.

The R84 delivers a bigger, smoother sound though.

War

[Skeetch]

Warren -

Been saving my pennies and am now considering a couple of different additions to the mic cabinet - one of which is the R84. What pre's have you found to work well with it?

[picksail]

Originally Posted by Skeetch

Warren -

Been saving my pennies and am now considering a couple of different additions to the mic cabinet - one of which is the R84. What pre's have you found to work well with it?

Ordinarilly, I would use an API 312. Seems to be a nice balance between the intrinsic characteristics of each peice. Plus, I derive plenty on gain from the API.

[henryrobinett]

I was doing a jazz record with a female vocalist a couple of years ago. We started and fell in love with a RCA 77dx through Millennia and an LA2A. Half finished we had to find another studio. I borrowed an AEA 44c that blew me away. Hands down winner. I've since bought an AEA R84 an love it. But it's not the 44c.

[Al Sim]

Does anyone know if an ART Pro Channel has enough gain for an AEA R84?

[PRobb]

I think it's a bad question. The point is to find the mic that gets the quality you're looking for. By all means, try ribbons. If the R-84 gets what you want, great. But if an SM-7 does the job, then thats the way to go.

[rainsinvelvet]

I liked the R84 on the last female vocal track I did. Sounded Big and full. Both myself and the Artist loved the tone we got.
ERic

[Al Sim]

I think it's a bad question. The point is to find the mic that gets the quality you're looking for. By all means, try ribbons. If the R-84 gets what you want, great. But if an SM-7 does the job, then thats the way to go.

But that's exactly what I'm trying to do, find the mic that gets the sound quality we're looking for. From what I've read and heard, it seems ribbons are the type of mic most likely to get that sound quality. So how is my original question "bad"?

[PRobb]

I guess my point was not to look for a "something" mic. It doesn't matter what type of mic it is. People are becoming more open to ribbons for vocals and thats great. More choices is more better. But its a mistake to decide the sound you want will come from a ribbon or a tube or any specific type.
I was at studio that had a very deep mic locker (47s, 251s C-12s, etc.), and we were going nuts trying to find one that made the singer sound as good as he did just singing along in the control room. He finally said he never has this problem live. "Well what do you use live?" "A 58". So we put up 58 and that was clearly the one from the first note.
The point is not to have have preconceptions.

[Al Sim]

Okay, but what about us poor stiffs who don't have access to a deep mic locker, and have to pick that next mic based on what we read and what we hear from people like yourself who have worked with far more (and better) mics than we ever will? The only preconception I have is that a ribbon mic, based on what I've read here and elsewhere, is more likely to yield the smooth natural retro sound that I'm looking for.

And given that almost everyone is recommending the AEA R84, I'm going to stretch the budget and go ahead and order one. Thanks everyone for your input.