Quote:
Originally Posted by ziegenh5
Ok, let's change the question a little bit. If you could only have one mic to pull double duty being a mono compressed drum room mic and then electric guitar mic overdubs, regardless of price, would you chose:
1. Coles 4038
2. Royer 121
3. Beyer M160
4. Other ribbon, if so which one
Thanks
FWIW,
I'd choose the 4038 out of that list, tho using a windscreen when close to any guitar amp.
Sooooo many choices for ribbon mics nowadays: I own a few, and love them all, but haven't heard the new cheaper ones, or the 4040 yet.
Beyer's have their own strengths: they have a honk/bite to them that is sometimes unpleasant - when they work they are awesome.
Royer 121 is the same - forward mids can have too much bite, but on the right source they are butter: room/FOK (back 2 feet tunneled is da bomb!) brass, strings etc - it can sound great, but can also sound humpy/stuffy at times.
AEA - I've used the R-84, and I own the R-88: these are good mics regardless of the "plastic" look. I was not as enamoured with the R-84 at first - it did sound great as a guitar cab mic, and sounded nice on fiddle and trombone and esp. good on raunchy acoustic guitar, but the R-88 is continually blowing me away. Better top end, and beautiful detailed image - it's like 'being there' at the musical event. Quite often when recording jazz/chamber, I will only use it with no other mics - virtual reality is how to describe it.
4038 is my desert island (mono) ribbon mic: it sounds great on nearly everything, and has a bit more extended top end than many of the other ribbons. Smooth is the best way to describe it. It rarely sounds bad on anything. People often complain about it being fragile, but the one I'm familiar with has never been re-ribboned, and it sees a LOT of use. Using your brain would be the best option for keeping the mic in good repair - BTW - the magnet is HUGE on this mic - very hard to get another mic close (for M/S etc) without it being "pulled" headfirst into the 4038!
All the best - hope this doesn't confuse, but help somewhat