Several times in this forum we talked about sampling microphones. I do not want to go into the specifics of stereo, surround, ambisonic recording techniques but to understand how important the microphone is to give an interpretation to the recorded sound. In particular, how can a monophonic recording be more convincing? The answer is both in the accuracy of physical reality but also in subjective reinterpretation.
Probably the most interesting contribution dates back to 2007 from Auriel ( professional Sampling: Techniques, Mics... viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1887 )
It is still largely valid for the professional user. I would also add the Earthworks microphones that are designed for great accuracy, especially omnidirectional ones. ( https://www.earthworksaudio.com/wp-cont ... ochure.pdf )
The sound of Earthworks may not please those looking for a colorful sound (for example with tubes, transformers and equalization curves), it may seem neutral and without character but they represent reality in an extremely faithful way. They are quite compact and easy to position thanks to their omnidirectional polar diagram and very small capsule. The only "problem" of these microphones is a high noise (20dB or higher).
For those who want to do a "neutral" job, they are probably the ideal choice. If you see the video of Marshall & Ogeltree you can watch them ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9vGBxUoKnY ) and also MilanDigitalAudio makes no secret of the fact that he used them for the Salisbury organ (Earthworks QTC30 and Neumann KM183).
It could be said that those who want a colorful sound could even think of elaborating it in post-production rather than inside the microphone. Today you can use many analog and digital sound modeling devices so you could use a DSP like Vertigo VSM-3 (Mastering Grade Saturation & Color, https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/prod ... vsm-3.html ) to give character and presence to a neutral sound, even using a measuring microphone like Earthworks M50, why not?
Antelope, Slate Digital and Townsend Labs follow this model of virtualization through software.
Choosing a very accurate microphone can therefore be an advantage of structural flexibility. On the other side a microphone with a lot of character (for example SE Electronics Gemini II, https://www.seelectronics.com/gemini-ii-tube-mic/ Lauten Audio LT-381 Oceanus, http://www.lautenaudio.com/oceanus-lt-381/ Neumann M149 https://en-de.neumann.com/m-149-tube ) may be nicer to listen to but it may not fit well to all the sounds you want to record and it would perhaps be harder to model the sound character. In short, the answer also depends on present and future intentions.
Having made this long introductory digression, it does not seem to me that we have ever spoken about ribbon microphones. Generally they are used when you are tired of feeling the analytical precision of the condenser and you want to have a more natural, more organic, more vibrant sound.
Recently the ribbon microphones have been the subject of a new rebirth and, thanks also to the better mid / high frequencies coverage, we can think of using a ribbon microphone instead of a condenser microphone.
Starting from the cheapest models up to the most important builders:
sE Electronics Voodoo VR2 Active Ribbon Microphone
https://www.seelectronics.com/vr1-vr2-ribbons/
AEA NUVO N8
https://www.aearibbonmics.com/products/n8/
Royer SF-2 Active Ribbon Microphone
http://royerlabs.com/sf-2-3/
Royer R-122 MKll Active Ribbon Microphone
http://royerlabs.com/r-122-mkii/
every contribution is welcome ...
Probably the most interesting contribution dates back to 2007 from Auriel ( professional Sampling: Techniques, Mics... viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1887 )
It is still largely valid for the professional user. I would also add the Earthworks microphones that are designed for great accuracy, especially omnidirectional ones. ( https://www.earthworksaudio.com/wp-cont ... ochure.pdf )
The sound of Earthworks may not please those looking for a colorful sound (for example with tubes, transformers and equalization curves), it may seem neutral and without character but they represent reality in an extremely faithful way. They are quite compact and easy to position thanks to their omnidirectional polar diagram and very small capsule. The only "problem" of these microphones is a high noise (20dB or higher).
For those who want to do a "neutral" job, they are probably the ideal choice. If you see the video of Marshall & Ogeltree you can watch them ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9vGBxUoKnY ) and also MilanDigitalAudio makes no secret of the fact that he used them for the Salisbury organ (Earthworks QTC30 and Neumann KM183).
It could be said that those who want a colorful sound could even think of elaborating it in post-production rather than inside the microphone. Today you can use many analog and digital sound modeling devices so you could use a DSP like Vertigo VSM-3 (Mastering Grade Saturation & Color, https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/prod ... vsm-3.html ) to give character and presence to a neutral sound, even using a measuring microphone like Earthworks M50, why not?
Antelope, Slate Digital and Townsend Labs follow this model of virtualization through software.
Choosing a very accurate microphone can therefore be an advantage of structural flexibility. On the other side a microphone with a lot of character (for example SE Electronics Gemini II, https://www.seelectronics.com/gemini-ii-tube-mic/ Lauten Audio LT-381 Oceanus, http://www.lautenaudio.com/oceanus-lt-381/ Neumann M149 https://en-de.neumann.com/m-149-tube ) may be nicer to listen to but it may not fit well to all the sounds you want to record and it would perhaps be harder to model the sound character. In short, the answer also depends on present and future intentions.
Having made this long introductory digression, it does not seem to me that we have ever spoken about ribbon microphones. Generally they are used when you are tired of feeling the analytical precision of the condenser and you want to have a more natural, more organic, more vibrant sound.
Recently the ribbon microphones have been the subject of a new rebirth and, thanks also to the better mid / high frequencies coverage, we can think of using a ribbon microphone instead of a condenser microphone.
Starting from the cheapest models up to the most important builders:
sE Electronics Voodoo VR2 Active Ribbon Microphone
https://www.seelectronics.com/vr1-vr2-ribbons/
AEA NUVO N8
https://www.aearibbonmics.com/products/n8/
Royer SF-2 Active Ribbon Microphone
http://royerlabs.com/sf-2-3/
Royer R-122 MKll Active Ribbon Microphone
http://royerlabs.com/r-122-mkii/
every contribution is welcome ...
Elia