GUITARTRACKS
The Delicate World of Ribbons
A ribbon microphone is a special type of
transducer that uses a thin strip of metal, or
“ribbon,” in place of the metal-coated mylar
diaphragm typically used in dynamic and
condenser mics. Though ribbon mics excel
on many audio sources, such as drum overheads, horn sections, string ensembles and
vocals, they’ve also gained a great reputation
as electric guitar microphones.
I happen to love using a ribbon mic on my
guitar cabinet for natural and balanced
tones. The biggest reason I prefer ribbons on
my amp is when I dial in a killer tone, I can
trust that it will shine through on the recording. This is due to the fact that ribbons are
relatively flat in their response compared to
other types of microphones. I’m not saying
that condenser and dynamic microphones
don’t have their place when mic’ing guitar
cabinets – a well-placed AKG C 414 can produce a great-sounding recording! But if you
want to capture your sound without adding
much tonal color from the microphone, a ribbon is a fine way to go.
Why is this so? Many users feel that ribbons
respond like our ears – and if you’ve used
a ribbon in the studio, you know that’s an
accurate description. Every microphone,
from a Shure SM57 to a Neumann U87, has
its own EQ curve. If we looked at a graph
of the EQ of a ribbon microphone versus a
condenser, we would see the ribbon is more
neutral. Because you start with basically a
neutral mic tonality, if you decide to add
a bit of high-end to the recording, it still
sounds natural without becoming harsh.
In the past, many believed ribbon mics
were too fragile to handle the high decibel
levels of rock music. On the contrary! Eddy
Kramer, known for his work engineering Jimi
Hendrix records, used a ribbon on Jimi’s
cabinet in the studio. Can you imagine
the decibel levels coming from that amp
room when Jimi was laying down “Third
Stone from the Sun” or “Voodoo Child?”
Staggering, one would presume!
Still, ribbon mics gained a bad reputation
because the delicate ribbon element could
be damaged by just blowing on it! In fact,
broadcasters of the thirties and forties sometimes blew into old RCA mics in an attempt
to stretch the ribbon element to achieve bet-
60 PREMIER GUI TAR AJUNGEUS T20028008
ter low-end on their voices. Needless to say,
the ribbon would need repair, which wasn’t
cheap. So after World War II, when recording
The Royer Labs R121 ribbon microphone has
become very popular for recording guitars, drums
and other instruments. Its durable design allows it to
handle high volume levels without damage.
engineers were able to get their hands on
sturdy Neumann and Telefunken mics from
Germany, it seemed to make sense to use
those more durable models in the broadcast
and recording industries. Ribbon mics were
consigned to the back of the microphone
closets of many studios. They became hard
to find, and the people that knew how to
repair, build, or even use them became even
more rare.
Toward the end of the twentieth century,
David Royer, a brilliant audio designer of
rare and respected custom condenser mics
and preamps, developed the Royer Labs
R121 ribbon mic, which laid the groundwork for the future of ribbons. Engineers
and musicians began to use these mics to
make recordings and the R121 became a
secret weapon for many engineers. Around
the same time, Wes Dooley of AEA (Audio
Engineering Associates) reintroduced the
vintage ribbon mics from the past. Wes first
created the R44C, which was based on the
classic RCA 44 ribbon model. The R44C
immediately grabbed the interest of the
recording community, and has become a
studio mainstay. AEA’s ribbon designs are
more “traditional” and darker than Royer’s,
with a lovely, full natural sound.
Recently there have been many ribbon
mics introduced into the market at various price levels. Because of the honesty in
tone these mics can yield, you’ll find many
of today’s respected guitar players using
them in the studio as well as onstage,
either alone or combined with a dynamic
mic (such as a Shure SM57 or a Sennheiser
MD421) or a condenser.
If you’re interested in checking out audio
examples of an AEA R84 and Royer R121
in action, go to myspace.com/joelgragg
and listen to “Redemption Draws Nigh.” I
used the R121 on the lead with a Telecaster
through Jensen-voiced Fender Blues Junior
amp. An AEA R84 was used on the rhythm
guitar, which was an old Harmony hollowbody through a 5-watt Silvertone amp. This
should help give you an idea of how ribbons
capture tone and texture.
If you haven’t used a ribbon microphone to
record your amp, try one out!
Joel Gragg
Joel Gragg is a Sweetwater Sales Engineer who has
experience as a singer/songwriter, engineer/producer, and
guitarist in the Nashville music scene. He can be reached
at 1-800-222-4700 or at joel_gragg@sweetwater.com.
