The Ribbon Microphone • Hacker News Board

Re: The Ribbon Microphone

#21

Post by beAbU » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 2:46 PM UTC

Aachen wrote: post #5

Is there a recording somewhere to hear what this sounds like?

It sounds just like any other mic, with subtle differences audible only to the most trained ear.

Their frequency response is probably well characterised and documented, so you can simulate one by putting an appropriate EQ over a "normal" mic and the outcome will be indistinguishable from the real thing.

Re: The Ribbon Microphone

#22

Post by beAbU » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 2:51 PM UTC

For anyone interested in how mucrophones can sound different, check out Jim Lill's video [1] where he A/B tests a bunch of mics against one another and industry standards.

He has a whole series of videos where he explores what contributes the most to "guitar tone", all the way from the strings to your ears and in between. It's a bit of an eye opener to say the least. Highly, highly recommended.

1: https://youtu.be/4Bma2TE-x6M

Re: The Ribbon Microphone

#23

Post by localghost3000 » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 2:51 PM UTC

Aachen wrote: post #5

Is there a recording somewhere to hear what this sounds like?

Amy Winehouse “Back to Black”. They tracked her vocals with an RCA ribbon mic.

Edit: fixed a typo

Re: The Ribbon Microphone

#24

Post by localghost3000 » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 2:54 PM UTC

beAbU wrote: post #21

Aachen wrote: post #5

Is there a recording somewhere to hear what this sounds like?

It sounds just like any other mic, with subtle differences audible only to the most trained ear. Their frequency response is probably well characterised and documented, so you can simulate one by putting an appropriate EQ over a "normal" mic and the outcome will be indistinguishable from the real thing.

Disagree. Ribbon mics have a very distinct sound. The top end in particular. They also distort when pushed.

Re: The Ribbon Microphone

#25

Post by dylan604 » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 3:03 PM UTC

localghost3000 wrote: post #23

Aachen wrote: post #5

Is there a recording somewhere to hear what this sounds like?

Amy Winehouse “Back to Black”. They tracked her vocals with an RCA ribbon mic. Edit: fixed a typo

Any Winehouse is such an unfortunate typo

Re: The Ribbon Microphone

#26

Post by ditn » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 3:07 PM UTC

An interesting feature of ribbon mics - because the ribbon is open at the front and the back, they reject sound from the side (and top/bottom) almost perfectly. You can arrange these cleverly in live or studio settings to amplify one thing while rejecting another completely.

A typical usecase for this is a singer with an acoustic guitar - one mic can pick up the guitar and almost fully reject the vocals, and vice-versa. Pretty cool.

Re: The Ribbon Microphone

#27

Post by paulorlando » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 3:08 PM UTC

It also led to the ability to sing in a quieter, more natural way, and gave birth to the "crooner" style. The earlier popularized carbon button microphone (invented in 1878) didn’t enable this personal singing style. If you look at one you might mistake it for the receiver of an old telephone handset (which in essence it was).

Re: The Ribbon Microphone

#28

Post by localghost3000 » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 3:33 PM UTC

dylan604 wrote: post #25

localghost3000 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amy Winehouse “Back to Black”. They tracked her vocals with an RCA ribbon mic. Edit: fixed a typo

Any Winehouse is such an unfortunate typo

Fixed! Thanks for catching.

Re: The Ribbon Microphone

#29

Post by ot » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 3:33 PM UTC

beAbU wrote: post #22

For anyone interested in how mucrophones can sound different, check out Jim Lill's video [1] where he A/B tests a bunch of mics against one another and industry standards. He has a whole series of videos where he explores what contributes the most to "guitar tone", all the way from the strings to your ears and in between. It's a bit of an eye opener to say the least. Highly, highly recommended. 1: https://youtu.be/4B…

That is a ridiculously well made video, thanks for sharing!

Re: The Ribbon Microphone

#30

Post by leblancfg » Wed, Jan 22, 2025, 3:35 PM UTC

beAbU wrote: post #22

For anyone interested in how mucrophones can sound different, check out Jim Lill's video [1] where he A/B tests a bunch of mics against one another and industry standards. He has a whole series of videos where he explores what contributes the most to "guitar tone", all the way from the strings to your ears and in between. It's a bit of an eye opener to say the least. Highly, highly recommended. 1: https://youtu.be/4B…

Love his series, but you really have to keep in mind that his testing methodology is "reductionist": a microphone's quality can't just be distilled to its EQ response. Phase, transient response, clipping, etc. are also part of the equation.

edit: My "case in point" moment is Jim's (excellent!) DIY amp section in this video: https://youtu.be/wcBEOcPtlYk?si=jkehIfyo6AgeTLUo&t=918. Its EQ indeed sounds like the big names, but I'm sure you'll also notice how its dynamics also sound so thin. That's likely because solid state clipping != (saggy) tube overdrive.