Another Mic Factory Tour

.
.
A look at the sE Electronics facility in Shanghai(click here)

"...and Junior said, You gonna put your mouth on that thing? You don't know where it's been."

Ribbon Mic Madness

Yes, I have used ribbon mics at some time over the past 45 years of broadcast and voiceover work. Do I like how I sound on ribbon mics? Not really. I think they are great for long narration, blue grass and gospel music, and an image of nostalgic coolness.
I'm talking classics here--DX-77s, 44s and 44Rs. In the right instance, I loved how they sounded. Nice and even, steady and sure, but not really the correct frequency response for "my" voice.
I love the look and quality of the new ribbon mics out now. I would love to try a few to see if they (or me) have changed.
Here is an outstanding article from the recent B&H newsletter that may help. You can find the link and some great pictures here:

Five Reasons to Start Using Ribbon Microphones
By Sam Mallery

In the early 1920's a couple of German physicists were messing around with powerful magnets and thin strips of aluminum, and they managed to invent our beloved ribbon microphones. These ancient recording tools recently staged a formidable comeback in home and professional studios. Why? Because ribbon microphones deliver an uncanny smoothness that can mellow out brash sounds, and bring an old school vibe to recordings that you just can't deny. Audio fanatics are constantly chasing after "vintage tone" with valve microphones, tube preamps, and exotic compressors (in both hardware and software forms). Condenser microphones deliver a crisp reproduction of sound with lots of detail, although the higher frequencies sometimes sound brittle and too electronically enhanced. Dynamic microphones provide a rounder bass and present-sounding mid tone, even if they sometimes can't capture the detail of specific instruments and voices. Ribbon microphones bring a warmth to the mid frequencies and a softness to the highs that just can't be attained with other kinds of microphones. And they always look really, really cool. Here are 5 more reasons pick up a ribbon mic for your next session:

1. Because you should to use more colors in your recordings.

From 1901 to 1904, Pablo Picasso primarily painted with blue and blue-green colors. He proved that you can create beautiful works of art even when you impose strict limitations on yourself. Picasso eventually freed himself from these strict rules and started using more vibrant colors, and he continued to produce more beautiful pieces for decades to come. If you're only using dynamic and condenser microphones in your work, then you're limiting the amount of color you can add to a recording. Having more colors on your recording palate will add depth to your productions. Plus ribbon microphones look really, really cool.

2. Because you can exercise your preamps

Some modern ribbon microphones use phantom power to add electronics to enhance the tone of the mic, but like a typical dynamic microphone, the physical process of how the ribbon picks up sound happens without power. The output level of the mic tends to be lower, which means that you sometimes need to crank up your preamp a bit more to get a usable signal. Most modern day mixing consoles and computer audio interfaces can easily supply a ribbon mic with enough juice for proper recording. If you happen to own a higher end preamp, you can really hit a ribbon microphone with a lot of gain to bring out the character of the pre. Sure, the noise floor is a little higher, but thankfully this didn't stop musicians and producers in the 1950's and 1960's from making great sounding music anyway.

3. Because ribbon microphones are used on countless classic recordings

You may recognize the RCA 44A pictured above. That's because they were used heavily for several decades on countless classic recordings and broadcasts. At one time ribbon microphones offered the highest fidelity available. When studios and producers incorporated condenser and dynamic microphones into their recording schemes, they continued to use ribbon microphones as well because of their familiar and warm character. If you've ever listened to an old recording and wondered why your stuff doesn't sound as nice, then using a ribbon mic could put you one step closer to that sound. Until recently, ribbon microphones were prohibitively expensive, and easy to damage and destroy. Recent advances in manufacturing and ribbon design have brought their price down and made them more durable. So now there's no excuse to deny yourself the tone.

4. Because it feels good to take care of something

Like owning a plant or a poodle, owning a ribbon microphone requires a bit of care. Today's ribbon microphones are much more resilient to damage than their ancestors, but it's still a good idea to be a little more careful with your ribbon microphone than you are with your Shure SM57. In the past, if you accidentally hit a ribbon microphone with phantom power, you could damage the ribbon. Most of today's ribbon mics are designed to handle phantom power, and active ribbons like the Blue Woodpecker require phantom power; but you still want to be careful. Just like your pet iguana, you want to avoid dropping a ribbon mic. Instead of tapping and blowing on the grill to check if you're getting signal, jingle your keys in front of the mic to test if it's on. Never use unbalanced cables, try to only use XLR cables, and be very careful if you're using a patchbay. In some cases the ribbon can take a jolt if it's being hot-swapped in a patchbay or by a cable being plugged and unplugged while being fed phantom power.

5. Because ribbon microphones can tame harsh sounds

Have you ever had a recording session where you just couldn't get a good sound on an instrument that sounded great in the room? It's a really frustrating situation, especially if you've moved the instrument around and tried a battery of different microphones in different positions around the instrument. All ribbon microphones have a figure eight polar pattern, which allows the room to be introduced a little more into the sound. It's also a great polar pattern for rejecting other sounds coming in from the sides. Ribbons can be a lifesaver on sound sources that aren't translating naturally with other microphones. Vocals, strings, and woodwinds that might sound a bit too strident on condensers may shine on a ribbon microphone. Today's ribbon mics have a high SPL rating, so feel free to put them on drums and guitar cabinets. This is another area where they really excel, so expect impressive sounding results. Once you're mixing, the smooth high frequencies allow room for a little play with the EQ.

If you look at the frequency response of a ribbon microphone, you'll notice a lot more roll off toward the higher frequencies. This is partially why their highs sound so smooth. If you've only ever used condenser and dynamic mics, be prepared to hear a different response when you first plug in a ribbon. All of this talk about ribbon microphones is one thing, but actually using one is another. We are currently rounding up a bunch of ribbon microphones for a good, old fashioned microphone shoot out! Please stay tuned for the follow-up article on this topic, where we'll test drive the Blue Woodpecker, the Audio Technica 4081, the Shure KSM313, and more. Also, be sure to check out the nice monitor and ribbon mic kits we've created. And when you're in New York City stop by the B&H SuperStore where you can personally test drive ribbon microphones, and a slew of other mics, outboard preamps, and compressors.

We'll let you know when B&H post that shootout.

Equation F.20 Condenser Mic

Just checking on latest mic announcements and came across the Equation Audio F.20 from Equation Audio. It appears to be made in China and similar to the CAD Equitek series.

Equation Audio F.20

Features:

• 4th Generation Advanced Solid State Electronics

• A Head Amplifier Technology Exclusive To Equation Audio

• Tested and approved on tour and in the studio for over 3 years.

• Designed to establish a new standard for studio/live multi-purpose microphones.

• A purpose driven project fanatically adhering to the two most important characteristics modern microphones have and ones that are typically mutually exclusive:

• High performance in all the essential and critical microphone attributes

• Economically responsible, affordable to amateurs and professionals alike.

Practical Uses:

From vocal tracks in a studio or on stage, kick drum, to concert grand piano, guitar amp stacks to upright bass, drum overheads to over the choir in arrays, this uniquely attractive microphone reproduces all these signal types and does them all well, better than any other single model microphone and better than anything we could find at or near its MSRP.

The F Series microphones are NOT made from parts off the shelf, won’t be found in various colors and finishes under other brands and can easily enhance your studio and live performance projects without compromising your total equipment budget.

A single F.20 microphone could competently provide all the recorded sources you require for the highest quality recording and a matched pair could very well become your favorite mic locker.

Now Available At Independent Music Stores and Distributors throughout North America, Europe and Asia.


Hi JoWillie
We saw that you had posted your blog site on the forum. This site is for microphone applications, so if you have something that you’d like to post about the use of microphones, we’d be happy to have it on our site.
Your post has been taken down, as there is an ad for Peluso mics at Warren Dent’s store.
If someone wanted to post about using those mics, that would also be acceptable...how they compared to others, pluses and minuses and the like, but not advertisements.
As it appears that you were interested in hearing a VO ap, we have one here that I believe Jonathan will post, but if not, we’ll try to get one up on line soon.
One other thing....Bruce Forbes, our CEO was the co-founder of CAD Professional Microphones. The F.20 was developed by Bruce and our team of engineers that have been together for almost 20 years.
To say that the F.20 is similar to the Equiteks might be light saying that 1975 Ford is related to a 2010. When we say 4th generation, it really is two to three generations removed from what was done at CAD, when we built the products in OH.
After being developed, all the way from clay model thru extensive testing, including 18 months on the road, the F.20 went into production in our factory in Taiwan.
If you’d like to talk more about what we’re doing, please feel free to contact us.
C.P. Pores
Director of Sales and Service
EQUATION AUDIO
Trans Dominion Corp.
425 Harding Industrial Dr.
Nashville, TN 37211http://equationaudio.com
cppores@equationaudio.com
615.627.1880 ph
615.627.1881 fax
615.275.6360 cell

Who's That Voice in Oscars Ads?

Hyundai Replaces Jeff Bridges' Voice During Oscars


NEW YORK (AP), March 01, 2010, Emily Fredrix, Marketing Writer --- Having Jeff Bridges do a voiceover during the Oscars? The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences does not abide.
Hyundai has pulled the actor's voice from its ads airing during Sunday night's broadcast because of a rule limiting the use of nominees in Oscars ads.

Bridges, nominated for the best actor award for his role in "Crazy Heart," has voiced ads for the Korean automaker since 2007.

Hyundai, the only auto company advertising during the Oscars for a second straight year, will air seven ads during the show and one beforehand. Most will feature the company's Sonata and Genesis sedans.

The stars replacing Bridges Sunday on the ABC broadcast will be Catherine Keener, Kim Basinger, David Duchovny, Richard Dreyfuss, Michael Madsen, Mandy Patinkin and Martin Sheen.

Hyundai spent two weeks testing new voiceovers after deciding it was too hard to separate its ads during the show to satisfy Academy rules.

Joel Ewanick, marketing vice president for Hyundai's American arm, said the new voices will bring variety.
But Ewanick added in a statement: "We'll be happy to return to our normal casting after the show."

Oscars night is the year's biggest for movies - and the second-biggest for advertisers after the Super Bowl.
A 30-second ad during the awards show typically sells for about $1.7 million, according to Kantar Media. By comparison, a 30-second slot during the Super Bowl costs about $3 million.

Hyundai's sales have risen the past year as it positioned its cars as economical during the recession and offered buyers insurance in case they lose their jobs after buying a new Hyundai.