Re: Recording Advice/Mic Recommendations
Originally Posted by
chewrocket
Mandolins do sound better with ribbon microphones
Sometimes. In some cases. Maybe. Not always.
It also depends (very much) which particular microphone you are talking about. Ribbons vary a huge amount, with some having really profound HF roll off, and other (Royers and the SE 'Neve' model, for example) having a more extended response. Long ribbon? Short ribbon? Dual ribbon? All different, and as with microphones generally, nothing works on everything, in all situations.
Some of the cheaper ribbons really don't sound very good at all. Others are quite nice. One thing they tend to have in common is a very low output, which can cause big problems with typical "interface" preamps. You need a lot of very clean, low noise gain. That can be overcome if you use a Cloudlifter or Triton Fethead, or if you use a preamp designed to work with ribbons - but expect to throw some serious $$$ in that direction if you really want to work with them. They are not really ideal if you are on a tight budget.
I have a pair of Royer 121's, which are lovely mics, but they do not suit everything, and while nice on mandolin generally, they do not suit every mandolin, either. We have another pair of SE R1's, which are quite a bit 'darker' sounding than the Royers, and do suit some instruments well, but others work better with a medium diaphragm tube condenser... or a KM184,or a LD condenser or even an SM7b. Depends on the instrument and the sound you're looking for.. and the recording space... and the preamps... lots of variables. Figure-of-8 ribbons are very 'room dependent' and if you are a beginner, or do not have a really well-treated tracking area, that can be a serious issue.
One thing is not a variable. You are not going to get a complete, workable system with a decent quality ribbon mic, or a pair of NT5's for $200/$250
I have not tried the Presonus outfit, but I have played around with the Focusrite kit. The mic is a 3/4" capsule model, so is really a medium diaphragm design. It has good transient response, and is kind of mid-way between an SDC and a LDC, well suited to both vocals and instrument recording. A good compromise. While it will not unseat a Neumann or boutique mic builder, it is capable of very respectable results if used carefully.
Gibson F5 'Harvey' Fern, Gibson F5 'Derrington' Fern
Distressed Silverangel F 'Esmerelda' aka 'Maxx'
Northfield Big Mon #127
Ellis F5 Special #288
'39 & '45 D-18's, 1950 D-28.
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