Let's talk Shinybox ribbons...

[@?,*???&?]

Anybody use one of these yet?

Nice to see they make mics with different frequency contours and output levels...

http://www.shinybox.com/ShinyBox23.php? ... 4990a2b25a

[Professor]

Oh what, that free Red Type-B you won ain't enough?
Seriously though, I never got around to saying how cool that is that you won that in their drawing. Have you received it yet? Is it nice?

The Shiny Box mics are the same as the Nady/PPA/Apex/TOMB/etc. ribbons but with the different options of transformers, and in the case of their model 46, with a significantly more convenient yoke (at least from what I see in the photos).
The guy that runs the business is on here somewhere so I'm sure he'll chime in. Goes by FUM I think.

-Jeremy

[bap]

Fum is Jules / Jules is Fum..... all is Shinybox

Very helpful and straightforward guy. He was very helpful when I asked questions about modding my TOMB mics.

If you visit Shinybox.com be sure to check out his Hamptone Tube with all point to point wiring.

[Eric Rottmayer]

i just ordered a plain 46...i'll give a review of it when i get and mess with it.

my only other personal ribbon experience was a used oktava ML52 that
sounded like ripped ass. i think it may have been damaged.

i'm excited to try the shiny with my acoustic guitar.

e

[pandatone]

i have a shiney box that i use all over the place. its un-modded.. stock. i've never heard it verse the other "same" microphones.. so i can't say. but i really like it.
and you can't really beat the price. or get one of the tansformer'd ones. i bet they sound pretty nice.
need allot of clean gain. but i think that goes for all the chinese ribbons.
way better then chinese LDCs imo.

panda

[AstroDan]

The Shiny Box mics are the same as the Nady/PPA/Apex/TOMB/etc. ribbons...

Really?

[;ivlunsdystf]

Shinybox 23 is good, I use it a lot; my only complaint is that they ship with very little documentation or guidance such that I can imagine some moron (eg me) trying to use it with phantom power or some other such blunder.

I think it is pretty much the same guts as the other cheaper chinese ribbons except the various transformer options as previously noted.

[thebookofkevin]

I ordered a straight-up 23 last week. I can't wait to get it (it's my first ribbon) and will definitely pitch my 2? when i get it.

[NewAndImprov]

I have a ShinyBox 23 with the Cinemag transformer, and I've been raving about it on this board a bunch. Have been using it all over the place on the record i'm currently tracking.

The guitarist has this cheapo crate solid-state amp that sounds fizzy with a 57. Shinybox made it sound like a real amp, not spectacular, but something with a little character and warmth.

Used it on cello, about 3 feet back and at the height of the F-Hole. Nice, lots of body, but the low notes are much louder than the hight. Probably due to my placement, didn't have a lot of time to move mics.

On acoustic guitar, set it about 8" off the neck/body joint. Sounds nice and rich, even when the guitar is capo'd.

On female vocals, it adds a certain older quality, very smooth. This singer can get a little strident, which the mic tames nicely.

Will be recording kit in a week or so, will probably use it either as a room mic or mono overhead.

All in all, the mic has been totally worth what I paid for it.

[ulriggribbons]

The guy that runs the business is on here somewhere so I'm sure he'll chime in. Goes by FUM I think.

-Jeremy

chiming in

Thanks for the comments and support guys.

Shinybox 23 is good, I use it a lot; my only complaint is that they ship with very little documentation or guidance such that I can imagine some moron (eg me) trying to use it with phantom power or some other such blunder.

Tater, Here's the online version:

1. Don't spit into the microphone and say "is this thing on"

2. Try to keep it away from phantom power. Under the right circumstances, phantom power can give the ribbon a roundhouse kick (like Chuck Norris). More on this later

3. If you put your hand in front of the place you're planning to put the microphone, and you feel air moving, don't put it there (or use a pop screen).

4. Make good music.

I think what happened is you ordered one of the microphones with an upgraded transformer, which means the spec sheet that comes with the stock microphone becomes inaccurate. So do I ship you bogus specs (like most manufacturers ), or....

Any questions, drop me a line

Regards

ju

[;ivlunsdystf]

fum/ju-

Thanks mucho. I will continue to rave about your mics - I'd sure prefer to do business with real people like you rather than send dollars to big multinationals via Musicians Friend and such

The mic sounds spectacular on acoustic guitar, especially given the reasonable price even with transformer upgrade.

[matyas]

Used it on cello, about 3 feet back and at the height of the F-Hole. Nice, lots of body, but the low notes are much louder than the hight. Probably due to my placement, didn't have a lot of time to move mics.

This is kind of the problem of using ribbon mics on cello in general. For the most part, bowed strings sound great with ribbons. But the problem with cello is that most ribbon mics have a very stong proximity effect, which boosts the bass substanatially. Of course the lowest notes of the cello are solidly in bass territory. I did a session with a Royer on the cello, which in the upper registers sounded great, but the bass was just a little too boomy. I ended up having to use quite a bit of EQ. Of course, you could move the mic back to compensate for the bass buildup....

[mfdu]

i love my shinybox 46, and will be ordering a cinemag model shortly.

whilst the 46 is more compact and very easy to place, i have concerns about the longevity of the single-sided yoke.
granted, not a single problem with it yet, but may get a 23 next, just on the basis of that concern. . .

at least it reinforces my reasons to handle it with reverence.

the proximity can be handy, but i also have enough gain in my old studiomaster console and my hhb tube pre's to run it as a room mic.

since i got it, its been on :
husky female vocals (close)
operatic female vocals (room)
strong male vocals with acoustic guitar (near)
drum kit (room)
acoustic guitar (frets - close)
bass guitar (small amp, diagonal across speaker, near)
cello (f hole, near)
double bass (lower body/strings, near)

if i need more gain, i patch in the opto clone compresor i made (pcb by fabio) which has a monster output trannie.
enough gain to run a 57 by itself!!!!.
that's where it really starts to sound like . . . nothing else i have in my mic cupboard!

i haven't even put it to tape yet, so looking forward to a chance to try that.

FUM - thank you, you crazy diamond!!

chris.

[idylldon]

I bought two of the Shinybox ribbons as part of the initial buy that fum so generously shared. Recently, I installed the Cinemag transformers and modded them slightly so that they don't have the yoke/XLR clearance problem. There was just enough movement to relocate the XLR jack up on the body while still covering the hole in the barrel. While in there, I took out that crappy shielded wiring they used (what were they thinking?) and installed some Mogami.

All in all, these mics are definitely keepers and worth every penny that Shinybox charges for them. I have yet to run across a better bang-for-the-buck deal in ribbon mics. Try them on female vocals and watch out.

Cheers,
--
Don

[thebookofkevin]

So far I have used my ShinyBox 23 on guitar. WhooooWEEE! This thing KICKS! I mainly record my own band practices, and quite frankly, I'm not 100% sure how my guitar sounds in the mix while playing, but on the recording it sounds beautiful!

Will soon be trying it as a single overhead on an upright piano, as a cello mic, and as a drum OH, if i get ballsy enough.

I've never had a ribbon mic before... Will putting it up as a drum OH be too much SPL?

fum - Thanks SO much for an incredible mic that I can actually afford!

I can't wait till I can throw down on a 46C or 46L (the debate is still in progress).