Ribbon Mics On Loud Amps

[losthighway]

I was recording some rock guitar yesterday, Traynor YBA-3 through a 2x12, fair amount of distortion on there.

I had an M160 about 3 inches from the outside edge of the cone (in some situations that's too bright a sound for an m160 but this amp sounded pretty dark), and a Cascade Gomez about two feet away. The amp was about medium loud (whatever that means) and both mics sounded perfectly happy. I delayed the Gomez a little bit to keep it from doing nasty phase stuff since it was a different distance and then hard panned each track. Definitely achieved a classic punk sound where there was a sense of depth like doubled guitars from the delayed/panned signal, but still the minimalism of a single guitar take.

Ribbons on loud guitars rule. Just watch out for the metal dude who pushes in the 'deep' switch (or equivalent absurd low frequencies for a guitar amp) on a JCM 2000 and then palm mutes a gust of low frequency wind out of a 4x12.

[Jeff White]

I've been using a bunch of modified Nady RSM-4 ribbons (I own 3) on guitar amps for the past 2 years, and I'm starting to really really love them. 90% of the guitars and all of the lap steel on the last Creepoid record were done with a combination of the RSM-4 and SM57, SM7b, or 421, variety of amps and cabs (including my Grendel Sound Deadroom II). The RSM was stock, but I removed the inner screens on either side of the ribbon/magnet bobbin and I personally re-tensioned the ribbons on 2 of these mics right before we started tracking.

http://www.spin.com/articles/creepoid-s ... um-stream/

I blew a ribbon recording this record, but it was probably due to fucking up and slightly tearing while re-tensioning the ribbon and then setting the wolves on it without a pop filter!

I can't say enough great things about the RSM-4 through a CAPI VP26. I'm tracking a record right now for a band called Bakerman here in Philly and I'm using the RSM-4 exclusively for guitars in front of my '65 Vibro Champ, my '77 Super Reverb, my Humbolt Hot Rod, and my '71 Ampeg B25b (killer guitar amp!).

I just took all 3 of mine and completely removed the inner grills a few weeks ago. I also re-tensioned and re-corrugated the ribbon on the new one that I picked up on Amazon for $52 this winter. My plan is to replace all of the ribbons with 1.8 micron material that I picked up in kit form (with a corrugation device) off of eBay for like $30. Once the ribbons are reset I'm going to experiment with a few new transformers; it's like the easiest mod ever.

Jeff