Ribbon Microphones

Aside from your voice or instrument, your choice of microphone is the first tone-shaping decision you make when you step into the studio. How do you want that tom to sound? How should the guitar amp feel? It all starts with your mic selection. From dynamic and ribbon to small diaphragm and large-diaphragm condensers, there are a lot of microphones...

Even after successfully creating the ribbon microphone (and ribbon loudspeaker) in 1924, we're guessing Dr. Walter H. Schottky and Dr. Erwin Gerlach would not list the innovations in their top ten lifetime achievements. But, such is the life of a 20th Century physicist and inventor! Continue reading →

Black Friday is officially here at Vintage King, and as always, we've got hundreds of ways for you to save during our annual sale. To kick things off, we're going to be taking a look at all of the different microphone brands that are currently on sale. Keep checking back as we will be dropping new deals and promos every single day, and you won't want to miss what's coming later this week. Continue reading →

Matt Stager of Stager Microphones has spent nearly a decade creating ribbon mics that simultaneously reflect on the past while looking to the future. From his home base in Nashville, Tennessee, Matt builds each microphone by hand, including the SR-1A, SR-2N, Stereo SR-2N, SR-3 and his latest creation, the SR-5. The SR-5 is Stager's take on a passive directional ribbon microphone, one that is loaded with Matt's high-performance proprietary toroidal transformer. This is the same handbuilt transformer utilized in the brand's other microphones. The SR-5 employs a hypercardioid polar pattern and was specifically designed for guitar and vocals, but the ribbon mic makes a perfect pairing on a number of other sound sources. Continue reading →

There's something very satisfying about throwing a hulking ribbon microphone up in the studio to capture vocals, drums or room sounds. Maybe it's because engineers have been doing it since the ribbon mic was first invented in the 1920s by Drs. Walter H. Schottky and Erwin Gerlach. It's a piece of the past that we can still relive today. One of the more sizable ribbon microphone designs from recording history is the Melodium 42B. The microphone was originally built by Charles Bouteleau and Emlie Furn in Paris in the early 1940s with an initial production run that lasted into the late 1960s. The 42B featured four monster Alnico magnets and delivered a smooth, warm sound. Continue reading →

Over the course of the past few years, Deni Mesanovic and the Mesanovic brand have become known for making some of the best ribbon microphones in pro audio. Mics like the Model 2, Model 2S, and Model 2A, give engineers a wide range of ribbons to select from, no matter whether they're looking for active, passive, or stereo options. This week, Mesanovic has announced several new exciting pieces of gear that have been added to their product line. Not only has Mesanovic created its first small diaphragm condenser microphone named the SC1, but they've also introduced a new studio monitor and ISO platforms. Continue on below to learn more about each of these creations from Mesanovic. Continue reading →