Good budget ribbon mics

[Whoops]

The Coles 4038, originally designed by the BBC in the '50s is still the best ribbon out there.

The Coles/STC 4038 is a great Ribbon microphone, it's not Best or Worst than most of the good stuff out there, it's very good like others are very good and all of them are useful.

 

[miczone]

Re: AEA R84 vs Royer 120- much larger ribbon in the AEA and cinemag xfmer. bigger wider band width. if i had to choose between the two, id go AEA all day as i find them way more useful.

i have a re ribboned mxl r40 that sounds pretty great-will probably switch out the iron to compare the differences.

I don't want to hijack the thread, but I have a quick note on the MXL R40. I modded an R144, which I think is a later version of the R40. I removed the inner screen from the headbasket, and it really improved the high end. I replaced the original xfmr with a Cinemag, and that improved the sound as well, but not as much as removing the inner screen.

 

[Rusan]

i have a re ribboned mxl r40 that sounds pretty great-will probably switch out the iron to compare the differences.

I don't want to hijack the thread, but I have a quick note on the MXL R40. I modded an R144, which I think is a later version of the R40. I removed the inner screen from the headbasket, and it really improved the high end. I replaced the original xfmr with a Cinemag, and that improved the sound as well, but not as much as removing the inner screen.

I'll second miczone's post. I bought an R40 used for cheap, then re-ribboned it with 1.8 micron foil, removed the inner headbasket screen, and installed an amorphous core Mesanovic toroidal transformer. It's an incredible sounding mic, especially for less than $200 total.

 

[cfanzalone]

I've had tremendous success (5 total over the years) with an Apex 210's AND 210 B's modified by Stephen Sank (Talking Dog Transducer)...NOS RCA ribbon material and Cinemag tranny...beats all others (no names)...Phenomenal mic!!
NO, I don't work for him...just a very satisfied customer and willing to help with my experience...

 

[HerbertR]

I upgraded with Lundahl LL2912 Ribbon Mic Transformers with amorphous core the Nohype LRM 2B mics. Personally, I would absolutely buy these mics directly with Lundahl option. You won't really save any money doing this in hindsight. And for those who already have the standard version: do this simple Lundahl upgrade or let Nohype upgrade them.... Standard TX is not bad, but Lundahls deliver exactly the sound I expected. Definitely better defined character, clear bass. Amazingly decent treble. Definitely a great upgrade. One thing I can say for now after a few days... Hammer....

 

[Rud]

I also have a pair of BIV 1 ribbons from Igor. It took like 4 months for them to arrive in the US. This was before the what have you . . . (Don't mention the war!) If you might have been pessimistic waiting form months before, well good luck now. Anyway, they are amazing. He has some pretty nice sounding samples on his site too. I'd say they are indicative of what these mics are capable of. They're very rich and balanced. The are a bit dark But they are so smooth and easy to eq. One of the BIV 3 is definitely something I'd love to add to the mic locker.

I just got a pair of BIV 1 ribbons from ebay for $380ish and they're a land of contrasts. Pros: fantastic sounding for voice, dead quiet, very sensitive, sound a bit like the voice setting on my voice on the Cloud 44A. Cons: incredibly microphonic, low end rumble like nothing else (picking up a next door fridge), so vulnerable to plosives (pop filter is mandatory), did I mention so plosive-prone that drumming on a guitar could pop it, chrome finish had scratches, the mic body feels/sounds kind of cheap, and there was what looked like plastic stuffed up above the XLR jack when I peaked inside.

Mics are largely how they sound and I really liked the sound, Just in comparison to what I had lying around, I liked the BIV-1 for spoken word as much as a Cloud 44A, SE VR2, EH-R1, Coles 4104, Blue Woodpecker, and Rode NTR. It was leading the pack with the most expensive options. I wish I could redesign the body with a compliant mechanism internal shock mount like the Rode NTR. The body is reminiscent of the straight tube B&O ribbons but not as well fit.

At $230ish/ea. they qualify as great budget ribbon mics. I want more of them, I want to try the BIV 3, but really I want to gut the BIV 1 and design it a new body because the drawbacks in the physical design are very evident.

 

[JeffKall]

I just got a pair of BIV 1 ribbons from ebay for $380ish and they're a land of contrasts. Pros: fantastic sounding for voice, dead quiet, very sensitive, sound a bit like the voice setting on my voice on the Cloud 44A. Cons: incredibly microphonic, low end rumble like nothing else (picking up a next door fridge), so vulnerable to plosives (pop filter is mandatory), did I mention so plosive-prone that drumming on a guitar could pop it, chrome finish had scratches, the mic body feels/sounds kind of cheap, and there was what looked like plastic stuffed up above the XLR jack when I peaked inside.

Mics are largely how they sound and I really liked the sound, Just in comparison to what I had lying around, I liked the BIV-1 for spoken word as much as a Cloud 44A, SE VR2, EH-R1, Coles 4104, Blue Woodpecker, and Rode NTR. It was leading the pack with the most expensive options. I wish I could redesign the body with a compliant mechanism internal shock mount like the Rode NTR. The body is reminiscent of the straight tube B&O ribbons but not as well fit.

At $230ish/ea. they qualify as great budget ribbon mics. I want more of them, I want to try the BIV 3, but really I want to gut the BIV 1 and design it a new body because the drawbacks in the physical design are very evident.

I purchased a pair of BIV-1’s ribbons directly from Igor back in early 2018 … along with his 48V J-Decor’s …

They are remarkably great sounding and very well made … and do not exhibit any of the Cons that you alluded to in your pair …

I also was interested in more of his offerings …but Igor stopped selling to the United States a few years ago because as he explained to me in a cycle of emails … he was frustrated by a company operating a counterfeit version of his website and selling unauthorized (and subpar) versions of his products … plus being unable to offer PayPal as a purchase option for his products …

I had periodically reached out to Igor via email (my last contact was about 2 years ago) to see if his US sales embargo was lifted … but sadly no luck …

I love my BIV-1’s … and I am very sad was unable to purchase more of Igor’s ribbon mic offerings …

The BIV-1’s are a very impressive sounding pair of ribbons that acquit themselves well in most of the places you would use a Royer 120 …

I use mine mainly for drum overheads and I have used them for acoustic guitar and solo clarinet … but I have yet to work up the nerve to stick them in front of a guitar amp …

I absolutely recommend the 48V J-Decor option … and admonish everyone to embrace the wise practice of storing ribbon mics with the ribbons oriented vertically to help offset ribbon sag …

Best regards …

 

[Nen'O]

Hey , another happy owner of Igor’s BIV-1. This mics are super useful, recording stereo techniques is by far the best results I had with any other mics. Preamp impedance plays big role in mic performance.
I use mine with Phoenix audio preamp

 

[Rud]

I bought from an ebay store selling vintage Soviet mics, I hope I didn't buy a fake from Lenta. The ribbon motor, magnet mounting, XLR plug color and proof marks all look the same as photos from the site.

It is far and away the most sensitive ribbon mic I have. I use a MicPort Pro 3 with a Fethead to block 48V and it picks up signal with the mic gain all the way down. I can see how it would be a good sub for a Royer 120 but I don't have one on hand to compare. I wish I could contract Igor to build motors & xformers.

 

[Rud]

Just dropping back in to note that I now have 3 pairs of the BIV-1's older used and brand new. I love them all. They are dead quiet. They are all pretty near matched but I can tell the used older pair from the others by ear. My complaints about being microphonic and very plosive prone still stand. I reached out to Boris and he was not receptive about feedback since Ribbons just do those things.

I would love to have the BIV-1 in the Rode NTR form factor. I would love an end address version. I would love to build around the motor and xformer.

 

[ricardo]

My complaints about being microphonic and very plosive prone still stand. I reached out to Boris and he was not receptive about feedback since Ribbons just do those things.

That's cos a ribbon Fig 8 is a velocity transducer. It means Boris's ribbons have extended LF compared to most modern Fig 8s.

If you make a condensor Fig 8 with extended LF like a genuine Calrec Soundfield, or TetraMic, you have exactly this problem but worse. They have LF flat down to 27 & 25 Hz respectively and act as seismographs, aircon, slamming doors and distant thunder detectors.

That's even with 30dB/8ve LF filtering built in.

 

[JeffKall]

That's cos a ribbon Fig 8 is a velocity transducer. It means Boris's ribbons have extended LF compared to most modern Fig 8s.

If you make a condensor Fig 8 with extended LF like a genuine Calrec Soundfield, or TetraMic, you have exactly this problem but worse. They have LF flat down to 27 & 25 Hz respectively and act as seismographs, aircon, slamming doors and distant thunder detectors.

That's even with 30dB/8ve LF filtering built in.

I absolutely agree !

For myself, I consider having the extra sensitivity to plosives and booms and bangs a reasonable trade off for the extended low frequency of my BIV-1’s …

Most of those issues can be resolved with an adjustment in placement … and when I can’t null them out … I just use something else …

But I love the character of Igor’s ribbon mics … and again … wish I could have purchased more of them !

 

[Cloudsurfer]

I purchased a pair of BIV-1’s ribbons directly from Igor back in early 2018

They are really beautiful ribbons, unfortunately I've discovered them too late, after Igor stopped shipping to International countries.
I would absolutely love to get a pair for my studio and the only way would be the used market.
Since I don't know the original RM-BIV1 original pricing, could I ask what you think would be a fair and reasonable price to pay for them in the used market?

Much thanks

 

[JeffKall]

They are really beautiful ribbons, unfortunately I've discovered them too late, after Igor stopped shipping to International countries.
I would absolutely love to get a pair for my studio and the only way would be the used market.
Since I don't know the original RM-BIV1 original pricing, could I ask what you think would be a fair and reasonable price to pay for them in the used market?

Much thanks

Hi, @Cloudsurfer …
I am sad to say that I do not remember the exact price that I paid for them … but I believe that it was under $300 for the pair …

I have no doubt … like all things … the price even for a used pair in perfect condition has risen considerably !

Buying used ribbon mics … especially internationally … is such a difficult proposition due to the X Factor of the ribbon condition …

You would do well to find someone from GroupDIY that is selling a pair … because I believe they would be far less likely to sell a pair with stretched ribbons than on the open market …

I wish Igor would start selling internationally again … because he would have such a large untapped group of devoted followers clamoring for more of his amazing products !

Best Regards,

Jeff

 

[Cloudsurfer]

Thank you so much @JeffKall for the infos,

Buying used ribbon mics … especially internationally … is such a difficult proposition due to the X Factor of the ribbon condition

100% agree, this is exactly what I fear – the ribbons are as beautiful as they are fragile.

I wish Igor would start selling internationally again … because he would have such a large untapped group of devoted followers clamoring for more of his amazing products !

Let's hope for an end to the international chaos for the well-known reasons, wishing the best to incredible boutiques, crafting stunning equipment like Igor's...

My drums can’t wait to try them in the blumlein room setup

 

[Rud]

That's cos a ribbon Fig 8 is a velocity transducer. It means Boris's ribbons have extended LF compared to most modern Fig 8s.

I'm not trying to argue with physics, but even among ribbons of the same type the BIV-1 is unforgiving. The physical design is traditional, I would go so far as to call it serviceable; I just wish I could have the guts in a more modern chassis like the NTR. The BIV-1 is just a thin metal tube with the motor press fit in. The xformer is wrapped in plastic balled up in the tube above the XLR jack. I haven't done more than peak inside, but it sounds better than the physical . I've had them always mounted in a shock mount (Rycote one for shotgun mics) and used spaced bubbles of Acoustex monofilament mesh to manage plosives/gusts.

Since I don't know the original RM-BIV1 original pricing, could I ask what you think would be a fair and reasonable price to pay for them in the used market?

Not to make this the Bash BIV-1 thread, but there was a Belarusian shop on Reverb & Ebay selling them for $400-$500 new for a pair. Reverb sold history shows $300-$500 for used and $400-$500 for new.

 

[ricardo]

ricardo said:
That's cos a ribbon Fig 8 is a velocity transducer. It means Boris's ribbons have extended LF compared to most modern Fig 8s.

I'm not trying to argue with physics, but even among ribbons of the same type the BIV-1 is unforgiving.

Anyone measured BIV-1 @ 1m?

I have a short list of ribbon & other Fig 8s with 'extended' LF response. Apart from my designs (where I cheat), the most extended is the old BBC/STC, now Coles 4038.

It's the only Fig 8 that shows a rise below 50Hz when measured @ 1m. That makes it the only Fig 8 today that has a free field -3dB LF cutoff below 50Hz