Condensers and dynamic microphones have dominated the world of live sound for years. But times are changing. With innovations in design and manufacturing, ribbon mics are making their way onto more and more stages, and with good reason. If you’re a sound engineer looking to expand your sonic palette, incorporating ribbon mics into your live performances can bring a new level of depth and natural sound to your mix.
Here, we’ll look at the benefits, considerations, and best-use applications for using ribbon mics onstage.
Why Choose Ribbon Mics for Live Sound?
Ribbon microphones possess a warmth and smoothness that other mics often lack. Their unique design involves a thin, corrugated ribbon suspended within a magnetic field. This ribbon vibrates in response to sound waves, generating a signal renowned for its balanced, mellow character.
Because of this, ribbon mics excel at capturing sources with rich detail, such as acoustic instruments, vocals, brass instruments, drum overheads, and even guitar amps. But it takes a little know-how to use them properly in this setting.
Some Key Concepts About Ribbon Mics
As with anything related to sound engineering, there are some essential things to know and consider before slapping a ribbon mic in front of an amp onstage. Namely the difference between passive vs. active mics and understanding polar patterns.
Passive vs. Active
Traditional and vintage ribbon microphones are passive, requiring a high-quality mic preamp to deliver enough usable gain. Without the proper power, you have to push the gain higher and higher while allowing more noise into the signal.
New generations of ribbon mics, like the AEA NUVO series, feature phantom-powered active electronics that boost the signal while retaining the classic ribbon sound. These work with a broader array of mic preamps and are often better for live stage use.
Polar Patterns
Knowing your ribbon mics’ polar patterns is crucial. Many feature a figure-8 polar pattern, meaning they capture sound equally well from the front and back while rejecting sound from nulls on their sides. This is great in studios as it captures the ambiance of the recording space or multiple performers while still controlling bleed.
Figure-8 can be problematic live, however. If you’re not careful, it can capture just about everything happening onstage, clouding your mix and creating a sonic mess. But isn’t not your only option. The AEA KU4 and KU5A feature supercardiod polar patterns. Both mics excel at rejecting unwanted ambient noise while giving your intended sound source a beautiful ribbon tone.
Ribbon Mic Characteristics That Shine in a Live Setting
Given the right environment, ribbon mics can translate a gorgeous-sounding live performance. The same characteristics that make them go-to’s in the recording studio translate beautifully onstage.
Natural Sound Reproduction
Ribbon mics are renowned for their remarkable accuracy in capturing sound sources. What you hear is what you get—there is no unwanted hype or harshness found in some condenser and dynamic mics.
Smooth High-Frequency Response
When placed appropriately, ribbon mics’ smoother top end tames the potential harshness of sources like cymbals and brass. It also makes them easy to position on guitar amps. Put them right in front of the speaker’s dust cap, and the ribbon’s treble roll-off creates the balanced sound you’re looking for.
Proximity Effect
Proximity effect occurs when low frequencies are accentuated as the microphone is brought closer to the sound source. Traditional ribbon mics are terrific for this, adding warmth and depth to vocals, drums, acoustic guitars, and other instruments.
Various AEA models approach this effect differently. Some far-field ribbons, like the R44 Series, embrace it as a useful characteristic of their classic design, while the R84 reduces its impact to keep mid- and near-field applications sounding clear and detailed.
Using Ribbon Mics Tips: Know Your Mix. Know Your Source.
The trick to using ribbon mics onstage is knowing the sound source they’ll capture and the type of live sound mix you’re trying to create.
Many modern ribbon mics, like our N22, can handle high sound pressure levels (SPLs) without breaking a sweat. But ribbons excel on lower-volume stages that emphasize tonal detail and nuance. These lower-volume applications allow them to translate the sonic detail of the sound source without having to hype frequencies to cut through.
Where Ribbon Mics Shine in a Live Mix
Acoustic Instrumentalists
Ribbon mics are ideal when the focus is on showcasing the raw, organic tones of acoustic instruments like guitars, strings, or percussion. Though feedback will always be a consideration, how ribbons capture detail and nuance makes them too good to pass up.
Laid-Back Jazz, Blues, and Rock
Genres like folk, jazz, some styles of blues, or even mellow rock lean heavily on warm, rounded tones. Ribbon mics emphasize those qualities beautifully when you want to capture the full character of your technique and personality without ear-splitting volumes.
Taming Bright Sources
Horn sections, overly bright cymbals, and many guitar amps can cause trouble in your mix’s high end. Ribbon mics smooth out those harsh frequencies without sounding artificial. You still get all the detail and harmonic complexity of the performance, just without the overhyped treble.
Intimate Settings
Because ribbons naturally incline toward lower-volume applications, they are an excellent choice for smaller, more intimate performances. Jazz clubs, coffee house venues, weddings, and similar events are all perfect examples of where subtlety and nuance thrive.
Yes, Even Loud Stages
Modern ribbon microphones have come a long way. While older ribbon mics and vintage designs might not be right for loud and sonically cluttered rock stages, there are some great AEA options that will be right at home. The KU5A is a perfect example. Its supercardioid polar pattern isolates its sound source from other instruments, while its durable build and ability to handle 141+ dB SPL at 1kHz keep it safe in front of loud sound sources.
WATCH: Sabrina Carpenter & Paul Simon on SNL50 with KU5A. Due to his hearing loss, Paul has a unique monitoring situation that requires a speaker placed right behind the microphone. The KU5A’s isolation and quality made it the perfect mic for the job.
Common Onstage Sound Sources for Ribbon Mics
Chris Stapleton uses an AEA R92 at Super Bowl LVII
While ribbon mics deliver excellent results on many sound sources, they shine with these onstage applications.
Lead Vocals
While less common than using a ribbon in a studio, skilled vocalists with strong mic technique and who control their dynamics can get a beautifully warm, intimate sound perfect for certain genres or styles. These mics add a vintage, intimate feel to their vocal performance.
Background Vocals
A ribbon mic can create a distinct separation from lead vocals, especially when capturing a vocal ensemble. Our R88’s stereo configuration and wide frequency range make it a great one to experiment with here, as it adds ribbon warmth with enhanced detail and gives the track a wide sonic spread.
Brass Instruments
Brass instruments can be overpowering when captured with the wrong mic. Ribbon mics shine here, taming the harshness and delivering a warm, balanced representation of the performance. They take the edge off even the brightest trumpets and trombones, delivering a sound that blends beautifully in the mix.
Acoustic Instruments/Guitars
For solo and stripped-down acoustic music, nothing sounds as beautiful as a great ribbon mic. They bring out the true acoustic essence of a guitar’s tonewood, the player’s technique, and every tonal detail.
Though louder performances can devolve into feedback issues, when used right, ribbon mics capture the intricate string articulation and woody warmth often lost with other mic types.
The N13 mid-field ribbon mic is a great choice here as it captures the source up close while still being far enough away to let the entire room become part of the performance.
Electric Guitar Amplifiers and Cabinets
Vintage ribbon microphones can have difficulty with loud sound sources like cranked electric guitar amplifiers. Thankfully, modern ribbon mic designs handle much higher SPLs and bring their tonal magic to even the most rocking sets.
Ribbons also make mic placement a breeze. Their top-end roll-off often sounds perfect placed right on the speaker’s dust cap. Never sounding harsh, they blend all the amp’s treble detail and attack with warm lows and mids.
Our N22 active, near-field model is perfect for this application.
Drum Overheads
It’s hard to beat a good pair of ribbon mics as drum overheads. They can provide a stereo image of the entire drum kit while mellowing the overly bright attack. Their sensitivity and figure-8 pattern also pick up a blend of the instrument and the room, keeping everything in balance. The N22 is a great choice here, or grab the R88 and get a similar sonic spread from a single mic.
Remember: Placement and mic selection are key when using ribbon mics live. Consider the individual instrument’s characteristics and the overall sonic goal for your mix.
Best Practices for Using Ribbon Mics Live
Here are a few more tips and tricks to help you get the most from your onstage ribbon microphones.
Choose the Right Mic
It’s vital to match the right mic to the task at hand. Always consider the sound source and your desired sonic result. You’ll also want to consider active and passive models, their SPL handling, frequency response, and polar patterns.
Phantom Power
Active ribbon mics are great onstage and work well with a wide variety of mic pres, making them extremely versatile. Passive mics are fantastic options as well. AEA even had an R92 at the Super Bowl! You’ll just want to be sure and pair them with a high-quality preamp designed to optimize their performance.
Remember: Phantom power can damage traditional, passive ribbon microphones. Always ensure your microphone can handle phantom power and that the power is turned off before connecting your mic.
Proper Placement
Thanks to their polar patterns and sensitivity to proximity effect, ribbon mics can be very placement-sensitive. By getting to know these aspects of your ribbon, you can avoid unwanted bleed and use the mic’s characteristics to your advantage, rejecting unwanted sound sources and controlling your overall mix.
Mitigate Stage Noise
Ribbon mics are often susceptible to the low-frequency rumble and handling noise that accompany live stages. To minimize these sonic distractions, we recommend employing shock mounts and careful mic handling techniques.
Invest in a Good Preamp
A high-quality mic preamp is essential for extracting optimal output and minimizing noise from ribbon mics in a live mix, especially with passive models. Our RPQ3 and TRP3 are specially designed for the job, ensuring you get the best performance at every show.
Ribbon Mics: Not Just For The Studio Anymore
Thanks to modern designs and the dedication of companies like AEA, ribbon mics are more robust and stage-ready than ever. While older models were sometimes too delicate for live use, this new generation of ribbon mics can withstand the rigors of the road while delivering the tonal benefits that make ribbons so popular. Don’t be afraid to experiment! They are an essential part of every live sound engineer’s mic locker.