Ribbon Microphones: Audio Icon You Can Build in Your Garage

Wednesday, 12 January 2011 13:00

Ribbon Microphones: Audio Icon You Can Build in Your Garage

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In most industries, the kind of direct copying perpetrated by Chinese manufacturers would trigger a lawsuit, but the original patents for ribbon mics have long since expired, and the technology hasn't changed radically since the old days. As a result, the basic design of ribbon mics, from the guts of the ribbon assembly to the glossy chrome of the exterior, is something akin to collective property.

Present-day builders can emulate the tried-and-true mics of the past, often copying a single element, such as

the body of the mic or the layout of the ribbon. Even AEA, one of the most respected companies in the business, makes replicas of classic and copyright-free RCA ribbon microphones.

What distinguishes top-quality mics from the mass-produced Chinese copies is craftsmanship — and a fixed address. As studio owner John Vanderslice points out, if something goes wrong with one of his American-made mics, he can pick up the phone and talk to the person who made it.

Murky origins aside, some audio enthusiasts were surprised by the quality of Chinese-made mics, which offered respectable sound for around $100, a relatively low price.

Top photo: College student and musician Jeffrey James used a piece of bathroom handrail for the chassis of a ribbon mic.

Bottom photo: The completed mic.

Photos by Katherine Anderson.

Authors: Matthew Shechmeister

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