AudioMedia - February 2009 - (Page 37)

SE Electronics | RNR1 THE RIBBON CHALLENGE The History Behind SE’s New Ribbon Mic ike so many electromechanical devises, both moving coil and ribbon transducers were invented by Werner von Siemens in about . As there was no such thing as an amplifier, the fact that you got a small electric current out of a moving metal ribbon activated by sound was regarded as an interesting curiosity, but of no practical use. In , an engineer called Harry Olsen working at RCA took another look at the ribbon loudspeaker that had been developed just a few years earlier, and used the same principle to develop the world’s first practical ribbon microphone. By the square shaped RCA A was launched, which was replaced by the legendary series. By the mid- s, the ribbon mic was almost completely replaced by the condenser, with its more modern, crisp sound. Only two major manufacturers, Coles and Beyerdynamic, continued the manufacture of high quality ribbon mics. But with the coming of the digital age, the condenser microphone was criticised by many for being too harsh and interest returned to the ribbon, and manufacturers such as AEA and Royer entered the market using proven existing designs. The ribbon mic is hardly hi-tech, so today there are literally dozens of brands out there. There are even enthusiasts who go to all the trouble of making their own, although the results are seldom convincing. My earlier attempts as a boy gave listeners the impression that my DIY ribbon mic had been eaten by the cat. The main problem for the would-be builder, is the very, very low output and impedance of the ribbon. The conventional method of overcoming this is to feed an audio transformer with an extremely low input impedance and a step-up ratio of about : . Although the inertia of the ribbon is lower than for moving coil membranes, the filter effect of the early transformers had the unfortunate effect of reducing higher frequencies, which in turn has given the ribbon mic the reputation for having a warm sound if you like them, or just for being dull if you do not. Even with a transformer, not every pre-amp was especially kind to the signal, so older models needed extremely sensitive and low noise pre-amps. L Transient R esponse One quality of good ribbon mics is not a myth. They have an excellent response rate to transients. In plain English, that means that they tend to follow those minute changes in air pressure that we call ‘sound’ better than other types of microphone. This ability gives them the quality that we call ‘transparency’ or ‘air.’ For this reason, the ribbon is usually favoured for harsher sounds, such as brass and drum overheads. This excellent transient response makes the ribbon mic the ideal partner for a Rupert Neve designed pre-amp. For many years, Neve has been telling anybody who is prepared to listen, that although we may not be able to hear much past kHz, we do hear the effects of any anomalies or distortion above our hearing range. To this end, he got together with SE Electronics to launch a series of microphones, of which the RNR is the first and later models will include a valve pre-amp. ANDREW GRAEME follows the length of the ribbon mic to its very beginnings. “Many myths have built up around the ribbon mic… These things may have been true for early designs, but better ribbon materials and more powerful magnets have extended their range and today, modern ribbon mics can be every bit as robust as any other microphone types.” Many myths have built up around the ribbon mic, such as they are extremely delicate, have to be stored upright, cannot take loud noises or puffs of wind, and must under no circumstances have phantom power switched across them. These things may have been true for early designs, but better ribbon materials and more powerful magnets have extended their range and today, modern ribbon mics can be every bit as robust as any other microphone types. However, the filter effect of the transformer, combined with a marked increase of load impedance with frequency, means that it is rare to find a ribbon mic that doesn’t lose steam at higher frequencies. The main methods to combat this effect, are to combine more powerful magnets with better ribbon materials, and carefully matching the pre-amp and the transformer. M yths Although Manager Siwei Zou is convinced of the robustness of the design, SE is giving up to three free ribbon replacements for the life of the microphone. The RNR features two transformers, one going in to the mic-pre and one to send. The impedance of the input transformer is extremely low, around Ω, which is followed by a simple two-stage amp of classic Rupert Neve design, powered by the V phantom supply. The result is a ribbon mic that goes all the way to kHz with a slight drop after kHz. SE is not the only manufacturer to be looking at high end ribbons. Companies like AEA and Royer continue to work on and improve classical designs, and Coles have just launched the , which uses two neodymium-iron-boron magnets facing one another to create a very strong magnetic field around the ribbon, reduce stray magnetic fields, and extend the range to kHz. A stereo version is to be launched this year. Manufacturers of high quality ribbon mics report good sales figures that defy the present financial crisis. Colin Beanland, who is about to retire as Manager of Coles, stated, “We are selling everything we can make.” SE has employees, and , microphones are hand-built every month. James Young of Sonic Distribution and SE Electronics says, “We are now the top brand for condenser mics in the UK, and in the top three across Europe. We are very excited by this cooperation with Rupert Neve, and very much hope to be able to match that kind of success in the ribbon microphone market.” The H igh End M arket The crisper sound of the condenser microphone may have been just right for reel-to-reel tape, but the advent of digital has given us some rather brittle and harsh sounding recordings that can be accused of lacking depth and detail. A good ribbon mic may be just what the doctor ordered, and the entry of Rupert Neve into this market can only be a good thing. ∫ A N ew R i b b o n Fo r A N ew Ag e AUDIO MEDIA FEBRUARY 2009 37

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AudioMedia - February 2009 Contents Recording News Post News Broadcast News GEO Focus: USA What's Up UK NAMM Review For the Record Project Profile: Hallelujah HHB CDR882 KORG MR-20005 Chandler Germanium Brauner Phanthera Final Cut: Lesbian Vampire Killers SE Electronics RNR1 The Royal Opera House Fairlight XYNERGI Limiting Loudness Product Sampler: Studio Consoles Video Guide AMSR News Stone Temple Pilots Fly Again Rode M2 Yamaha IM8 Series

AudioMedia - February 2009

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