Ribbon Mics vs. Condenser Mics
Ribbon microphones are the sound we’ve grown accustomed to hearing from the old, beautiful records. They are darker, creamier, vibey, and smoother-sounding. Furthermore, they are almost always Figure 8, which has advantages and disadvantages, and often require more gain or something like a Cloud lifter to match the level of a condenser mic.
Large diaphragm condenser mics have a sparkly top end and a lot of detail and transparency. The require phantom power, which can ruin the ribbon microphone!
Both types of microphones are unique and awesome in their own ways, and I have always used both together because of that.
Using Both Mics Together
Sometimes I choose either or (drums overheads for example); sometimes I record both so I can blend them later (horns); sometimes I use both so I can choose one or the other (vocals); sometimes I want a dark and a bright sound (guitar amps); sometimes I want the option to get rid of sibilances or squeaky string sounds (vocals, or acoustic guitars); sometimes I set up a second mic as a backup or just to get a different tone option; and sometimes I just want to get fancy and record both so that I can then mix the two sounds based on the range of frequencies that sound best on each mic (acoustic guitars, electric guitar amps etc).
Recording with both of these types of microphones gives you endless sonic possibilities and great control over what you record. Together they are truly magic!
The Problem with Traditional Dual-Mic Setups
Almost every horn player I've ever recorded, I’ve always recorded with both a ribbon and a large diaphragm condenser. The problem is that you have to set up two stands, get the mics’ elements/capsules as close as possible together so there is no phase cancellation, and then match the levels on your pre-amps. In order to ensure phase coherence, I’ve often used plugins to align the phase after the recording, but if, during the session, you need to move a mic (say the horn player wants to sit down), you have to move two stands and two mics, and now your phase relationship has changed.
No More Phase Problems
Ever since I use the MU-1 in the studio, I’ve never had phase issues again!
The sound is consistent from session to session, and I always have all the options at my fingertips.
A Better Way to Record Drums
Another example is when recording drums: in the past, I used to set up Coles 4038’s if I was doing a rock session where the drummer hits the cymbals really hard, or I’d set up AKG 414’s for jazz sessions where drummers play much lighter. If I wanted to capture both sounds because different songs have different dynamics, I’d have to set up 4 overhead mics and 4 stands, crowding the space in front of the drum set.
Ever since I use the MU-1, I now set up two stands and have both types of sounds available throughout the entire record, and I can choose which is right for which song.
The Built-In Safety Net
How many times has it happened that you are recording something special and the performance is amazing, but suddenly the singer belts a scream you weren’t prepared for, and your preamp clips, and now the recording is ruined… or have you ever had a bad cable or another noise that made an amazing performance unusable?
By using the MU-1, you now have the option to always have a backup for everything you record. If the source suddenly jumps up in level, you always have the other mic.
For example, when I recorded Bono of U2 with the JZ Black Hole BH-1S, I also set up a second vocal microphone in front of him with the level much lower in case he’d suddenly get loud. I didn’t want to risk losing a great performance, and I certainly didn’t want to ask Bono of U2 to redo a great take just because of a level issue.
If I had had the MU-1 for that session back then, this could have all been done with 1 microphone!!!
The One-Mic Solution
The MU-1 is that one microphone: THE ONE!!!
The MU-1 is the end-all solution to complex mic setups, problems. floor space in front of your musicians and their instruments, phase cancellation when using multiple mics, differences in levels when recording the same source on different mics, and, last but not least, it’s a safety backup for everything you do!
For me, recording with two mics is now an absolute must!!!
A microphone like this has NEVER existed.
This is the FIRST EVER large diaphragm condenser & ribbon microphone to exist in the world and in the history of microphones, a history that I know quite well, since I’m an avid collector with over 300+ microphones in my mic lockers.
I’m a busy and hard-working engineer and producer, and I want to be able to record amazing sound, as quickly and efficiently as possible, but with uncompromising results!
People often throw around words like “gold standard” or “game-changer” or “revolutionary” for things that hardly are, but this microphone has truly changed the way I work!
Final Thoughts: The New Gold Standard?
Given that a microphone like this has never existed, once people try it, hear it and understand its potential, its uses and the freedom and options it offers, I really do think it could become a new gold standard because it has the potential to revolutionize how people record, perceive, archive and capture sound, by giving everyone more options, a larger sonic palette, a safety net for every recording and more control over how they mix what they capture.
Everyone does things differently, but for me, the MU-1 is the new game-changing gold standard in recording!
