Topic: APEX 205 Ribbon Mics - Cheap...

[Roving Sign]

http://www.apexelectronics.com/index.php?tmp=4&id=1343

99 bucks here...

http://www.frontendaudio.com/APEX_APEX205_Ribbon_Microphone_p/7489.htm

Anyone play with one of these...? Seeing them on ebay recently...

Pattern is listed as "Asymmetrical Figure-8" - guess that means one lobe is bigger than the other...?

Pretty high SPLs...looks like fun...

[stirinthesauce]

The 210 is just a few bucks more and supposedly ( I have no experience, just talking with a dealer who I did not buy this particular mic from but we discussed this) a bit better sounding.  I've got one but it's going back today for another, bad ribbon.  Dirk should be able to chime in about the sound of these.  He also has one.  We ran them as a room ambient pair at one gig and he used it to close mic a guitar cab at another.  There is a simple mod to these that really opens up the top end but also makes them more fragile.  They are big mics but rather cool looking in a classic sorta way.

For the price, if one is interested in playing around with ribbons, you won't be out a bunch of money, especially if you drop it 

[anodyne33]

Pretty high SPLs...looks like fun...

Pretty high SPL?!?!?!? That's like jet engine loud! I've never seen these before, I'd be really curoius to hear some real world experience. For $100 it would be a great way to start playing with m/s...

[TNJazz]

Pretty high SPLs...looks like fun...

Pretty high SPL?!?!?!? That's like jet engine loud! I've never seen these before, I'd be really curoius to hear some real world experience. For $100 it would be a great way to start playing with m/s...

They're not bad.  I think they sound like shit up close (at least on guitar cabinets), but we ran them as room ambients for a gig about a month ago and it was quite pleasing.  I already partially modified mine (by removing some of the crap they stuff inside to keep the ribbon from going out too easily), but I haven't tried it out in the real world yet.  From my testing at home it sounds like it will be a big improvement though.

[Roving Sign]

Pretty high SPLs...looks like fun...

Pretty high SPL?!?!?!? That's like jet engine loud! I've never seen these before, I'd be really curoius to hear some real world experience. For $100 it would be a great way to start playing with m/s...

Thats what I initially thought too - but I assume "Asymmetrical Figure-8" wouldnt be useful for a M/S setup...?

[anodyne33]

Pretty high SPLs...looks like fun...

Pretty high SPL?!?!?!? That's like jet engine loud! I've never seen these before, I'd be really curoius to hear some real world experience. For $100 it would be a great way to start playing with m/s...

Thats what I initially thought too - but I assume "Asymmetrical Figure-8" wouldnt be useful for a M/S setup...?

good point... it doen't look like there's a polar diagram anywhere on their website for either of their ribbin mics either. I wonder if that has anything to do with the stuff that Dirk ripped out of his? Sound like there was some sort of filler inside of the grille?

[rowjimmy]

I was doing some reading, recently, that reminded me of this thread. In the new TapeOp (#57) they interview Crowley & Tripp of Crowley & Tripp Microphones. If you are not familiar with the company (I wasn't,) these guys make ribbon mics. One of their newest products is an asymmetrical fig. 8 called the Naked Eye. (link)

The purpose of the asymmetrical pattern is to provide two unique voices depending on which side of the mic you address.

Seems like it might be a lot to expect of Apex to think that they shared this reasoning but, it might be worth some experimentation.

[jnorman34]

hey youse guys - if you want to play with ribbons, i can highly recommend the shinybox model 46mx.  i have owned pairs of royer r-121s and coles 4038s, and the shinybox is giving me the best ribbon sound i have ever gotten.  it is high output for a ribbon, and it does not exhibit the way rolled-off top end that most ribbons have.  it has a huge sound and is very clean.  the shinybox 46mx is similar to some of the other chinese ribbons on the market, but costs a bit more because jon ulrigg, who owns shinybox, hand assembles each microphone.  he is a great guy to work with.  i have no association with jon or shinybox.

[rowjimmy]

I've seen other positive things about the Shinybox ribbons. thanks for the recommendation.

I'm also looking at the cascade Fathead.