Hey guys Im looking into purchasing my first ribbon mic. I was researchign whether or not they need phantom power to operate and i've read different things, like it will destroy it or it wont hurt a thing. any ideas what they really need? thanks

 

unless it's wired to be protected you'll literally burn a ribbon with phantompower... like a fuse or a lightbulb.

 

which brand? which model?
some contemporary ribbons are active and require phantom.
some contemporary ribbons are passive and don't reuire phantom but they can bear it.
all the old ones will fry with phantom...

 

Unless you have a bad cable or for some odd reason there is a short in your ribbon mic you should have absolutely no problem with a passive ribbon microphone if you mistakenly flip on phantom power. On the other hand, there are now phantom powered ribbons that use that 48 volts to power up and surpass the rolled off high end that traditional ribbons are known for. As compensation for those loss of highs though, ribbons just love a nice air boost with a good eq to bestow your ear with high end candy. The reason classic ribbons have no real high end, what we today many times appreciate and seek out when it comes to mic personality because there was no high end frequency transmited when they would broadcast over AM radio back in the day and had no need to include the highs in the microphones of the day's design. The frequency response of AM (amplitude modulation) I think is about 40hz to 5khz, so you can see that the high end rolloff of the traditional ribbon was of no issue. On ending, NEVER USE PHANTOM POWER WITH A PASSIVE RIBBON MICROPHONE (my disclaimer if you fry your ribbon mic, LOL)

Ok, my pick for the best ribbon microphone manufacturer of today goes to...Dr. Mark Fauxman who hand makes his Samar vl37 ribbon and whose microphones are...like listening to...Angels singing and are only $799 each. They have a high end that is...like listening to...Angels singing. They are also beautiful pieces of art in their own right. They are a future purchase of mine for my great future project with a couple of Hardy M1 preamps. It cannot get much better than this.

https://www.google.ch/imgres?imgurl...d=0ahUKEwjYoaW1vurKAhVBGZoKHRDWAy0QMwgeKAIwAg

 

Last edited by a moderator: Feb 9, 2016

Generally no. You can break it with phantom power.
Check the specs/manual for the mic you have.

 

Ribbon mics are passive-they need no phantom power. Older ones will fry. Modern ones are wired differently to allow phantom power without damage. I have a Cascade Fathead II. Phantom power won't hurt it. If you find a vintage Beyer, be careful. Superliquid is correct. There are a couple modern ribbons that use phantom power to run some circuitry to enhance the sound. I think Blue makes one. I love the way ribbon mics sound...here is some drool material. http://recordinghacks.com/2011/07/13/too-many-ribbon-mics/

 

Last edited: Feb 9, 2016

ribbon mics don't need phantom power (48v) although some DO come with their own power box.

 

Here is a really big list of active ribbon mics I pulled from Recording Hacks. Microphone developers are fulfilling modern wants for that high end so naturally lacking in the classic versions. http://recordinghacks.com/microphones/tag/active-ribbon. There are over 20 models in which to choose from.

On the issue of phantom power and ribbons there is absolutely no problem except, and I quote the good doctor Mark Fauxman, "There are some vintage ribbon microphones that have transformer secondary with grounded center tap. For those, phantom power is a NO NO." I am fairly certain that these new pasive ribbons are disaster proof unless you are using a patchbay. Again, that said, if you have funky cables with each of the three wires of different lengths you will fry the ribbon, stretch it out and maybe zap it in two. Like I said, to be on the safe side, never use phantom power with a passive ribbon or court the fate of disaster. The tears rolling down your face after the destruction of your mic could also short out your preamp, adding insult to injury. Like one of our great philosophers and purveyor of rightousness, Nancy Reagan said, "Just say no".