Devine RM 10 ribbon studio microphone

General

It's important to have a wide range of different microphones available in a studio, as every mic has its own specific application. The Devine RM 10 is a ribbon studio microphone that's gentle on your wallet. This microphone is perfect for recording acoustic instruments such as guitar and piano, but it's also a great choice for brass and woodwind recordings. It even makes nice, warm recordings of the human voice. This type of microphone has a very broad frequency range that goes from extremely low to extremely high, with an exceptionally flat frequency response over the entire range. As such, this mic won't quickly sound shrill or aggressive. Moreover, it can process high sound pressure, so you can easily set it up in front of a guitar cabinet.

Devine RM 10 ribbon: operating principle

Ribbon microphones work in a similar way to dynamic microphones. With dynamic microphones, the diaphragm vibrates when it comes into contact with sound waves. This diaphragm consists of a thin piece of material such as paper, plastic or aluminium. It's mounted to a coil, and the vibrations ensure that the coil moves back and forth over a magnet, which generates electric tension that is then translated into sound. With ribbon microphones, the diaphragm and coil are replaced by a super thin metal ribbon, which is where it gets its name! The ribbon hangs between two magnetic poles and functions as a single-wound coil, as it were. Thanks to this design, ribbon microphones can register extremely low frequencies, and the response curve is very flat. They can also take on high sound pressure, so you can also record loud guitar amplifiers, for instance.

Ribbon microphone: naturally bidirectional

Because the aluminium ribbon is stretched between two magnetic poles, ribbon microphones have a figure 8, or bidirectional, pickup pattern. That means they pick up sound from both sides of the microphone, making them suited for recording the ambience of the room. A good example of that would be if you're trying to record a grand piano or an orchestra.

• Please note: ribbon microphones are more sensitive to shocks and drops, and even blowing into the ribbon too hard could cause it to warp. As such, only use ribbon microphones indoors and transport them in the included case.