5 Best Ribbon Mics for Natural and Warm Sound in 2023

Sound Quality

The R-121 is Royer Lab’s flagship microphone and the most famous ribbon microphone for a good reason. It has a velvety and vintage tone that sings to almost any instrument you pair it with. 

Whether you’re playing an electric guitar clean, crunch, or in distortion, it will sound authentic, not drowned or flattened out. It’s the perfect mic for drum overheads, electric guitar distortion, acoustic guitars, singing, brass instruments, and even kick drums.

However, if you’re looking for a brighter sound, combine the R-121 with a Shure SM57 to add some crispness to the trebles.

If you’re an audio engineer spending endless hours editing a track to get the most realistic sound, you will definitely want the R-121. It has extremely low residual noise and boasts an evenly-balanced tone and relatively flat frequency response that can capture every nuance in great detail, only the best ribbon microphones out there exhibit this sort of quality. And it sounds phenomenal, even without any EQs, compression, or de-essing. 

It’s often described as having a natural, lifelike sound comparable to real-life acoustics, almost like listening to the amplifiers and instruments in a room. You can even use a pair of R-121s to record a band, choir, or orchestra in stereo to create a realistic soundstage that will transport your listeners to the performance scene.

Design & Build

The Royer R-121 is proudly made in the USA and has a sleek, compact, all-metal tube body with a satin nickel finish. It is sturdy and is built to last you a lifetime; that is why Royer is confident enough to give a lifetime warranty. The R-121 is so iconic that many microphone manufacturers have copied the same look and design.

It comes in a vintage well-lacquered wooden case with a velvet interior pad that can be a keepsake for you to pass on for generations.

The Royer R-121 is more than just a microphone. It’s a true icon, a timeless classic that has withstood the test of time since its debut in 1998. While its price tag may be steep at around $1500, its value extends beyond its exceptional sound quality. It represents a piece of audio history and serves as a precious keepsake that can be passed down for generations.

Sound Quality

Although the Beyerdynamic M 160 was made in 1957, it is not inferior to modern ribbon microphones. In fact, of the list of ribbon microphones in this article, the M 160 is, in our opinion, one of the best ribbon mics in terms of its sound quality, even when compared to the Royer R-121.

The M 160 has a hypercardioid polar pattern, unlike most ribbon microphones with a bi-directional polar pattern. It is one of the best ribbon mics for isolating sounds from the front while rejecting ambient sound and noise from the back, making this a great stage mic. 

In terms of sound quality, the M 160 has a warmer and darker tone compared to other ribbon mics and a strong bass sound. However, what surprised me was its wide treble extension and crystal clear clarity and smoothness in the higher notes, instead of the expected high-end roll-offs for most ribbon mics.

The warmth of its lower tones coupled with the softness and clarity of its trebles allows the Beyerdynamic M 160 to have a full and rich sound, more so compared to the Royer R-121.

If you are speaking into the M 160, you will immediately notice a very strong proximity effect, you might want to add a high-pass filter if there’s too much bass for your liking. 

Be sure to use a pop filter when recording vocals to protect the mic from plosive sounds. Also, use a shock mount because the M 160 is sensitive to bumps and knocks.

The Beyerdynamic M 160 sounds absolutely phenomenal on acoustic guitar, electric guitar amplifier with high distortion, and as a drum overhead mic. Recordings produced by the M 160 will sound nearly as identical to the amplifiers in the room.

Most musicians would often combine a ribbon mic with a dynamic mic like the Shure SM57 when miking a guitar amp in order to get the warm vintage ribbon sound plus the clarity and treble boost from the dynamic mic. However, the M 160 gives the best of both worlds in just one microphone.

Since the M 160 is a passive mic, it is on the quiet end. You will need a good preamp with a high output impedance and even a Cloudlifter to boost the gain to an audible level. 

Design & Build

The Beyerdynamic M 160 certainly looks like the famous Shure SM58 dynamic microphone. 

However, just because the M160 looks almost like the Shure SM58 does not mean you should start belting into it because the delicate ribbon element might be blown from loud sounds and plosives.

It has an all-metal body, a robust metal grill that does not collapse easily when compressed, and weighing 156g, it is the lightest microphone on this list. 

Sound Quality

The Voodoo VR2 boasts a rare feat that few ribbon mics have – a smooth frequency response that includes impressive treble extension and is one of the best ribbon mics for capturing detailed sound at high-frequencies.

Most ribbon microphones tend to produce a muffled sound in the higher frequencies. The Voodoo VR2, however, offers a unique combination of the warm, vintage tone typical of a ribbon microphone, along with a subtle mid and high-frequency boost that provides a brighter sound like that of condenser microphones – without being overpowering. This is an excellent ribbon mic for brass instruments, drum overheads, cymbals, violins, electric guitars, or lead vocals.

The smoothness and clarity of the Voodoo VR2 allow captured recordings to sound incredibly natural, almost like the actual instruments and amps in the room without any EQ added to the mix.

Being an active ribbon mic, Voodoo VR2 requires +48V phantom power to work its magic. This gives it greater sensitivity than the older VR1 passive mic model and plenty of gain on tap; hence you don’t have to turn up the gain on your preamp to get a good sound level from this mic.  

Design & Build

The sleek and contemporary all-metal design of the Voodoo VR2 aligns with sE Electronics’ vision of pioneering a new era in ribbon microphone technology. 

The microphone feels sturdy and well-built, and it comes in a neat, vintage wooden box. It also comes with a neat-looking custom shock mount. The mic can be positioned at the center of the mount for added protection or flipped outside for ease of use under a snare or against a speaker grille cloth.

Sound Quality

The Sterling ST170 is a sleek and modern active ribbon mic that packs a punch. With a high output level from its phantom-powered active circuitry, this mic is ready to bring the noise. You don’t need an expensive preamp to get a good amount of gain from this mic.

If you’re always on the go and can’t bring your heavy mic preamp, you can pack your Sterling ST170 with a portable audio interface with built-in preamps like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2.

The ST170 has a high-frequency roll-off that keeps the sound from getting too bright, but don’t worry – it’s not all dark and brooding. The low-end is rich and full, making it the perfect choice for capturing the thump of a kick drum or the resonance of an acoustic guitar, it delivers a smooth sound and captures the dynamics of a performance with ease.

When it comes to electric guitars, the Sterling ST170 can handle high SPLs with precision and clarity. The mic also has a pleasing bump in the low and mid ranges, allowing your electric guitar to sing like a Jedi wielding a lightsaber.

Design & Build

Speaking of Jedi, this mic looks like it was plucked straight from the hands of Luke Skywalker himself. Its sleek navy-blue all-metal construction and rugged aluminum carry case with a padded interior make it a force to be reckoned with, giving your microphone portability and protection on the go.

It also comes with a sturdy aluminum/zinc SM5 shock mount that reduces unwanted ambient noise and vibrations. It has the ideal size to fit wider “pencil-type” microphones and elastic bands to secure the mic in any position.

All of this quality and versatility are available for a mere $229. The ST170 is one of the best ribbon microphones in terms of value and a no-brainer for any musician or audio engineer in need of a reliable, all-purpose microphone.

Sound Quality

The MXL R144 has a rather colored frequency response curve, with a substantial bump in the low and higher frequencies. This gives the MXL R144 a very dark and warm tone as if it’s been heavily EQed, which is really tasteful for guitar distortions.

One downside to the R144 is its high-frequency roll-off, making it sound dull at higher frequencies, which is common for most ribbon mics. However, to compensate for this lack of clarity at the trebles, you can combine the MXL R144 with a Shure SM57 when miking a guitar amp to add brightness to the sound. This will produce a well-rounded sound with clearer details at the higher ends while giving the sound a dark, bassy feel. 

Also, being a passive mic, the MXL R144 has a pretty low output level which can be a problem if you need to capture distant or quiet sources. You would need a decent preamp or Cloudlifter to boost its gain to a decent line level for it to be heard audibly. 

Design & Build

The MXL R144 has an all-metal body and a stylish purple and chrome metal finish that gives it a classy look, similar to the Audio Technica AT2020. The microphone is sturdy and well-built, except for the grills, which do compress slightly when pressed against.

The MXL R144 comes with a microfiber cleaning cloth, which helps to keep the mic clean and dust-free, and a hard plastic case that provides a good level of protection when transporting or storing the mic. 

Unfortunately, the included shock mount feels like a cheap $10 piece found online, which is disappointing considering the MXL R144’s sensitivity to bumps and knocks.

In summary, the MXL R144 is an affordable passive ribbon mic that provides a warm and vintage sound, perfect for bringing out low-end and mid-range frequencies. While it might not be among the best ribbon mics, lacking some clarity and having a low output level, the MXL R144 can still be a great choice for those on a budget who want to get their first ribbon mic without breaking the bank.