But Will It Work In A Hurricane?
March.09/ 2009 Filed in: The Help
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Dear ZD,Dear SoundMan, I read your review of the Big E ribbon mic, and had a question. How Does the Big E hold up in the aspect of durability? I know that ribbon mics are typically quite delicate and wanted to know if this was any different. Thanks - ZD
We have been getting lots of feedback (no pun intended) about the Big E and I thought this was a good one so I contacted the designer Rick Earl for an answer and this was his response;
Glad to hear you’re interested in the microphone, I’m also glad to see you wanting to pursue a career in the industry, we need more good people.
Ribbon mics in general have the reputation for being delicate, although some of it is exaggerated. The weakest part of the microphone is the ribbon itself. The Big E has a 4 micron thick ribbon, many have a 2 micron or less. A strong blast of air, say from a kick drum could possibly tear or break the ribbon. I know many people are touring with mics like Royer and in fact, they have a LIVE model that has a thicker (4 Micron) ribbon. As far as the Big E is concerned, I have beat on it to test the suspension and have used it in almost every situation except kick drum. I do not put a bag over it when I move it and sometimes just toss it in the back seat when I take it places. So far no damage.
This is JUST THE PROTOTYPE! Although the motor design is pretty final, I am still perfecting the ribbon manufacturing process. I do have a double grill design that does reduce “wind” directly on the element and that would continue in any future designs or modifications. When the ribbon process is perfected, hopefully I will be able to do a complete set of tests, including max SPL.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Rick