Reply To: sE R1 Ribbon Mic and Art MPA Pro II

[Steve AParticipant]

Not trying to side-track this thread, so I'll make this as brief as possible..
Ribbons were America's answer to superior sounding German condenser mics, it's just what we did.

'Industry standard' ribbons are very expensive, so in the last several years, similar designs are being engineered here, and manufactured elsewhere. (just beware of overly thick ribbon material)

SE makes some great priced ribbons, as do a few select manufacturers, like Cascade.
There are short and long ribbons, each are better suited for specific applications.
This FAQ covers most all of that: http://cascademicrophones.com/faq.html
It's hard to pick amongst manufacturers, but there are sites that offer soundclips, and you can compare for yourself, like ZenPro Audio's "Clipalator" Here:
http://www.zenproaudio.com/clipalator
Hope this Helps?