Best Ribbon Mic For Acoustic Guitar (2024 Update)

I just made the switch from a condenser mic to this ribbon mic. My voice tends to have some shrillness and sibilance, but the Sterling ST170 cleaned that right up and gives me a nice, smooth mid-range voice. i also noticed that I no longer get some clicks in my recordings that I got with my Sterling condenser mic. I have no way of comparing it to the more expensive ribbon mics on the market. I can say that for my voiceover needs it does a great job and gives me crisp, clear recordings. I also love that it is lightweight. The Sterling St170 comes with its own shock mount with rubber bands to hold it in place and absorb vibrations. The mic also came with an adorable little storage case which is perfect for either storage or travel. The color is elegant. It's a bit of a dull blue hue. I would have liked a little more pop of color on it, but a more subtle mic probably had wider market value. I highly recommend The Sterling ST170.thewanderingsprite

Really? My MXL R40 and R80 kik this thing's but on anything. My Sterling ST170 makes a great sounding amp sound like you put a blanket over it. Mine makes my live amp sound like an passive DI from the 80's. On acoustic guitar > i get kind of an interesting plucky sound but only if the mic is within 5 inches of the strings (yes phantom pwr is on). My ST170 will suck the life out of just about anything i put in front of it… i don't get it > lots of positive reviews. maybe i got a bad one. Sorry for the bad review, Just make sure you try it out and are able to return it. Again, sorry to make a negative review, but really, mine is a dog.Winter

I have a medium ok set up with decent AD/DA and preamps and noticed that expensive mics tend to sound not a whole lot different than mid priced Sterling mics (with my medium ok setup) So I have been buying their mid priced mics rather than going for one high end and this ribbon mic sounds soo great it's hard to believe they can make these for this price. Sounded exactly like the source with no EQ or compression. (But of course it needs it for the mix) Just a point I read that you should test the mic you get for loose ribbon tension by listening on headphones and gently rock the mic from side to side making each side of the ribbon parallel to the floor. If the ribbon is too loose you'll hear a distinct clanging sound as the ribbon bangs into itself.Petros

This mic has an incredible true tone that is so warm and natural. The only thing that I dislike about this mic is that I don't have a second one for my drum overheads. I have had this mic for a few months now and LOVE IT!! It has easily found it's way onto every session lately. Works great on acoustics, drum overheads (currently used as a mono overhead placed in front of the kit for a 60's style session), horns and doubling vocals. If you are looking for a versatile ribbon mic look no further.Jettlane Recording

Love smooth sounding ribbon with an open top end. Great for combining with my SM57 on guitar amps, and even acoustic guitar.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I bought this mic a year ago, but sent it back. Last week I gave it another try. On drums it was ok, my room is big but doesn't sound good. I can only get close mics to sound good. On the base amp it is my best mic, beating out the re20 (tighter low end). On electric guitar amps it sounds 70's man, although a 57 is fine to . On acoustic guitar it sounds really natural, I was surprised, I thought it would be dull (concert body,low boom factor) . I am keeping it this time. It is the only non figure 8 ribbon mic I know of.tjs

Just thought I'd chime in on my personal experience. I've used this mic on drums, percussion & tambourine, guitar cabs, acoustic instruments, horns, and even voice. This mic may seem deceptive at first, not "exciting" like some hyped mics, but when you start mixing, well, that's usually the tell-tell sign of a good mic. This mic is an absolute necessity on saxophones. I've never gotten a better sound on tenor sax – seriously, no compression or EQ needed if tracked properly. My studio partner used this mic to track a song where he played every individual track himself – vocals, percussion, solid state guitar amp, snare drum, misc. instruments, and the tracks were easy to mix with little effects or dynamics needed. This mic may seem pricey, but I'd have no reservations about purchasing another, and hope to do so in the near future. I have no complaints at all with this mic. BTW, I did drop this mic once from about 4-5 ft while trying to attach it to the mic clip (a ribbon no-no), and it continues to work fine. Beyerdynamic makes great mics. I perform with a pro area blues / rock / party band and the sound guy uses nothing but Beyerdynamics.Chase's Sire

Just read the above. It's another valuable brush for painting the sonic picture. Sound is so subjective…that's my disclaimer for this review. First, the gear: Rivera Knucklehead Tre into and EVM 12L with Blackout loaded Jackson 7 string. This mic udoubtedly is hyped in the 2k-4k region, but definitely not in an abrasive way. It really is great at providing the "meat" of your sound if you use lower treble settings like I do. It is one my favorite mics I have used on my cab. Has less proximity effect than the Peluso R-15 I have (which is an R121 clone). Very comparable to an SM7b with the mid boost engaged, but more natural. For typical speakers like the V30, and Classic Lead 80, may be a bit harsh and thin. Great mic on warmer speakers with lower mids. Had the Rivera cranked. master on 7, preamp gain on 7. Mids on 3. No issues. Modern ribbons are troopers. In this amp, the mids matter just as much as the master for volume. I give this a medium rating. It's pricey compared to other dynamics, but not so pricey considering how much reputable modern ribbon mics cost.Sharpsburg, GA

I bought this mic because I wanted to get my feet wet with ribbon mics. I own another MXL mic and while it has iit's uses, they are not a brand I would recomend. But this one immediately impressed me. My Behringer UCM1820 had no issues providing enough gain to get a nice crisp, warm sound. It definitely adds some color too. A little dark, but a good dark. I first tried it on some rock vocals. I re-recorded the vocal on a completed project and without tweaking any eq, just some slight compression it sat perfectly within the exsiting mix. Next I recorded my Egnater Tweaker 15 with it and an sm57 at the same time on seperate tracks and after working out placement, the results were excellent and it recorded less dark than the sm57 which was a shock to me. I cN see me using this more often, I really like the crisp dark sounds it's producing compared to my GAP FC1 mkII. I definitely would recommend this MXL product to anyone wanting to try a ribbon mic and not break the bank. It really changed my opinion on their products..I might have to give their tube mic offerings a shot..another high cost type of mic I really want to get for ky mic lockerJeff

This is a nice, good-sounding mic; I have used it primarily for bass and tenor vocals so far. It has a very strong Figure-8 polar pattern, and the blue color is a bit more purple-grey than most pictures suggest. The included shock mount works well, and includes extra elastic and an additional screw thread adapter. My only (and minor) quibble is that the case has no easy place to stow the user manual; this is hardly a problem.Erik

Yes it's true. this may be thE most durable and best sounding dual Ribbon Mic ever! THE NAKED EYE! We have loved SHURE products for longer than I want to say, okay our first was in 1976. There, they have it! 🙂 We paired our new KSM313/NE as suggested with the A15PRS Switchable Phase Reverser. This was a good decision. Thank you very much Shure Inc. from knowing you back in the 70's ChicagoLand days! *check out our review at ADORAMA for the second A15PRS Switchable Phase Reverser. ~Musicians-On-A-Mission (to promote SHURE and all their cool stuff !!)Mark C

I only use a microphone for voice over work, primary, though not exclusively, audiobooks. This may be the prefect mic for that. I had just a couple of months earlier bought a Sennheiser 418 and agree with all its fans that the sound is great. My voice never sounded better (until the 313 that is). The problem with the Sennheiser is its extreme sensitivity. When you do 10+ hour long audiobooks the last thing you want it to spend hours editing out mouth noise. A Ribbon like the 313 is the answer. An added benefit is it works almost as if it had a built in compressor. You almost can't make it clip. Beware that since it is a passive ribbon you need either a very powerful pre-amp of something like a Cloudlifter to make the signal strong enough. So I get the same or better warm tones as the 418 (I use the back side as it is a dual voice mic), but editing out clicks and pops is almost completely eliminated.krazeeddd

Having used ribbons for a while I find this mic to be a very nice addition. It behaves very much like other ribbons but because of the active electronics you need to experiment a lot more to find the right placement for it. It's not because it's bad it's because it's just different. The top end is extended; however, it's not bright or pronounced. Like all ribbons it is very susceptible air movement (e.g. plosives and bass drum holes), so be careful and use a pop filter – ALWAYS. Warranty is great and the free one time ribbon replacement is something that no one else is doing and for me a game changer. Way to go Rode!musicmanlive

exceptional quality and sound..this mic sounds great on vocals and acoustic instruments, especially on guitar and mandolin. if your looking for a quality and professional ribbon mic, give this Rode NTR a tryBW slacker

"Arturo Sandoval's Mic of choice! The Mic used most for High Quality Trumpet Recording! With a Life-Like realism to the sound as if you were hearing it played live. A warm outstanding Ribbon Professional Microphone.thevintagehorn

This R-121 is incredibly versatile for a ribbon microphone – I never fear putting it in front of guitar cabs, raucous horn players, even drums. The sound is incredibly clear and true to what my ears are hearing (a little less abrasive top end). Without a doubt worth having in my microphone closet… or out of it which usually the case. A great microphone investment!Excellent microphone – I will be purchasing more. Worth every penny I paid for this – it is a go to microphone in most every session I do these days… which is to say it is paying for itself. My clients dig the sounds = my gear pays for itself.Fester Spunk

Great mic. works magic on guitars. however you do need a good mic and pre and a decent compressor to place in front of mic! If you can get this mic for a good price (less than $1300) I would buy it! make sure you read the manual before use! If you don't you can damage the ribbon and make the mic sound bad!!!surfgreen101

I bought this mic a year ago, but sent it back. Last week I gave it another try. On drums it was ok, my room is big but doesn't sound good. I can only get close mics to sound good. On the base amp it is my best mic, beating out the re20 (tighter low end). On electric guitar amps it sounds 70's man, although a 57 is fine to . On acoustic guitar it sounds really natural, I was surprised, I thought it would be dull (concert body,low boom factor) . I am keeping it this time. It is the only non figure 8 ribbon mic I know of.tjs

Just thought I'd chime in on my personal experience. I've used this mic on drums, percussion & tambourine, guitar cabs, acoustic instruments, horns, and even voice. This mic may seem deceptive at first, not "exciting" like some hyped mics, but when you start mixing, well, that's usually the tell-tell sign of a good mic. This mic is an absolute necessity on saxophones. I've never gotten a better sound on tenor sax – seriously, no compression or EQ needed if tracked properly. My studio partner used this mic to track a song where he played every individual track himself – vocals, percussion, solid state guitar amp, snare drum, misc. instruments, and the tracks were easy to mix with little effects or dynamics needed. This mic may seem pricey, but I'd have no reservations about purchasing another, and hope to do so in the near future. I have no complaints at all with this mic. BTW, I did drop this mic once from about 4-5 ft while trying to attach it to the mic clip (a ribbon no-no), and it continues to work fine. Beyerdynamic makes great mics. I perform with a pro area blues / rock / party band and the sound guy uses nothing but Beyerdynamics.Chase's Sire

Just read the above. It's another valuable brush for painting the sonic picture. Sound is so subjective…that's my disclaimer for this review. First, the gear: Rivera Knucklehead Tre into and EVM 12L with Blackout loaded Jackson 7 string. This mic udoubtedly is hyped in the 2k-4k region, but definitely not in an abrasive way. It really is great at providing the "meat" of your sound if you use lower treble settings like I do. It is one my favorite mics I have used on my cab. Has less proximity effect than the Peluso R-15 I have (which is an R121 clone). Very comparable to an SM7b with the mid boost engaged, but more natural. For typical speakers like the V30, and Classic Lead 80, may be a bit harsh and thin. Great mic on warmer speakers with lower mids. Had the Rivera cranked. master on 7, preamp gain on 7. Mids on 3. No issues. Modern ribbons are troopers. In this amp, the mids matter just as much as the master for volume. I give this a medium rating. It's pricey compared to other dynamics, but not so pricey considering how much reputable modern ribbon mics cost.Sharpsburg, GA

This mic was a surprise in many ways. Build quality is top notch, audio quality is superb and, it has eye candy appeal. Everything about this mic is awesome. Avantone makes good stuff and you can feel it, see it and, hear it. I am going to buy another CR–14. I Love this ribbon mic.microsman

I use this microphone for across the table discussions / interviews. It is so clear and clean without any background noise whatsoever. No distortion at all . I initially tested the yeti pro, but it had way too much distortion / noise with my setup. This mic however has been a champion for what I use it for, plus it has great range. I love the figure 8 pickup pattern on this mic. I will be purchasing another one in the future.Lee

This is a great mic. I'm going to buy another one so I can use them as a stereo pair, and also for general use with acoustic instruments. I play horn, and this mic is exactly what I've been looking for. Its very robust (thankfully, as I've given it a bit of a hard time…I'm sure other ribbons would not have survived…), plenty of signal, and is truly a joy to use.Jim the Runner

I don't own this but a very well conducted shoot out was done with this and three other very popular ribbon mics. A good ear will probably come to the conclusion I did, this is a very fat and warm ribbon mic that stands out above the others. Please search you-tube for the shootout. You shouldn't commit to it until you hear it.T.M.M.

I'm a professional clarinetist who also does a lot of music tutorials on youtube that includes talking and playing. The 4080 is really great for both. For talking the sound is lovely and warm with the kind of resonance and depth a musician really appreciates—a warmth and depth you just don't get in shotgun mics. The fact that you can use phantom power helps get plenty of recorded sound while keeping the noise floor low–always a plus. Recording on the clarinet the warmth and depth of the tone is excellent. I'm very impressed with it. I also own an AEA R84 active ribbon that has a bit more warmth, but it costs a LOT more, and editing in post I can make them sound almost the same. I do think the 4080 is a bit hotter–and that's valuable in some cases. IMO–this is a great value—a terrific, versatile mic that can do a lot of things and do them well. The phantom power + ribbon microphone: a great combination.William

I just made the switch from a condenser mic to this ribbon mic. My voice tends to have some shrillness and sibilance, but the Sterling ST170 cleaned that right up and gives me a nice, smooth mid-range voice. i also noticed that I no longer get some clicks in my recordings that I got with my Sterling condenser mic. I have no way of comparing it to the more expensive ribbon mics on the market. I can say that for my voiceover needs it does a great job and gives me crisp, clear recordings. I also love that it is lightweight. The Sterling St170 comes with its own shock mount with rubber bands to hold it in place and absorb vibrations. The mic also came with an adorable little storage case which is perfect for either storage or travel. The color is elegant. It's a bit of a dull blue hue. I would have liked a little more pop of color on it, but a more subtle mic probably had wider market value. I highly recommend The Sterling ST170.thewanderingsprite

Really? My MXL R40 and R80 kik this thing's but on anything. My Sterling ST170 makes a great sounding amp sound like you put a blanket over it. Mine makes my live amp sound like an passive DI from the 80's. On acoustic guitar > i get kind of an interesting plucky sound but only if the mic is within 5 inches of the strings (yes phantom pwr is on). My ST170 will suck the life out of just about anything i put in front of it… i don't get it > lots of positive reviews. maybe i got a bad one. Sorry for the bad review, Just make sure you try it out and are able to return it. Again, sorry to make a negative review, but really, mine is a dog.Winter

I have a medium ok set up with decent AD/DA and preamps and noticed that expensive mics tend to sound not a whole lot different than mid priced Sterling mics (with my medium ok setup) So I have been buying their mid priced mics rather than going for one high end and this ribbon mic sounds soo great it's hard to believe they can make these for this price. Sounded exactly like the source with no EQ or compression. (But of course it needs it for the mix) Just a point I read that you should test the mic you get for loose ribbon tension by listening on headphones and gently rock the mic from side to side making each side of the ribbon parallel to the floor. If the ribbon is too loose you'll hear a distinct clanging sound as the ribbon bangs into itself.Petros

The 121 is hands down one of the best ribbon mics in the industry. I have a few in my studio and I will never part with them. Buying a stereo pair is the way to go too! I use em on overheads, and for stereo acoustic or amp micing. Also sounds amazing on Piano! If your serious, you need to have at least a stereo pair in your mic cabinetForgotten Charity

I got a pair of these and a pair of Coles 4038 for drum and guitar cabs. After EQ, both brands sounded remarkably similar. The Monoprice mics have more bass around the 125 Hz – 300 Hz range, but with EQ those mids and highs were there. I cannot believe what a value these are.Daniel

In a limited test, it sounded fine. This an ultra sensitive mic, with a figure 8 cardioid pattern. Thinking of overhead micing for my drum set. It?s mono, to be clear, but the fig. 8 pattern raises some interesting possibilities.Bruce

This ribbon mic implementation was apparently first seen on the obscure Proel/Eikon RM8 that appeared in the UK in late 2019, the PCB is labeled RM8. This is thankfully not as ugly as that mic, using the new Monoprice black styling and keeping the nice case with a spider shockmount. Sort of a neo-Reslo look. The mic requires 48V Phantom power and uses the common Schoeps/Alice internal preamp after the transformer stage you will see in tons of FET condenser mics, based on the K170 JFET. It has Wima caps inside which is an upgrade touch. The transformer before the preamp is single-coil and the mic shell doesn't fully shield it from interference, so as on a single coil guitar, you may need to angle the mic to avoid picking up hum. Otherwise the preamp is very clean and quiet for all the gain it's applying to the ribbon signal; if you are content with the dark ribbony sound you won't hear much hiss at all on a loud source. If you crank up some HF EQ to get a more condenser tone then yes the hiss shows up. The low cut switch on the mic I will recommend using unless you want a huge bass tone or are distance mic'ing. You may even want to add more HPF at the preamp. People who compete over gear ownership will scoff at my comparing this to the $1200 Coles 4038, but if this doesn't have the nuances of tone, it at least has the application profile. This is not a Royer R121 or a Beyer M160 or an RCA 44 or 77. It's dark and thick and benefits from use on loud sources; the active stage just gives you enough clean gain to not worry about preamp choice so much. People use pairs of 4038's on drum overheads, sometimes piano, where you want big, clear reinforcement without condenser sizzle or the HF limitations of a moving coil dynamic. Fortunately this is cheap enough to get a pair just to have. And bottom line, I have several other cheap Chinese ribbon designs, some I've upgraded the transformers on and pulled the padding out of, and I feel this Stage Right LR100 outperforms them all just as-is. Not sure there's another ribbon under $500 that is this good by the time the track is printed. I don't think it would benefit from any modification at all…only thing I thought of was turning the pad switch into a passive/active switch, but the preamp again is fine. And other than the hum workaround, so is the transformer. Have fun.Peter

Very disappointed in this mic. Tried to get a useable signal for recording, using Golden Age, Summit Audio, and Grace preamps. The noise floor was very evident and unpleasant, spoiling the recording even through the Grace. Returned.Alltubes

Provato Al Volo, Ma L'Impressione E' Ottima. Va Trattato Con Grande Cura E La Mobilita' Non E' Il Suo Forte, Molto Pesante Per Giraffe Standard. Ha Un Grande Fascino!! Questo Va Detto.Fabio Gentile C/o Gaia Srl

If you are looking for that 1930s and 40s Bing Crosby sound this is your mic. Very robust sound. Can be a little heavy on bass so you might have to eq down a little. IT SOUNDS WONDERFUL THOUGH.GREAT price too. There is a Golden Age spider mount sold separately. I bought one. It's HUGE. You will have to remove the yoke on the mic and then set the 'swivel' screws into the spider. No big deal but it IS a task and a bit of a pain to swap back and forth between spider and hard yoke. I'm thrilled I bought this mic. I have two GA FET ribbons – they are great also!! A little more 'modern (in a good way) sounding.dswheele7

It's a great looking, solid Ribbon Mic. I bought it to mic amps along with an SM57. But it sounded pretty cool and vintage on vocals too. I recommend it.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

This mic is awesome, FOR THE PRICE. I went ahead and got 2 to use as drum room mics. I tested them out in Glen Johns configuration, and they were great. Very punchy and big. I also tested it out as a bass drum mic, and it this is where it really stood out. At a 45 degree angle 2ft from the kick, the null of the figure 8 pattern attenuates the rest of the kit nicely but gives you a clear kick with SO MUCH CLEAN USABLE BASS. I also used it on vocals. It did not really shine vocally for the kind of session I was doing until I tracked a blues song, and the vibe was spot on. My gripe with this microphone, the logo on the front is not the logo in the picture. The one pictured above is a nice laser etched deal as you can see. The logo on the mic is a metal version with a crease down the middle (not curved with the body), glued to the body. Are these the same mics? Is it a knock off? Did B&H not label the product correctly, like maybe it was a MkI instead of MkII? Who knows. For this reason and this reason only, I give this a 3 star rating.Matthew

I am a classical flutist and this microphone really brings a warmth to the sound. I've never had a microphone that can handle all of the registers of the flute so well! If the shock mounts are out of stock, that is okay! You can unscrew the metal adapter from the microphone and it fits on any boom stand! 10/10Eduardo

Save your money and go get a Cascade Fat Head II with the upgraded transformer. Its cheaper than this piece and you will be way happier with the Fat Head.Anonymous

i purchased the mxl r77 ribbon mic for my brother as a gift, he's a saxophone player and of you are a saxophonist you know it is difficult to capture the essence of your horn, most of the the it doesn't sound right. Unless your using top of the line Neumann or other high quality mic with a high quality price tag. This mic is a great addition to our recording studio, I've used it along side our sterling st69 and it completes that missing part ive been looking for. I bought the mxl r144 ribbon, it's a great mic but after buying the r77 there is no comparison.it works just as amazing on vocals too, adds warmth, depth, some dimension to the voice, definitely wouldn't need any help from computer enhancement, it has it's own natural sound. All in all a great mic and going to add another to my collection as soon as possible!! Bad Sue Records L.L.C Vice president and COOWetham Posh