4038 Studio Ribbon : More versatile than you might think

This no frills studio classic is more than just an old BBC broadcast mic. I use it all the time for 1) drum overheads to smoothen the top end of cymbals and fatten out the sound of the drums; 2) on guitar amps to thicken and add depth to either an SM57 or condenser mic - due to the figure of 8 pick up pattern, the mic enables you to balance room ambience with the direct signal; 3) for violins and cellos, this is my absolute go-to mic because it's silky smooth and very real sounding. Finally 4) I was also surprised how it sounded as a lead vocal on a very sparse song (acoustic guitar and vocal). It's not going to cut it in a highly produced pop / rock song, but given the space to show off it's intimate sound, the colouring is very pleasant.

There is a real classic, older sound to this microphone which brings with it a lot of reality. A refreshing alternative to the modern, heavily processed and hyped sounds we often hear on the radio today.