In our previous post, we shared two top-of-the-line ribbon mics worth looking into picking up: the Royer R-121 and the Coles 4038. Both excellent in their own regard, here are two more ribbon mics that are equally worth paying attention to.
AEA R84
As one of the most beautiful ribbon mics on the market, the AEA R84 features a design reminiscent of ribbon mics from the 1950’s, a fitting look considering that it takes a lot inspiration from the classic ribbon mic of the 20th century, the RCA 44a. As an all-purpose ribbon mic, the R84 is a workhorse, handling everything from vocals and acoustic instruments to drum overheads. Like most ribbon mics, its got a smooth mid-range and a bit of a darker tone.
Like with its predecessors, shocks, drops, phantom power and even improper storage can damage the delicate ribbon. Still, for $1,035, the California-built AEA R84 is a great all-around addition to any studio.
Shure KSM313
As a modernized take on ribbon microphones, the Shure KSM313 brings the best of that warm, natural ribbon sound with the latest technologies. Implementing a material for the ribbon dubbed “Roswellite,” the KSM313 is said to be among the most durable ribbon mics ever created. The elastic material will “always return back to its manufactured shape.”
The sound of the KSM313 is excellent, but a touch more colored than some of the others. (Perhaps it’s the Roswellite…) For a ribbon mic that will last, though, it’s a great deal at $975.
Audio Technica AT4080
Probably the most modern take on our list is the Audio Technica AT4080. It’s got the trademark natural tone but with a frequency response that’s tad bit brighter than traditional ribbon mics. The result is an all-around excellent mic that shines on most anything from vocals to drum overheads. Its phantom powered, too, adding clarity to the signal. The AT4080 retails at $999.
If you’re in the market for a new studio microphone, a ribbon mic can make an excellent addition to your recording toolbox. There are now dozens of excellent ribbon mic options available, and these five models are great place to start.
So, Why A Membership?
Let’s face it — trying to create professional mixes without the correct knowledge, tools, services, and network is like playing a concert with a broken instrument to an audience of no one.
That’s where the Sage Audio membership comes in — the membership gives you everything you need to create professional mixes consistently.
The membership is the secret to your success — it’s the difference between the 1,929,999,999 of poor-sounding mixes and the .00000002% of mixes that make people say 'WOW!"
There are 7 unique value-points included in your Sage Audio membership.
Let’s go over each one so you can decide if the membership is right for you.
1. Sage Audio University
- SAU Flagship Mixing Course: 23-video in-depth mixing course that reveals the little-known secrets of mixing and matches the needs of the new music industry.
- SAU Flagship Mastering Course: 19-video in-depth modern mastering course that dives into every nuance of making professional-sounding masters.
- SAU Pre-Mastering Course: Concise pre-mastering course that details the latest industry standards for preparing your mixes for mastering.
- SAU is designed for every experience level, ranging from budding mixing engineers to advanced engineers. The techniques and concepts taught can be applied to any DAW to create industry-leading mixes without expensive software or plugins - and free plugin alternatives are suggested throughout each course.
- Each SAU course includes Start-to-Finish session walkthrough lessons for multiple genres so you can follow along with your preferred genre.
- SAU Certification Document, which can be downloaded and showcased on your website and social channels.
Yes, I want to join the membership now >
2. Private 1-on-1 Mentorship
- The Sage Audio private 1-on-1 Mentorship gives you direct access to us for advanced mixing feedback, in-depth discussions, and customized guidance that's tailored to your specific needs.
- Unlimited private access to us for advanced mixing feedback, where we provide detailed suggestions for improvement.
- Unlimited private access to us for in-depth discussions to help you improve every aspect of your mixes and masters.
- Customized guidance that’s tailored specifically to your needs.
- Fast communication so you can improve your skills quickly.
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3. Unlimited Mixing Feedback
- Unlimited professional mixing feedback directly from us so you can consistently improve your skills and create professional mixes.
- Mixing feedback is invaluable, and the Sage Audio membership gives you continual direct access to us for real-world feedback so you can improve every aspect of each of your mixes while you're in the process of mixing.
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4. 50 Free Mastered Songs Per Year
- 50 free mastered songs per year with your own dedicated professional mastering engineer so you can get all your mixes sounding like professional songs.
- You get your own dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer to create custom masters that are specific to you and sound exactly how you want.
- Unlimited revisions with your dedicated mastering engineer. As a standard of our service, we are not happy until you are happy with the sound of your masters.
- All masters are delivered as commercial, industry-standard high-resolution 24-bit HD WAV masters so they will sound clean and clear on every platform.
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5. Community
- The Sage Audio community is a tight-knit community of passionate audio engineers who can provide you with additional real-world mixing feedback, meaningful discussions, networking, collaborations, and more.
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6. 70+ GB of Curated Sage Audio Downloadable Content
- 36 multitrack sessions spanning multiple genres for mixing practice.
- 57 un-mastered mixes spanning multiple genres for mastering practice.
- 62 Recommended Free Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 39 Recommended Paid Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 71 Sage Audio custom plugin presets to improve your mixes and masters.
- Sage Audio Membership Badge to showcase on your website, social channels, and portfolio.
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7. 800+ Video Catalog
- Access 700+ in-depth Sage Audio mixing and mastering videos - curated and organized into categories so you can easily take a deep dive into all aspects of audio engineering with thousands of hours of concise, expertly crafted Sage Audio videos to continually improve your skills at your own pace.
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