Recording basics: What is a ribbon microphone?

This lesson covers the basic characteristics of a ribbon microphone

by The MusicRadar Team, Tue 20 May, 3:14 pm BST

ribbon mics are great for miking acoustic guitars

Microphones come in lots of different shapes and sizes and it can be confusing to know what each kind of microphone does and which type is best for different situations.

Although it looks like there are lots of different microphone types they really boil down to three main categories: dynamic, condenser and ribbon.

This video lesson will show the main characteristics and most appropriate uses for a ribbon microphone without drowning you in techno speak. This will enable you to make better choices when you come to choosing your own microphones and deciding which is best for the situation you want to use it for.

If you want to learn more about the different types of microphones then check out our video lessons on condenser mics and dynamic mics.

All the microphones used in this video are from the Sontronics range of mics.