Fostex "Printed Ribbon" Mics ?

[Rick Ruskin]

On 17 Jul 2010 00:32:24 GMT, Roy W. Rising
> wrote:

>I've been reminded of the line of "Printed Ribbon" mics introduced by
>Fostex in the 1980s. The concept is intriguing, a spiral of aluminum
>deposited on a mylar diaphragm, mounted in a strong magnetic field. The
>idea is good, but the series was discontinued in favor of conventional
>condensers and dynamics.
>
>There's a good diagram of the element at
>http://www.coutant.org/m22rp/index.html . View the other offerings (and
>much more) at http://www.coutant.org/contents.html .
>
>Does anyone have experience with these? Were they 'before their time'?
>I'd enjoy hearing comments about them. Thanks.


I have 3 of them. A side address cardioid, Stereo, and their
differential model. I'm quite happy with them all.
Rick Ruskin
Lion Dog Music - Seattle WA
http://liondogmusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/rickruskin

[Roy W. Rising[_2_]]

I've been reminded of the line of "Printed Ribbon" mics introduced by
Fostex in the 1980s. The concept is intriguing, a spiral of aluminum
deposited on a mylar diaphragm, mounted in a strong magnetic field. The
idea is good, but the series was discontinued in favor of conventional
condensers and dynamics.

There's a good diagram of the element at
http://www.coutant.org/m22rp/index.html . View the other offerings (and
much more) at http://www.coutant.org/contents.html .

Does anyone have experience with these? Were they 'before their time'?
I'd enjoy hearing comments about them. Thanks.

--
~ Roy
"If you notice the sound, it's wrong!"

[William Sommerwerck]

> Does anyone have experience with these? Were they 'before
> their time'? I'd enjoy hearing comments about them. Thanks.

The basic idea is old, and predates its use in microphones. Speakers using
aluminum-foil-on-plastic-film were made at least as early as the '70s.

[Mike Rivers]

Roy W. Rising wrote:

> Does anyone have experience with these? Were they 'before their time'?
> I'd enjoy hearing comments about them. Thanks.

I had three RP-55s until a festival a few weeks ago when I
came home with only two of them. Somebody must have liked
them as much as I did. For this model, think an SM58 with a
little less sensitivity and without the presence hump.


--
"Today's production equipment is IT based and cannot be
operated without a passing knowledge of computing, although
it seems that it can be operated without a passing knowledge
of audio." - John Watkinson

[Scott Dorsey]

Roy W. Rising > wrote:
>
>Does anyone have experience with these? Were they 'before their time'?
>I'd enjoy hearing comments about them. Thanks.

I liked them a lot. They didn't have a lot of top end, but they were
very mellow-sounding and very rugged, and they had pretty good pattern
control.

The new Audio-Technica ribbon mikes are now using a similar technology
but with a lighter and more elongated ribbon. They have a lot more top
end response, without being brittle.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."