I have just got a Golden Age R1 Active ribbon mic and and our first session has shown it to have quite a lot of noise. We recorded at about -20dB through a Focusrite Saffire Pro40 with a gain setting of 8. At the same time we also recorded with an sE2200 condenser at the same gain setting and got similar levels.
 
I have contacted Golden Age and they said  "Ribbon do have a higher noise level compared tomost condenser mics since the ribbon transducer has a lower output, ie, needs ahigher gain to increase the level, this is true for active and passive ribbon mics."
 
I have put links of the two recordings below both normalised to -5dB. The Ribbon has quite a noticeable hiss which I cant beleive is right. The sE2200 isnt the quietest recording but the noise level is much lower.
 
Any comment from anyone who has used these mics would be appreciated.
 
http://soundcloud.com/stuartbroughton/earthman-studio-version-10-1
 
http://soundcloud.com/stuartbroughton/earthman-studio-version-10

First there is the noise generated internally by the microphone itself and its built-in preamp (called "self-noise" in the specs). On top of that you've got noise from your mic pre due to the large amount of amplification needed by a ribbon mic, probably exacerbated by a too-low input impedance. 

Both factors conspire to make ribbons inherently noisier than condensers, kind of a dirty little secret that isn't talked about much. Maybe it's why ribbons are often recommended for loud sources such as brass instruments and guitar cabs, where the SNR isn't going to be an issue. When you see ribbons used in pro studios on vocals, they're typically expensive microphones - you're unlikely to see a Fathead or an Apex outside of bedroom studios.
AEA addresses the noise problem by offering their own preamps to go with their ribbon mics, amplifiers with extremely low noise, high gain and appropriate impedance. They also cost as much as most of the microphones themselves! But you're going into a general-purpose mic pre that wasn't designed with ribbon mics in mind. I suspect any prosumer interface is going to be a little disappointing. I know my own (MOTU) interface isn't well-suited for ribbons, requiring the gain to be near its maximum setting.


Many ribbon manufacturers don't even publish self-noise specs, probably because they'd be too embarrassing. I checked, and the spec for your mic is published: 18dB (A), which puts it in the middle of the pack for self-noise among ribbons (but would be considered a little on the noisy side if it was a condenser).

The trick is attempting to measure the mic's self-noise yourself and comparing it to the published spec so you can determine if it's defective. I've never tried this myself, but I imagine making a recording with and without the mic plugged in should reveal how much noise the microphone is generating. The room would have to be very quiet, and you might need to put some acoustical absorption around the mic to eliminate environmental noise such as computer fans and distant traffic.

Thanks for you reply, we had another test session and did some vocal recording as well as more recordings of the acoustic guitar, this time strumming as well as the quieter picking we had done before. we also got the mic a bit closer to get a better source level.
 
Bottom line is that for the vocals (what we bought the mic for in the first place) the noise is not a problem. The sound level for vocal work is much higher and as voice has no sustain like a guitar you can easily gate it.
 
Even with the closer micing some noise was still noticeable on the acoustic, but maybe that was because i was listening for it, others may just hear it a "atmosphere".
 
Its interesting what you say about a "dirty secret". We are using a £165 mic with a built in pre where GA's own (good value for money) pre is £250. We shouldn't really expect to get the same quality.
 
However, i have to say, for anyone who is reading this, that the mic sounds fantastic and although it might have some limitations to its use the sound and tone IMO is fantastic and i would recommend it to anyone. Especially at the price.
 
 

I love the sound of ribbons on vocals, especially mellow male vocals. I can live with a little noise, which as you say can be mitigated by editing and gating. As long as you have realistic expectations for your modestly-priced microphone from the outset, you probably won't be disappointed.

Now, if you could afford this one...


I've sung through this mic, and it's absolutely delicious. Makes my Winnie-the-Pooh rasp come out sounding like Frank frickin' Sinatra.

I've been thinking about this mic, and google search have returned me here to this thread. Being Active it requires phantom power, and being that Quad has a global Phantom on/off that I understand will kill and passive ribbon mic. So I'm thinking getting a passive will protect it from my own stupidity and allow it to be paired with my condenser. 
 
I like the vintage sound, and think it will suit my winds. I'm wondering if on my acoustic guitar, being paired with my Audio Tecknika, 3035 would mitigate some of the noise being reported above. Though I've seen no mention of noise issues in the reviews I've read.
 
I also wonder about being used in the classroom, If I get the kids not to jump. Being figure of 8 would allow me to position the kids either side and so form a being of bio-acoustic absorption. And taming shrill high ends may suits children's voices. 
 
My main concern is about how delicate are they. If I order from Thamann and get it shipped, may it suffer damage on route? They are meant to be stored upright, but flying into Vietname and being rummaged by customs and bounced around by postal, I'm concerned. 

I've used a ribbon mic as one of my main mics for some years now - I did a bit of research before I purchased and decided on a Sontronics Sigma - its a great mic with very low self noise - http://www.sontronics.com/sigma.htm