Making Ribbon Microphones…The Detailed Process
As a tribute to the sound of the RCA 44, a Pasadena company is making a modern day version, and here is the fascinating process. Thanks to Barry Mitchell for the clip. -Bobby Ellerbee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHkOkqnJjy0
Here’s another excellent “How It’s Made” episode showing the assembly of an AEA ribbon microphone. This mic is almost $4000.
Let’s Set The Record Straight: NBC and Norelco I thought it was sacrilegious to mention NBC and Norelco in the same breath, but that was before I met Fred Himelfarb. Fred was NBC’s senior camera engineer and was in charge of the NBC Labs at 30 Rock. Fred came from RCA to NBC with the […]
What A Beast… This 1946 photo shows a Philco built Iconoscope camera at their company owned station in Philadephia, WPTZ. Although Philo Taylor Farnsworth did work for Philco in Philadelphia from 1931 till 1933, it is not known if he had a hand in the building or design of these cameras. The Philco cameras were […]
1955: Up, Down and Sideways… in ’55, the Vinten Heron crane was developed for the BBC, which bought models for its London and regional studios. The biggest innovation in the crane was it’s ability to crab, thus allowing it to move freely in any directions, giving it the flexibility of a pedestal with increased height […]
Ultra Rare! CBS Studio 42 (Grand Central) Spec Sheets Our thanks again to Gady Reinhold for these 1960 CBS information sheets. This, and Studio 41 were the only two live production studios on the third floor at 15 Vanderbilt Avenue. As noted yesterday, Studios 42 ad 43 were actually “Program Control” rooms where all of […]
Such beauty.
Small correction: AEA is a Pasadena company owned by Wes Dooley. http://www.ribbonmics.com/
I have a working 44BX and 77D I got when my dad passed away along with some others
canadian TV show featured it though. hows it’s made gets played in the canadian discovery channel all the time.
This is the Microphone Norman Petty had in his recording studio.
If you want to hear what that AEA ribbon mic sounds like, put on headphones and watch this video of Gary Louris of The Jayhawks performing one of their songs recently. Recorded straight to a Nagra analog machine.
https://youtu.be/7nEIO1-RJig