Golden Age Audio Project R1 active Mk3

Excellent as a first ribbon mic and a good second mic for those starting out. The sound - while not as precise as top-end ribbons - is really rounded and lovely, giving a warm glow to guitar cabs, vocals and strings especially, with a wonderfully solid and detailed low end. The advantage of an active ribbon is that you don't need a super clean preamp with 70dB gain - the preamps on most budget/mid-range audio interfaces with phantom power are powerful enough to drive this mic.

Like all ribbons, the mic produces a small but noticeable amount of background hiss. It is therefore unsuitable for very sensitive applications where a lot of dynamic range needs to be captured or where hiss will be a problem. I have used a pair of these mics in blumlein and MS configurations with very good results on instruments like piano that have then been layered in a mix - the presentation is excellent and the stereo field comes to life in a very natural way not possible with other miking configurations, and the benefit of having the wonderful ribbony goodness outweighs the slight issue of the hiss.

I'm very pleased with this microphone. I've found it to suit a wide variety of voices and sources (Male vox, female vox, guitar, violin, ukulele, harmonica, double bass). It hasn't worked well with various saxophones, which was a surprise. It's often the first mic I try on vocalists as it's got a lovely silky-smooth top end, and I've found it's less sensitive to dynamics, so it needs less compression and EQ than the more usual large diaphragm condensers. It definitely has it's own retro, less-hifi sound, which I happen to love. Loads of vibe, plus it looks great, the clients are always impressed. It can be a little awkward to position, due to the location of the cable, though. I think it's a bargain.

I mainly record my own songs etc as a hobby at home. When it comes to electric guitar, I always have trouble getting a nice sound that's not too trebly with my SM57 or NT5, and this mic finally gets what I want. The sound is smooth and beautiful, and I've also found that I have to spend less time on mic positioning to get a sound I like.
I'm also glad to have the pad and high-pass filter, both of which have big, easy-to-use switches.
One thing that does bug me slightly is that rotating the mic through its cradle is awkward or impossible with a cable in it (depending on your cable), meaning I have to sort that aspect of the positioning first. Maybe I'm missing something obvious!
The packaging is very padded, and the storage/carrying case that comes with the mic is nice.

Lastly, the microphone is beautiful, nice and weighty in the hand (for me that's a plus, though some may prefer lighter mics!), and stunning to look at it. Not very important for the recording process itself, maybe, but very much appreciated!

This mic gives a beautiful warm sound, with detailed lows and the typical ribbon mic subtle roll-off on the top end. Have used on male vocals and on a guitar cab with excellent results. Don't be expecting quite as much detail as a certain £1000 Royer ribbon mic, but for this price you're 110% getting your money's worth.

I'm using through Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56 pres.

Only gave 4 stars for features as the sleeve that it comes with for storage / protection wouldn't help the mic survive any knocks in transit, however it is good for hanging the mic off a hook when not in use, as ribbons have to be stored upright to prevent the ribbon from sagging.

If you're unsure whether to press the 'order' button, do it!