MASTERING

Absolutely!

As a precaution, turn phantom power off. There have been cases of phantom power being not so “phantom” and actually ruining ribbon mics.

Having a 180-degree polar pattern, ribbon mics naturally pick up what is “behind” them just as much as what is in front of them.

So we must pay attention to the acoustics of the room perhaps even more than usual.

Mic proximity is your friend. Especially with ribbon mics, you affect the source-to-room ratio by moving the mic either closer or further away. For example many engineers (and listeners, for that matter) like the sound of a ribbon mic within a few inches of a guitar amp. Despite the 180-degree polar pattern, the signal will be mainly that of the amp and not the room. But that’s just one way to do it.

For a brighter, edgier sound – face the mic directly on-axis and into the source. Be as precise as possible. Conversely, tilt it off-axis to dull things a bit.

Lastly, experiment! This sounds obvious but a surprising number of engineers NEVER experiment. They simply keep on doing what they’ve always done without occasionally stopping to hear the roses. (alright, that was corny…)

A helpful way to experiment is to have three parties – musician, assistant, and you (the listener). As the musician plays, have the assistant move the mic as you listen through monitors in an isolated room. Have a way to communicate with him or her so that you know the precise position of the mic and can therefore reproduce the same sound when desired.

Oh, and during this process try not to be preoccupied with anything else; your most important job is to listen!

Cheers!