Golden Age Project R1 MKII User manual
R 1
MKII
Vintage Style Ribbon Microphone
INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on choosing the Golden Age Project R1 MKII microphone!
The R1 MKII is a high quality vintage style ribbon microphone. It oers the unique and natural
sound that has been available in classical microphones like the RCA 44 and 77 that are still used to
make high quality recordings today after almost 70 years.
The R1 MKII is very well suited for the recording of most sound sources like vocals, acoustic
instruments, strings, horns, orchestras and choral groups and many live sound applications.
In spite of its low cost, the R1 MKII meets the most stringent demands.
To get maximum benet and trouble free use out of the R1 MKII, please read this manual carefully.
UNPACKING, INSPECTION STORAGE AND
TRANSPORT
The R1 MKII was carefully tested and packed at the
factory. The soft case has been designed to protect
the microphone when you store, ship or move it.
Please always use it when you will need to transport
the R1 MKII for service or for any other reason.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
The ribbon assembly in the R1 MKII, as in any
ribbon microphones, is very sensitive and fragile
and can be easily damaged if handled the wrong
way,
That is why it is important that you immediately
after you have received the R1 MKII, veries that it
is working properly and that it has not been damaged during shipping.
The warranty of the ribbon assembly in the
R1 MK II does not extend beyond this initial inspection, since it can be damaged so easily if it isn´t
handled properly.
In the rare case that the R1 MKII is not working
properly when receiving it, please contact your
dealer.
FEATURES
- The unmatched natural and musical sound of a
classical ribbon microphone.
- A stunning realism with the feeling of “beingthere”.
- The typical large and mellow ribbon sound quality
with a very smooth top end and an extended low
end.
- A fast and life-like transient reproduction.
- An ultra-high SPL capability, 160 dB SPL (1% THD
@ 1000 Hz) and a very good sensitivity for a ribbon
microphone.
- A Figure-8 directional paern for wide sweet spots
both in the front and in the back of the microphone.
Zero spots towards the sides.
- A 50 mm long ribbon made of 2 microns thick
aluminium foil.
- An internal shock mount for the ribbon and
magnet assembly.
- A removable microphone cable and a soft transport case
- Manufactured of the nest materials for a great
performance and long-term reliability.
- The R1 MKII can be used with any standard mixer
or preamp, preferably with a balanced input.
USE OF THE R1 MKII
The Figure-8 paern of the R1 MKII gives you the
ability to separate sound sources by placing the
unwanted ones in the side zero pick-up directions.
Placing the unwanted ones towards the sides of the
R1 MKII will remove most of the direct sound from
the sound source. The R1 MKII will still pick up
that source from the reverberant eld
in the recording room though.
Due to the small width of the ribbon,
the horizontal pick-up paern is very
wide.
It is much wider compared to a large
capsule condenser microphone.
The vertical pick-up paern is narrow
at the higher frequencies though due
to the length of the ribbon. This
is due to the fact the wavelength
at higher frequencies is much
shorter than the length of the
ribbon. If you want maximum
top end response from the R1
MKII, it is important that the
R1 MKII is mounted so that it
is parallel to the sound source.
If it is vertically angled against
the sound source, then there
will inevitably be a loss of top
end. This can sometimes be a
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good thing so this eect can be used creatively. The
narrow vertical pick-up paern will lower the eect
of high frequency sound reections.
Since the sensitivity of ribbon microphones in general are low compared to condenser microphones,
you will need a preamp with some extra gain available when you record quiet sound sources.
Be aware of the proximity eect (an increase in bass
response) when the R1 MKII is close to the sound
source. This can be a good or a bad thing. You can
adjust the bass response by changing the distance
from the microphone to the sound source for an
optimum result in dierent situations. You can also
use a high-pass lter in your preamp or mixer.
PRECAUTIONS
-The active part in the R1 MKII consists of a very
thin and ultra-light corrugated aluminium ribbon
clamped under light tension and mounted between
the poles of a strong magnet. When the sound
waves hits the ribbon and moves it, a small current
is generated in the ribbon since it is suspended in a
magnetic eld.
The good part of this design is that it results in one
of the warmest and most natural sound available
from any type of microphone. The bad part of it is
that it also makes ribbon microphones the most sensitive and fragile ones. It is therefore very important
that the R1 MKII, as any other ribbon microphone, is
treated with very special care if it is not to be seriously damaged.
In order to ensure a long life for your R1 MKII,
please always follow these guidelines:
1. Do never subject the R1 MKII to hard knocks,
such as dropping it or not packing it properly when
you move or transport it since this can destroy the
ribbon assembly.
2. Do never blow into the R1 MKII and protect it
from any strong blast of air movement as this can
tear and destroy the fragile ribbon.
3. Do never move around fast with the R1 MKII in
your hand, please remember that any excessive air
movement can damage the ribbon.
4. Do always use a pop-lter when there is a risk of
excessive air movements reaching the ribbon from
the sound source. One example is close-up vocals.
The pop-lter will also protect the R1 MKII from
mouth spray.
5. Do always protect the R1 MKII from dirt and
moisture.
6. Do never apply phantom power to the R1 MK
II since it can burn the ribbon. Be very careful that
phantom power is switched o at least 1 minute
before plugging the R1 MKII into a mixer or preamp
and see to it that no one turns the phantom power
on by mistake.
7. When the R1 MKII is not in use, always keep it in
its soft case.
8. Do always store the R1 MKII in a vertical position. If it is stored horizontally, the 50 mm long
ribbon can sag by time which will gradually
degrade the performance of the R1 MKII.
9. Avoid exposing the R1 MKII to direct sunlight or
extremes in humidity for extended periods of time.
10. Do never try to service the R1 MKII yourself
since this will void the warranty.
WARRANTY
- Due to the extremely delicate nature of ribbon
microphones which can so easily be damaged by
improper handling and use, the ribbon assembly is
not covered under warranty.
Please check your R1 MKII carefully immediately
when you receive it and make sure that there are
no problems with the microphone. After that rst
initial inspection, the standard one year warranty
only apply to defects in materials and workmanship
in parts other than the ribbon assembly.
If the ribbon assembly is damaged during use, contact your dealer for a quote for replacement of the
ribbon assembly.
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Large ribbon geometry, pure aluminium, 2
um thick, 50 x 5 mm size.
Polar paern: Figure 8
Frequency response: 30 Hz – 18 kHz +/- 3 dB
Sensitivity: -52 dB (0 dB=1V/Pa) @
1kHz.
Maximum SPL (<1% THD @ 1kHz):
160 dB.
Output impedance: 600 ohm, balanced.
Recommended load impedance: > 3
kOhm.
Dimensions: 69x185 mm.
Weight: 1 400 g.
Please note: Specications can
be changed at any time without
notice.
Many thanks for purchasing the
Golden Age Project R1 MKII
- We wish you much joy and many
wonderful recordings with it!
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