If you are new to ribbons, you are in for a treat! Experienced users have discovered the R84 is an outstanding general-purpose microphone, ideally suited for solo and accent work. It is hard to find an application where this mic does not shine. It is a fine example of the natural sound and figure-8 directional sensitivity a quality ribbon mic delivers. Pure natural sound, just as you hear it when you're placing your mic in the studio. Quick smooth transients that capture the feeling of being there without sounding like a recording. Extended bass and treble that captures the details without shoving anything in your face. A figure-eight pattern that focuses your recording on the sound you want. the R84 — but this time the mic has been designed from the ground up for the modern studio, rather than being a recreation of a vintage model. This new mic is also a lot more affordable than its big brothers, costing about a third as much as the R44C in the UK, although many would still categorise it as an expensive high-end microphone. Like most ribbon mics, the R84 has a bidirectional or figure-of-eight polar pattern, and it has been designed to provide a very wide bandwidth with a good transient response. The microphone has been optimised for close working applications as a spot or solo mic for brass, strings, percussion, electric and bass guitar, and of course voices. Consequently, it has a proximity effect (a characteristic which is often a tad overpowering in ribbon mics intended for more distant placements) which is unusually well-controlled.
