Anyone heard the Octava ribbons...I think the newest one is Ml -52 or an older model- Ml-16.
I have a Royer which I love but would love to add another ribbon to the collection and these seem more available than Beyers at the moment.

I took a couple on a session recently, the ML52's, and I was lucky enough to have a couple of ex-BBC 4038's and Beyer M160's to compare them with.
Steer clear!! I thought they were uninspired pieces of shit and not worth the little money they cost. Get the Beyers, hands down!!
I tried them in a variety of ways, Blumlein Stereo, as overheads, as spaced pair, individually, you name it... always pulled them down and put something good there instead, usually a 4038, maybe an M160 or RCA77x...

I may have had a dodgy pair, but they were matched and of the "hand picked" Oktava variety you have to pay extra for, and they still sucked... I really like the Oktava 219's though, but a different horse for a different course.
In that price range, get the Beyers (again!)..

Wow! I've never tried the Oktava ribbons, but I've always thought that the Oktava 219 was the single worst sounding mic ever made. And that includes some doozies like the AKG C1000. And build quality? Has anyone ever seen anything quite like the mic clip on those - the ones that are about as rigid as tin foil?

If the Oktava ribbons are even a step below the 219's, they must REALLY be pieces of crap!

I had a client bring an Oktava ribbon mic of his to a session the other day. He really wanted to use it. To me a sounded like total muck. There was no high presence at all and the mid lows were just very mushy and exaggerated. But, he wanted to use it on his acoustic. So I did. After 15 mins of careful EQ'ing I was able to use it as one of three lines on his acoustic. But in my opinion, the direct line that I took as one of the three lines had a more natural feel to it. End product is surprisingly good on the acoustic tracks, but I would never invest in one of the Oktava ribbons. I highly reccomend saving a little more and going with something else. Just about anything else.

I have a Stephen Sank-modded (w/RCA ribbon) 160 that I absolutely love on guitars. I bought it used off his website for somewhere around $400 (can't remember exactly what I paid). If you're looking for a cheaper ribbon, it's a great option, for probably not much more than the Oktava.

That's about what I figured....FWIW I've seen the Octava ribbons for around 250.00 so I was a little tempted......thanks all for the cold water on the face

Definitely keep your eyes peeled for a Beyer M160 though! I liked them better than the Royers in direct comparison.

If you're having trouble with finding the Beyer, they do have them at musicians-gear.com. I've never bought from them, and they're grey market importers, so all the normal dodginess with warranties, service, etc. applies. They are cheap, though; the m160 lists for around $325 USD.

Same here, I've had one (M160-DX) for a few months now and love the thing. My favorite use for it so far is on clean or softly driven E-gtrs... really nice. thumbsup

Any opinions on Beyer 130? Beyer 260?
FWIW, I've got a Coles 4038 and would like to add some more ribbons.

/Mats

I've only heard the 160.

It's really nice on some leads as well, assuming you want something that's more garage than metal.

Les Paul -> Champ -> m160DX about 18" away -> MP2NV =

Well since I got my SF12 the M160's have gone onto guitar duty...
The stereo royer is a little larger and fuller then the M160's for overheads.. Although they did a nice job when they where there...