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Your cart is empty.Value-packed Active Ribbon Mic The Golden Age R1 Active MKIII gives you the velvety warmth of a ribbon mic together with the stability of a FET (Field Effect Transistor) buffer amp that lets you use the mic with longer cable runs and virtually any preamp that has phantom power. The R1 Active MKIII delivers a clear, punchy sound with life-like realism that's ideal for capturing the power and nuance of instruments and vocals.A robust modern mic with classic ribbon sound Golden Age R1 Active MKIII delivers a classic ribbon sound with smooth highs and extended low end. Its fast transient response makes it a great choice for drums, acoustic and electric guitar, and piano. And with its high sensitivity (for a ribbon), it's awesome for capturing sensitive vocal performances. With its budget-friendly price tag, a pair of these versatile ribbons is perfect for stereo applications such as drum overheads. Unlike
C. Judd
2025-08-23 14:54:02
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Cliffymusic
2025-08-17 12:39:06
Pro:I've been recording soprano sax with this microphone in my home studio with great results. It brings the kind of sound I'm looking for.Con:I didn't like the pre installed xlr cord.
ayurmonk
2025-08-03 14:19:06
I have revised my assessment. Unlike conventional passive ribbon mics which can be damaged by phantom power, this one needs phantom power to function!Once placed appropriately, it captures a very smooth mellow signal, which is a welcome relief from the shrill upper frequencies offered by most Chinese LDCs. Excellent for voice(both male and female) and strident instrumental sounds.Excellent value for money. Some hiss is audible at high gain but can be handled in post or by gating, particularly on voice overs.
LHC
2025-05-26 21:30:04
Love the warmth and emotion of this mic. I frequently prefer it for vocals over my condensers because it has such character. Timeless and vintage sound. Mine is a little noisey so not ideal for quieter instruments. I record folk/soul/jazz/pop/blues.
stardust
2025-03-02 13:58:58
I was on a quest to find a microphone with less unpleasant sibilance than the CAD M179. Of the MXL 2003a, Shure SM58, the TZ Stellar X2, and the TZ Stellar X3, this GAP R1 MKIII came the closest to doing that, i.e. it differed the most from the others.The very natural reproduction and neutral off-axis coloration of ribbon microphones gives them a unique and distinctive sound. Low end repsonse is so strong that you can get quiet far away from the microphone without the source sounding thin, and the extra room tone that the figure-8 pattern picks up is not at all weird or unpleasant like it can be with Figure-8 condeners.However, the lack of a shock mount combine with the very good LF response makes this microphone difficult to use in an environment with with LF rumble, footsteps, etc. It will pick all of that up very clearly.The thing that really prevented me from being able to use this microphone for my purposes is the noise.For vocals, you have to be at least 8 inches away from the microphone to avoid plosives (to which it is extremely sensitive), but at this distance the amount of self-noise the microphone produces at reasonable source volumes is excessive to the degree that even running the signal through an expander/gate can't produce an acceptable result. I could see it working for guitar cabinets, drum overheads, or very loudly-sung vocals, but not for anything intimate/quiet/accoustic.Which is a shame because it does sound very natural.I should also note that, regarding sibilance, if you use EQ to boost everything above 200Hz (which where this starts to roll off) 10-15dB, it will sound similar to a condenser in terms of brightness, and the sibilance will sound pretty much identical too, plus you'll have boosted a lot of hiss from the built-in preamp. So unlike what many people say, I don't think it's a valid solution to sibilance problems, at least not unless you're allergic to EQ. Conversely, you can make any of the condeners listed above sound very similar to this microphone by doing a 10-15dB cut off everything above 200Hz (but none of them will ever have quite the same amount of LF body).The smoothness/naturalness of the reproduction of the ribbon can't be replicated with EQ though.In my case, I got better results by using the TZ Stellar X3 from 2-4 inches away, plus some EQ, than anything I could achieve with the GAP R1 MKIII. Regarding self-noise, there's no comparison.I might pick up the passive version of this microphone and see if that gives better results. But I still think it's never going to cut it for vocals unless at opera-singer volumes.Regarding the build quality: it's worse than I expected. Body is painted rather than powder coated and the knurled knobs/swivel mechanism feels cheap, flimsy, imprecise.
Jack M. Tankard
2025-02-28 12:41:47
Wonderful microphone. I may never sound fantastic, but this gives me a nice, warm feeling--better job than any other mic I've tried. Using it with a Presonus USB96, works just fine. Also sounds good with my Pyle XLR to USB Signal Adapter.
Ed P
2025-02-18 10:11:40
Recording classical guitar, this mike is warmer than my Rhode mics. Will use them as a pair. Satisfied especially for the price.
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