my first time to own and use a ribbon mic, exceeded my expectation. Well made, great natural sounding for voice, electric and acoustic guitars.

My voice has some really nasty harsh frequencies to it. I've tried about 4 different mics - the amount of EQ'ing and multi-band compression I've had to do, and it STILL not sounding up to par has been my biggest challenge. UNTIL NOW! This mic has been the biggest game changer in my vocal productions. Nice, warm clear sound and my vocals now sound 1000% better even with no processing at all. No more need for all of these expensive plugins!!!

I use two of these X1R ribbon mics in mid-side configuration to record a group of three fiddles in stereo. It sounds great about 3 feet from the fiddles as long as you find a good spot in a nice sounding live room. The high frequency "boost" is actually pretty modest and gave us a fairly decent fiddle sound. The great thing for stereo recording with these is that you get full frequency response anywhere within the 90 degree range of the figure eight pattern, so you get a perfect well-balanced stereo image in either blumlein or ms configurations, there's no coloration at extreme angles like you would get with condenser mics. My only complaints are that even light foot taps in socks will give you huge low frequency bumps and rumble below 80 Hz, and the high end did seem to have some odd boxy harshness in specific high mid frequencies at moments with three fiddles playing, but still definitely better than most condenser mics for strings for sure. Also surprisingly full and sparkly at the same time on a close-miced acoustic guitar. And, I don't sing, but my voice sounds great on it (pop filter required). These X1R mics are worth way more than their price in terms of performance.

I bought this mic primarily as an experiment, as my only previous experience with a ribbon mic was very underwhelming due to the very low output of the vintage RCA mic I was using. My first capture with the sE mic was an eye-opener, as it has about the same sensitivity as my old AKG D-24 dynamics, much greater than the old RCA. I recorded many short takes with the sE from my just-tuned Yamaha C5 piano and found that the results were better than I'd been able to get with any of my other mics, including several condenser mics and one tube mic. I repeated the tests with my classical guitar (2019 Jose Ramirez) and had the same results. I'm currently on vacation at the Outer Banks in North Carolina, and I brought my guitar and one mic, guess what, the sE X1R.
I might be putting my condenser mics up for sale soon.

Not much to say other than they sound really good for this price point. I recommend them.

Works well for vocals, acoustic guitar, drum room mic, haven't really tried it on a amp yet but I really doubt I'll be disappointed in it. If you want a ribbon mic for a good price then I don't think you will find one better for the money. Buy a cloudlifter with it.

I recently fell in love with the sound of my Rode nt1 for my vocals but i was almost sad to admit it's defeat after I tried this ribbon mic out. I added a little bit of air via my pre amp and it was the best unmixed vocal sound i've landed on in over a decade of recording my own voice.

I can get a nice, natural tone for a solo trumpet. The mic's levels tend to be low, but that's not an issue at the business end of a trumpet. Mixing in condenser mics to pick up the room sound gives a nice full tone.

This is a very good mic at a great price. I was unhappy with the direct and also sm58 captures of my 12 string acoustic. This mic captures the
Guitar beautifully. Does a nice job on vocals as well. Captures very close to what your ears hear.

I got this as a Christmas gift and was immediately impressed by the weight. Don't let the 1 pound spec fool you, it has a very hefty build to it. After breakfast and Miracle on 34th Street, I headed downstairs to mic up my Orange Jim Root Terror and matching Orange PPC112 with a Vintage 30. My preamp is the Yamaha MG10 mixer, which has a very neutral character to it. I got everything plugged in and used some brain dead knuckle dragging caveman riffs to test it out.

The first thing I noticed was how balanced it is, even in Drop B and extreme amounts of gain. This is my only ribbon mic so I can't compare it to a R-121 or something else, but I can say with absolute confidence that this is easily the best mic I own. Compared to my other mics (Sennheiser e835 and e906), it is balanced and smooth, whereas the e835 is a smidge dark and the e906 has an upper mids spike not unlike an SM57. Fortunately, each mic compliments the other very well, and combining them all makes my nonsensical riffs sound massive. If only I have the playing ability to do this mic proper justice.

I think my only complaint is the cable attachment. Both my Sennheisers feature a tiny alcove that allows the mic cable to lock into place; this prevents the cable from coming out in the unfortunate event that someone trips on a cable. The X1 R does not have that alcove feature and given a tug, the cable can come out. That is not to say that the connection is loose, rather the connection is surprisingly snug despite that feature not being present on the mic.

Overall, phenomenal sounding mic with superb build quality. Highly recommend it for anyone looking for an affordable ribbon mic.

This mic has helped me solve many recording issues year after year. If i lost this mic, i would buy another. It's very affordable and has a very strong character that compliments my other mics. Great.

This is hands down the best mic that I have ever used to mic a guitar cab. There is no fizz, or any unwanted frequencies. It sounds like the amp in the room. I have tried the SM57 and the AKG C414 and this blows them away. I play mainly blues , jazz , and classic rock and this keeps the sound warm and realistic. It captures the dynamics and subtleties of your playing beautifully. I have yet to try it on vocals, but I think it will shine there as well. Highly recommend.

great mic here. using it to mic my roland kc-880. Sound is nice and full and picks up the total sounds of the sound si use. I do suggest surrounding it with a sound barrier as it is a ribbon with aqfigure 8 pattern

The SEX1R was recommended to me by my sales consultant Ian McGhee. I have wanted to use ribbons for some time and had my eye on a certain brand that remains out of my price range. I bought a pair of X1R's on Ian's advice to use on overheads for an upcoming show and I was absolutely blown away by the performance.

When I first took the mics out of the box I was anxious to see what I had, so I put it in front of a Fender Twin and listened thru FOH Yamaha Cabinets. The reproduction so was so accurate I had to mute and then unmute the channel to listen in an A/B mode to convince myself I was listening to the mic! It was that good. It handled all the gain I threw at it, without a cloudlift, and remained constant. Very impressed.

Then i used it on the overheads. I went 44" from the snare head with each of them and went from there. Ultimately decided to use a Kick, Snare and the 2 SE's for the show that night. Very simple setup and the blend was super easy. Very little processing to get very natural drums, a little comp and verb on the snare for punch and that was pretty much it. Really nice result.

My next purchase will be another pair of X1R's that I will use on guitar cab's. Very highly suggested.

Sounds AWESOME. Really tames a sharp kit. You have to push this mic a bit to get where you want to be so make sure you are running it on a decent board or pre-amp (NO +48). If you are doing your research and you are looking for a certain sound you will not be dissatisfied with this mic.

After getting the kit (with reflection filter and SM57) and playing with both on a guitar cab, I got a wild hair to try the X1R on a metal vocalist. The result? HOLY WOW!!! His voice came through the monitors with every sound and nuance we were looking for but was unable to get with condenser and dynamic mics - mind you this was before I applied EQ and compression. I have been using this mic for this vocalist since then for everything he does - from high pitch screams to mellow melodic, almost pop vocals and everything in between - IT JUST WORKS for him.
I've also used it on a voiceover project with my own voice which sounds like a kazoo through other mics but this made me sound natural.
Whether you get this mic alone or in the kit I mentioned above, it is definitely worth way more then the asking price.

I don't believe I've ever given a single item I've reviewed five stars, but the X1R certainly deserves all the kudos it gets. It's very warm and "vintage" sounding (as you'd expect from a ribbon mic), but it certainly doesn't sound muffled as I've had other ribbon mics come across in a mix. I've used it on both vocals (voice overs) and guitars and have been more than pleased with the results.

Mixing it with an SM57 (using the GuitaRF isolation shield) is super simple, but, frankly, I didn't feel the need to use both mics as I didn't feel I needed the fizziness I associate with the SM57. It stands on its own in that situation and is superior when you run it without the shield in a fairly live room. That hits that Bo Diddley vibe just right!

HIGHLY recommended!

I'm kinda stunned at the quality and clean, natural sound. I am running it thru a Cloudlifter... the results are stellar! Vocals and guitar amp so far.

My test recordings have come out nicely, very natural sounding. I will be using this mic extensively on a current project. Vocals, guitar amp, even on some percussion. Build quality feels excellent.

Best $ I've spent! This mic sounds so realistic you will actually be angry you didn't buy it sooner. I use it on electric and acoustic guitars and it sounds so natural - unlike dynamics or condensers, which add their own personality to the sound.

Ribbon mics work much like the human ear, so the sound you get is almost exactly what you hear in the room.

I do recommend using it with the cloud lifter btw, it matches well with this mic.

I actually waited to use this mic on a hard core metal singer's vocal tracks. I knew without knowing that this would capture everything that I would need it to capture from him. Not only was I impressed but his band mates were as well. Captured the "grit" and infused clarity to his vocals. Can't wait to try it on a female pop vocal in the near future.

I took my time before buying a ribbon mic because there are so many to choose from, and the price range is so wide. What made me make my final decision learning more about sE Electronics. What a great story, and it's obvious they have a real passion for quality. I have tried the X1R in several different applications, and I fully understand why ribbon mics are crucial if you are looking to run with the big dogs. Great mic!!

I was looking for something new to add to the sound of my recordings and after researching the "Ribbon" microphone seem to come up more and more. The cost of the very high-end is "Very" expensive, and in some way I wasn't sure if it would add anything special? After putting several hours "Listening" and then blending with a Shure SM57 on a elec. guitar cabinet "Wow!" what a beautiful sound!!! Even on it's own, the Clean sounds are wonderful, with both distorted & clean tones what I noticed was that it sounded like it does "In the Room!" My SM57 sounds great but it has it's plus/minus tonal output (most people know) but has been my Microphone Standard for rock guitar cabinets for Years. Blending the two has been Awesome, I'm sold on Ribbon mic's and this sE X1R construction/feel/sound is worth the cost. The Sales Engineer's at Sweetwater are the most professional and "Real World" musicians, so helpful.

I bought a pair of these to try as drum overheads and was impressed for two reasons. First, they have a bit of extended high end for a ribbon so they tame cymbals without loosing too much sizzle if you have a lower ceiling (8'6") . Second they dont require as much gain as a lot of ribbons do to really open up the mic. I only had to use about 45-50 db to get them to sound full and close. You can get a better ribbon, but you are going to pay for it. Also the build seems VERY sturdy. Sweetwater didnt carry my first choice of mic but Mike Grebe recommended these. Thanks Mike!

For the money I don't think you can get a better ribbon mic that's why I give it 5 stars. Are there better mics? Yes for alot more. I bought this to use in conjunction with a Sennheiser e609 on guitar cab and sE really added the depth and warmth to the tone I had not been able to get before. I tried it on vocals just for fun and it does well there too. You can add a good amount of top end in post and get really nice results. For someone who hasn't used a ribbon before, they sound darker, with less pronounced top end but have a realistic clarity that typical dynamics don't have (my opinion). I have run this mic through an API and Neve clone and both sound good. I know it's not a Royer, but for those wanting to get into the world of ribbons this is a great place to start.