NUDE - Stereo Blumlein Ribbon Microphone
The "Swiss Army Microphone" - Most versatile microphone you'll ever own!
Comprised of two perfectly matched ribbon microphones mounted as close as is physically possible (one above the other) and offset at a 90-degree angle to each other. This is what is termed a Blumlein stereo array microphone. It is phenomenal for close mic'ing of almost any source I've presented it with but particularly shines used as a drum overhead or for capturing an orchestra or ensemble and the associated room ambience. Perfectly suited to capturing horn sections and taming their bite. Close mic'ing a guitar will reveal a sense of movement and depth, you'll hear each hand. Perfect for string sections, capture the entire string section with a single mic and marvel at the luscious stereo panorama. It comes finely presented in an aluminium flight case containing the microphone in a heavily padded soft case, 5 metre (5pin) cable, passive split box to L/R 3pin xlr outs, a solid shock mount and a pop filter.
The Numbers:
- Polar Pattern: Symmetrical figure-8
- Generating Element: 1.8-micron aluminium ribbon
- Frequency Response: 28-16,500 Hz +/- 3dB
- Sensitivity: > -52 dBu Ref. 1v/pa
- Output Impedance: 200 Ohms @ 1K (nominal) transformer isolated
- Rated Load Impedance: >1500 Ohms
- Maximum SPL: >140dB @ .5% THD @1000Hz
- ENL <16dBA
- S/N 70dB Ref. 1Pa
- Output Connector: Male XLR 5 pin – to passive split box.
What you Get:
- Ships in aluminum flight case with foam cutouts for all inclusions
- 10m 5pin XLR Cable (connects microphone to Splitter Box)
- Splitter Box – 1 x 5pin input & 2 x 3pin XLR outputs
- Foam pop filter
- Suspension Mount
How it Sounds:
Here's a small selection of in-studio video case studies that have been made by NUDE Owners and shine a spotlight on the performance amnd capability you can expect. Browse the complete website "User-Reviews" and "Videos" section by clicking the links.
Dan Slater - Melbourne musician/educator
HEADPHONES ON 🎧 We Love Listening - If you’ve ever wondered why Blumlein feels so "like you are in the room"… this is a great example. That wide stereo image you’re hearing... That’s our NUDE Stereo Ribbon. Two figure-8 ribbons at 90° for a vivid, realistic stereo field (that “wrap-around” 3D panorama)...One microphone - Lightly processed in Logic Pro...rich & natural...
Josiah J Manning - Record Producer, Mixing Engineer & Touring Musician - UK
Josiah shares his persepctive on becoming the owner of a NUDE Stereo Ribbon Microphone - very authentic view from the coalface of studio work...at NUDE...We Love Listening!
Tom Chapman - Film Sound Engineer for Music Documentaries - Leipzig/Germany
"...This video is a shoot we did recently with the German Jazz pianist Clara Haberkamp in Leipzig, using ONLY the Stereo Blumlein ribbon, the audio in the clip is also just the Stereo Blumlein, no EQ, no noise reduction, no dynamics, nada..."
NUDE Swiss Army Microphone – Overhead Shootout
The NUDE Swiss Army Microphone in a drum O/H shoot with a pair of Coles 4038's and a pair of Neumann U87's. Now a pair of the Coles will set you back around $4000 AUD, A pair of the Neumann's will set you back $9400 AUD......The NUDE swiss Army Mic is just under $600 AUD…the price differential expressed as a percentage between the NUDE & the Coles is 560%...ask yourself the question, are you getting 560% better sound outcomes?...
NUDE Microphones - Low Cost, Superb Quality Microphones.
Get NUDE in Your Studio
What are NUDE Owners saying:
Here's a small selection of user-reviews that have been sent to us by NUDE Owners and which, broadly, speak to this microphone exceeding their expectations both sonically and build wise. Browse the complete website "User-Reviews" by clicking the links.
Steve Hershey - Producer. Parkway Bridge Studio, Rockhouse Productions. Syracuse, NY, USA
"...Wow! Mind blown!...I set it up over my studio drum kit and tracked it. I didn't take any time to position it nor twist it around. I just wanted to set the levels, get it loaded into my drum template of 9 mics, and form an initial plan. On playback, my heart lifted. There were the toms with the same impact I Feel when I play the drums. They had always been close-miked, and I had a bag of tricks like compression and transient shapers to try to get that vibe. But your mic, totally unaffected, was far better than any capture I had ever managed. The cymbals were warm. I'm not even sure how to deal with that, lol! I had always tried to make them sparkle. So, I had radical EQs on them, up until now. But here they are, captured by your mic, sounding brilliant and smoky, but not harsh at all. I honestly don't even know how to mentally process this new angle. The snare, weirdly, sat nicely in the background. I must have it centered between the 2 mics' polar patterns or something. That's great for me! But the biggest, jaw-dropping moment for me was the stereo field. I had always just panned stuff around until it sounded good. But this was accurate to what I hear while sitting at the kit..."
Marc Lanciaux - Producer/Recording Engineer - Colorado, USA
"...Reamping using the Stereo Blumlein Nude ribbon microphone brought a whole new dimension to the drum kit. The ribbon’s natural smoothness translated the reamped signal into something thick and three dimensional. Overall, it sounded effortlessly cool. Even though the drums started as MIDI, running them back through the room with the Nude microphone instantly pushed them into a more analog, lived-in space..."
Cole Shepherd - Audio Engineer - Fever Pitch Recording, Chicago USA
"...Got my Nude Stereo Ribbon microphone a few days ago. Did a shot out today between the Nude Stereo Ribbon and a Cole’s ribbon. There was a difference if you listened REALLY hard but overall I was completely wowed. Used an acoustic guitar and preferred the Nude over the Cole’s but it was very close..."
Microphone-Specific FAQs:
Here's are some of the most asked questions from NUDE Stereo Ribbon Microphone customers. Browse the complete website "FAQ" by clicking the link.
What is NUDE Microphones?
NUDE Microphones is a small Australian Microphone brand based in South Australia. We design honest, high-quality recording tools for people who care about sound, not status. Our core promise is: Low Cost, Superb Sonic Quality Microphones.
Why buy a NUDE Microphone?
NUDE Microphones are designed in South Australia for people who love sound: recording musicians, producers, engineers, creatives, podcasters, schools and studios who want superb sonic quality without paying for logo tax.
Our value proposition is simple: Low Cost, Superb Sonic Quality Microphones.
You’re buying directly from people who love microphones and care about useful recording tools, honest pricing and real-world audio challenges.
Will I need a specific preamp for NUDE ribbon Microphones?
No special preamp is required for NUDE ribbon microphones.
Passive ribbon microphones are naturally lower-output than condenser microphones, so a clean audio interface or preamp with around 60+dB of gain is a good starting point. Loud sources such as drums, brass and guitar amps usually need much less gain because they are acoustically loud.
For quiet sources or extra clean gain, an inline booster such as a Cloudlifter can be useful. For more colour, many engineers enjoy pairing ribbon microphones with character preamps such as TRP or Neve.
For more guidance, see our Matching Microphones and Preamps page and online calculator:
https://www.nudemicrophones.com/pages/matching-microphones-and-preamps
Are Passive Ribbon Mics safe to use with Phantom Power?
As a rule-of-thumb, switch phantom power off when using passive ribbon microphones. NUDE Passive Ribbons use transformer-isolated, balanced output stages, so phantom power should not reach the ribbon motor in a correctly wired balanced setup. However, real studios are full of patchbays, older desks, global phantom switches and mystery cables. The risk is real-world fault conditions: patchbays, global phantom power, older desks, damaged cables or miswired balanced-to-unbalanced leads can direct 48V DC where it should never go.
Best practice: turn phantom power off and always use properly wired balanced XLR cables.
The NUDE Stereo Ribbon carries two ribbon microphone signals through a single 5-pin XLR cable. The passive split box breaks that connection out into two clearly labelled 3-pin XLR outputs:
Early NUDE Stereo Ribbon microphones shipped with a Y-split lead. It worked, but over time the lead proved to be the signal chain’s weak link. Since moving to the dedicated split box, we have not had interconnect faults reported.
The split box gives better strain relief, clearer routing, a more robust connection, and less stress on the cable loom. It is passive and does not change the sound.
For anyone wanting to roll their own lead, the 5-pin XLR pin-out is:
- Pin 1: Right +
- Pin 2: Right -
- Pin 3: Ground
- Pin 4: Left +
- Pin 5: Left -
How can I tell which is the front of my NUDE Microphone?
For NUDE condenser microphones, the front is the side that sounds clearest, fullest and most direct when the mic is set to cardioid. If you are unsure, speak or play into each side and listen.
For the NUDE Stereo Ribbon, use this starting point: point 👉 the 5-pin XLR latch toward the source, then rotate the mic slightly left or right to adjust the stereo image.
Everyone’s looking for a magic bullet but trust your ears – they are the great arbiter – the correct orientation is the one that gives the most useful sound in your room.
Many folks find this short video super helpful: How rotating the NUDE Swiss Army Microphone changes the stereo panorama.
