The sE Electronics VR1-NG Passive Ribbon Microphone combines the smooth, natural character engineers love about ribbon microphones with an extended top end that gives guitars, drums, brass, and other demanding sources plenty of presence and detail.
Built around a hand-crafted ribbon element and a figure-8 polar pattern, the VR1-NG delivers an open, dimensional sound without the overly dark high-frequency response sometimes associated with traditional ribbons. Add in its ability to handle serious sound pressure levels, compact profile, and road-ready construction, and you have a ribbon microphone that is just as comfortable parked in front of a roaring guitar cabinet as it is capturing drum overheads or room ambience. The VR1-NG uses sE Electronics' specialized ribbon technology to achieve a wide 20 Hz to 18 kHz frequency response while retaining the smooth transient response and natural tonal balance that make ribbon microphones such useful recording tools. Its passive design makes it particularly well suited to louder sources, including electric guitar cabinets, drums, brass, percussion, and other instruments where you want body and detail without harshness. The classic figure-8 pickup pattern captures from the front and rear while providing strong rejection at the sides, giving engineers additional flexibility when managing room sound and microphone placement. Built for professional studio and live use, the VR1-NG features a rugged all-metal housing and a gold-plated XLR connector for dependable signal transfer. Its slim chassis makes it easy to position close to speaker cabinets, drum heads, and other tight spaces, while the supplied suspension shock mount expands placement options even further. The microphone is also phantom-protected, so accidental application of phantom power will not damage the ribbon element.
sE Electronics VR1-NG Passive Ribbon Microphone Features
- Passive ribbon microphone with a detailed, open, and natural tonal character
- Extended high-frequency response provides greater clarity than many traditional ribbon designs
- Excellent choice for electric guitar cabinets, drums, brass, overheads, room miking, and other high-SPL sources
- Hand-crafted ribbon element designed and assembled by sE Electronics
- Figure-8 polar pattern provides front-and-rear pickup with strong side rejection
- Handles high sound pressure levels for confident close-miking of loud instruments
- Compact chassis allows flexible positioning around drums, amplifiers, and other crowded setups
- Rugged all-metal housing built for demanding studio and stage use
- Gold-plated XLR connector provides reliable signal connectivity
- Phantom-protected passive circuitry helps protect the microphone from accidental phantom power
- Included shock mount provides additional positioning flexibility and mechanical isolation
sE Electronics VR1-NG Passive Ribbon Microphone Specifications
- Electronics: Passive
- Transducer: Hand-crafted aluminum ribbon
- Connectivity: 3-pin male XLR connector
- Powering: N/A (phantom-protected)
- Polar Pattern: Figure-8
- Frequency Range: 20 Hz - 18 kHz
- Impedance: 300 Ohms
- Sensitivity: 1.8 mV / Pa (-55 dBV)
- Maximum SPL: 135 dB (0.5% THD @ 1 kHz)
- Equivalent Noise Level: 19 dB
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 75 dB
sE Electronics VR1-NG Passive Ribbon Microphone Includes
- sE Electronics VR1-NG Passive Ribbon Microphone
- Shock Mount
- Microphone Stand Clip
- Thread Adapter
- Windscreen
- Soft Case
- Manual
- Manufacturer Warranty
2 Reviews Hide Reviews Show Reviews
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Killer cab mic
Jan 23rd 2026This is my favorite cab ribbon now. It’s actually pushed my royer out for the job. It’s well built, has just the right upper mid bump, and the shock mount is well designed.
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Perhaps the best ribbon for IsoCabs
Feb 3rd 2022I absolutely love the SE VR1 mic on guitar cabs, particularly on IsoCabs in which you have very little room for proper mic placement. Try sticking something like a Royer R-121 into the typical Isocab and you'll find maybe one or two placements that work. Then add another mic and the options drop considerably. The VR1 can handle high SPLs for a ribbon. The full frequency response is probably useful on a variety of instruments, but electric guitar is all about midrange. The VR1 does mids pretty well, and the small size means that you have a ton of options for placement on a speaker. I tend to use a simple mic clip instead of a shock mount inside an IsoCab. The cabs are usually on an auralex foam base, which provides insulation from shocks. Plus the extra size of the shock mount is not useful in a closed space. If you do use the shockmount, it is perfectly fine with the VR1. In contrast, I find the SE shockmount to be a bit more irritating with the VR2 on account of its larger size and weight. These are surprisingly heavy mics for their size. The sound quality is quite good. If you want that classic dark ribbon sound, you won't find it here without EQ. They aren't as expansive as a Mesanovic M2, but are wider and clearer than an R-121. For the cost, every guitar player should have one alongside a Cascade Fat Head II, R-121, etc. Good luck sticking a Fat Head II inside an IsoCab, though.
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