Because whenever I see behind the scenes footage of any popular singer I always see some ribbon microphone, not really a condenser.
"Not really a condenser"???? Gimme some examples...Then prove to me that the mic in the video is actually THE mic used to track the hit tune.

First off, you are comparing apples to oranges, and who cares what that "popular singer" is using, anyway? Do you think that's what made him/her popular? Ribbons are not "better" than condensers, they are simply another choice, like paintbrushes. And there are dynamics that are, in many cases, a better choice than the others.
What condenser did you buy?

mannyr wrote: Just a quick question; are condenser mics becoming obsolete now to ribbon microphones in professional record studios? Because whenever I see behind the scenes footage of any popular singer I always see some ribbon microphone, not really a condenser.

Not a condenser at all. Don't put phantom power on with a ribbon mic. There are different mics for different occasions. Just because something is popular, doesn't make it right or the only way. Even cheap condensers have their place. Ribbon mics, Condensers and dynamic mics have coexisted for a long, long time now. I doubt that will change.

moonbaby wrote:
What condenser did you buy?

Rode NT2

If you can't make a good recording with that mic you are doing something wrong. Or what you are recording doesn't sound good to begin with. A quality mic can't 'add' quality to what you are recording, it can only accent the quality that is there to begin with.

mannyr wrote: [quote=moonbaby]
What condenser did you buy?

Rode NT2

That piece of junk? I'll give you $50 bucks for it and I'll pay the shipping too. :P :wink: It's a good mic man. Don't sweat it.

I have always loved the sound of ribbon microphones. The old classic ones were always mellow sounding in comparison to their condenser counterparts. Many of the new ones now have some built-in active circuitry which not only requires Phantom power but are also less fragile. And I don't think you'll find many folks using those for their go to vocal microphone. It's all what kind of sound you want. I certainly like them on wispy female vocalists. I generally find them too dark for most male vocalists. I like them on jazz guitar amplifiers. No microphone as a faster transient response than ribbon microphones. That's because their mass is the lowest of any microphone technology. But in spite of money reasonably good microphone collection, my favorite is still the Shure SM57/58's. Those are good on everything. Ribbons are not good on everything.

Ribbon lover
Ms. Remy Ann David

Ribbons are cool and they are getting more popular these days, but I would bet that more condensers are getting used in major studios over ribbons by a factor of about 20:1

I dig ribbons for sure, but if I could only have one great ribbon or one great LDC, I would absolutely go for the LDC