Bumblebee RM-6: DIY Ribbon Mic Kit that Anyone Can Build

The RM-6 DIY Ribbon Mic Kit comes with assembled motor. Our experienced and dedicated microphone technician installs and tunes the ribbon. Therefor, you don’t need to do the “brain surgery” type ribbon works with ultra-thin aluminium foil. You only have to be able to use a soldering iron and a screwdriver to make your own DIY Ribbon Mic with Bumblebee RM-6 Kit. No special skills or expertise required.

RM-6 DIY Ribbon Mic Kit 2018 Revision
RE-323 Ribbon Mic Motor for DIY
RTX-35 DIY Ribbon Mic Transformer
XLR Soldering Manual RM-5 Ribbon Mic Kit
RM-5 DIY Ribbon Mic Kit Top Wires
RM-6 DIY Ribbon Mic Kit
rm-6 hand-crafted ribbon microphone

The True Studio Grade DIY Ribbon Mic

RM-6 DIY Ribbon Mic Kit is the result of the experience and knowledge we have gained during the years in ribbon microphone design and manufacturing niche. With RM-6 DIY Ribbon Mic in your studio you will enhance your recordings with that classy touch the ribbon microphones are famous for:

Bumblebee RM-6 Microphones have proven to do a perfect job for both – home recording enthusiasts and professional studio engineers.

Make Yourself a DIY Ribbon Mic of Highest Quality

The Kit Includes All the Parts You Need

We mean it. The Bumblebee RM-6 DIY Ribbon Mic goes head-to-head with the industry standard setting units from well-known brands. Take a listen to audio demos below.

All the components – a motor, a transformer and a body – are our own original designs, made for the best sound. Local CNC plants machine all the hardware. We don’t use stock parts.

RM-6 DIY Ribbon Mic Kit 2018 Revision
RE-323 Motor for DIY Ribbon Mic Kit Project

Pre-Assembled RE-323 Ribbon Mic Motor

The RM-6 DIY Ribbon Mic Kit comes with RE-323 hand-crafted Ribbon Microphone Motor. This motor is a state-of-the-art audio device designed with the attention to the tiniest detail.

The RE-323 motor R&D process involved the modeling of the magnetic flux distribution with the use of the specialized software. Such approach ensured a very low magnetic flux leakage outside the motor frame. As a result, the output signal level is significantly higher and there is no attraction between two microphones standing side-by-side.

The motor is available with either standard 1.8u ribbon or optional 1.2u ribbon upgrade. You can read about the differences here: Ribbon Microphone Foil – Thickness and Sound

Original Toroidal Output Transformer

Another major part of the RM-6 DIY Ribbon Mic Kit is the RTX-28 Toroidal Output Transformer. The transformer is a very important component in a ribbon microphone. It’s job is to lift the ultra-low voltage of a ribbon motor with the best possible sound quality.

We’ve designed the RTX-28 Transformer particularly for RE-323 Ribbon Motors, taking the higher impedance into account. Because of the original design, these two parts make a perfect match. The motor and the transformer work together as a single system.

By performing several blind tests, we’ve made sure that RTX-28 Transformer has the matching or better subjective sound quality comparing to well-known ribbon microphone transformers.

RTX-35 DIY Ribbon Mic Transformer
Bumblebee RM-6 Ribbon Microphone

Locally Machined Matt-Polished Stainless Steel Body

A local CNC plant individually machines the RM-6 DIY Ribbon Mic bodies. The metal specialists hand-select the stainless steel tubing of finest grades. The machinists make body units with the attention to the detail and mechanically matte-brush them for our signature appearance.

Our own original XLR receptacle is CNC carved right in the bottom cap. The male XLR insert with gold-plated pins is included.

There was a long way to finding the best method for applying the logo, as stainless steel is rather hard to process. Out of the several options we’ve chosen to engrave the Bumblebee logo with a fiber laser. The machine burns the graphic right into the body of the metal, which makes it nearly impossible to damage.

One Listen is Worth a 1000 Words!

Check out the demos below. The guitar sample was recorded with kit-built RM-6 Ribbon Microphones (standard 1.8u ribbons) in a Blumlein setup. The preamps were Grace Design M101 into the Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 audio interface. More samples on our YouTube Profile.

Bumblebee RM-5 vs RM-6 Shootout

I could go into deep technical details explaining the differences between these two mic models we offer. However, there is a better way. Professor Dan Boner have recorded a great video showing off the RM-5 vs RM-6 microphones on acoustic guitar. I recommend to listen in headphones or on monitors in order to truly appreciate the difference in sound. Enjoy the great playing!

Can I Really Do It?

Yes, You Can!

There is a detailed assembly manual for Bumblebee RM-6 DIY Ribbon Mic Kit with photographs of every step. Therefor, even if you are a beginner, there should be no problem assembling the microphone if you follow the instructions. Remember, the motor comes pre-assembled!

Please note, if you are still not confident about building the microphone yourself, you can order it assembled and ready to use.

Tamara Rurkovska RM-5 Bb-P26 Mic Booster DIY Kit

Very Low Shipping Fees for Any Destination Around the Globe

We deliver with UPS/Fedex/TNT to any place worldwide. The delivery fees are fixed and do not depend on weight and volume of your order.

The shipping fees are as follows:

If you still have any questions regarding the RM-6 Ribbon Mic Kit, don’t hesitate to write me. I normally reply within few hours and I am always happy to chat with the fellow DIY audio enthusiasts.