Coles 4038
Summary
Abstract
The Coles 4038 is a classic ribbon microphone originally designed for the BBC in the 1950s and still manufactured today in England. It is a figure-8 ribbon with a characteristically dark, warm, and “woolly” tone that has made it a beloved tool for drum rooms, percussion, guitar amps, brass, and overhead duties. David Fuller declares it “may just be my favorite mic of all time,” and oaklandmatt calls it “my fav non-vocal mic — when you EQ in that high end…” The 4038 is a community favorite with 96 mentions across 42 threads, championed most passionately by Zack Hames (24 mentions) who uses it on virtually everything.
Key Characteristics
- Type: Ribbon
- Polar Pattern: Figure-8
- Notable Features: BBC heritage design, extremely thin and fragile ribbon element, naturally dark/warm character, accepts additive high-end EQ beautifully, figure-8 pattern allows creative null-point placement
Use Cases
The Coles 4038 is a versatile instrument microphone that excels on nearly everything except lead vocals. Zack Hames reports it is his “go-to percussion mic — the high end is so perfect for them and realistic sounding” and uses it on “drums, background vocals, guitar amp, horns, shaker/tambourine.” As a drum room mic, it is outstanding; oaklandmatt recommends it for room duties because of “the low end power and high end EQability. Plus the figure-8 pattern allows for some interesting options for placement.” Josh references Goldman’s technique of using a Coles “as a center room mic but putting it sideways” to capture favorite drum recordings. The one consistent exception is lead vocals: cian riordan notes “I’ve never found it a particularly great microphone for vocals. I’ve tried time and time again and I always just end up fighting the microphone.” For guitar amps, it works best at distance (5 feet or more); close-micing loud amps risks damaging the ribbon.
Settings & Sweet Spots
- The preamp chain matters significantly with the Coles. Zack Hames observes it is “a completely different mic in the ISA than say a more colorful sounding thing (UTA, BAE, nevey).” Colorful, transformer-based preamps complement its dark character
- Cian riordan notes it is “one of those microphones that can sound absolutely wonderful, but usually needs some pretty serious carving and additive EQ to get them to work in a modern rock application”
- The figure-8 null points (90 degrees off-axis) can be aimed at unwanted sources for rejection — useful for isolating specific instruments in a room
- A pair of Coles makes excellent stereo room mics; if you love the mono Coles, adding a second is a natural upgrade
- On guitar amps, maintain at least 5 feet of distance. Chrissorem warns: “Coles 4038s are the thinnest and most fragile ribbons. They tend to fart out in low frequencies” when placed close to loud amps
Comparable Alternatives
| Unit | How It Compares |
|---|---|
| AEA R84/R84A | More modern ribbon; SoundsLikeJoe chose the R84 over a Coles in a deep shootout, though the Coles may have had a stretched ribbon. NoahNeedleman: “The R84 is a remarkable mic” |
| Royer R121 | More durable modern ribbon, can handle higher SPLs close to amps; lacks the BBC vintage character |
| Beyerdynamic M160 | Hypercardioid ribbon (not figure-8), “as hi-fi as a vintage ribbon gets with a very silky high end” per cian riordan; excellent complement to a Coles |
| RCA 44 | The grandfather of ribbon mics; cian riordan’s “go-to room mic” if money is no object |
| Neumann U87 | Completely different character but both are considered room mic workhorses |
Common Mistakes
- Placing it too close to loud guitar amps. Multiple community members have blown Coles ribbons this way. Chrissorem: “I’ve never had success with a 4038 on a guitar amp unless it’s about 5 feet back.” Mixingandcats: “I’ve blown a 4038 or two on guitar amps in my time.”
- Using it with a clean/transparent preamp and expecting it to sound exciting. The Coles needs a preamp with character — Neve-style, UTA, or BAE pres bring out its best qualities. ISA-style clean pres leave it sounding flat.
- Buying a used unit without checking the ribbon condition. Rattling on certain resonances or frequency dropouts suggest a stretched or damaged ribbon. The good news: re-ribboning by a specialist (preferably Wes Dooley at AEA) makes it sound “brand spanking new.”
- Expecting it to work as a lead vocal mic. Save yourself the frustration and use it where it shines — instruments, rooms, and percussion.
- Forgetting phantom power safety. Being a ribbon, the 4038 can be damaged by phantom power if hot-plugged through TT or TRS patchbays. Cian riordan: “Be sure to have phantom off when switching mic ties.”
See Also
Recording-Talk Perspectives
- Ross Fortune: Uses Coles as wide far room mics “driven into deranged madness with a pair of Distressors in Nuke”
- dudeitsmarcus: “decided to throw a Coles under the grand piano for the hell of it. sounds awesome!”
- oaklandmatt: “cian riordan your old 44 rules” (referencing a Coles used as drum room mic)
- Heavily used as room mics and overheads in recording sessions
Source Discussions
Discord Source
Channel: gear-talk Date: 2021-03 through 2024-11 Key contributors: Zack Hames, Eric Martin, cian riordan, Zeuswayn3, oaklandmatt, David Fuller, Josh, Johnny I, chrissorem, hyanrarvey, SoundsLikeJoe, Adam Thein, mixingandcats, Slow Hand, chris_donlin
Discord Source
Channel: recording-talk Mentions: 143 Key contributors: Ross Fortune, cian riordan, dudeitsmarcus, Zack Hames, oaklandmatt