AEA Ribbon Mics
Introduction
AEA or Audio Engineering Associates started as a small company in 1976 to repair the vintage or classic RCA ribbon microphones which since the 1930s had been one of the premiere microphones of choice for professionals in music recording facilities throughout the United States. Though AEA still repairs the great ribbon microphones of an era gone by, the company now makes some of the greatest ribbon microphones in the world of professional music recording that are now being used to great effect in recording studio facilities around the globe. Led by their founder, one of the greatest engineering minds of our time, Wes Dooley, the company has introduced a line-up of fabulous ribbon microphones that will carry this amazing technology into the future.
Which products from AEA that were used by the great engineers and recording studio facilities of the past would be a great fit for the educational space?
During my stint in the professional music recording industry, there was never a session in which a single ribbon microphone was ever used to record any source. At the time, the knock against ribbon microphones was that the elements were so fragile that none of the engineers that I had the opportunity to work with would use one on one of their sessions. Enter AEA into the picture, not only did the company develop hardier technologies, but they began producing some of the finest microphones in the world of music recording today. In fact, there are a number of legendary engineers and recording studio facilities that use them on each of their recordings. Each of their microphones would be excellent additions to a recording studio in an educational institution.
Image: The AEA R84A
Image courtesy-- AEA
AEA R84 Series
The AEA R84 series consists of a pair of ribbon microphones— one model, the R84A is an active ribbon model and the other, the R84 is not. Both are excellent microphones that sound great on the following sources: vocals, acoustic guitar, brass instruments, saxophone, drums and are durable enough that they can be used to great effect on electric guitar amps, too. The R84 series microphones are extremely versatile and sound great in a wide variety of applications. These microphones are perfect for an educational space.
Image: The AEA R88A
Image courtesy-- AEA
AEA R88 Series
The AEA R88 series also consists of a pair of microphones— one model, the R88A is an active ribbon-based stereo microphone, while the R88 is a stereo microphone that is not an active model. These microphones are also extremely versatile and can be used to great effect on the following sources: drums, strings, piano and other instruments that require a microphone that requires a silky smooth response— some studios use them as room microphones to capture the warm ambience of a source. These microphones are perfect for an educational space.
Image: The AEA KU5A
Image courtesy-- AEA
Image: The AEA NUVO N8
Image courtesy-- AEA
AEA KU5A
The KU5A is an excellent ribbon microphone that is incredibly versatile and sports a tight supercardiod pattern (most ribbon microphones are bi-directional or have a figure of eight pick-up or polar pattern). It is a great microphone for a variety of applications and can even be used for live or public address applications. It is great for vocals and can also be used on electric guitar amps. This microphone would be a great addition for an educational space.
AEA NUVO N8
The NUVO N8 microphone from AEA is another excellent microphone offering from the company, that in some respects is the opposite of the KU5A, in that it is excellent at capturing the great warmth and ambience of instruments and voices from a distance. This microphone would be great for recording either choral or musical ensembles— plus, drums, strings (quartets or ensembles) or even a piano. This microphone would be a great addition for an educational space.
Why should an educational institution invest in products from AEA?
AEA has been making fabulous ribbon microphones, microphone preamps and mounts for more than 25 years. Though it is a small company based in California, it still makes its legendary microphones by hand and has created a customer base of loyal artists, engineers, musicians and producers who love using their amazing products. While the company is known for creating legendary microphones, their preamps are also excellent products for the educational space and come in a variety of form factors, including the 500-series (if you have a compatible chassis). Their products are rugged, versatile, sound amazing and are backed by excellent customer support and educational programs. Any of their products would be excellent additions for an educational space.
If you would like more information about AEA and the amazing products that were discussed in this article, please use the following links which are listed below.
The following link will take you to the AEA website where you can learn more about this legendary corporation and also, find an authorized dealer for their fabulous products in your area.
Special Note: Each of the images in this article appear through the courtesy and generosity of the wonderful people at AEA.
Special Thanks— At The Recording Session Vault Educational Website Project, we would like to take a moment to express our thanks and appreciation to Julie Tan and Andy Georges at AEA Ribbon Mics Inc. for their time and assistance with this article.