AEA Summer Bundle 2017

Mic: AEA R92:

• Same Big Ribbon™, tuning, and transformer as the R44 series
• For closer applications and louder sources
• Compact design with different front and back tonality
• Versatile for close-up and ambient mic applications
• Particularly well suited for electric guitar, electric bass, and drums

The Up-Close and Personal Ribbon
Building on the success of AEA’s acclaimed R84 ribbon microphone, Wes Dooley and AEA’s team of engineers set out to once again expand the sonic possibilities of ribbon microphones with the R92 model. Reduced proximity bass boost and excellent wind blast protection make it suitable for close miking of guitar and bass amps, drums, and vocals. At half the distance to the source, the R92 delivers a similar bass-to-treble balance as the R84. In addition, the integrated shockmount and swivel allow for easy setup and positioning in tight spaces. The smooth high frequency response of the R88 and R84 transducers has been further extended in the R92, making it a unique voice in the world of ribbon mics.

Two Voicings - Endless Possibilities
AEA has designed the R92 to have slightly different tones on the front and rear pickup lobes of the bidirectional microphone. The front lobe of the R92 is the "crisp" side, offering exceptionally clean and realistic high end detail. The rear lobe is the "smooth" side, which has a bit of classic ribbon high end roll-off reminiscent of the iconic 44 that can help to handle harsh transients in a very refined and flattering way. The bass reproduction of the R92 is very solid and extends to the lowest audible bass frequencies.

A Guitar Player’s Favorite
Like all figure-of-8 microphones the R44 or R84 ribbons are subject to proximity effect - the increase in bass as you move the microphone closer to the source. While this effect can be particularly flattering for singers and to create a “larger than life” sound, it can get too much and overpowering in some recording situations. The guitar players on our staff asked for a ribbon microphone that captured an authentic and balanced electric guitar tone when put right onto the grill of his Fender amp. Thanks to its purely passive signal path and Wes’ bag of acoustic tricks, the R92 not only handles the SPL levels of a high-gain amp with ease, but it also translates all the gritty details of the distortion that you’ve been tweaking so carefully.

Preamp: TRP

• Two channels with 81dB of sweet and quiet gain
• Optimized for passive ribbon, tube, and moving coil mics
• No Load™ DC coupled design for extended bass response
• Switchable polarity reverse and high-pass filter

The Original Ribbon Preamp
The TRP (The Ribbon Pre) is an ultra high gain and high impedance, minimal-path FET microphone preamp designed by Fred Forssell. At a time when most preamps were geared towards the needs of condenser mics, the launch of AEA’s TRP started a new movement in preamp design that specifically addresses the needs of ribbon mics. First, the JFET discrete front end provides 83 dB of gain. We designed that gain as quiet as physically possible opening up new possibilities for engineers using low sensitivity microphones. By leaving out the phantom power blocking capacitors and by using an external power supply, we created a minimal-path circuitry that captures the pure tone of your passive ribbons all the way down to the lowest bass frequencies. Secondly, the ultra high input impedance of the TRP’s input stage avoids any preamp loading effects to ensure that you get the all the sound your passive ribbon and moving coil microphones can deliver. The TRP is a cost-effective, high-quality solution providing a pure and transparent signal path for all ribbons, tube, and moving coil microphones that do not need or do not want phantom power.

Professional Features in a Compact Package
Despite the small half-rack footprint, the TRP packs several key features that are critical for professional recording. The gain structure of the 2-channel (dual mono) preamp consists of an input gain control and an output level control. The input gain is set with a high-grade twelve position Grayhill switch. Another 21 dB of additional gain are provided by the output stage and controlled via a continuous pot that acts as a fader. The output fader not only allows for executing minute and click-free gain adjustments while recording, but it also facilitates the possibility of fade-outs and doubles as a mute function.
Professional Neutrik 3-pin XLR and ¼” TRS outputs provide simultaneous balanced and unbalanced outputs, allowing the TRP’s signals to be sent to two devices at the same time without the need for additional splitting. In a live recording situation, for example, the balanced outputs could feed the live mixing console while the unbalanced TRS signal is sent to a recorder or DAW interface.

Polarity reverse switches for ensuring proper polarity throughout the recording chain and switchable 100 Hz, 12 dB per octave high pass filter (HPF) per channel complete the toolkit of the TRP. Internal audio switching is handled by gold-contact relays keeping the audio path short and simple for best sound.

The Impedance Matching Myth
Passive microphones like ribbons and moving-coil transducers interact with the input impedance of the preamp. If the impedance of the preamp is too low, the microphone will have to work harder to send a signal down the line. Additionally, the bandwidth (particularly in the low end) will be limited.
For best voltage transfer, the impedance of the preamp should be at least five times the microphone’s output impedance. Many microphones have a nominal impedance of about 200 Ω, leading to the assumption that a preamp impedance of 1.0 to 1.5K Ω should be fine. However, passive microphones, and ribbons in particular have an output impedance that rises towards low frequencies and can easily get as high as 1000 Ω at resonance, resulting in a 6 dB loss at this frequency with a low impedance preamp. A preamp impedance of significantly more than the commonly seen 1.0 to 1.5K Ω is beneficial for all passive ribbons and moving-coil microphones.

All AEA preamps have input impedances of at least 10K Ω for these reasons. Microphone loading because of low impedance preamps can lead to interesting creative results, but AEA’s NoLoadTM inputs will guarantee highest sensitivity and bandwidth in all situations.