AEA R84 Microphone R92 R88 R44

AEA RPQ 500 microphone preamps for your 500-series rack are in stock at Tidepool Audio. Call to order yours!

AEA R84 Silver Limited Edition microphones are in stock at Tidepool Audio. Call to order yours, they are limited to a total of 125 mics!

AEA R84, R92, R88, R44CNE and R44C ribbon microphones produce a rich, warm tone on vocals, guitar cabinets, drums, brass, and strings. Most contemporary recording is done in the digital domain and mics with overly 'toppy' response can get pretty old when overdubbed on multiple tracks. Creative recordists are looking back to ribbon microphones to produce more organic and fatigue-free tracks. AEA mics utilize a ‘figure 8’ pickup pattern, with the front side being a bit more present; creative recordists will enjoy experimenting with placement to achieve different shadings.

Pasadena, California based AEA is known as the "go-to" experts for original, pre-war RCA microphone restoration. AEA uses a 2" ribbon element, which contributes to their rich bass extension. By contrast, many other ribbon microphones use a 1" or smaller ribbon.

You may have noticed that the floodgates have opened and there are many Chinese-built ribbon mics on the market. Absurdly, some of these cost as much as the classic AEA mics which are entirely made in the U.S. Just like you wouldn't expect a $200 wireless microphone to be useful for pro-level work, the same can be said for these off-shore built wanna-be imitations. Spend your money wisely on tools that will last if you're serious about your craft!

AEA R92 microphones - in stock

Since so many artists use AEA R84 microphones to obtain smooth & warm tones on guitar cabs, there have been requests for an AEA ribbon mic that is specialized for this & other close-mic'd applications.

What if you could take an R84 mic and decrease its proximity effect (bass boost) for times when the mic is placed close to the speaker cabinet, but still retain its rugged high-spl capability? How about less acoustical batting for an even more open top end? And what if you could make it less expensive?

The AEA R92 microphone fits the bill. We feel that at its $900 list price, the tone to dollar ratio is off the scale! This is the ribbon mic for those who have been waiting for a professional-quality, but lower-cost alternative to the industry-standard R84.

The AEA R92 offers the same 2" ribbon and sensitivity as its bigger brother, but the shock mounting and finish are simplified. We think the R92 looks totally cool, like a 50's spaceship. AEA R92 in stock.

To see the AEA R92 side-by-side with the AEA R84, click here.

AEA R84 microphones - in stock

The AEA R84 is the best-selling professional ribbon microphone offered in the last ten years. The key reason: it is the world's first ribbon mic featuring a 2" ribbon element which is especially tailored for close-up and accent applications. The AEA R84 microphone produces beautiful tones on guitar cabs, drums (mono overhead with compression), vocals, brass, and strings. In addition to close-up work, engineers are using the AEA R84 in pairs to achieve a rich room sound. The R84 utilizes the exact same 2" ribbon and the same basic acoustic structure as the R44CNE in a cost effective and handsome housing. Complete with hard-wired 10 foot cable, shock-mount/ stand adapter and rugged storage/travel pouch.

Call for AEA R84 price.

The AEA R88 mk II has been optimized for stereo instrument and ensemble recording. The R88's two ribbon motors are oriented at 90 degrees, and have excellent off-axis frequency response. The R88 uses the large ribbon configuration of the classic RCA 44 series mics, which gives the mic solid 20Hz bass response and a smooth high end which is flattering to complex tones such as cymbals, strings, and woodwinds.

The R88 mk II is very useful for chamber music, drum overheads, stereo piano pickup, horn sections, and most any coincident stereo pickup application. The high quality passive electronics in the R88 ensure a huge dynamic range with minimal distortion. The R88 will sound best with a preamp that has at least 60dB of clean gain, low noise floor (-127dB EIN or better) and input impedance of at least 1.5 kOhm.
The R88 is minimally protected from wind blasts for the most natural sound quality possible, so a pop filter should be used when making close vocal recordings. The R88 may be used for both Blumlein stereo and M-S Stereo recording techniques. The mic is finished in black to reduce visibility in live recording situations, and features an integral shock suspension to reduce noise coupled through the mic stand.

AEA R88 mk II list price is $1895; call for quote.

AEA RPQ 500 preamp - NEW, in stock!

The brand new RPQ 500 single-channel microphone preamp provides high-quality, high-gain, low-noise microphone preamplification. It delivers the speed, precision, quietness, and headroom useful for today's high-resolution recordings. One channel with high frequency and low frequency variable filters, 80 dB of gain and mic/line level input switching. You can even use the line level input for mixing & mastering where the gentle eq can be especially useful!

Call for AEA RPQ 500 price.

AEA RPQ preamp - in stock

The RPQ ribbon preamp with Curve-Shaping provides two channels of high-quality, high-gain, low-noise microphone preamplification. It delivers the speed, precision, quietness, and headroom useful for today's high-resolution recordings. The JFET design generates up to 80 dB of clean, quiet gainwith extended bandwidth from below 1 Hz to beyond 200 kHz for dynamic range and transient response that complements all of your microphones. Includes phantom power for your condensor mics, too!

Call for AEA RPQ price.

AEA TRP preamp - in stock

The Ribbon Mic Pre is a preamp designed specifically for ribbon microphones with 83 dB of clean gain and no phantom power. The TRP is an ultra fast, two channel, minimal-path JFET preamp. It's designed to have one of the lowest noise floors available.

Call for AEA TRP price.

The AEA R44CNE is a slightly modernized version of the R44, with later English 44 enhancements from RCA Ltd. that reduced hum sensitivity by 20 decibels and reduced the mic's weight. Cosmetics are modified to reduce cost. Supplied with hard-wired 10 foot cable, shock-mount/ stand adapter and case.

AEA R44CNE list price is $3000; call for quote.

The AEA R44C microphone is painstakingly manufactured and only an expert could tell it apart from the original RCA model, which was produced from 1936 to 1938. This museum quality replica uses the same 1.8 micron, 2" ribbon material originally manufactured for RCA. Supplied with hard-wired 10 foot cable, shock-mount/ stand adapter and case.

AEA R44C list price is $3550; call for a quote.

Do's and Dont's of Ribbon Microphones

Do use a microphone preamp which can supply at least 60 to 65 decibels of gain.
Don't blow into the mic. One reason an AEA mic sounds so good is because the ribbon is designed to freely vibrate from sound waves, no matter how small. Stiffen the ribbon material and you lose clarity and sensitivity. You wouldn't want violin builders to use dense tops at the expense of tone, would you? The 2" ribbon is extremely rugged, but it is only 1.8 micron thick (that's really thin), so a windblast can deform it. To mic close-up vocals (highly recommended), just use an effective pop filter or windscreen. Enjoy rich, detailed tone.
Don't use phantom power; turn off the phantom power on your preamp or mixing console.

For more information on the AEA R84, AEA R92, AEA TRP, AEA RPQ, AEA RPQ500 and AEA R44, check out the AEA website.