By Rich Tozzoli Published: June 30, 2015 ⋅ Updated: June 4, 2020. Larger ribbon element for wider frequencies and higher SPLs. While I’m on the topic of the Dorfsman session, one of the amps I used for the guitars was my 1947 Gibson BR6. What the R44 can do for vocals, the R88 can do for drums & other room/overhead applications. Take your favorite Shure SM57 or Sennheiser MD 409 on a twin, and plug it into the RPQ; you'll see what I mean. Typically, we did three passes at a time - each one different and equally bad-ass. Her range is jaw-dropping to say the least, and her vocal dynamics can be challenging to capture. The overall character of the R88 is decidedly 'warm' rather than 'dull', yet it still manages to capture dynamics and transients with a very natural clarity. I tried the R88 with different preamps, 1073, BAE312, Schoeps VSR5... noise gets only a bit 'lower' if a pre imparts darker Again, the detail was great. I was immediately taken with the R88 Mk2's appearance. I had heard this with my naked ears before, but never with a mic. Funky Ribbon. Phenomenal on piano, drums, and as a room mic. We used the nulls and center points of each ribbon's figure-8 pickup pattern to our advantage - both for rejection and for managing frequency response. He's the owner of Audio Upgrades,... Vintage King co-founder Michael Nehra shares some of his love, knowledge, and practical advice for diving into the world of vintage audio gear, and then takes us behind the scenes for a walk through... Bill Cheney and Jim Romney are the men responsible for keeping the amazing legacy of Spectra Sonics, a legendary, if criminally unheralded, pro-audio company alive. Rich Tozzoli tested an AEA R88 mk2 stereo ribbon microphone at Clubhouse Studios. 2,112 313. Magic! With his large voice instantly recalling Scott 3 era Scott Walker with a Jackson C. Frank delivery, I was worried a ribbon might be too boomy. The AEA R88 is, in rather simplistic terms, two R84 figure-of-eight mics mounted one above the other in a common housing. hank alrich. [PAR Tech Editor Lynn Fuston adds: I’ve used the R88 in XY and MS, and its siblings, a pair of R84s, as string overheads when doing large string sections (10 to 24 pieces) and it’s amazing how well it captures a well-balanced image and a big film score sound, even in less than ideal spaces. The above sessions are just a few instances involving the R88 Mk2 and RPQ500 that readily come to mind. Wes showed up with a trunk full of mics and preamps, and we had a few days of informative fun together. Both are corrugated 1.8µ aluminum, tuned to 16.5Hz. But the RPQ500 has magic inside. By using a touch of Tube Screamer and a Creation Audio Labs’ Holy Fire for clean input gain, this thing is a tone monster. The natural soundstage and character of the R88’s Blumlein Stereo makes it a great main mic. It seems like the market has never been more saturated with various types of new recording equipment attempting to emulate vintage gear. - all amazing. With its black, textured paint (reminiscent of the Coles 4038), it’s a big, classic-looking mic, clocking in at over 15 inches tall, but wow—it does sound fantastic in a room! AEA : R88 Mk2 stereo ribbon mic, RPQ500 mic preamp Reviewed by Chris Koltay If you have a pulse and have been making records during the last few decades, then you are aware that Wes Dooley and Audio Engineering Associates have been making the finest ribbon mics available. Tags ⋅ AEA ⋅ Clubhouse Studios ⋅ Microphone ⋅ Paul Antonel ⋅ product review ⋅ R88 mk2 ⋅ Real World Review ⋅ review. The R88 Mk2 is the best violin recording mic I've ever played through bar none (and I've tried many). Weaving a tapestry of dynamic intricacy is their thing - to the tune of epics 11 minutes long! The sense of space was again remarked upon. The frequency response has the HF roll-off characteristic of all ribbon mic elements, in this case down some -10 dB at 18 kHz. Recording two Ampeg Gemini guitar amps in stereo was totally killer. Visit our corporate site at www.futureplc.com. Tucked into the mix, I found no need for reverb, letting the R88 do the job naturally. We were all super stoked. Yes. Both the Heil PR-30—a large diaphragm dynamic mic with a 40 Hz to 18 kHz frequency response—and the SM7B—a classic dynamic mic with switchable bass rolloff and presence boost—sound really great on guitar tracks. Much larger and covered in black mesh, the R88 Mk2 looks more like some sort of measurement device from the antique future than a mic. The R88 also flatters complex tones such as woodwinds, strings and cymbals.AEA R88 mk2 Features Matched pair of Large Ribbon Geometry figure-eight mics for Blumlein or MS stereo 20 hz to 20 kHz response Built in shockmount suspension Terminates in a 5-pin XLR male and includes a 4 meter 5-pin female to 3-pin xlr male breakout cable Supplied with a swivel adapter for flexible positioning … The stereo imaging is faultless, and when partnered with good mic preamps, the noise floor is extremely low. I played a Fender Broadcaster through it in open D tuning, as well as a four-string Cigar Box tuned to AAGG. And I've got a large collection of mics, with some of them costing many times what the most expensive of... How many good vocal mics are there out there today? This little amp runs around 11 W and features five tubes including a 6V6 pair. Update your browser to view this website correctly. 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