AEA R84: a GREAT microphone!

  • Thread starter Thread starter GuitarManX
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jamacian said:
I tried to post pics of the two mics but it didn't work.

you sure say a lot for a guy who is done...
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and you're wondering why you've gotten so much negative rep over the years?

in MY experience, if everyone i interact with during the day is an asshole, there's really only one constant in all those interactions and that's me, so odds are, i'm the asshole.
 
RightOnMusic said:
and you're wondering why you've gotten so much negative rep over the years?

in MY experience, if everyone i interact with during the day is an asshole, there's really only one constant in all those interactions and that's me, so odds are, i'm the asshole.
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No, I never wondered, I like negative rep. Nice way of calling me an asshole you pile of monkey puke.
 
So before the dogpile gets any deeper (I know how the mic forum loves blood) let me post this:
http://www.mercenary.com/aearstmi.html
Merc seems to think it's a modern RCA 77 type mic as well.
"With the improvements in technology since the 30's and 40's they were able to build a ribbon microphone that could take loud guitars and still sound reminiscent of an old RCA 77-DX."

So fuck off.
 
jamacian said:
So before the dogpile gets any deeper (I know how the mic forum loves blood) let me post this:
http://www.mercenary.com/aearstmi.html
Merc seems to think it's a modern RCA 77 type mic as well.
"With the improvements in technology since the 30's and 40's they were able to build a ribbon microphone that could take loud guitars and still sound reminiscent of an old RCA 77-DX."

So fuck off.
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Sorry, but Fletcher's wrong on this one. Even Wes Dooley says (in the first line of the R84 manual):

"The AEA R84 is a neoclassic design that shares the Large Ribbon Geometry (LRG) of the acclaimed AEA R44 series."

It's basically a lower cost 44 type mic in a 77-type shell, with a little less proximity effect.

The 77DX used a short ribbon and mechanical vanes which opened and closed ports to change patterns. The R84 has none of that stuff; just a long ribbon, open on both sides - exactly like a 44BX.

And yes, I have tried them side by side; I own a mint RCA77DX, an RCA44BX, a Coles 4038, a Beyer 260DX, and a pair of R84's.
 
jamacian said:
Harvey, I have been reading your posts for the past 6 years here, I am jake-owa. No one has gotten more neg rep than me...since rep was started. This is my third username. I just assumed it was a 77 rip off, please excuse me. I have never used one of these classic ribbon mics nor was I trying to show off my great wealth of knowledge.

Lighten up a little old man. :)
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Like I said, I wasn't trying to dis you, just trying to correct some misinformation for any newbies that might be reading this thread. If someone is looking for a good replacement for a 77DX, there are a lot of short ribbon mics available these days.

If someone wants the sound of an RCA 44BX, the AEA R84 comes damn close. It's not a 77 knockoff; it's a 44 knockoff.
 
Harvey Gerst said:
If someone wants the sound of an RCA 44BX, the AEA R84 comes damn close. It's not a 77 knockoff; it's a 44 knockoff.
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I always get the feeling when people refer to certain microphones as knock-offs of others, especially good vs. excellent mics - that they mean this in a negative way.

At least that's the vibe I got from jamaican's posts, whether it was his intention or not, I apologise for potentially misreading.

However, I think its great that you can buy an AEA ribbon for under a grand that comes at all into the realm of quality that, say, the RCA 44 produced.

EDIT: Sure, nothing will ever match the real thing, but I certainly don't have 4k layin around to go hunting for old RCA ribbon mics :) The AEA's on the other hand, are actually attainable, and may bring new functionality to old designs.

This post edited in the spirit of angry comments from overly involved bbs'ers! I myself look forward to negative rep as a result :D
 
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I suppose this is also a question for anybody, but Harvey in particular (as he has had quite the experience with mics and such) - how does the R92 stack up to the rest of these? Its a little cheaper than the 88 - just curious what the major difference might be.
 
cusebassman said:
I suppose this is also a question for anybody, but Harvey in particular (as he has had quite the experience with mics and such) - how does the R92 stack up to the rest of these? Its a little cheaper than the 88 - just curious what the major difference might be.
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I haven't heard the 88 or the 92, so I can't comment on their sound. Lemme see if I can get Wes Dooley to come here and answer questions about his mics.
 
cusebassman said:
I always get the feeling when people refer to certain microphones as knock-offs of others, especially good vs. excellent mics - that they mean this in a negative way.

At least that's the vibe I got from jamaican's posts, whether it was his intention or not, I apologize for potentially misreading.
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That was kinda my reading of it too. I did add if you wanna use the word "knockoff" to describe similarities, the R84 would be closer in sound to the RCA 44BX than it would to a 77DX.
 
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Wow, thanks. (Unless you're being sarcastic, in which case, I'm a fool :p)

I only ask because at the moment I am skeptical of ribbons in general... I had bought an (admittedly) cheap one from Cascade mics, and even at gain levels that either allowed me to sing clearly from a few feet away from the mic, or right up close without clipping, it was extremely muffled (as though I had recorded myself with my tube condenser, and just grabbed an overall high EQ pot and pulled it right down).
 
I can't afford any of them anyway so I'll just get that Nady ribbon ..... it ought to be about the same right?

:D
 
Harvey Gerst said:
That was kinda my reading of it too. I did add if you wanna use the word "knockoff" to describe similarities, the 44 would be closer to the 84 than a 77 would.
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Yea, I figured you weren't putting down these seemingly consumer-level mics.

Unfortunately, I have never had the pleasure of working with the originals, so I am relegated to trying out the cheap chinese ones (As I said, not a fan of the Cascade), but now I am tempted to try out one of the AEA's... I just wonder if its worth the cost since I already have a tube LDC I really like my voice on - at this stage of the game I am looking more for a mic that will balance out the sound of my acoustic guitar, which is a little bass-ee... I don't think a ribbon is quite the solution :p
 
cusebassman said:
Yea, I figured you weren't putting down these seemingly consumer-level mics.
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To be perfectly honest, I haven't heard most of the low-cost Chinese ribbon mics, so I can't really comment on them.
 
Harvey Gerst said:
To be perfectly honest, I haven't heard most of the low-cost Chinese ribbon mics, so I can't really comment on them.
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Oh, I figured as much - but to continue hijacking this thread (even though it wasn't about much more than praise for a particular microphone to begin with), what is your experience with ribbons on acoustic guitar? Is it worth looking into, or should I just try out small-diaphragm condensers, as is more the standard (or so it seems :p)
 
cusebassman said:
Oh, I figured as much - but to continue hijacking this thread (even though it wasn't about much more than praise for a particular microphone to begin with), what is your experience with ribbons on acoustic guitar? Is it worth looking into, or should I just try out small-diaphragm condensers, as is more the standard (or so it seems :p)
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Ribbons can be great on some acoustics, but you hafta mic them from some distance, not up close. Here, we usually use SDC's, but if you want a "warmer" sound, ribbons are great on guitars - if positioned properly.
 
Harvey Gerst said:
Ribbons can be great on some acoustics, but you hafta mic them from some distance, not up close. Here, we usually use SDC's, but if you want a "warmer" sound, ribbons are great on guitars - if positioned properly.
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I figured this would be the case... for now I think I'll settle on finding a decent SDC (200-300) for doing the acoustic work. Thanks!

And back to the praise of AEA mics.
 
Actually, I like ribbons less on acoustic guitar and more on somewhat more "strident" instruments like banjo (I know, I know) or mandolin. They seem to work really well in that application. Really great on horns as well. Ribbons are good on cabs too. I like my R84 on a cab together with an SM7 or MD421.
 
Harvey Gerst said:
Sorry, but Fletcher's wrong on this one. Even Wes Dooley says (in the first line of the R84 manual):

"The AEA R84 is a neoclassic design that shares the Large Ribbon Geometry (LRG) of the acclaimed AEA R44 series."

It's basically a lower cost 44 type mic in a 77-type shell, with a little less proximity effect.

The 77DX used a short ribbon and mechanical vanes which opened and closed ports to change patterns. The R84 has none of that stuff; just a long ribbon, open on both sides - exactly like a 44BX.

And yes, I have tried them side by side; I own a mint RCA77DX, an RCA44BX, a Coles 4038, a Beyer 260DX, and a pair of R84's.
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Well there you go then, you would know. I have never even owned A single ribbon mic though this one sounds like a good first choice.

As I tried to state before I was going on looks alone and my assumptions, nothing more.
 
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