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R44

Manufacturer: AEA

Item price: 2,875.00 € [ Payez en 6x sans frais ]

Ecotaxe non incluse - Catégorie 4.6 [info] : + 0.10 €

Délai : Livré sous 21 jours

Destination(s) : Studio

Application(s) : Ethnic Percussion - Minor percussions - Piano

Directivité : Figure 8

Type : Ribbon

AEA (Audio Engineering Associates)

Studio Ribbon Microphones

An accurate reproduction of the original RCA Ribbon Mic
Uses the same ribbon material as the original
Built to the highest studio standards possible
A single diaphragm Figure 8 ribbon microphone
High null-axis rejection
Custom AEA Transformer
High SPL capability, max level of 140dB plus above 200Hz
Low Self Noise
Consistent polar response
Operable in high humidity environments
Sounds equal to or better than the original RCA 44

RCA 44 ribbon microphones have remained an essential part of studio life well after RCA stopped manufacturing them in 1955. The sound and response of the 44 B/BX were unlike anything else available, and was cherished for its smoothness, forgiving nature and unique tonal balance. As collectors began to buy up the supply of RCA 44’s through the 90’s, the availability of this wonderful ribbon mic to the studio was greatly endangered. Wes Dooley, a specialist in rib- bon mics of all kinds, has now restored the 44 type microphone to its rightful position in the studio. After tracking down the engineers who designed and built the original RCA 44, AEA acquired ribbon material, made the tooling and custom machined all the parts necessary to build the original RCA 44 B/BX design to its original specifications, just as it was in the 1930s. After years of painstaking work, AEA has again begun production of the most important ribbon mic of all time: the AEA R44C.

audio sample : women voice

audio sample : man voice

How is the R44 different from other ribbon microphones ?

The 44 was RCA’s best microphone from the 1930s into the ‘50s. Is AEA’s R44 that good? Both listeners and measurements say that the R44 is better and, we’ve been listening to both users and ex-RCA engineers for over 25 years. We start by using only ribbon material originally manufactured for RCA. Next, we use modern magnet technology which is much more robust than period magnets. We also combined the original American undamped ribbon design with the British RCA 44 innovations that lower the weight and hum sensitivity.

The R44 design runs contrary to all current ribbon microphone manufacturing. It is large and heavy when other microphones are smaller and lighter. The internal ribbon element is by far the longest and its resonance tuning the lowest of today’s ribbon micro- phones. It is a pure undamped ribbon design, an approach that has been out of production for over 50 years while remaining in continuous studio use. It is different, and its sound is unique.

The R44 sounds good on everything. Leave it out and use it whenever you need to do a quick take. Bruce Swedien particularly likes them on vocals, Joe Chicarelli on sax, Allen Sides on electric guitar. Everyone has a favorite use and everyone finds they sound good anywhere: brass, woodwinds, percussion, strings or voice work.

Specifications:

Operating Principle: Velocity microphone

Frequency Response: Below 30 Hz to above 20 kHz
Maximum SPL: 140 + dB SPL above 200Hz for 1% third harmonic
Output Sensitivity: 2.25 mV / Pa into unloaded circuit
Output Impedance: 270 ohms broadband
Recommended Load: 1.2 K ohm or greater
Powering: Not required or recommended
Polarity: Pin 2 high for positive pressure on the front of the microphone.
Connector: XLR-3M wired to a 2 meter captive cable

Off Axis Response:

Polar Pattern: Native bi-directional pattern
Horizontal: Level changes with angle, frequency response is consistent, ¡V90 dB null at 90 / 270 degrees
Vertical: Level changes with angle, reduced HF response above and below 0 / 180 degree axis, null at 90 / 270 degrees

Transducer element

Ribbon Thickness: 1.8 microns ( .0000018 meter ) of pure aluminum
Ribbon Width: 4.7 mm
Ribbon Length: 59.7 mm