Confession: The AEA R84 has become one of my favorite mics. It’s taught me so much about ribbon mics that after reviewing it, I couldn’t bear to send it back. So a pair of R84s became my constant companions in the studio. For orchestral work, brass, acoustic guitar, group vocals, even lead vocals, they’re good at capturing a diversity of sounds.
The R84 (reviewed in the Sept. ’03 issue) was AEA’s first original mic design after years of restoring/recreating classic RCA 44B ribbon mics. But it’s more versatile, lighter, and affordable than the 44B.
TWO =
BETTER?
When I heard that Wes Dooley at AEA was planning a stereo version of the R84 — the R88 — I was interested. I frequently use my R84s for stereo miking, but putting two 12" long mics end-to-end at 90 degrees on a single stand at a height of 8-12' is no small task. The ability to position one mic for stereo was appealing.
The R88 is the same diameter as the R84 (2.5"), but is 13" long — 9" shorter than an R84 pair. With its black “stealth” finish, the R88 is much less attention grabbing than an R84 pair — a good thing for live and videotaped performances.
The R84 has three layers of protection between the ribbon and the outside world, with another layer on the back. The R88 does away with most of that protection. “The goal was to put as little as possible between the music and the dancing ribbon,” according to Dooley. Translation: Greater clarity, less resonance within the mic chamber, and greater susceptibility to outside nuisances like wind.
THE SOUND
I tried the R88 on a piano I’ve recorded many times, which is bright and present. I tried R84s on this piano but wasn’t impressed. But the R88, compared to even my standard miking setup for this instrument, was the choice of everyone in the control room. The imaging, with the mic just inside the lid, about 18" above the strings, was superb. It had separation of the high and low strings, but made the instrument seem like a cohesive whole. It also tamed the brightness of the instrument and made it wrap around and support the vocalist without drastic EQ.
On voice, it was apparent that the extra acoustic protection was gone — where’s that pop filter? At a distance of 8", the R88 has enhanced low frequencies compared to the R84. The R84 seemed more present and forward when up close, while the R88 was flattering on the top and bottom of the voice. With a shaker at 12", differences were also noticeable, mostly in the presence range.
The R88’s stereo imaging is wonderful, but may seem narrow to those accustomed to spaced cardioids. The R88 presents a natural, almost binaural sense with strong center image and very precise imaging.
OUTPUT
For those concerned about using a low-output ribbon without a high-gain preamp, I tried an experiment using a Digidesign Mbox. Would the output from the R88 be enough using this preamp? Yes: I was able to achieve good levels on a soft voices, although I had to run the gain wide open. This proved that louder sources, such as brass or electric guitar (both favorite ribbon applications), would be fine without a special preamp.
Even though they share near-identical motor designs (the magnetic assembly that surrounds the ribbon) and identical ribbon dimensions, the R84 and R88 are different mics with different strengths. I think either would make a great addition to anyone’s mic closet. Are they different enough to own both? Yes, especially considering how versatile they are, their affordable prices, and the sonic qualities each offers.