I had never really done much recording using ribbon microphones, other than using a Royer 121 on a guitar cabinet. I always wanted to hear what the classic ribbons, like the RCAs or Coles microphones sounded like on vocals and guitars first-hand. The problem lies in that vintage ribbons mics are extremely hard to find and maintain, as well as not being up to snuff with the recording rigors of today.
Wes Dooley, the chief engineer and president of AEA(Audio Engineering Associates), began making faithful reproductions of the vintage RCA mics like the 44BX. He’s been hugely succesful do in part by refurbishing parts for the RCAs, and then improving the specs by building his own series. The AEA R92 is designed to be an instrument mic. The front and rear lobes have slightly different tones, with one offering a higher frequency response for a “crisp” sound and the other rolling off the highs for a “smooth” sound. The smooth side is more indicative of classic ribbons offering a fatter midrange response. I could definitely tell the difference when using the front lobe on a female vocal which gave an intimate but well-defined sound without yielding harsh sibilance. I used the R92 on my tube amp about six inches away from the cab, and it gave a very warm smooth response, which sounded fat and rich. The R92 is fast becoming a studio staple, allowing engineers the opportunity to fall in love the with classic sound of a ribbon mic, while being designed with today’s music production in mind.
