The latest addition to the AEA fold is the A440, which is an interesting revision of the huge vintage RCA 44 (and its current AEA variants), with a pleasing name‑play on a familiar musical term. 8. The AEA R44CXE Studio Ribbon Microphone has 6dB more output than the original RCA 44B and BX Sound is slightly more forward. I had a an AEA R44 for years, and while in a good sounding room it's one of the most glorious mics I've ever heard for horns, stand up bass, guitar cab it doesn't work as well in a small untreated room, because it sounds best when at least 3 feet from a source. Also 'even', and 'clear and natural, yet tamed'. It's the easiest mic to use in the AEA line. We wanted to make a ribbon mic that could cover all the bases. 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. You use it in almost any recording situation. We felt 'esses' were a little subdued, and the mic was generally a little dark, but in general it was nicely charismatic, albeit with a fairly hefty proximity effect: classy, and eminently useful. We may all tune to A440, but with the AEA A440 in your mic locker, you really won’t have to tune your ears or your EQ. The AEA R88 stereo ribbon mic stuns engineers with its clarity and natural stereo image. When I think ribbon mic sound, the polar pattern is a large part of that sound and what makes ribbons so useful. AEA Ribbon Mics and Preamps is family owned and operated in beautiful Pasadena, California. I've been very impressed with AEA's mics, to the point that I own (treasure might be a better word) a couple of their R92 ribbons myself. AEA R84 'Tasteful' was the first word we wanted to use when hearing the R84 on vocals. The A440 is an extremely quiet ribbon microphone, arguably the quietest ribbon mic ever produced. AEA R44CXE Studio Ribbon Microphone. The KU5A was made so you could use it in the studio, and take that same sound out on the road. What's cool about this ribbon mic is … Iconic, High-performance Ribbon Mic. Red accent marking. The R88 boasts two Big Ribbon elements angled at 90 degrees, getting true stereo sound from a single microphone. A great way to get a spacious sound without the hassle of a multi-mic setup.