AEA R44 and A440
Owner’s Manual
one of the quietest mics on the market and the quietest ribbon microphone ever. The 7 mA version has
a 9 dBA noise floor and handles 136 db SPL. The custom 9 mA version has a 6 dbA noise floor and
handles 132.5 db SPL. The A440 can drive very long mic cables without signal loss.
It’s Only a Microphone. Why Do I Need an Owner’s Manual?
Your new ribbon microphone, like all of the equipment in your recording system, is an investment in
your future. It also may be the most sensitive and delicate item in your studio. Knowing how to use it
properly will enable you to maintain its performance and value for decades to come — long after most
of your other equipment has become obsolete.
Your Microphone Needs Good Support.
By now, you have discovered that this is a large, rather heavy microphone. In fact, it is more than 12
inches long and weighs about 8 pounds. In order to support it safely, you need a strong and sturdy mi-
crophone stand, such as the Atlas MS20 or MS25. If you want to use a boom arm, you could add an
Atlas PB21X or better yet, use the Atlas SB36 studio boom stand. While there are many suitable stands
from other manufacturers, conventional “musicians’ series” folding tripod-based microphone stands are
not recommended because they are not robust enough to support this microphone safely. If you do need
a portable stand for your mic, check out the Modular Microphone Stands page at the AEA website:
http://www.ribbonmics.com/aea/modular_microphone_stands.html.
The AEA model R44 and A440 ribbon microphones carry forward the classic
tradition of the venerable 1930s RCA-44 into the 21st century. AEA’s range
of Big Ribbon™ mics offer the same warm, rich “long ribbon” sound of their
ancestors. The R44 series even uses “new old-stock” RCA ribbon material
and features a re-engineered output transformer that recaptures the sonic
signature of the original RCA-44 and surpasses it in frequency response and
dynamics. The R44C is a visual and sonic reproduction, taking the best of the
RCA-44B and BX design, while the R44CX is the high-output version.
The A440 marries the high-output CX motor to a phantom-powered discrete-
JFET impedance buffer with a very high turns-ratio transformer. The result is
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ngineering
Associates
1029 N. Allen Ave. Pasadena CA 91104 www.ribbonmics.com Phone: (626) 798-9128 Fax: (626) 798-2378
