Description
ABOUT THE MICROPHONE
The ribbon stereo microphone AEA R88mk2 captures sound in space so vividly that it feels like you are listening to it live. Its wide frequency response and balanced bass make this microphone an effective tool for capturing room ambiance or overheads. It excels at capturing the sound of complex instruments such as drums, strings, piano, and other instruments with multi-layered transients, sharp highs, and resonant bass. The microphone’s ribbon elements are arranged in a Blumlein configuration, allowing it to work in a wide perspective and capture the entire musical ensemble.
The manufacturer describes the R88mk2 as a sound engineer’s secret weapon. This ribbon microphone offers unparalleled detail and balanced response. It is an excellent choice for distant miking and is particularly well-suited for rock, classical music, Americana, or jazz genres. The R88mk2’s versatility is such that sound engineers – like John Cuniberti – use it to capture an entire group with a single microphone while playing together in one room. There is undoubtedly a reason why the legendary Blackbird Studios in Nashville own five R88 microphones.
The R88mk2’s design is rooted in the tradition of stereo recording techniques. In 1931, EMI engineer Alan Blumlein invented stereo recording at Abbey Road Studios in London. His coincident miking technique (XY) now lives on in the AEA R88mk2 microphone, which uses two figure-eight ribbon elements. The pair of these elements is arranged at a 90-degree angle to each other and placed close together along the vertical axis of the microphone. As an alternative to the Blumlein technique, this microphone can also be used for MS stereo recording. Using the R88mk2 is so simple that even a novice sound engineer can record with it—just place the microphone and press “Record.”
The R88mk2 is designed to capture a balanced sound from a greater distance. The microphone retains its full frequency spectrum at distances ranging from 40 cm to 6 meters. At distances below 40 cm, the microphone works with the proximity effect, which can be used carefully to create a “bigger” sound (for both vocals and instruments).
The R88mk2 can also handle very loud sound sources—operating with an SPL of up to 165+ dB (at 1 kHz). Therefore, the microphone can be placed against guitar stereo amps and other loud instruments.
Since it is a dual passive ribbon microphone, a preamplifier with a minimum gain of +60 dB or higher is important for its optimal performance. The preamplifier should also operate with a high impedance level.
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To achieve the full potential of the microphone, we recommend pairing it with AEA RPQ2, RPQ500, or TRP2 preamps, which are specifically designed for ribbon microphones.
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For recording louder instruments such as guitar amplifiers, preamps with an impedance of 5 kOhm will suffice.
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For quieter instruments, the manufacturer recommends AEA preamps.
