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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"...