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Post by rowmat on Jun 20, 2017 2:13:32 GMT -6
Has anyone directly compared the AEA N8 with a R84 or a R840 (active version)? We have a R84 and a pair of N22's. I modified one of our N22's by removing the perforated tube that covers the ribbon motor assembly. The tube acts as an acoustic high pass filter which greatly reduces the N22's proximity effect but I found it too extreme at even moderate distances. After A/B'ing the modified and unmodified N22 (vocals) I then compared the modified N22 with our R84, a Rode NTR, a Cascade Vinjet and a Cascade Fathead II mic. To even up the comparison I used a Cloudlifter with the other mics except for the Rode NTR which is already active. The modified N22 now sounds pretty close to the R84 and I suspect it is probably going to be similar to the N8 which also has no tube fitted over its motor assembly hence my curiosity. Our N22's were getting zero use but now I will modify the other one and will use them as overheads and room mics.  |
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Post by wiz on Jun 20, 2017 2:24:38 GMT -6
How you liking the NTR? I love mine!
Cheers
Wiz
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Post by rowmat on Jun 20, 2017 2:42:25 GMT -6
How you liking the NTR? I love mine! Cheers Wiz We have a pair and I like them though they the do sound half way between a LDC and a ribbon IMO. I'm tending to use ribbons more these days. I'm also liking ribbons for outside kick although use a pop screen and avoid the hole! The Cascade Fathead is actually a very good outside kick mic as being a shorter ribbon it has plenty of punch and weight in the 50-80 hertz area. Longer ribbons tend to accentuate the sub 50 hertz area which gets into the zone that tends to get high passed anyway. |
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Post by rowmat on Jun 25, 2017 11:09:21 GMT -6
I also modified the second N22 by removing the perforated acoustic tube.
Beforehand I spent some time comparing both the modified and unmodified mics.
Apart from completely restoring the low end the upper mids and highs are definately smoother after removing the acoustic tube from the ribbon motor.
I figure there were some comb filtering/standing waves occurring due to reflections within the tube which gives the impression of increased upper mid presence.
The only catch is the ribbon is now more vulnerable to air blasts but the upside is the mic is far and away much better sonically.
I'm pretty convinced this has converted the N22 into an N8.
I think these acoustic tubes and perforated plates that are mounted directly on the ribbon motor assemblies of many newer ribbon mics that seem to be used as some kind of mechanical EQ shaping devices are probably doing more sonic harm than good.
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Post by Mister Chase on Jun 25, 2017 23:44:14 GMT -6
I actually just made some clips of these very mics. My friend is a piano player and is looking into mics for doing this organic felt Nils Frahm style thing. He was loaned 2 n22 and 2 n8. I own an r84. I made clips of them all, some in a/b type comparisons on acoustic guitar, mandolin and electric guitar.
I can post if you like.
What I heard was this: the r84 had the smoothest sound and most airy extended open top. This mic doesn't work for me always though because it seems to be almost too smooth or a little diffuse in the mid-range. However on certain things like saxophone or trumpet or background vocals it really shines. Oh and percussion. It really has no punch though at least to my ears.
The n8 on the other hand has more punch and mid-range detail. The top seems a little more closed off to me with sort of an upper mid-range Peak. At least that's how it sounds to me. I would probably feel more comfortable using the n8 in the places the r 84 doesn't work. Like the r 84 the n8 takes EQ quite well.
The n22 is so high passed, it almost doesn't work for me past 6 inches. I guess that's the point. Sounded pretty good on guitar cabs, damn good on acoustic guitar if I don't need the lows. The top still isn't as open as the 84. I tried opening it up with eq but it just wasn't happening for some reason. Thats one thing a ribbon should be good at for sure. Eq.
My groove tubes velo 8s are probably still my favorite ribbons. Ribbons tend to be more picky to me on sounds. Sometimes I get the highs how I want but the lows are hopeless, and vice versa. I digress. The aea stuff is killer though.
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Post by rowmat on Jun 26, 2017 0:54:59 GMT -6
Thanks for the offer but I'm pretty content with them now so aren't going to sell them off to buy another R84 or some N8's which I was considering a while ago. I never liked our standard N22's from the beginning and I was kind of sucked in by that demo video of the two country hipster guys singing into each side of an N22. Ours NEVER sounded like that at that distance. Anyway I feel like the mods have saved them from the knackery. Apart from the lack of low end I didn't like the high end either as it felt it was kind of forced and a bit nasal in the upper mids. Since removing the tubes from the motor assembly I reckon they are now even a touch better than our R84. I actually think it's a mistake trying to make ribbons almost sound like a condenser out of the box. It seems to screw with their sonics where they kind of sound wrong. I get why they are doing it as it has obviously overcomes first time ribbon users lamenting the lack of high end or having the ribbon blow out the first time it gets put near a kick drum but I'd rather just EQ a ribbon than have some sort of inbuilt acoustic EQ gadgetry that messes with the natural ribbon characteristics. I actually just made some clips of these very mics. My friend is a piano player and is looking into mics for doing this organic felt Nils Frahm style thing. He was loaned 2 n22 and 2 n8. I own an r84. I made clips of them all, some in a/b type comparisons on acoustic guitar, mandolin and electric guitar. I can post if you like. What I heard was this: the r84 had the smoothest sound and most airy extended open top. This mic doesn't work for me always though because it seems to be almost too smooth or a little diffuse in the mid-range. However on certain things like saxophone or trumpet or background vocals it really shines. Oh and percussion. It really has no punch though at least to my ears. The n8 on the other hand has more punch and mid-range detail. The top seems a little more closed off to me with sort of an upper mid-range Peak. At least that's how it sounds to me. I would probably feel more comfortable using the n8 in the places the r 84 doesn't work. Like the r 84 the n8 takes EQ quite well. The n22 is so high passed, it almost doesn't work for me past 6 inches. I guess that's the point. Sounded pretty good on guitar cabs, damn good on acoustic guitar if I don't need the lows. The top still isn't as open as the 84. I tried opening it up with eq but it just wasn't happening for some reason. Thats one thing a ribbon should be good at for sure. Eq. My groove tubes velo 8s are probably still my favorite ribbons. Ribbons tend to be more picky to me on sounds. Sometimes I get the highs how I want but the lows are hopeless, and vice versa. I digress. The aea stuff is killer though. |
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Post by robertg on Jun 26, 2017 17:35:51 GMT -6
I have the R-84 and N-8. The R-84 has a real old school ribbon sound and the N-8 is more modern and flatter. The R-84 can be used close or far but the N-8 doesn't work well up close for me but sounds GREAT from about 3 feet on back.
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