Aston Element Bundle Condenser Microphone

Description

Aston Element Bundle

The People's Microphone

Like all Aston Microphones products, the Aston Element Bundle microphone incorporates a wealth of innovative solutions, the result of an 18-month research and development phase. From the new Ridyon™ capsule technology, capable of ensuring superior performance at low cost, to the customized shockmount; from the valuable chassis design to the magnetic pop filter; up to the LED backlit logo (dubbed by Aston Microphones: "cool light") which acts as a 48V phantom power indicator – every aspect of this microphone goes decidedly beyond the limits we find in products in its price range.

Featuring a sound crafted with the input of a public voting committee, the Aston Element is the perfect home-studio microphone, excellent for male/female vocals and guitars.

Key Features

• Class A active side-address studio microphone with single cardioid polar pattern

• Exclusive Ridyon™ capsule technology

• Active moving-coil technology, with super-fast transient response and extended low-frequency response

• Translucent purple backlit logo as a 48V phantom power indicator.

• Microphone voicing developed through multiple global public voting phases

• Includes a shockmount with patented pop filter

In addition to being extremely affordable, the Aston Element significantly outperforms all microphones in its class in terms of performance. There is no need to take Aston Microphones at their word: thousands of users from all over the world contributed to defining the sound of the Aston Element, during a peer review phase through blind listening tests, which compared it with some of the major microphone manufacturers in the industry. During this three-month series of public tests, Aston Microphones developed the sound of its microphone using data collected from these comparative tests, which examined some of the major competing brands – such as Blue, Rode, AKG, Audio-Technica and Neumann.

Aston Microphones chose to compare its Element with some of the microphone models considered the best in their category, so as to push beyond the limits in terms of performance.

All these brands produce excellent products, but Aston Microphones' goal was to create a microphone that, in a blind listening test, would consistently be voted as the preferred one. Of course, this does not mean it is "the best," as microphone choice is very subjective. However, it does mean that most people preferred the sound of the Element microphone over that of its prestigious competitors – and that means you can be absolutely sure of always getting excellent results.

The secret is in the capsule technology

The microphone boasts the use of a capsule that adopts the brand new Ridyon™ technology, which combines the best elements of all three existing microphone classes. Using 48V phantom power, the incredibly lightweight active moving-coil diaphragm provides a condenser microphone characterized by high sensitivity and performance, combined with the significant low-frequency impact and rejection capabilities of an excellent dynamic microphone, as well as the open and natural sound typical of ribbon models.

Performance at liberty

The 1.5" / 38 mm capsule is significantly larger than the format used by most microphones. The design allows the diaphragm to move more and more freely than other microphone capsules, allowing it to handle significantly higher sound pressure levels before reaching distortion. Furthermore, this greater freedom of movement allows the Element microphone a distinctly better bass response than that of other competing models, which is even more evident from its ability to accurately reproduce low-mid frequencies, giving it a warmer and more natural sound.

360-degree internal isolation

The capsule of the Element also features a 360-degree internal suspension system. In most other microphones – if not all – the capsule is mounted at a single point, making them more sensitive to external vibrations in a given direction. In the Element, the capsule is held by a 360-degree elastomeric suspension, which offers superior shock protection regardless of direction.

Near-perfect capsule acoustics

Both the capsule body and the microphone chassis have been designed (and extensively tested) to provide the flattest possible frequency response. The Ridyon™ capsule is unlike any other microphone, in that it relies on acoustic treatment rather than metalworking to achieve this goal. The custom-made grille (with an attractive, retro look) acts as a diffuser for the audio source entering the microphone, while the contoured body shape and thin monocoque capsule housing help direct sound towards the capsule itself, with minimal diffraction... in short, the microphone's design itself maximizes the performance of the internal capsule.

High headroom circuitry – very low distortion

Along with the wide diaphragm movement, the elegant design of the circuitry can handle approximately 150 times the maximum output level from the capsule; so, no matter what you record with the microphone, the circuitry will handle everything without distortion.

The best moving-coil microphone ever designed?

In this competitive price range, condenser microphones share one characteristic: the use of an "entry-level" quality capsule, so to speak. Aston Microphones refuses to make microphones with cheaply produced condenser capsules, because the resulting sound quality is on par with their cost. For example, the capsule of Aston Microphones' Origin model is clearly of significantly higher quality than that of other microphones in its category – which is why, in various reviews and by producers, artists and professional sound engineers around the world, it is systematically compared to microphones 10 times its price (not to mention all the awards it has won!). Even the untrained eye can see this by looking at the engineering quality of the capsules Aston Microphones builds.

So, rather than entering the market with yet another cheap imitation of a condenser microphone, Aston Microphones preferred to dedicate itself to developing the most advanced moving-coil microphone in history. This allowed them to produce a microphone capable of significantly outperforming other condenser models under €200. The reason for all this lies in the complexity of the manufacturing process. To be good quality, condenser capsules must be assembled by hand – and this is an expensive process. Instead, thanks to their simpler construction, moving-coil capsules are made entirely by machine. This, in addition to reducing production costs, also allows for tighter tolerances, so each microphone has the same sound.

Moving-coil microphones have historically been perceived as inferior to condensers, mainly due to manufacturers producing very cheap capsules to appeal to a mass market; but if you ask a professional sound engineer, he will confirm that a high-quality studio dynamic microphone can provide some of the best results you can ever get. The Element capsule design addresses all the typical "shortcomings" of the moving-coil (absent high end, bulky mid-range, etc.), making the ultra-light diaphragm behave more like a ribbon in terms of movement characteristics, resulting in better performance in the mid-range and in handling SPL levels. The diaphragm is much larger and lighter than that of other moving coils, which provides a high-frequency response much more similar to that of a condenser. The added benefit is that by combining these two characteristics, you get a microphone with a better low-frequency and transient response than a ribbon or condenser model.

Specifications

Key Features

• Class A active side-address studio microphone with single cardioid polar pattern

• Exclusive Ridyon™ capsule technology

• Active moving-coil technology, with super-fast transient response and extended low-frequency response

• Translucent purple backlit logo as a 48V phantom power indicator.

• Microphone voicing developed through multiple global public voting phases

• Includes a shockmount with patented pop filter