AEA N22 NUVO, Phantom Powered Ribbon Mic
AEA N22 Features
- Specifically designed for singer-songwriters, musicians, and home studios
- Top end clarity of a condenser with a ribbon’s smoothness
- Custom German toroidal transformer for 12dB more gain
- Highly protected ribbon for close-up use and live use with minimal proximity effect
- Phantom powered electronics for optimal performance with any preamp
A NUVO Approach to the Ribbon Mic
The AEA N22 delivers on exactly those key points – providing a great ribbon tone without the need for EQ in most applications. Just like the RCA 44, the N22 was designed by listening first and measured only after experienced musicians and engineers confirmed that the microphone sounded great. Consequently, it is a professional tool that holds up to the highest standards of recording. Bridging the gap between vintage and modern, ribbon and condenser, studio and live, the N22 is the perfect companion for musicians and engineers alike.
The Big Ribbon™: reimagined
Featuring the same Big RibbonTM technology that has earned AEA its reputation, the N22 offers an incredible sound in close-mic applications like acoustic and electric guitars, piano, vocals, and drums. With phantom-powered JFET electronics and a custom German transformer, the AEA N22 achieves optimal performance with a wide range of preamps including USB or Firewire audio interfaces in home or project studio setups. The highly protected pure aluminum ribbon allows for using the N22 in live sound applications and vocal recording without the need for an additional pop-filter. The simplicity and the ease of use of the entire package allows the focus to be on capturing a great performance even in tight and difficult recording environments.
About the NUVO Series
The N22 is the first member of AEA’s NUVO series of microphones. Rooted in the RCA tradition just like other AEA ribbons, all NUVO microphones are designed to offer a fresh approach to the ribbon transducer and represent Wes Dooley’s take on the evolution of the ribbon microphone.
AEA N22 Applications
- Electric Guitar
- Acoustic Guitar
- Upright Bass
- Classical and remote recording
- Piano
- Vocals
Quotes:
Hanan Rubinstein, guitar player for Alicia Keys – “The mics are a huge success! Our monitor guy and FOH guy want to have a pair each… :)”
Kurt Ballou – “Awesome mic for close mic’ing a guitar amp. I used to combine two or more mics per amp. With the N22, I don’t need to do that anymore.”
Ronan Chris Murphy, producer/engineer for King Crimson, Terry Bozzio, Steve Stevens – “I mix a lot of records for independent artists and singer-songwriters. I tried the AEA N22 on a wide range of sources and it always sounded good, which means that artists recording with the N22 will never deliver a bad sounding recording to me! The mic has a thickness and body that sounds very natural and that works great on instruments that can use a bit of heft and rounding off.”
Brett Chassen, producer/engineer/session drummer for Kulick brothers, Bret Michaels, Lynch Mob – “I’m excited about this mic. The mids are great and well voiced for electric guitar. No congestion in the low mid area makes it easy to control. It has a great 500 Hz “bark” to it and pairs well with API or Neve preamps. It’s the brightest ribbon I have ever heard — but in a good way. This mic is taking my 100 Watt Marshall Plexi right up the gazoo ;-)”
Ben Tolliday, producer/engineer for Wolfmother, Alanis Morissette, Lord Huron – “It’s a clear winner on acoustic guitar. The smooth midrange, and more open top end (compared with other ribbons) make it the perfect choice. On a male vocal, it was a really close call between the N22 and my Wagner U47. I was leaning towards the AEA N22, but the singer slightly preferred the U47 in a blind test.”
Jacob Bunton, Adler, Lynam, Steven Tyler, Mariah Carey, Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Lopez – “I used to spend more time trying to record a decent sound on my own than I did actually writing songs. From the moment I plugged in the N22 I realized I had found the secret. It sounded absolutely tone perfect from the first strum on my acoustic guitar to the first vocal I recorded. This mic has not only saved me infinite amounts of time getting better sounds, but has inspired me to write and perform better. My mix engineer really appreciates it as well!”
Can be factory matched paired as required.
Specifications And Curves
- Operating Principle:Pressure gradient microphone
- Directional Pattern: Bidirectional or Figure-of-8
- Frequency Range: 20 Hz to 20 kHz
- Maximum SPL: 141 dBSPL (1% third harmonic > 1 kHz)
- Output Sensitivity: 6.2 mV/Pa (-33.5 dBV) into unloaded circuit
- Self Noise: 9 dB(A)
- Output Impedance: 92 Ω broadband
- Recommended Load Impedance: 1.0 kΩ or greater
- Powering: P48 phantom power, 7 mA
- Polarity: Pin 2 high for positive pressure at the front of the microphone.
- Connector: XLR-3M
Off Axis Response:
- Polar Pattern: Native bidirectional pattern
- Horizontal: Level changes with angle, frequency response is consistent, –35 dB null at 90° / 270°
- Vertical: Level changes with angle, reduced HF response above and below 0° / 180° axis, –35 dB null at 90° / 270°
Transducer element:
- Ribbon Thickness: 1.8 μ (0.0000018 m) of pure aluminum
- Ribbon Width: 0.185″ (4.7 mm)
- Ribbon Length: 2.35″ (59.7 mm)
AEA N22 Accessories:
- Included: Storage / shipping case, microphone stand clip, custom protective mic sleeve, user manual
- Weight with Cable: 1 lb 13 oz (810 g)
- Weight with case: 12 oz (335 g)
- Height: 8.83″ (32.4 cm)
- Width: 1.62″ (4.1 cm)
- Depth: 1.62″ (4.1 cm)