AEA - R88 Mk2

You could get an incredible sound with nothing more than the R88, just spending some time to find the sweet spot. Blumlein is so beautiful.

For finger picking, either the 67 or 49 into the TG2. If it needed comp or EQ, 73E and the Hazelrigg (mainly because I wanna hear that thing...love Fearn's gear, so i assume their stuff will be good too). But I also feel like I could pick gear out of a hat with that list and be pretty happy with any combo that came out. Edited to add, if the guitarist requested stereo, I'd go with the R88. I tend to prefer mono acoustics myself though.

Check out this playlist on YouTube. Every one of these videos was recorded with a live band around one stereo mic. It goes to show you how if you have talented musicians in a good room, you can get stellar results from very minimalist gear. The mic they use for this series is an AEA R88. Not the most budget-friendly mic, but it is a piece that is totally worth the investment. My R88 is one of the most fun and useful pieces of gear that I’ve ever bought. I’m always finding cool uses for it. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLivIhu1vXHYIpdOMWUHjE1vd7HZJgkNhh&si=_5OHuojEE5xbo1xn

Also the AEAs are incredible! They can't be beat for anything with fast transients like acoustic guitar, harp, they're great on solo violin too. Anytime we've done shootouts with LDCs for stuff like that they win hands down. I prefer the N8s so I can have a little space between them though, gives a little ear candy for the headphone listeners.

I haven’t gotten excited about a mic in a long time, and then I used the R88. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more musical microphone. It’s interesting that you describe it as hyper realistic because to me it made anything I heard in the room sound like that thing but better. It sounded good enough that I made my friends go to the AEA factory w me to meet the team. Really impressive American company that I would love to support any day.

Submitting for your consideration that you can use the R88 for M/S stereo recording as well, not just as XY! It's the best room mic for drums or other loud instruments for sure.

It is for sure very middy and boxy, so it needs some TLC with the EQ if it's gonna be used as a primary mic!

Dude, with a setup like that I’d just have fun experimenting. If it were me, I’d probably start with a couple combos just to see what kind of character comes out: * Royer 121 + U67 blend: Put the 121 around the 12th fret, 8–12” out for warmth/body, then pull the U67 back a bit off-axis to grab articulation + room. Pan or blend to taste. Ribbons keep it smooth, condenser keeps the detail. * AEA R88 as a main stereo capture: About chest height, angled down at the guitar. It’ll give you a natural stereo image and gorgeous midrange. Then spot mic with a small diaphragm (your 260’s) if you want more definition. * Might even throw a Coles 4038 in a weird spot, like pointing up toward the bridge from low, and pair it with something brighter (M49 or even the C800G) to see what textures you get. On the chain side, I’d probably keep it simple: Neve 1073 into a Rev D 1176, just catching a dB or two for some snap. Or maybe TG2 into a Pultec for that extra mid sparkle. If I wanted a little grit, parallel comp through the Fatso could be cool.

Curious what the recording engineers here think. Not including historically amazing ribbnon mics like the RCA KU-3A or the 44 here, this is my list: **1) Royer 122** Really surprised by how much I liked this one. This is my workhorse mic that gets used on everything and anything. It's not as dark as the 121 iteration, and the extra gain means less to no noise. I always thought it was just an electric guitar cab mic, but I can't think of a source that I wouldn't use it on. It sounds like a better version of what my ear is hearing in the room. **2) Coles 4038** Probably the obvious first for most people as nothing beats the Coles on overheads. **3) AEA R84** Great modern revision of a classic. At it's price nothing beats it. they're a little gain hungry so the active version is necessary imo. **4) Shure KSM313** Just all around great. Guitar cabs is where these shine. **4) AEA R88** I had a honey moon phase with the R88. They sounded great but I just don't like being limited to the XY pattern. They sound hyper realistic and 3D, but there's always a bit of noise with these. and they really capture the room. I mean really. **5) Beyerdynamic M160** Probably my least favorite of the popular ribbons -- so many swear by these, but I just think they're crummy sounding. I don't hear the ribbon magic in these at all. I've gotten good guitar cab recordings from these but couldn't justify it at the price.

That is true. I would do this a lot actually on acoustic, and do the old double the side mic trick. It's a fantastic mic, but I do feel like some of the other ribbons (even the 84A) have a more finished sound.

It's a fantastic mic. Have you used the R84 though? I personally like what that one does a bit more.