AEA A840 Manuals

ribbonmics & preamps since 1964 www.ribbonmics.com | tel: +1-626-798-9128 | fax: +1-626-798-2378 m a d e i n c a l i f o r n i a aea a840 PHANTOM-POWERED VERSION OF THE R84 { OWNER’S MANUAL } Revision 4, April 2016

User’s Manual R84 & A840 Ribbon Microphones • STUDIO RIBBON MICS • M/S STEREO • TALL STANDS • MIC POSITIONERS Audio Engineering Associates ©2003-2009 The passive R84 and active A840 are neoclassic designs in the tradition of the acclaimed R44 and A440 Big Ribbontm microphones. They are designed for main, accent and solo use in contemporary studios. Mics in this tradition, such as the RCA 44, have been making great recordings for over 75 years. Buying an AEA R84 or A840 demonstrates your interest in continuing this tradition of quality sound. The frequency response of the R84 and A840 is the same. They use different transformers so there are some sonic differences. The R series transformer was developed by Ken Reichenbach at Cinemag to match the sound of our reference RCA studio ribbons. The A series transformer is a very high-ratio transformer developed by Per Lundahl at Lundahl in Sweden without reference to the RCA tradition. These sonic differences are subtle when using AEA mics with our TRP and RPQ No Loadtm mic pre- amps. A Big Ribbontm resonance is very low, 16.5 Hz rather than a more usual 40-60 Hz. Ribbon mics, like woofers, have a substantial impedance peak at resonance. Using unbuffered ribbons with lower impedance preamps increases noise and dramatically reduces bass. One advantage unbuffered ribbons have over buffered ribbons is that their SPL limits are entirely mechanical. AEA R series handle very high SPLs, above 1 k Hz they handle over 165 dB SPL. The 2 micron thin ribbon’s mass well match- es its air load, so even when used close-up as a spot mic it adds no extra high frequency ‘tizz’. An A840’s mic line and preamp is buffered by a phantom-powered discrete-JFET circuit from the rib- bon motor and high-ratio transformer. The result is a quiet microphone with excellent headroom and sensitivity. It matches any P48 spec preamp and drives long mic lines easily. Output impedance varies little with frequency, so there is less sonic interaction between the mic, the mic line and the preamp. Your microphone is supplied as a complete system that includes an integral cushion mount / stand adapter, an attached three-meter “star-quad” mic cable, and a custom case. The R84 is delivered in a compact custom softcase. The A840 is delivered in a smaller version of the R44/A440 cloth covered armoured case. A bright brass grill and thumbnuts identify the A840 from a distance. A red label at the XLR and engraving on the logo band identifies it as requiring 7 mA of P48 phantom power. This manual covers: 1. Cautions 2. How it sounds 3. Unique Characteristics 4. Technical Specifications 5. The Back Story 6. Additional Reading 1029 N. Allen Ave., Pasadena, CA 91104 www.ribbonmics.com Phone: (626) 798-9128 Fax: (626) 798-2378