Recording - October 2013 - 15

Further specs of the R88 mk2, as supplied by the manufacturer, include a 20 Hz
to 20 kHz frequency response, a max SPL
of 165 dB above 1 kHz for 1% third harmonic distortion, output sensitivity of –52
dBv/Pa, and an output impedance 270
ohms nominal. AEA also recommends a
1.2 kilohm load or greater.
If you look at the R88 mk2’s frequency
plot you will see it’s darn near identical to
that of an R88, with a strong low end that
remains even until 2 kHz, where frequency dips comfortably to 10 kHz, whereupon it then rolls off significantly down
from there. This is its only real difference
from the R84, in that it dips down about 5
dB more around 18 kHz than the R84
does. [Wes Dooley of AEA notes, “What
these curves don’t show is their usable output to 40 kHz. The R88 mk2 rolloff rate is
the same all the way out to 40 kHz; the
R84’s more complex ribbon protection
means less rolloff to 20 kHz and a steeper rolloff thereafter.”—Ed.]

Sound
How does the R88 mk2 sound? Like a
pair of impeccably matched R84 units, of
course! It’s big and warm, yet natural and
open like the R84, but because you get a
pair of them that are perfectly aligned and
balanced, there are some subtle differences.
First, despite this microphone’s size, the
physical space it occupies compared to
placing two actual R84s in a similar
over/under Blumlein setup is smaller and
as such benefits from a tighter, more precise off-axis rejection. When you position
the mic, you will notice that the left and
right image will pan quickly and tightly
the closer you get to the mic.
Speaking of closer, I also found the R88
mk2 to have a slightly more pronounced
proximity effect than the R84. I am not sure
if this is due to intentional tuning or if it is
a doubling effect of the two elements and
their own proximity to each other. To my
ears it is these two factors that make the
R88 mk2 unique and different from just
using a pair of R84s.
Also, I found the R88 mk2 to have a
slightly higher output than the R84, which
kept me from pushing my Millennia HV3-D
mic pre as much, giving my tracks a much
cleaner noise floor.

Blumlein
I used the R88 mk2 in three setups—traditional Blumlein, Mid/Side, and as two mono
mics—on drums, room, acoustic guitar,
piano, percussion and vocals.
In Blumlein the R88 mk2 is very wide,
smooth and open. Due to its center not
being directly into either ribbon element it
is not as rich and forward as a single R84.
Instead it gives an airier and more open
sound with a greater depth that still retains
its natural smoothness.

One thing that surprised me was how
focused it is in regard to the placement of
sources in its stereo field. For this reason
alone I can see why its predecessor has
become a favorite room mic and drum
overhead in many studios, as its smoothness coupled with its attention to detail
make it stellar in both situations.

Mid/Side
In M/S mode the R88 mk2 gains back the
solid and chesty tone of the R84, but with the
added dimensionality of the side channels. I
really liked this technique on auxiliary percussion and acoustic guitar, and it can also
yield a cool dimensionality to vocals.
Setting up for Mid/Side requires two
things. First you need to be aware of
which mic you choose for the Mid or center, and which one is the Side. As the manual notes, “The positive polarity of the S
mic is typically aimed soundstage left.”
Next you will need a way to play back/
decode an M/S recording. There are many
plug-ins and programs which do this, as well
as DIY tricks to do it simply in your DAW by
copying and pasting the side channel to a
duplicate track and reversing the polarity.

Dual Mono
The last setup I tried with this mic was as
a pair of mono mics with a singer-songwriter
playing acoustic guitar and singing at the
same time. This required me to position the
mic horizontally and play with the angle until
I had the best blend of guitar and voice.
While there will be bleed in each mic,
it still yields a very full and natural tone
that is very coherent and allows you to
still tweak the blend by a few dBs during
mixdown for the best balance.
This mic will also work in a similar fashion with two vocalists tracking together,
singing into each mic element.
I should note that each mic element is a
true separate individual microphone with
its own signal path, so you can also use
one side of the R88 mk2 as a mono mic
should you wish. Just remember Mic One
is the upper element and Two is the lower.

Conclusions
On drum overheads, room duties and
more, this mic just kills! The way it images a
room and the sources in it so naturally and
smoothly makes it one of the best stereo mics
around—ribbon or otherwise. This is one of
those mics that makes you rethink how stereo
miking is supposed to sound...
Price: $1795 (street)
More from: Audio Engineering
Associates (AEA), www.ribbonmic.com
Paul Vnuk Jr. (vnuk@recordingmag.com)
is a recording engineer, producer, and
sound designer, living and working in
Milwaukee.
RECORDING October 2013

http://www.t-funk.com http://www.ribbonmic.com http://www.t-funk.com

Recording - October 2013

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