Recording - February 2021 - 48

REVIEW

Aston Microphones

Element active moving coil microphone
This microphone is truly the
voice of the people

REVIEW BY PAUL VNUK JR., ALEX HAWLEY AND DAVID BLASCOE

I

n just over five short years, UK-based Aston Microphones has built up
quite a roster of innovative and affordable microphone designs. Nothing
in the Aston line is a copy or clone of any famous models of yesteryear.
Today we're looking at the Element, an active moving coil microphone and
the first 'people's microphone' voiced in the court of public opinion.

The Aston 33

Our story begins with the Aston 33-a
panel of engineers and artists that now includes more than 600 people (hey, Aston
makes great microphones-I never said
they could count). The Aston 33 have
blind-auditioned and taste-tested all Aston
microphones to date during their development process. With the Element, Aston
expanded that circle to include the public.
Through multiple rounds of blind listening
tests, over 4,000 people weighed in with
comparative feedback on multiple Element release candidates, alongside bigname classic mics. Once the global selection committee zeroed in on their favorite
Aston variant, and when that mic came
out on top of the competition, the Element
was ready for prime time.

A fresh design

Each Aston mic to date has included

48 RECORDING February 2021

a host of innovative new features, from
dent-resistant spring grilles (Origin and
Spirit), a built-in laser sight (Starlight),
and the multi-voiced, preamp-equipped
active dynamic Stealth. With the Element, Aston may have possibly developed the first new capsule/diaphragm
design in over eighty years.

Ridyon™

Aston is understandably secretive
about its new Ridyon capsule technology, built around a phantom powered,
active moving-coil diaphragm that's
ultra-thin and very sensitive, offering a
super-fast transient response. It's a moving coil type design like a dynamic mic,
but the super-thin, 1.5 " diaphragm is
more condenser-shaped. According to
Aston, this allows the Element to deliver
high-end condenser mic sensitivity, and
the punch and rejection capability of a

dynamic mic, coupled with a natural ribbon sound. The capsule is protected by
a large perforated metal disc-style grill.

Back to the egg

The 0.6 lb., 6.4 " x 2.28 " oval-shaped
body fits together as front and back
halves, rather than a capsule assembly
placed on top of a circular body. A
backlit Aston logo glows purple when
the Element is powered up. Not just for
looks, the sculpted and tapered contours
around the capsule and grille perform
a similar function as a waveguide on a
monitor speaker, lessening stray reflections and resonance.

Shock and pop

The Element fits into a propriety plastic (PTEE) shock mount that's ultra-thin
yet strong; it clicks firmly into two tabs
on the mic. The mic comes with a large
metal pop filter that magnetically attaches to the front of the mic and is reported
to be the first of its kind. I noticed that,
if the mic gets shaken or bumped, the
shock mount will rattle the pop screen
for a few seconds.



Recording - February 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - February 2021

No label
Fade In
New Gear! The 2021 NAMM Roundup
Crafting Sonic Stories in The Room, with Ricky Reed
Neumann V 402 Dual Channel Microphone Preamplifier
Inside the Box with Joe Albano: Vocal Repair
Warm Audio WA-67 Tube Condenser Microphone
Kludge Audio 511 Germanium Preamplifier
Josephson C705 Studio Microphone
Inside the Studio with Mark Hornsby: The ABCs of BGVs
Aston Microphones Element active moving coil microphone
TZ Audio Products: Stellar X3 Large Capsule Condenser Microphone
PIO: Gauge Precision Instruments LUSH VOX Para Comp + Plugin
Oktava MK-115 / MK-117 large diaphragm cardioid condenser microphones
Session Log: The Angelheaded Hipster Part 2: Lead Vocals
Readers’ Tracks
Recording - February 2021 - Intro
Recording - February 2021 - No label
Recording - February 2021 - Cover2
Recording - February 2021 - 1
Recording - February 2021 - 2
Recording - February 2021 - 3
Recording - February 2021 - Fade In
Recording - February 2021 - 5
Recording - February 2021 - 6
Recording - February 2021 - 7
Recording - February 2021 - New Gear! The 2021 NAMM Roundup
Recording - February 2021 - 9
Recording - February 2021 - 10
Recording - February 2021 - 11
Recording - February 2021 - 12
Recording - February 2021 - 13
Recording - February 2021 - 14
Recording - February 2021 - 15
Recording - February 2021 - 16
Recording - February 2021 - 17
Recording - February 2021 - 18
Recording - February 2021 - 19
Recording - February 2021 - 20
Recording - February 2021 - 21
Recording - February 2021 - 22
Recording - February 2021 - 23
Recording - February 2021 - Crafting Sonic Stories in The Room, with Ricky Reed
Recording - February 2021 - 25
Recording - February 2021 - 26
Recording - February 2021 - 27
Recording - February 2021 - 28
Recording - February 2021 - 29
Recording - February 2021 - 30
Recording - February 2021 - 31
Recording - February 2021 - Neumann V 402 Dual Channel Microphone Preamplifier
Recording - February 2021 - 33
Recording - February 2021 - Inside the Box with Joe Albano: Vocal Repair
Recording - February 2021 - 35
Recording - February 2021 - 36
Recording - February 2021 - 37
Recording - February 2021 - Warm Audio WA-67 Tube Condenser Microphone
Recording - February 2021 - 39
Recording - February 2021 - Kludge Audio 511 Germanium Preamplifier
Recording - February 2021 - 41
Recording - February 2021 - Josephson C705 Studio Microphone
Recording - February 2021 - 43
Recording - February 2021 - Inside the Studio with Mark Hornsby: The ABCs of BGVs
Recording - February 2021 - 45
Recording - February 2021 - 46
Recording - February 2021 - 47
Recording - February 2021 - Aston Microphones Element active moving coil microphone
Recording - February 2021 - 49
Recording - February 2021 - 50
Recording - February 2021 - 51
Recording - February 2021 - TZ Audio Products: Stellar X3 Large Capsule Condenser Microphone
Recording - February 2021 - 53
Recording - February 2021 - PIO: Gauge Precision Instruments LUSH VOX Para Comp + Plugin
Recording - February 2021 - 55
Recording - February 2021 - Oktava MK-115 / MK-117 large diaphragm cardioid condenser microphones
Recording - February 2021 - 57
Recording - February 2021 - Session Log: The Angelheaded Hipster Part 2: Lead Vocals
Recording - February 2021 - 59
Recording - February 2021 - 60
Recording - February 2021 - 61
Recording - February 2021 - 62
Recording - February 2021 - 63
Recording - February 2021 - Readers’ Tracks
Recording - February 2021 - 65
Recording - February 2021 - 66
Recording - February 2021 - 67
Recording - February 2021 - 68
Recording - February 2021 - 69
Recording - February 2021 - 70
Recording - February 2021 - 71
Recording - February 2021 - 72
Recording - February 2021 - Cover3
Recording - February 2021 - Cover4
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