Recording - August 2016 - 56

B Y PA U L V N U K J R .

The Halo is not just an update or copy of the original, which
used a semi-cylindrical design of foam and corrugated metal
and was often quite heavy. It's a completely new evolution of
the idea. So what's so different about it?
First, it is made-or better yet, molded-from a purple
sound-damping fiber material called PET felt, which is also
used in the construction of studio sound panels. It's made from
70% recycled PET plastic, which makes it almost as green as it
is purple! (Sorry. Had to.)
Second, unlike pretty much every other portable vocal isolator, which is either a half cylinder or angled-panel design, the
Halo is actually hemispherical on the inside... an interesting
choice, as Aston's team also had a hand in designing the
MunroSonic Egg monitors.
The Halo covers what Aston calls a 360-degree field, as it
extends around the mic on the top and bottom as well as the
sides. According to Aston, this design allows the Halo to cover
40% more surface area than the competitors. It's roughly 21" x
17" and 10" deep. The wall of the Halo is 1" thick at the edges,
thickening to 4" at the rear. It is attached to a minimal metal
framework and is tangibly lighter than most of the competition.
The Halo and microphone are held in place by Aston's easymount hardware. This mounting system is made up of only
three parts in addition to the Halo itself. There is a a quickrelease mic arm and two threaded screw mounts that fit inside

Aston Microphones Halo
A mic isolation device that's truly like no other
Back in our April 2016 issue we introduced readers to
Aston Microphones. Based in the UK, Aston came into being
with the goal of creating a microphone line that (with the
exception of Asian-sourced capsules) was built and crafted
entirely on British shores.
Their first model was the Origin, which offered a unique
look, build, and design-complete with a tumbled stainless
steel body and an unprecedented flexible head grille. As I discovered in my April 2015 review, the Origin boasts its own
unique sound rather than just being another "me too" clone,
and yet it compares quite favorably with many of the old
standbys and industry standards. Its $250 price tag makes it
one of the best entry-level mic choices on the market.
In a forthcoming issue we will be reviewing the Origin's
multi-pattern big brother, the Spirit. In this issue focused on
capturing bands, we're looking (well... staring, actually) at
Aston's other new product, the Halo.
A new take on mic isolation
The Halo is a new take on the portable vocal booth concept,
often known as a reflection filter, or in sE Electronics-speak, a
Reflexion Filter. I bring up sE because the first Reflexion Filter was
an sE product, spawning a wave of imitations and variations.
What you might not know is that Aston Microphones' James Young
was one of the original designers of the sE Reflexion Filter during
his tenure with said company. With that in mind, it is not at all surprising that he would come up with his own version for Aston.
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RECORDING AUGUST 2016

of each other to attach the Halo to a mic stand and allow the
Halo to be adjusted back and forth for depth.
In use
Taking the Halo out of its large shipping box, its purple pod-like
look is a bit startling. It actually looks like an HR Giger-designed

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - August 2016