Recording - October 2016 - 28

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

Audio-Technica needs little introduction in the microphone
world. Mike Metlay does a great job of highlighting a few of
their most famous products on page 10 of this issue. A-T offers
something for every miking need and situation, with no fewer
than twelve product lines under the company umbrella! Most
recently we looked at the BP40 Large-Diaphragm Dynamic
Broadcast Microphone in our December 2015 issue; before
that (in February 2015) we looked at the second model in the
ultra-high-end 50 Series, the instrument-focused AT5045. In
keeping with this instrument-focused trend, this month we look
at the two newest dynamic mics from Audio-Technica.

Audio-Technica AE2300
and ATM230 Dynamic Instrument Mics
Two great solutions for drum and guitar cabinet miking from a respected maker

AE2300
First up is the AE2300, the newest of the company's high
end Artist Elite series of mics for studio and stage. With the
exception of the BP40, this is Audio-Technica's highest-end
dynamic instrument microphone, and it's small, fast and mighty.
Compared to most dynamic instrument mics on the market,
the AE2300 is quite compact, measuring just 3.8" long and
1.1" at its widest. The capsule features the company's proprietary double-dome diaphragm. This design increases the
diaphragm's surface area and gives the mic improved highfrequency behavior and a super-fast transient response.
The mic has a narrow brass body that blooms out into the
head grille assembly, finished in "A-T Gray" with perforated
metal grille work similar to that on the AT5045. It is a frontaddress microphone with a multi-layered black metal grille.
The AE2300 has a trick up its sleeve-a small lowpass filter
switch. No, that's not a typo! Most condenser mics have a highpass filter to cut rumble, but the AE2300's lowpass filter is meant
to help tame the strident highs, hiss, and bite often found in guitar
amps. It starts to roll off the highs at about 5 kHz and above. The
switch is recessed and 90% of the time will be hidden safely
behind the included AT8471 isolation stand clamp.
Speaking of which, once again Audio-Technica exhibits its
expertise in microphone mounting technology. The AT8471 is
ultra-rugged with a comfortable screw clamp that holds the mic
tight and secure. The AE2300 also ships with a lined vinyl
pouch.
Specs and sound
The AE2300 is a cardioid dynamic microphone with the following specs: frequency response of 60 Hz to 20 kHz, sensitivity of -57 dB (1.4 mV) referenced to 1 V at 1 Pa, and a
250 Ω impedance.
It has a solid low end, with slight boost from 150 Hz down
to 100 Hz, below which it gently rolls off. Its mid section is
fairly even up to 1 kHz. It gently rises to a sharp 8 dB peak at
5 kHz, with a 2 dB dip at 10 kHz followed by a 2 dB boost
around 13 kHz and then rolling off.
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RECORDING OCTOBER 2016

The AE2300 has lots of subtle differences from the three common dynamic instrument mics I compared it to: the Shure
SM57, Audix i5, and Telefunken M80. It is more solidly weighted in the lows than the SM57 or M80, and while its low-end
capture is similar to the i5's, it does not sound as bass-forward
due to the i5's mid scoop. Its mids are similar in fullness to the
M80 and SM57, but its upper mids do not peak as soon as the
SM57's, so it lacks the nasal SM57 punch. On the top end it's
more open-sounding than SM57 or i5, but it's not as highforward as the M80. As with most mic choices, these variances
are not good or bad, merely different colors. Each mic would
be fine as your one and only dynamic mic with a touch of EQ.
In use
Over the past few months I have been using a pair of AE2300
mics in the studio and in live recording situations on various guitar setups. These include a Fender Princeton, a restored vintage
Fender 1959 Bassman, a Tweed Peavey Classic 30, a Marshall
tube combo amp, and an Egnater Tweaker 40 head with a
Celestion Vintage 30-equipped guitar cabinet.
In each instance the words that come to mind are versatile and
controlled. A major part of the AE2300 design is its neutral off-axis
response, which maintains its sound well and just gets lower in volume rather than the muddy off-axis sound of many dynamic mics.
On guitar amps the AE2300 offers a nicely controlled open
tone with a mid smoothness that works great on everything
from clean jangly surf tones to big bombastic crunchy metal
tones. It pairs beautifully with ribbon mics like the ubiquitous
Royer R-121 and the new RØDE NTR (reviewed on page 46).
Since most instrumentally-focused dynamics also excel as percussion mics, I gave the AE2300 a whirl on snare. I found it a
bit too thick and even for my tastes. It lacked the open crisp
sound of the M80 and the well-known crack of the SM57.
While it was most similar to the i5 in the upper and lower frequencies, this is where the i5's mid scoop helps tame snare ring
and buildup. Getting very specific, I liked the AE2300 best on
snare when used to capture vintage 1940s-style jazz tones,
especially with the snare wires off. I will mention that its lowpass
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - October 2016
