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Aston Spirit Test
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Jason Huggins
The Gates of Troy


Joined: 12 Aug 2011
Posts: 1846
Location: In the souls of a million jeans

PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:46 am    Post subject: Aston Spirit Test Reply with quote

Well...this one isn't for me. It is a good sounding mic, but the noise is definitely not all in the low end. When I record raw there is a very audible hiss through the whole recording. It isn't even worth putting test files together. Didn't take long for me to hear the difference and say nope Smile

For music it might be great, but for VO...probably not the greatest pick. Shame. The price is great...but that is irrelevant when your ears say no.
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DenaliDave
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Joined: 09 Jan 2016
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Location: Anchorage, Alaska

PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 9:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well that is indeed a shame!

Warm Audio has it's own 87-style mic coming out in December. If they've done as good of a job with that as their other products, it should be a good product at a good price.

http://www.warmaudio.com/wa87

Quote:
Fairchild FETs, tantalum, polystyrene, and WIMA film capacitors, and is rounded off with a Cinemag USA output transformer.


The only thing I can say about that is the D87 I commissioned to have made for me also has a Cinnemag output transformer, but uses Styroflex capacitors. According to the GroupDIY community when discussing which (WIMA or Styroflex):

Quote:
Styroflex are very fine in EQ, and maybe the best ever made...


I think it's going to come down to the capsule quality and how it's "tuned" with the voltage and everything. Warm says they are using a:

Quote:
Lens Kondensator custom reproduction of the classic K-87 dual backplate/dual diaphragm capsule, as found in early ‘87 mics.


Now THAT got my attention. The capsule used in mine is the RK-87 from microphone-parts.com. One reviewer said they had an actual U87ai and needed to replace their capsule and couldn't tell the difference after using the replacement part. The capsule is just a part of the equation, the circuit board itself feeding the voltage plays a very, very big part (as well as the output transformer and capacitors).

So, the Warm WA-87 might be something to watch, but you can't get custom powder coated finishes from them! cool
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FinMac
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Joined: 14 Jan 2013
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Jason for confirming what I suspected, it is too noisy for VO. Or at least the one you got.

Thanks for saving a lot of us some time Smile
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Jason Huggins
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting indeed! Got a price idea yet?
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FinMac
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:26 am    Post subject: Here it is Reply with quote

Think the price for the Warm WA87 will be around $ 599

SOS has an interview with someone from Warm Audio on YouTube talking about their 87ish mic. Here is the link...

http://youtu.be/tnAezXDvdhQ
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DenaliDave
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep...$599. It's available for preorder on Sweetwater right now.

I'm going to predict it'll sound just as good as the D87 GroupDIY build I have, but everyone will rant and rave about Warm's.

People turned up their noses at my D87 clone mic, but will laud the WA-87 because...well, it's the internet. LOL Laugh
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Jason Huggins
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It does however have 15dB self noise...so it could be just as noisy...or not depending on where the noise is Smile
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Bish
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

After the deep rat-hole about noise measurement in another thread, it's good to hear some first-hand info about the Aston mics. The numbers are not particularly good at all, but it's good to hear that confirmed by an ear test!

It's a shame because otherwise it looks like an interesting mic. If this was for the Spirit (which quotes 14dbA noise), I'd still be interested in hearing about the Origin (which quotes 18dBA noise)... going by your report on the Spirit and the relative numbers, it should sound like constant frying bacon!
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Jason Huggins
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 11:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I sure wouldn't expect it to be cleaner Smile It did sound pretty decent...but if you can actually hear the noise then it's not gonna fly. I am interested in the WA87, but Sweetwater is going to start hating me.
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DenaliDave
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Joined: 09 Jan 2016
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 12:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jason Huggins wrote:
I sure wouldn't expect it to be cleaner Smile It did sound pretty decent...but if you can actually hear the noise then it's not gonna fly. I am interested in the WA87, but Sweetwater is going to start hating me.


And just to confuse you even more, Stam Audio is another maker of high-end replica gear has their own '87 flavored mic:

http://www.stamaudio.com/sa87.html

Quote:
The Heiserman Audio HK- 87 capsule is based on a 1960's vintage set of original back plates which offers a much more vintage tone than current offerings, it uses brass rings to hold down the Mylar and nylon screws to isolate the capsule halves. Unlike other similar offerings that feature Chinese made capsules all of these are 100% hand made by Eric Heiserman in the USA and are professionally skinned with DuPont Mylar in Chicago.

The SA-87 features premium Vishay capacitors on the audio path as well as polystyrene capacitors, which are more stable and much more linear in the top end making them the perfect choice for feedback circuitry.

The SA-87 also features a CineMag CM-13313 output transformer with a 9.5 to 1 ratio which closely resembles the original Neumann transformer. Optional Sowter 1303f transformer is also available.


Right now on Gearslutz the owner is having people listen and compare two different output transformers to determine which one will be used.

It seems that the GroupDIY people's idea has taken hold with actual manufactures and they're now mass-producing these high-end clones.

It's fun to compare Stam and Warm's product info, as they both claim to have superior parts ... In the end though, they're both just doing the GroupDIY build...
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Lance Blair
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Joined: 03 Jun 2007
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 12:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh yeah! Get a Warm Mic and a Warm preamp!

http://www.warmaudio.com/wa87
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Philip Banks
Je Ne Sais Quoi


Joined: 20 Jun 2005
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 1:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Aston mic = Somewhere in the world a 1959 Land Rover is missing a tail pipe.
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DenaliDave
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 10:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Philip Banks wrote:
Aston mic = Somewhere in the world a 1959 Land Rover is missing a tail pipe.


Is that how the guys from Top Gear got their's so cheap?! I KNEW it! Laugh
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Bish
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Joined: 22 Nov 2009
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 11:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You say that as if the idea of talking into a 1959 Land Rover tail pipe is a bad thing.

I've done worse Smile
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Bish a.k.a. Bish
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todd ellis
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PostPosted: Tue Nov 08, 2016 7:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

i've talked into worse.
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