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Jason Huggins
The Gates of Troy
Joined: 12 Aug 2011
Posts: 1846
Location: In the souls of a million jeans
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 Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:46 am Post subject: Aston Spirit Test |
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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 
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
Club 300
Joined: 09 Jan 2016
Posts: 307
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 9:34 am Post subject: |
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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! 
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FinMac
Lucky 700
Joined: 14 Jan 2013
Posts: 707
Location: In a really cool place...Finland!
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:19 am Post subject: |
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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
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www.scottsvoiceover.com - An American voice in Finland
"If you want to get to the top, you have to get off your bottom". (Unknown) |
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Jason Huggins
The Gates of Troy
Joined: 12 Aug 2011
Posts: 1846
Location: In the souls of a million jeans
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:20 am Post subject: |
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| Interesting indeed! Got a price idea yet? |
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FinMac
Lucky 700
Joined: 14 Jan 2013
Posts: 707
Location: In a really cool place...Finland!
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:26 am Post subject: Here it is |
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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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www.scottsvoiceover.com - An American voice in Finland
"If you want to get to the top, you have to get off your bottom". (Unknown) |
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DenaliDave
Club 300
Joined: 09 Jan 2016
Posts: 307
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:37 am Post subject: |
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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 
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"The wise ones fashioned speech with their thought, sifting it as grain is sifted through a sieve." - Buddha
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Jason Huggins
The Gates of Troy
Joined: 12 Aug 2011
Posts: 1846
Location: In the souls of a million jeans
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:43 am Post subject: |
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| It does however have 15dB self noise...so it could be just as noisy...or not depending on where the noise is |
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Bish
3.5 kHz
Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Posts: 3738
Location: Lost in the cultural wasteland of Long Island
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 10:43 am Post subject: |
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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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Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls. |
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Jason Huggins
The Gates of Troy
Joined: 12 Aug 2011
Posts: 1846
Location: In the souls of a million jeans
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 11:39 am Post subject: |
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| I sure wouldn't expect it to be cleaner 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
Club 300
Joined: 09 Jan 2016
Posts: 307
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
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| Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2016 12:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Jason Huggins wrote: | | I sure wouldn't expect it to be cleaner 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
M&M
Joined: 03 Jun 2007
Posts: 2281
Location: Atlanta
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Philip Banks
Je Ne Sais Quoi
Joined: 20 Jun 2005
Posts: 11074
Location: Portgordon, Scotland
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 1:31 am Post subject: |
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| Aston mic = Somewhere in the world a 1959 Land Rover is missing a tail pipe. |
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DenaliDave
Club 300
Joined: 09 Jan 2016
Posts: 307
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 10:12 am Post subject: |
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| 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!
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"The wise ones fashioned speech with their thought, sifting it as grain is sifted through a sieve." - Buddha
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Bish
3.5 kHz
Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Posts: 3738
Location: Lost in the cultural wasteland of Long Island
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 11:40 am Post subject: |
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You say that as if the idea of talking into a 1959 Land Rover tail pipe is a bad thing.
I've done worse
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Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls. |
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todd ellis
A Zillion
Joined: 02 Jan 2007
Posts: 10528
Location: little egypt
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| Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2016 7:54 am Post subject: |
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i've talked into worse.
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"i know philip banks": todd ellis
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