Aston MicrophonesCondenser Microphone, XLR (Element Bundle)

There are a number of benefits to having a dynamic mic.There are a number of benefits to having a condenser mic.There are a number of downsides to both, unfortunately.And that is why Aston combined the best of all words and kept the benefits of both a moving coil AND a FET condenser, while removing as many aspects of both that don't benefit the workflow of a discerning engineer. People often complain that condensers sound great, but pick up FAR too much environmental noise. Well, here's the solution. A condenser that works REALLY well while rejecting off axis information really well. It takes 48v / Phantom Power, and has a lovely glowing purple Aston logo on it that helps you to discern when it's safe to pull out the cable and when it's not. That solves a huge problem with the majority of Condenser microphones; when is it safe to pull out? Well, with this mic you'll never have to question it.And about sound quality...It's tops! Fantastic sound reproduction. It has a very unique sound; I've never heard a capsule sound quite like it. It's definitely something that, once you know, you know. It is definitely worth your time and for less than 200$, you're guaranteed to be impressed. It has great bandwidth for vocals, overheads, room mics, guitar cabs, bass cabs, all manner of instruments. Throw it on anything and you'll likely be pleased you did!

I have a few Aston mics and really like all of them. Great sturdy well designed products at decent prices!

This microphone caught my attention as it’s simply different- admittedly charmed by the marketing story/ description of how this microphone is designed differently with a unique capsule. I’m also familiar with the company making some great sounding desirable mics- so why not.I somehow pulled off getting this when it was seventy dollars- which is a reasonable price in my opinion. The microphone picks up a large portion of the audio spectrum that may not always be desirable. The high end is generally not an issue with the pop filter in place, but the low end this microphone reproduces up close can be overwhelming.If the microphone had a high-pass filter switch to cut decibels below 120-60hz, it’d be ideal.Its odd the claim this microphone was tested/developed by a number of amateurs and pros- yet somehow the low end boominess was acceptable- as I’m not the only one experiencing this phenomenon.It’s tricky to recommend any mic other than please stop over paying and over using those shure microphones! There’s nothing innovative, sophisticated, useful or ‘new’ that’d justify what7b prices.Microphones are like an instrument and part of the creative process is to work with the particular characteristics and hopefully make it jive with what one is capturing. And this microphone captures a lot- which simply requires a hint of eq to work with. I’m happy with it for what it’s worth. Word

It sounds very bassy, i would say that if you are planning to have this microphone in your studio as the 'everything'' mic, then look somewhere else.but as a secondary mic IT WORKS PRETTY GOOD! it has a very specific sound

First, a little perspective on my review... I have 30 years in the recording industry. I've worked with all types of microphones from the major players, smaller boutique companies, and plenty of budget mics along the way.The most important thing I can tell you is that there is no PERFECT microphone. I don't care if it's the $10,000 Neumann, or a sub $200 Aston. What works on MY voice/guitar, in MY studio, through MY equipment, in MY space, may not be the right thing for you, in your studio, on your session, etc....There are too many variables that will make what was perfect for last weeks recording task irrelevant today.I can tell you that the Aston Element has so many things to offer that would normally be found in the $500-$1000 or more mics. I have not used the Element on a session yet, but I can tell you that in my initial testing with some simple voice and guitar recordings, this mic performs as exactly as described. Having characteristics of the three typical mic designs, Dynamic, Condenser and Ribbon.That itself is simply astounding, given the price at which this mic is offered....If you are taking the time to read this, I'm sure you've seen the many videos/reviews reporting that the mic is "too bassy", "bad for voice", not good "for podcasting". Dear podcasters: STOP! You're embarrassing yourself! Do a little homework and learn about mic designs! Yes, if you cram a cardioid microphone right up on your mouth, especially one with the extended bottom end of the Aston Element, the lower frequencies will be exaggerated. So easy to fix with a high pass filter, or moving the mic back a bit. If you can't do that(maybe your preamp's too noisy, or your room sucks?), then you should probably look for a cheap mic with less bass and top end that sounds like nails on the chalkboard! But please stop promoting this as some kind of a flaw!For me, I'll be integrating this into a collection of mics which include many expensive industry standard mics. Why? Because NONE of those mics can do exactly what the Aston Element does. And we should ALL be thankful that we live in an age when this kind of innovation and engineering exists. Engineers often joke about the $100 Shure SM57 being their"desert island mic", and it's definitely an amazing workhorse. But I can easily say my new "desert island mic" is the Aston Element. The day my Element arrived I ordered a second one....An absolute game changer....Kudos to Sole Source AV Supply and UPS for super fast shipping and delivery.....

I can’t say enough about this Microphone. It’s by far the best medium price point mix in the market. The solid state engineering and the high, airy sound make this one of the best recording setups I’ve ever had. You can’t tell I’m not in a studio when I use this. If you’re trying to find your way into professional recording, start here.