Kind of like a Sennheiser MD 421 with no bleed or an Electro-Voice RE20 with more detail in the top. Some of you may remember that Zach Saginaw of Shigeto is a long-time client and main homie of mine. I love this microphone. The prototype I initially received differed slightly aesthetically from the production model that arrived months later, but even so, you could see the physical resemblance to its inspiration, the RCA BK-5A [#65]. Seriously! The KU5A combines classic 'ribbon mic' tone with a supercardioid pickup pattern and stage-ready robustness — but it ain't cheap. I feel the same way about AEA – there aren't a lot of audio manufacturers I can say that about! The latest mic to emerge from AEA's Pasadena HQ is a unidirectional ribbon that is designed to be robust, has the number 5 in its name and is housed in a large cylindrical metal body with radio DJ-style yoke suspension. The on-axis frequency chart is also cheerfully uneven, with a peak at 2kHz, a dip around 4.5kHz and a fairly steep roll-off from about 9kHz upwards. Oh, and there's also a 6 dB/oct high-pass filter at 283 Hz. The luxury of knowing exactly what a mic will do, and not do, and using it not only to capture a performance, but also to front load the sonicprocess as I move forward on a recording, is priceless to me. No-one knows more about RCA microphones than Wes Dooley, the founder of AEA. Super impressive! The only thing I didn't love it on was piano. The KU5A is thus optimised for use close up and on loud sources, with a maximum SPL of 135 or 141 dB depending on whether you believe the spec sheet or AEA's website. There's enough proximity effect to be useful on thin-sounding vocalists, but not so much that you need to put the high-pass filter on for all close-miking situations. The R84 and original RCA 44 (now the AEA R44C) share the same Big Ribbon element, transformer and other mechanical elements by design. The very first time I used the KU5A it was actually a prototype. It also allowed us to do some significant position and EQ adjustments via mic placement due to the tight polar pattern and the high-pass filter. It's rad to see a company like AEA isn't content resting on its laurels and is still offering something new and innovative that excels sonically, while addressing serious problems in both the studio and live worlds. He was so fast that it was a challenge for me to make tracks quick enough! That, of course, is your call, but what I can be pretty sure of is that if you do get a KU5A, it won't spend much time sitting idle. They are both dynamic singers, and obviously the nylon guitar is a different animal than the steel string. It took compression well without increasing bleed or any perceptible noise floor. (Indeed, we often assume today that ribbon mics are universally dark and smooth, but unidirectional models all tend to be brighter and more mid-rangey.). We double mic'd his sax for these shows. Because of these features, its lightweight, smaller footprint, and inconspicuous appearance (TV gray!) Also impressive was the tolerance to Joey's head movements. Matt started Micparts a few years ago... A few months ago, Blue Rock studios in Wimberley, Texas hosted a shootout of several microphones geared toward lead vocals. Super gratifying. The most famous of RCA's unidirectional ribbon mics are probably the iconic 77, with its mechanically switchable patterns, and the rare KU3A 'skunk mic', one of the best ribbon mics ever made. While the above are great examples of the KU5A's flexibility and prowess, vocal applications are where it shines brightest. Not everyone will appreciate the captive cable. At 20cm in length and 8cm in diameter, it's not a small mic, and it weighs in at a substantial 1.2kg, but the built-in yoke holds it securely over a reasonably wide angle of adjustment. It's no secret I'm a big fan of AEA microphones. As a near-field ribbon designed for close range recording, the KU5A delivers the low-end heft and pronounced midrange one expects of AEA ribbons and with moderate, manageable proximity effect. Recording Nate is a real joy; he's one of those guys that makes it easy. I used the KU5A on Joey Del Re's vocals. They captured sounds all over the city with artists Shigeto and Waajeed, and then brought on an all-star cast of Detroit's best to contribute. For those who don't know, the BK-5A was released in 1955 by RCA specifically for sound stage use in TV and film. Q. Anyhow, saxophonist Marcus Elliot is a total monster on his instrument; to call the guy lyrical is a disservice. On neither front does it score highly against today's mics, but what the BK5 does have is a very characteristic mid-forward sound. The results were profound – big, authoritative low end without being overbearing, and a transient response that can only be described as flattering; present and dry without sounding dead at all. The KU5A is, to be blunt, a better microphone in almost every respect, and a much smoother-sounding one. Their mic preamps, summing amps, and control room... Jim Williams: Behind the Gear with Audio Upgrades, Restoring the "Holy Grail of Compressors": Behind the Scenes at the Vintage King Tech Shop, From WWII Planes to Stax Consoles: Behind the Gear with Bill Cheney & the History of Spectra Sonics, Rich Williams: Behind the Gear with Burl Audio. Next up I threw the KU5A on vocals for the Young Supply session a few months back. When we did have problems, we were able to do very useful things with phase at both monitors and FOH on either mic to avert feedback issues. The band is playing mostly Zach's tunes, but the presentation is Ptah... era Alice Coltrane meets Eddie Henderson's Realization. As AEA’s first original design, many users have questions about its lineage and connection to the R44.. A Rich History. Figure of Eight Microphones in Near Co-incident Stereo ... Re: One Synth Challenge V - The Filter Strikes Back! They have always been part of every good studio's microphone locker, but in recent years, there have been several new ideas for what a ribbon mic can be.... Jim Williams has spent much of his 56 years working with some of the biggest names in the music business, including Frank Zappa, John McLaughlin and Stevie Wonder. If these guys made a vacuum cleaner I would buy it, so when Sammy, Charlene, and Wes of AEA started talking to me about this new supercardioid mic they were making, I immediately threw my hat into the ring as a beta tester for this secret mic. As you'd expect given AEA's pedigree and the cost of the mics, build quality is first-rate, and there's something pleasingly businesslike about the KU5A's chunky metal housing. All rights reserved. That leaves the question of whether the KU5A's uniqueness and smooth sound justify its cost. It has the most rejection of any ribbon ever. It has the most rejection of any ribbon ever. I've since worked with him a bunch as a producer and the vibe is equally as dialed and challenging – the last time during a tracking session for the staggeringly good Lulu Fall album. None. Advice on ceiling-suspended microphone arrays, Re: Need some advice on mixing reggae tracks. Inspired by RCA's BK5, AEA's latest mic combines classic ribbon tone with a supercardioid polar pattern. And to risk stating the obvious, it's also fixed in length, and I often found myself needing to extend it. On most other sources it delivers an instant '50s vibe which is more of a special effect than something you'd want to use all the time. Sonically I was blown away. Q. You know, the same as the old one, but totally different.The great folks at AEA have reinvented the wheel here with a beautiful ribbon sound, a gorgeous, natural high end, and insane rejection – it's less picky about preamps than other AEA mics as well.