The R84 series quickly endears itself to engineers and musicians due to its remarkably expansive frequency range complete with sweeping highs and booming lows.

The R84’s balanced and manageable proximity effect just feet away from the source bolsters the low end of vocals, drums, and brass. With a ribbon mic as multi-purpose, lightweight, and maneuverable as the R84, it is well-suited for both close-up and ambient mic applications.

The R84A retains the same sonic character of the R84 but offers an additional 12dB of output and a stable impedance giving it even more flexibility when used with quiet sources and any preamp.

For those who cannot always have the right preamp available, AEA offers the Active R84A (formerly known as the A840), a premium version of the R84 complete with JFET electronics and the same custom transformer used in our active R44. It’s basically an R84 with a built-in preamp.

The activeR84Amic retains the same sonic character of the R84, but with an additional 12dB of output and a stable impedance. This gives a consistent frequency response and greater flexibility with different preamps, including those found in audio interfaces for personal computers. This is great for on-the-road musicians who might have to use a different preamp each night.

The extra 12db of output is a huge help when recording quiet sources like vocals and soft acoustic guitars. The active circuitry also prevents noise, interference on long cable runs or when operating near large lighting rigs. The R84A requires standard 48-volt phantom power to operate the active circuitry. The R84A also possesses an 18-carrot, gold-plated grill.