AEA N22 NUVO Stereoset – Active ribbon microphone for near field

AEA’s N22 delivers clarity and balance in frequency response, even when positioned just a few centimeters away from the source, and prevents room sound from being picked up.
It can stand alone in a mix due to its extended top end without the need to mix additional microphone signals.

It has a treble boost at 3 kHz, making it ideal for recording vocals, electric guitar, bass cabinets, kick drum, acoustic guitar and drums.
The N22 naturally reduces proximity effect and cuts low frequencies before they hit the ribbon. It produces a completely different sound than an electronic equalization that subsequently cuts the low frequencies.
With conventional ribbon microphones, the proximity effect can be so strong that it masks the mids, which is extremely difficult to correct.

Designed to be positioned between 1 and 16 inches away from the sound source, the N22 not only handles the sound pressure levels of a high-gain amp and kick drum with ease, but also transmits all the gritty detail of an instrument that musicians are looking for.

With active electronics and a special transformer, the N22 offers 12dB of additional output and more preamp flexibility than traditional passive ribbon microphones.
The microphone uses the same custom transformer found in AEA’s A440 and R84A microphones.
Although the microphone sounds great with an AEA preamp optimized for ribbon, it does not require a high impedance, high gain preamp to be used properly.
The active circuit also prevents noise and interference on long cable runs and in the vicinity of large lighting systems.