AEA The Ultimate Stereo Kit (TUSK) || PLEASE NOTE: This new-release item will be shipping August 26rd, once it arrives on our shelves. 

The Ultimate Stereo Kit (or T.U.S.K.) combines two of AEA’s most powerful creative tools to help you reach the apex of stereo recording. By pairing the natural clarity of the passive R88mk2 with the high-impedance, high-gain musicality of the TRP2,  T.U.S.K. delivers the essential setup for recording organic, expansive stereo sound. Everything you need comes in a premium, durable hard case: the mic, the preamp, accessories, and The New Stereo Soundbook. Co-authored by Ron Streicher and F. Alton Everest, this book is the definitive, comprehensive treatise on stereo recording. With T.U.S.K. at your disposal, you wield the finest stereo recording rig this world has ever heard.

R88mk2

• Features two Big Ribbons in a fixed Blumlein and mid-side configuration
• Astonishingly open and natural sound
• Far-field ribbon mic designed to retain low end and top end at a distance
• Passive, stereo version of the Active, Mono N8

TRP2

• Two channels with 85dB of sweet and quiet JFET gain
• Switchable phantom-power, polarity reverse, and high-pass filter
• 63k ohm high-impedance circuitry providing better overall transients, frequency response, and higher output sensitivity
• Switching power supply for easy use in any country

The stereo R88mk2 ribbon mic captures sound as your ears hear it, with an honest and open tonality. The R88 effortlessly records complex sources like drums, strings, piano, and other instruments that produce intricate transients, harsher highs, and bellowing lows.

• Features two Big Ribbons™ in a fixed Blumlein and mid-side configuration
• Astonishingly open and natural sound
• Far-field ribbon mic designed to retain low end and top end at a distance
• Stereo version of the AEA N8
• Made in the U.S.A.

A STEREO MICROPHONE LIKE YOUR OWN EARS - The stereo R88 captures a space as it sounds live and in person, with all the present subtlety and nuance. Its expansive frequency response and balanced low end make it superbly effective when capturing the full breadth of sound from the back of a room or above a drum set.  Alongside the mono AEA N8, it boasts the widest frequency range of any mic in the AEA lineup and effortlessly manages more complex source audio like drums, strings, piano, and other instruments that produce intricate transients, harsher highs, and bellowing lows. The Blumlein configuration of the ribbons allows for a sweeping range of perspective, so an entire ensemble and room can be captured by the R88 alone.

THE ENGINEER’S SECRET WEAPON - The R88mk2 is the engineer’s secret weapon, offering a level of detail and balance in recording like no other microphone available. Packaged in a sleek, five-pound black shell designed for quick setup, it’s an excellent choice for remote recording. Particularly well suited for the rock, roots, classical, Americana and jazz genres, the R88mk2 has such versatility that engineers like John Cuniberti use it as their one mic to capture an entire band performing live in the same room. There is a reason that legendary Blackbird Studios in Nashville owns five R88s.

“The R88 is the most realistic mic iIve ever used. I still get confused if during playback the piano is coming out of the speakers or if the pianist is still playing in the room.” - Jon Castelli (Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Kesha)

A Rich History - The design of the R88mk2 borrows from serious stereo recording tradition. In 1931, EMI engineer Alan Blumlein invented stereo recording by demonstrating the natural reproduction of the soundstage in one of the Abbey Road studios in London. Today, Blumlein’s XY coincident recording technique lives on in the AEA R88mk2, which uses two figure-of-8 ribbons for producing an authentic representation of a performance. The pair of elements are angled in perfect phase at 90 degrees and mounted in close proximity to each other along the vertical axis of the microphone. As an alternative to Blumlein’s technique, the microphone can also be used for mid-side (MS) stereo, providing excellent mono compatibility and full control over the width of the stereo image. Either way, the R88mk2 is so easy to use that any recording novice can do it. Simply choose where to place the mic and hit record. It’s that easy.

A FAR-FIELD RIBBON FOR CREATIVE RECORDING - As a stereo far-field ribbon microphone, the R88mk2 was designed to capture balanced sound from long distances. Sound sources should be measured in feet rather than inches away from the mic. From 16 inches to 20 feet, the mic retains its full spectrum and incredible low end. When positioned closer than 16 inches, the mic adds proximity effect. When carefully used, this proximity effect can beef up thin sounds — either voices or instruments. Don’t worry about loud sources, either. The R88mk2 can handle 165+ dB SPL at 1 kHz allowing you to position it up-close to avoid room tone if needed. It will not be hurt by loud sources and can be positioned against a stereo guitar amp and other loud instruments.

Technical Specifications

AEA TRP2 Ribbon Microphone Preamplifier

The AEA TRP2 preamp provides two channels of high-output, high-impedance, and low-noise gain in a half-rack package with a rich and natural sound that brings out the full potential of your microphones.

• Two channels with 85dB of sweet and quiet JFET gain
• Switchable phantom-power, polarity reverse, and high-pass filter
• 63k ohm high-impedance circuitry providing better overall transients, frequency response, and higher output sensitivity
• Optimized for ribbon mics, condensers, and dynamics
• Switching power supply for easy use in any country
• 1U half-rack with optional hardware for mounting one or two units together
• Made in the U.S.A.

Professional Features in a Compact Package - The TRP2 is AEA’s second iteration of the high-performance TRP preamp with the addition of new features including phantom power, optional rack ears, and a switching power supply. Polarity reverse switches for ensuring proper polarity throughout the recording chain and switchable 100 Hz, 12 dB per octave low-frequency filters allow you to tame proximity problems. The TRP2 includes switchable phantom power that is capable of powering condensers and active ribbons. For engineers concerned about phantom power hurting their passive ribbons, there is phantom power kill switch, known as No Blow Mode, located internally within the unit that easily deactivates 48V from ever turning on.

A UNIVERSAL POWER SUPPLY - An external switching power supply with a grounded AC plug is used with the TRP2 so hum fields can be kept away from the high-gain electronics. The power supply allows the TRP2 to be used in any country without any modifications made to the unit.

Technical Specifications