Can we just take a moment to appreciate this glorious bastard who lovingly timestamps all of his (newer) reviews? Not to mention the consistent and rigerous testing for each of them. Easily my new favorite audio gear channel.
Before you do, please make sure you inform the world geological society so that they are able to turn off the seismographs while your voice hits the diaphragm and you rumble the earth.
I'm gonna go against the grain of most of the comments so far. I love the sound of it, given the price. Yes, there is waaaay too much bass in a close mic situation so the HPF is absolutely necessary. That said, the mid-range was smooth, the top end was articulate without ever being sibilant or harsh, or having any of the high end resonances common in condensers. Pulling out high end resonances from condensers with EQ can be a PITA and isn't always effective anyway. On the other hand, adding an HPF is pretty trivial. But yes, it's bassy AF
Yeah. I don't have the best ear and often people describe differences between mics that I can't swear to discern. But as soon as this video started it really sounded like someone turned the bass all the way up.
Okay, after listening to this video as well as Liberty Dude's recordings of this mic on the Podcastage Discord server, I can say that I'm not a fan at all of the tone of this mic. I like the smooth warm tone of a ribbon like anybody else, but the difference between this mic and most ribbons is that they're still somewhat natural sounding, whereas this is so V shaped it sounds like all the mids are just sucked into a gaping black hole never to be seen again. That's honestly what bothered me more than just the over abundance of low end, the complete lack of any mids to give this microphone any sort of real body to the sound. This mic to me sounds like what most people who have little experience with audio post production and a complete lack of faith in the natural sound of their own voice do when they first start recording any type of voice over, they just crank the bass up, cut the mids like crazy, and give a slight high end shelf boost thinking it makes them sound awesome when it just makes them sound unnatural and try hard.
You said, better than me, why it's a bad idea to democratize microphone design...Because that's exactly what probably happened when Aston threw this project at the community.
Thanks for the perfect demonstration tool. When asked, "what is the difference between a High Pass & a Low Cut filter?" I can use this video as a resource. High Pass: is applied to allow all the desirable frequencies to pass through. Used to eliminate low bass rumble, and mitigate the proximity effect. Low Cut: used to aggressively remove lows in a microphone with over pronounced low end. Yes! I know I just made that B.S. up. But after seeing a high pass applied at 500, I know I can sell that snake oil.
Fantastic review! Very Very well done! I have just one "critique" for the shootout, I personally would have preferred to hear each mic in their individual sweet spot, rather than the more clinical/objective 6" off. In this comparison the SM7b sounded pretty thin, but in my opinion (for VO) the SM7B sounds it's best about 2" off the end of the mic (particularly since the capsule is set so far back behind the cage). I would concede that 6" off for each mic feels more scientific, but I would argue that the practical best use distance for each mic is a more important piece of information in the real world. my 2 cents. But again, great review, I'm not just blowing smoke, I thought your attention to detail was phenomenal, talking around the whole mic to check off axis coloration stood out in particular.
Just bought mine! and i love it! In most cases, it's by no means the first go-to mic or the "one mic to rule them all", BUT it is however a great alternative to a ribbon mic in my honest opinion (especially since ribbon mics are so fragile). Meaning, it can supplement the low end for anything you would want to have more of in a recording. Maybe like an outside kick drum mic, a room mic, maybe even a guitar cabinet for that low mids woof if you wanted. Basically, i wouldn't use this on it's own in most cases. I also really wouldn't call it an entry level mic, as Aston says it is. BUT it is an awesome addition to an already stocked microphone locker, as you said. Awesome review as always!
I am one of those who tested it during the design phase, I own one.. and I am so disappointed with the result! This mic is boomy and the V shaped tuning make it unusable without a huge use of high pass filters in post, your review is absolutely correct! Actually I bought it directly online talking by email with a very kind commercial department of Aston in UK, with an affordable price, hoping to get a kind of ribbon mic but.. yes, a kind of.. Last but not least, the mic has been made in china... that's why this is the mic of the people as the claim... Yeah, affordable (not that much) but a crap! Anyway I preferred to pay 15% more having an High pass filter in it, and a more controlled and tuned preamp inside. As usually, a perfect review Bandrew! :-)
your videos helped me decide on an entry level audio recording set up for my gaming needs. cant thank you enough!! keep the sticker smashing, box tossing days going strong Bandrew!
Okay think about it. It has a proximity effect. So what it sounds to bass heavy up close. But it might be perfekt to capture audio with a distance. So if you want to record something with a little more ambience, this might be a fine balanced mic! Also, darker mics usally cut nicely through a pop mix.
I absolutely love your videos, this channel is truly one of a kind!! I have a request, and I know this might be a lot to ask for, but a box throwing compilation to end off the year would be AMAZINGGGGGG
Erick. I hate to break the news to you....but I already have all my box throws of the year clipped and I’m making that a video to wrap up the year. Hahahaha.
dude one hell of a review.... if everyone in everything was this through our world would be a better place lol. nice job and this helps a lot just got this mic today for 200 at GC.
This is so weird. I trust Podcastage so much and their reviews are so thorough and professional. Had I watched this review two weeks ago I may well not have bought the Aston Element. However, I did buy it, I've tried it and all I can say is that I don't have this wild bass problem that you seem to be suffering unless my nose is practically touching the mic, which your video shows you aren't. No post processing required for me here, the sound is balanced and a fair reflection I think. I've also know of people in the recording industry who think this microphone is amazing. Maybe it's my/your voice, maybe yours is a duff mic, maybe it's different interfaces, I don't know. The review itself looked just as professional as any other you've done.
Weird, I came back to this review just now and actually I disagree with what I've written above, in that I don't think there's anything wrong with the tone in your microphone. I actually rather like it and to me it suits your voice nicely. This mic may not be perfect but it's been great so far for me. One thing that I don't like is that it's clearly for people starting out or for those on a budget, yet is really sensitive to bad room acoustics. Personally I think Aston should have been more aware of people recording in bad rooms. I wouldn't be surprised if the blind tests were done in ideal studio conditions.
Interesting take on this. Aston tried to do something new which I like. But I’m inclined to think it’s safer to invest in two mics rather than trying to combine dynamic and condenser. Although it is a very unique mic.
The whole time I was watching this, I kept thinking “just back off the mic a little”. 6 inches away is not written in stone. Every mic has a sweet spot.
Excellent review as usual. The details you discussed were very useful. Interesting that Aston folks did not have available the overall specs available to compare and contrast. It is a deal breaker for me. Never the less, thank you for your cool and funny as hell review.
I actually really like this on your voice. Guitar Center is blowing them out and I just got a brand new one with the shock mount and pop screen for $49.
I’ve had one on order for most of this year... it might be because I’m watching this on an iPad but it sounded ok to me and the bass sounded about right. Certainly had more range than the cheaper and same priced mics. Currently I’m just using the Blue Pro which does a good job for podcast and the occasional song, has a wide figure of eight which is very handy
I have an Aston Origin and I love it for what it is, a condenser large diafragm mic. It's quite "lazy" in the need of lots of gain - but all that fixed, it's a wonderful mic. This sounds way to bassy.
@Bataclan the ride I bought a 3 a year ago and I use them as an outside Kick mic and for Drum overheads they are incredible!! It also works on a bunch of other things and has the smoothness of a ribbon with the clarity of a condenser mic. Cheers!
really cool/deep review, thanks I truly have appreciated the effect given when the mouth is half way of both sides of the mic, it will be ued in some songs, for sure. By the way, oon my laptop I heard some "s" (sibilant) quite more than I am used too, would you say it'd need a bit of eq/de essing at some point ? thank you.
Came across this used online and viola, you already did a review on it. I actually liked this mic for your voice. I wouldnt mind using it. With post processing in the doobily doo.
I pre-ordered this at the $150 price. It just arrived today and I'm not sure if I even want to open it with that sound. On headphones the bass is overpowering. I use a Rode Procaster and only put a 80 Hz high pass on it to make sure there's no room rumble and clean it up a bit. I have a Stealth and like it for other people. My wife likes the V2 setting on her. I might just return this before I open it.
nice vid :) But dont worry, the m160 can have phantom power. All modern ribbons, at least for Beyer (I talked a lot to the sales rep) and the Royer, they have transformer to prevent the phantom killing the ribbon. All modern ribbons "should" have that (made in the last 10-20 years). Did you by accident make a comparison between the Aston Stealth and the Element?
As part of the Aston Family (Spirit in my mic locker already) I became one of the 4,000 developers for the "peoples mic". If I'm being honest, it's not what I voted for. Santa put one under my tree in 2020 and I was super hyped. Boxing Day it was mounted in my Ultrafonic Soundproof Vocal Booth and tested it...woooooooooooo very muddy and bassy and I already have a big, rich, deep voice. First shock was how Bassy it was in my headphones and I thought surely it won't sound that muddy on my TwistedWave DAW, but it did. I've let the purple light shine (indicating Phantom Power is on) for the holidays and recorded again this week and it has mellowed with some live hours on the juice. However It's still very much a Dark (like Darth Vader) Ribbon sound I'm getting with my Voice Overs. So far it's not what I signed on for as The Mandalorian would say. I will be talking to Aston directly soon.
One of my acoustic instruments from India could use a boost in the bass and sweet articulate extended highs, so maybe it's worth looking into this mic. I wouldn't dream of buying to get good tones out of my boomy Martin D-28, but if I had this mic I'd try it anyway to see if there's some unanticipated magic in it. 🤔
I went straight to your vid on the Mojave MA-201fet which it reminded me of for comparison, but confirmed that mic's a lot better balanced and less boxy in the bottom end. I can imagine this one would work for a vocalist standing a fair way back from it, Sinatra style.
Perfect and timely review. Rejected for our choir due to reverb and background noise. Yes, you are not funny, but we put up with it due to your handsomeness. You are El Gvapo - mostly.
As long as you can control the low end it's pretty nice sounding for the price... I personally think it's better for solo vocals, I might get one as a cheap streaming microphone
honestly, i like it on his voice. compared to the se, for my ears, the v7 was too bright for my liking and my ears felt it. my top picks for his voice from this video are the m160, procaster, element, king bee. i guess everything depends on your specific preferences.
I’m with you on that- I don’t think it is overly bass heavy for his voice & a less aggressive filter would be optional there. The v7 always seems a bit too nasally for my liking, but it isn’t a bad dynamic for the price. I would put the RE20, Earthworks Ethos & Austrian Audio (can’t recall model) also at the top, when it comes to suiting his voice really well. Would be great to see this mic against some more flat curve mics, just to see how scooped the kids may be too. I personally don’t think it is overdone in this mic.
I watch all your videos and love them. Generally, spot on with the pros/cons and overall thoughts. This is the first time I've felt inclined to comment and say holy crap, I agree, the mic sounds awful! The bass...just..jesus. HIGH PASS YES PLZ!
Oof this is arriving today. My voice has a lot of bass naturally and i will eq this for streams. Thanks for the review. I usually use a akg d5 this will be a different experience for sure
These are one of my favorite mics on a guitar cab. Other than the excessive low-end, it's a really balanced mic with no "hype", plus it's got a sh__load of output. With a steep low-cut, it reveals a really good midrange for heavy guitars, like dang-near perfect imo. I have several dynamics and none of them have midrange as pretty as the Element...it's so balanced, rich, creamy and smooth like a ribbon. I see this mic as a foundation for the typical dynamic mic choices: use this thing to thicken up your 57/58/i5/e609 without having to spend 400 bucks for an RE-20 or 1200 for a 121. If they remade this mic with a hi-pass, it'd be a modern legend. Think of it like the least expensive CARDIOID ribbon out there.....total Sleeper!
Holy cow! That mic is so extremely bassy. I can't picture a good use for it unless you're creating sub foley for film. As far as on spoken word, the most pleasant mics in order were the Shure SM7B, Beyerdynamic M160, Se Electronics V7.
I concur with @Art Vandelay. However, I would possibly use this as a generic mic for, say, online or podcast use. I could sit back in my chair and not have to get too close to the mic. It's cheap enough after all. The ribbon was my favourite. Thanks for yet another helpful review.
Dude, I just got a question from someone because of a review I did on the Element. I suggested he come watch your review and I decided to watch your review again. I actually liked you on the element more than the comparison mics. BUT, they may be because you began with the element? peace joe
Okey... si I'd like a review / comparison of this one with the Aspen Pittman DT1... I really like your reviews, they're funny!! I dig NEAT mics too (seems like you like the Kingbee ; I got 2 of them as drum overheads, plus a Workerbee). The Aston's pattern looks and sounds more like a super/hypercardioid to me...
Now that the Element is selling for a very inviting $79, I picked one up from Amazon just to test it for (singing) vocals. While I liked the sound quality, it had a fatal flaw for me: While this mic is billed as a cardioid, it’s closer to a figure 8 mic. It picks up way too much sound from the rear. As someone who sings and plays keyboards at the same time, this made it unusable for me because it picks up way too much room and keyboard noise. If that’s your use case, be forewarned.
To answer your question, the SM7b sounded best there. It's possible it has something to do with that being the main conduit your voice has used to reach me, but I listened to the comparisons with my eyes closed and didn't like any of the other ones. The SM7b is the only one of the group that sounded good (to me, on your voice).
Very interesting. I love the SM7b so I love hearing that but I was also quite keen on the M160. The v7 would be better at 3-inches as opposed to 6 and the King Bee was just a jarring shift from the bass heavy sound of the Aston. Good insight to have though. Thanks Shawn!
It will be my first phantom power mic. I like it and like the sound, the bass is gonna go out with hpf but is it good for vocals and voice overs? Like animation dialogues or radio shows
I have a suggestion for a video: I use the rode videomic Go, which is a microphone made for cameras, it has an audio jack, it is one of those mics that get on the top of the camera, it costs 60$ and it is mediocre at best. The point is, when you connect this thing to a camera, it acts like a normal camera mic, it picks up audio from all around, it is a shotgun mic so it kinda blocks audio from the sides but I believe it is made for vlogging so you can hear a lot of stuff, like background noises, but not electrical noise coming from the mic. But when I connect the audio jack to my pc, the audio changes completely. Instead of picking everything happening it acts like a dynamic mic and picks up only sounds that are very very close to the mic, it also sounds a lot better, I would compare it to the sm7b but the quality is worse. It also generates electronic noise but it just sounds good, it is so weird, anyway, what I wanted to say is, if you have time or you got no ideas one day, can you test this out, because nobody ever talks about this? Like, I dont understand how is this possible, it sounds like two totally different mics! It also sounds weird with my voice, I have to talk kinda loudly for it to hear me, it would be interesting to hear someone's else voice with this weird thingy, anyway, I love your videos, have a nice day!
I use an origin and I love that mic. However, I’m not a fan when Aston dips their toes into the dynamic world. To me this mic and the stealth are a bit muddy for my tastes.
Thanks for the review. So much hype from Aston about this mic. I guess the £159 price speaks for itself, what a disappointment! All other Aston mics sound much better and are made in UK
I wonder how that would sound as a kick drum mic? I'm thinking it could capture some nice resonate head tone which could be mixed in with something like an AKG D112.
I really don't get this mic. Like, the Stealth seems like a bit of an oddball for the mic world, but I get the utility of a dynamic with a good built in amp. I don't get who or what this is for.
The proximity effect on this thing is geared for the social distancing era. When you were 18 inches or so away it wasn’t as terrible, but then you have the SNR issue.
I did ad felt to my pop-filter... did make a short video of this solution and sent it to Aston... they answered after days with a standard mail where they did try to send me to their customer support in case I have some troubles... 😬... well... seems to me they don't really care about.... 😒
The sE V7 smokes the Element. So does the Bee. The Procaster is on par with it, perhaps a bit inferior to the Element. Being a ribbon-fan, I can't see why anyone would choose the Element over f.e. the FANTASTIC (esp. for the price!) sE X1R. Ribbon mics excel at superb, smooth midrange response. The Element fails big-time at that, with its giant valley of a dip in the 1-4K range. The M160 (ribbon) comparison shows the difference clearly. Two things about that mid-dip and pronounced proximity of the Element, for recording vocals: 1: I find pretty much all mics to need a boost around 1.5 KHz. Typically towards 2 KHz, but also around 1KHz. The Aston Element dampens exactly that area. Bad bad bad. Intelligibility also suffers. But at least it goes up again, above 4 KHz, which does help some (but can also make it sound harsh/shrill). 2: Pronounced proximity effect is annoying (time-consuming) to mix, when the vocalist doesn't have perfect mic technique and moves a bit around, in front of the mix. Suddenly the vocals are too boomy, suddenly they're too thin. As a ribbon-lover, I've had to deal with that on several occasions. Bottom-line: the Aston Element is yet another strange release from Aston. I really want to like their microphones, but can't justify getting their Origin or Spirit over any other competiting LDC condenser mic - most of which has a lower noise floor, and sound as good, if not better. The sE X1S, sE 2200, Røde NT1 comes to mind. Their Stealth mic has nice features, but is let down by average-at-best sound-quality.
Does this mic come with earplugs so I don't have to listen to it? Edit: okay now that I've heard it with the high-pass filter it's tolerable but for $200, I'll stick with my little sm57 and spend the rest on pizza for Bandrew.
till the moment i laughed tears the thin line between genius and insanity seemed pretty clear now that it's blurred: thank you! thought i'm getting old and there is no sense of humor left - you just disabused me. how is it possible you made my day with a microphones that does not interest me? liked the origin and the spirit but this elementary ground is just to heavy for me... did i thank you?
Can we just take a moment to appreciate this glorious bastard who lovingly timestamps all of his (newer) reviews? Not to mention the consistent and rigerous testing for each of them. Easily my new favorite audio gear channel.
I agree he does the best reviews, I subscribed
I don't understand where he finds the money to buy all that stuff though.
@@barankaypakoglu7643 pretty sure he does audio engineering work outside of RUclips. Not to mention sponsorships and such.
He’s the absolute best
Very interesting to hear this one.Might need to get one for my own review. Thanks for sharing this!
Before you do, please make sure you inform the world geological society so that they are able to turn off the seismographs while your voice hits the diaphragm and you rumble the earth.
It better not sound good on Mike 🤣
@@Podcastage duly noted. There is some serious bass in that one!
@@JRaze that’s not possible, Mike would sound good speaking into a trash can with a $1 mic inside
I'm gonna go against the grain of most of the comments so far. I love the sound of it, given the price. Yes, there is waaaay too much bass in a close mic situation so the HPF is absolutely necessary. That said, the mid-range was smooth, the top end was articulate without ever being sibilant or harsh, or having any of the high end resonances common in condensers. Pulling out high end resonances from condensers with EQ can be a PITA and isn't always effective anyway. On the other hand, adding an HPF is pretty trivial. But yes, it's bassy AF
I think my barber has one of these. He shaves my head with it.
It's what they sing with while waiting for customers.
NGL, it *does* look like a razor!
Your as fresh as a old dirty diaper got any new jokes
You must be getting buyer's remorse.
they wash my hair with it.
This mic made your voice very pleasing. Going between them all, this sounded miles better.
Dude, you help me so much to look for microphones. You are the best!
Listening to this mic makes me feel like my ears are clogged
Yeah. I don't have the best ear and often people describe differences between mics that I can't swear to discern. But as soon as this video started it really sounded like someone turned the bass all the way up.
Oh my gosh. I’m sorry. That wasn’t the mic. I was just standing behind you with my fingers in your ears. Try listening again.
Okay, after listening to this video as well as Liberty Dude's recordings of this mic on the Podcastage Discord server, I can say that I'm not a fan at all of the tone of this mic. I like the smooth warm tone of a ribbon like anybody else, but the difference between this mic and most ribbons is that they're still somewhat natural sounding, whereas this is so V shaped it sounds like all the mids are just sucked into a gaping black hole never to be seen again. That's honestly what bothered me more than just the over abundance of low end, the complete lack of any mids to give this microphone any sort of real body to the sound. This mic to me sounds like what most people who have little experience with audio post production and a complete lack of faith in the natural sound of their own voice do when they first start recording any type of voice over, they just crank the bass up, cut the mids like crazy, and give a slight high end shelf boost thinking it makes them sound awesome when it just makes them sound unnatural and try hard.
You said, better than me, why it's a bad idea to democratize microphone design...Because that's exactly what probably happened when Aston threw this project at the community.
Thanks for the perfect demonstration tool.
When asked, "what is the difference between a High Pass & a Low Cut filter?" I can use this video as a resource.
High Pass: is applied to allow all the desirable frequencies to pass through. Used to eliminate low bass rumble, and mitigate the proximity effect.
Low Cut: used to aggressively remove lows in a microphone with over pronounced low end.
Yes! I know I just made that B.S. up. But after seeing a high pass applied at 500, I know I can sell that snake oil.
The low end of this mic made the sm7b sound like it had a high pass on it lmao
Yeah everything else sounded like it had a high pass.
Fantastic review! Very Very well done! I have just one "critique" for the shootout, I personally would have preferred to hear each mic in their individual sweet spot, rather than the more clinical/objective 6" off. In this comparison the SM7b sounded pretty thin, but in my opinion (for VO) the SM7B sounds it's best about 2" off the end of the mic (particularly since the capsule is set so far back behind the cage). I would concede that 6" off for each mic feels more scientific, but I would argue that the practical best use distance for each mic is a more important piece of information in the real world. my 2 cents. But again, great review, I'm not just blowing smoke, I thought your attention to detail was phenomenal, talking around the whole mic to check off axis coloration stood out in particular.
What a unique sound! definitely not flat or balanced, i probably wouldnt use it for podcasting but i think it has great potential for sound design
Just bought mine! and i love it! In most cases, it's by no means the first go-to mic or the "one mic to rule them all", BUT it is however a great alternative to a ribbon mic in my honest opinion (especially since ribbon mics are so fragile).
Meaning, it can supplement the low end for anything you would want to have more of in a recording. Maybe like an outside kick drum mic, a room mic, maybe even a guitar cabinet for that low mids woof if you wanted. Basically, i wouldn't use this on it's own in most cases.
I also really wouldn't call it an entry level mic, as Aston says it is. BUT it is an awesome addition to an already stocked microphone locker, as you said.
Awesome review as always!
Yeah, I was wondering if this would be good for kick drums or even maybe low brass
I am one of those who tested it during the design phase, I own one.. and I am so disappointed with the result!
This mic is boomy and the V shaped tuning make it unusable without a huge use of high pass filters in post, your review is absolutely correct!
Actually I bought it directly online talking by email with a very kind commercial department of Aston in UK, with an affordable price,
hoping to get a kind of ribbon mic but.. yes, a kind of..
Last but not least, the mic has been made in china... that's why this is the mic of the people as the claim... Yeah, affordable (not that much) but a crap! Anyway I preferred to pay 15% more having an High pass filter in it, and a more controlled and tuned preamp inside.
As usually, a perfect review Bandrew! :-)
Good to see you again!!
It has a lot of low end, but I actually really like it with your voice.
your videos helped me decide on an entry level audio recording set up for my gaming needs. cant thank you enough!! keep the sticker smashing, box tossing days going strong Bandrew!
Okay think about it. It has a proximity effect. So what it sounds to bass heavy up close. But it might be perfekt to capture audio with a distance. So if you want to record something with a little more ambience, this might be a fine balanced mic! Also, darker mics usally cut nicely through a pop mix.
I absolutely love your videos, this channel is truly one of a kind!! I have a request, and I know this might be a lot to ask for, but a box throwing compilation to end off the year would be AMAZINGGGGGG
Erick. I hate to break the news to you....but I already have all my box throws of the year clipped and I’m making that a video to wrap up the year. Hahahaha.
@@Podcastage Best news you could’ve broken to me! Thanks for the incredible content. :)
dude one hell of a review.... if everyone in everything was this through our world would be a better place lol. nice job and this helps a lot just got this mic today for 200 at GC.
This is so weird. I trust Podcastage so much and their reviews are so thorough and professional. Had I watched this review two weeks ago I may well not have bought the Aston Element. However, I did buy it, I've tried it and all I can say is that I don't have this wild bass problem that you seem to be suffering unless my nose is practically touching the mic, which your video shows you aren't. No post processing required for me here, the sound is balanced and a fair reflection I think. I've also know of people in the recording industry who think this microphone is amazing.
Maybe it's my/your voice, maybe yours is a duff mic, maybe it's different interfaces, I don't know. The review itself looked just as professional as any other you've done.
Weird, I came back to this review just now and actually I disagree with what I've written above, in that I don't think there's anything wrong with the tone in your microphone. I actually rather like it and to me it suits your voice nicely.
This mic may not be perfect but it's been great so far for me. One thing that I don't like is that it's clearly for people starting out or for those on a budget, yet is really sensitive to bad room acoustics. Personally I think Aston should have been more aware of people recording in bad rooms. I wouldn't be surprised if the blind tests were done in ideal studio conditions.
Everything sounds high passed now after hearing this microphone.
best song ever. seriously, i needed that. thanks for doing a review that doesn't trigger my GAS.
That magnetic pop filter is such a flex
I love that Aston includes 6 stickers.
Probably just for the meme.
He was lucky... my box only did come with JUST 1(one!!!) 🙄😁
Interesting take on this. Aston tried to do something new which I like. But I’m inclined to think it’s safer to invest in two mics rather than trying to combine dynamic and condenser. Although it is a very unique mic.
Awesome! Great review as always. Loving the sound on the Aston Element. It would work perfectly for my usage. Will consider adding.
"Mom, can we get a bit of BASS"
"We have BASS at home"
BASS at home:
Mom would be accurate though.
@@Podcastage true fck :D
“Ground, that’s it Ground. I wonder if it’ll be friends with me”.
Well so long and thanks for all the Mics.
The whole time I was watching this, I kept thinking “just back off the mic a little”. 6 inches away is not written in stone. Every mic has a sweet spot.
Excellent review as usual. The details you discussed were very useful. Interesting that Aston folks did not have available the overall
specs available to compare and contrast. It is a deal breaker for me. Never the less, thank you for your cool and funny as hell review.
I actually really like this on your voice. Guitar Center is blowing them out and I just got a brand new one with the shock mount and pop screen for $49.
I’ve had one on order for most of this year... it might be because I’m watching this on an iPad but it sounded ok to me and the bass sounded about right. Certainly had more range than the cheaper and same priced mics. Currently I’m just using the Blue Pro which does a good job for podcast and the occasional song, has a wide figure of eight which is very handy
I have an Aston Origin and I love it for what it is, a condenser large diafragm mic. It's quite "lazy" in the need of lots of gain - but all that fixed, it's a wonderful mic. This sounds way to bassy.
Sounds great to me, very different, yet detailed and solid. I shall probably get one of these at some point.
I have a feeling this would be a really cool, overhead microphone for a minimalist 3 or 4 mic setup.
@Bataclan the ride I bought a 3 a year ago and I use them as an outside Kick mic and for Drum overheads they are incredible!! It also works on a bunch of other things and has the smoothness of a ribbon with the clarity of a condenser mic. Cheers!
really cool/deep review, thanks I truly have appreciated the effect given when the mouth is half way of both sides of the mic, it will be ued in some songs, for sure. By the way, oon my laptop I heard some "s" (sibilant) quite more than I am used too, would you say it'd need a bit of eq/de essing at some point ? thank you.
Came across this used online and viola, you already did a review on it. I actually liked this mic for your voice. I wouldnt mind using it. With post processing in the doobily doo.
I pre-ordered this at the $150 price. It just arrived today and I'm not sure if I even want to open it with that sound. On headphones the bass is overpowering. I use a Rode Procaster and only put a 80 Hz high pass on it to make sure there's no room rumble and clean it up a bit.
I have a Stealth and like it for other people. My wife likes the V2 setting on her.
I might just return this before I open it.
nice vid :) But dont worry, the m160 can have phantom power. All modern ribbons, at least for Beyer (I talked a lot to the sales rep) and the Royer, they have transformer to prevent the phantom killing the ribbon. All modern ribbons "should" have that (made in the last 10-20 years). Did you by accident make a comparison between the Aston Stealth and the Element?
I’m between this and the blue spark sl BLACKOUT!!! God it’s a tough decision!! I love both!
As part of the Aston Family (Spirit in my mic locker already) I became one of the 4,000 developers for the "peoples mic". If I'm being honest, it's not what I voted for. Santa put one under my tree in 2020 and I was super hyped. Boxing Day it was mounted in my Ultrafonic Soundproof Vocal Booth and tested it...woooooooooooo very muddy and bassy and I already have a big, rich, deep voice. First shock was how Bassy it was in my headphones and I thought surely it won't sound that muddy on my TwistedWave DAW, but it did. I've let the purple light shine (indicating Phantom Power is on) for the holidays and recorded again this week and it has mellowed with some live hours on the juice. However It's still very much a Dark (like Darth Vader) Ribbon sound I'm getting with my Voice Overs. So far it's not what I signed on for as The Mandalorian would say. I will be talking to Aston directly soon.
Did Aston ever respond/tweak the model?
@@DKTD23 To the best of my knowledge the song remains the same.
I think it's a good microphone for voice over, I like its sound
One of my acoustic instruments from India could use a boost in the bass and sweet articulate extended highs, so maybe it's worth looking into this mic. I wouldn't dream of buying to get good tones out of my boomy Martin D-28, but if I had this mic I'd try it anyway to see if there's some unanticipated magic in it. 🤔
I went straight to your vid on the Mojave MA-201fet which it reminded me of for comparison, but confirmed that mic's a lot better balanced and less boxy in the bottom end. I can imagine this one would work for a vocalist standing a fair way back from it, Sinatra style.
Perfect and timely review. Rejected for our choir due to reverb and background noise. Yes, you are not funny, but we put up with it due to your handsomeness. You are El Gvapo - mostly.
As long as you can control the low end it's pretty nice sounding for the price...
I personally think it's better for solo vocals, I might get one as a cheap streaming microphone
Great review! Just picked up on sale for $90 with your link.
honestly, i like it on his voice. compared to the se, for my ears, the v7 was too bright for my liking and my ears felt it. my top picks for his voice from this video are the m160, procaster, element, king bee. i guess everything depends on your specific preferences.
I’m with you on that- I don’t think it is overly bass heavy for his voice & a less aggressive filter would be optional there.
The v7 always seems a bit too nasally for my liking, but it isn’t a bad dynamic for the price.
I would put the RE20, Earthworks Ethos & Austrian Audio (can’t recall model) also at the top, when it comes to suiting his voice really well.
Would be great to see this mic against some more flat curve mics, just to see how scooped the kids may be too. I personally don’t think it is overdone in this mic.
I watch all your videos and love them. Generally, spot on with the pros/cons and overall thoughts. This is the first time I've felt inclined to comment and say holy crap, I agree, the mic sounds awful! The bass...just..jesus. HIGH PASS YES PLZ!
Oof this is arriving today. My voice has a lot of bass naturally and i will eq this for streams. Thanks for the review. I usually use a akg d5 this will be a different experience for sure
With all that low end it might be a good choice for recording acoustic standup bass, or maybe an acoustic bass guitar.
These are one of my favorite mics on a guitar cab. Other than the excessive low-end, it's a really balanced mic with no "hype", plus it's got a sh__load of output. With a steep low-cut, it reveals a really good midrange for heavy guitars, like dang-near perfect imo. I have several dynamics and none of them have midrange as pretty as the Element...it's so balanced, rich, creamy and smooth like a ribbon. I see this mic as a foundation for the typical dynamic mic choices: use this thing to thicken up your 57/58/i5/e609 without having to spend 400 bucks for an RE-20 or 1200 for a 121. If they remade this mic with a hi-pass, it'd be a modern legend. Think of it like the least expensive CARDIOID ribbon out there.....total Sleeper!
Holy cow! That mic is so extremely bassy. I can't picture a good use for it unless you're creating sub foley for film. As far as on spoken word, the most pleasant mics in order were the Shure SM7B, Beyerdynamic M160, Se Electronics V7.
love that reviews greetings from germany
That 4k cut is really nice.
The Beyerdynamic... for me it is the best... with this review ... happy & healthy Seasons from "good old Germany 🇩🇪"
Yeah I fell in love with the M160 again when I was listening back to the comparisons. It’s just such a special sound.
I concur with @Art Vandelay. However, I would possibly use this as a generic mic for, say, online or podcast use. I could sit back in my chair and not have to get too close to the mic. It's cheap enough after all. The ribbon was my favourite. Thanks for yet another helpful review.
Dude, I just got a question from someone because of a review I did on the Element. I suggested he come watch your review and I decided to watch your review again. I actually liked you on the element more than the comparison mics. BUT, they may be because you began with the element?
peace
joe
BTW - I was listening on SONY MDR-7506s
My voice would fall through the floor with that low end. Wowza.
To me, it sounds scooped as fuck. I'd probably prefer to just buy the mic I need be that conden, rib or dyn. Stellar review as always
Great stuff bro. Can you tell us how you acoustically treated your room?
Not only are you extremely knowledgeable but funny too! I love dry humor 😂 the subtle jokes here and there
where i'm at I only have Airpod Pros which is probably reducing the bass on my side-that being said I think it sounds really pleasing on your voice!
Those are flat and balanced sounding right? I do wonder how they sound since I cant get them :D
Thanks, that was very exact and detailed and hilarious at the same time.
Okey... si I'd like a review / comparison of this one with the Aspen Pittman DT1...
I really like your reviews, they're funny!! I dig NEAT mics too (seems like you like the Kingbee ; I got 2 of them as drum overheads, plus a Workerbee).
The Aston's pattern looks and sounds more like a super/hypercardioid to me...
Now that the Element is selling for a very inviting $79, I picked one up from Amazon just to test it for (singing) vocals. While I liked the sound quality, it had a fatal flaw for me: While this mic is billed as a cardioid, it’s closer to a figure 8 mic. It picks up way too much sound from the rear. As someone who sings and plays keyboards at the same time, this made it unusable for me because it picks up way too much room and keyboard noise. If that’s your use case, be forewarned.
the beyerdynamic was sweet, but(t) the song was really stealing the show xD
To answer your question, the SM7b sounded best there. It's possible it has something to do with that being the main conduit your voice has used to reach me, but I listened to the comparisons with my eyes closed and didn't like any of the other ones. The SM7b is the only one of the group that sounded good (to me, on your voice).
Very interesting. I love the SM7b so I love hearing that but I was also quite keen on the M160. The v7 would be better at 3-inches as opposed to 6 and the King Bee was just a jarring shift from the bass heavy sound of the Aston. Good insight to have though. Thanks Shawn!
I've just ordered this mic, can anyone tell me how to connect it to a desktop?
It will be my first phantom power mic. I like it and like the sound, the bass is gonna go out with hpf but is it good for vocals and voice overs? Like animation dialogues or radio shows
Fuck yess!!! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts I’ve been waiting for this!!
Just purchased this microphone. My brother has the higher end Aston but I’m hoping that this holds up quality wise as the other Aston I’ve used.
I have a suggestion for a video:
I use the rode videomic Go, which is a microphone made for cameras, it has an audio jack, it is one of those mics that get on the top of the camera, it costs 60$ and it is mediocre at best.
The point is, when you connect this thing to a camera, it acts like a normal camera mic, it picks up audio from all around, it is a shotgun mic so it kinda blocks audio from the sides but I believe it is made for vlogging so you can hear a lot of stuff, like background noises, but not electrical noise coming from the mic.
But when I connect the audio jack to my pc, the audio changes completely. Instead of picking everything happening it acts like a dynamic mic and picks up only sounds that are very very close to the mic, it also sounds a lot better, I would compare it to the sm7b but the quality is worse. It also generates electronic noise but it just sounds good, it is so weird, anyway, what I wanted to say is, if you have time or you got no ideas one day, can you test this out, because nobody ever talks about this? Like, I dont understand how is this possible, it sounds like two totally different mics! It also sounds weird with my voice, I have to talk kinda loudly for it to hear me, it would be interesting to hear someone's else voice with this weird thingy, anyway, I love your videos, have a nice day!
I use an origin and I love that mic. However, I’m not a fan when Aston dips their toes into the dynamic world. To me this mic and the stealth are a bit muddy for my tastes.
Thanks for the review.
So much hype from Aston about this mic. I guess the £159 price speaks for itself, what a disappointment!
All other Aston mics sound much better and are made in UK
I wonder how that would sound as a kick drum mic? I'm thinking it could capture some nice resonate head tone which could be mixed in with something like an AKG D112.
This came today and I can't believe this mic lol. The lows are crazy.
I love the sound of this microphone. I've tried using EQ to get a ribbonish sound, but I've not made it work. This works.
I'm really happy with my Procaster. Plus it's made near where I live.
Yep that’s true ! That’s what i noticed with mine. Lots of low end...
You are two professional to review mics we need amateur review
I had no idea how wild that low end was until the king bee was compared to it that is insane
Revisting this mic - How do you feel about it at the current price point of $100 vs 200?
I’m not sure if you reviewed this microphone yet? Could you review the Fifine K690 USB microphone?
I really don't get this mic. Like, the Stealth seems like a bit of an oddball for the mic world, but I get the utility of a dynamic with a good built in amp. I don't get who or what this is for.
Tonight on Podcast gear!
Bandrew beats up some stickers
The comment section is empty inside
And I eat a chicken wing
All of this and more tonight!
WOOOOOOW SO MUUCH LOW END LOL !!!!!! I wasn't even 5 seconds into the video and I was already like "wait... that's way too much" ! LOL
Waiting for the Q9U i'm most exited about that microphone.
Beyer Dynamic M160 sounds amazing! Easily my fave of the bunch.
The proximity effect on this thing is geared for the social distancing era. When you were 18 inches or so away it wasn’t as terrible, but then you have the SNR issue.
I did ad felt to my pop-filter... did make a short video of this solution and sent it to Aston... they answered after days with a standard mail where they did try to send me to their customer support in case I have some troubles... 😬... well... seems to me they don't really care about.... 😒
The sE V7 smokes the Element. So does the Bee. The Procaster is on par with it, perhaps a bit inferior to the Element.
Being a ribbon-fan, I can't see why anyone would choose the Element over f.e. the FANTASTIC (esp. for the price!) sE X1R. Ribbon mics excel at superb, smooth midrange response. The Element fails big-time at that, with its giant valley of a dip in the 1-4K range. The M160 (ribbon) comparison shows the difference clearly.
Two things about that mid-dip and pronounced proximity of the Element, for recording vocals:
1: I find pretty much all mics to need a boost around 1.5 KHz. Typically towards 2 KHz, but also around 1KHz. The Aston Element dampens exactly that area. Bad bad bad. Intelligibility also suffers. But at least it goes up again, above 4 KHz, which does help some (but can also make it sound harsh/shrill).
2: Pronounced proximity effect is annoying (time-consuming) to mix, when the vocalist doesn't have perfect mic technique and moves a bit around, in front of the mix. Suddenly the vocals are too boomy, suddenly they're too thin. As a ribbon-lover, I've had to deal with that on several occasions.
Bottom-line: the Aston Element is yet another strange release from Aston. I really want to like their microphones, but can't justify getting their Origin or Spirit over any other competiting LDC condenser mic - most of which has a lower noise floor, and sound as good, if not better. The sE X1S, sE 2200, Røde NT1 comes to mind. Their Stealth mic has nice features, but is let down by average-at-best sound-quality.
Does this mic come with earplugs so I don't have to listen to it?
Edit: okay now that I've heard it with the high-pass filter it's tolerable but for $200, I'll stick with my little sm57 and spend the rest on pizza for Bandrew.
I think you should stick with the Aston element for all your podcasts. You sound the best on it.
It seems to sound better when you back away from it a bit? Is that a feature?
Great Review Thanks!!
Finally I’ve been waiting
YEEEEESSSSSS. I've been waiting for this.
till the moment i laughed tears the thin line between genius and insanity seemed pretty clear now that it's blurred: thank you! thought i'm getting old and there is no sense of humor left - you just disabused me. how is it possible you made my day with a microphones that does not interest me?
liked the origin and the spirit but this elementary ground is just to heavy for me...
did i thank you?