Aston Spirit Mic Review / Test (Compared to AT2020, Origin, AKG C414 XLS)
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- Опубликовано: 4 июл 2024
- Today I review the Aston Spirit, a multi-pattern condenser microphone from Aston Microphones. This is a “modern” sounding mic that is popular because it offers a clear, detailed, and articulate sound. I also include a comparison to the Audio Technica AT2020, Neat King Bee, Aston Origin, Shure KSM44a, and AKG C414 XLS.
HQ Audio Of Review: podcastage.com/rev/spirit
Buy the Aston Spirit (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: geni.us/astonspirt
Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/DEzqo
Buy the Pop Filter Used (Stedman Proscreen 101) (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: geni.us/ps101
Buy the Focusrite 2i2 (3rd Gen)- Same Performance as 18i20 (Affiliate Link)
Amazon: geni.us/2i32rd
Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/k6g4d
00:00 - Intro / Price / Disclaimer
00:26 - Setup
00:41 - What’s in the Box
01:11 - Build Quality / Walkthrough
02:09 - Specifications
02:34 - Polar Pattern Test (Tone / Rotation)
03:30 - Plosive Test
03:47 - High Pass Filter Demonstration
04:06 - Distance Test / Proximity Effect Test
04:22 - Background Noise Test
04:42 - Untreated Room Test
04:56 - Shock Mount Bump Test
05:12 - Mic Resonance Tap Test
05:25 - Audio Technica AT2020 Comparison
06:04 - Neat King Bee Comparison
06:34 - Aston Origin Comparison
07:14 - Shure KSM44a Comparison
07:54 - AKG C414 XLS Comparison
08:48 - Music Test
10:06 - Pros & Cons
11:39 - Overall Thoughts
14:14 - Recommendation
15:17 - Outro
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I just discovered your channel and I have to admit, you make the most complete reviews in terms of scenarios! Thank you!
I owe you a thanks. These reviews and the Bandrew Says channel have helped me tremendously work on my own audio. Keep up the great work. It really helps others.
I've been scouring the internet for a comprehensive review on this mic! You uploading this video is perfect timing! Thanks!!! :) Great work as always! Keep safe and sane! :D
Got addicted to your show. Owning 5 mics later including coming the 103. From my terrible audio to better. It's my new thing, Keep up the good work.
Welcome to the dark side my friend!
Holy shit I know you ur the marine guy
Bandrew, you're a legend. Been waiting for this review, thank you!! Keep up the great work.
Dude it’s crazy how much this channel has grown, I remember you hitting 20k and thinking you made it. You’ve come so far😭
I've been interested in these for a while. Thanks for the in depth look. I like stickers!
Oh wow you do still make videos
hi fluff
Holy crap the mighty Fluff watches Bandrew too
69
Man I binged your reviews when looking at mics and ended up with the origin being a brit! And its what I could afford but seriouslynjust appreciate all the review info. Its super worthwhile, cheers Bandrew !
bro, your reviews are amazing!! thanks for everything
Dude the most thorough mic test! Thank you
had this mic for a couple years, love it
man does that mic sound so damn good, it looks absolutely gorgeous too.
In the last few mic reviews and a two last series of bsp you said that you're filled tired. So I think that it will be good for you to take a break rather than burn out. we won't go anywhere if you don't release a video for a couple of weeks. Also thank u for such a good content as a reviews and bsp.
P. S. Sorry my english )
Nice. Thanks for the review. The mic has a great basic sound that gives me all the options I'd need. While I'm always a fan of neutral, the sound is so even that I could easily work with this for most applications.
Thank you for making this informative video about different microphones. My favorite among your chosen ones is the Aston Spirit! :-)
Another great video - certainly seems like a multi pattern worth considering. The acoustic guitar sound really resonated with me.
I think this is the best I've heard your voice Bandrew! Been waiting for the Element review since I was involved in the mic tests...and this is such a great sound in comparison. Would be great to see a bump test with the mic directly mounted on a stand, as I'm curious on the difference with a shock mount!
@Podcastage I was expecting this video to be perfect. You failed to disappoint! :)
Thanks for your excellent tests, best on RUclips and great humor
Every time I see this mic I fall a little bit in love with it. That is one pretty piece of gear.
would have loved to see the NT2-A in this comparison, since it's pretty close in price and also multi pattern. Thanks for the video as always ;D
Thank you for yet another helpful review. Sonically, I think the Spirit compared extremely favourably against the far pricier AKG. Seemed to my ear that this microphone did far better on spoken word than guitar and vocals. For Voiceover, you could set it to figure eight if you wanted that warmer sound. Nice all-round mic. I do agree that it would have been interesting to hear it against the NT1, though. Nga Mihi
Great review. Can't quite put my finger on it, but there was definitely a difference with the Shure KSM44a. It sounded clearer and brighter without sounding artificially enhanced.
Thanks for this great review! That´s exactly what I was looking for :-) Great job!
great review. first time viewer. funny without being annoying. super!
Proud owner of an Aston Stealth. This one is next on my list. Great review as a always.
I do enjoy watching you freak out about the sticker 😂
The Spirit set in omni it's also quite a surprise. Almost like a different mic. Great video, as always!
You did a wonderful job reviewing this Mic. Full of great information and demonstration to prove what you had claimed. I just sold my Origin and I was kicking myself BUT your review of this mic sold me on it. I thought the Spirit outshone even the more expensive mics you demoed ..Thank you for this and Terrific job, as usual !
I think this is the sound I’ve been looking for.
Don’t think just know
I really love your mic reviews! Please do the Aston Starlight!!
This guy is so cool. Great job brother!
:)
I think the Spirit sounds great, and I preferred it to the comparison mics.
The C414 is my personal favourite for decades, but honestly the Aston sounds very nice to me.
Absolutely amazing review. Thanks for sharing, bought this mic a while ago and have been using it extensively. I feel it is great for vocals and acoustic guitar but hard to use because it is so honest!
Yes I've had a Spirit for over 2 years and I like it. It's my #3 go to mic.
what's your first and second?
@@sadpeopledeservegoodmusic2354 Neumann TLM49 & AKG414
@Cristo Fuentes Yes, why not? It's a very good mic for vocals.
Hey! I really dig the channel, has been a huge help to me. Extremely informative. I am getting ready to sound treat my little recording room, and Im debating on ideas on how to put up the acoustic foam. In some of your vids i thought i saw some screws in the acoustic foam on your walls. Im curious how you chose to put up your acoustic foam. Thanks a ton, Really appreciate the videos!
As usual a fantastic Job Bandrew! But
I was waiting for a shootout also with NT1, TLM 103, U87a and Lewitt LCT 440 and 441 :-)
Look, consider that in europe the Spirit costs around 330€ not so more expensive than the NT1 sold for 270€, as well as the Lewitt LCT 440 for 300€ and 441 for 400€ so they are competitors.
Moreover a lot of voiceover actors (maybe fun boys or not, who knows?) use it and love it, and compare it with those Neumann microphones.
It's a pity but it was an high quality review, the better one on youtube for this mic, then thank you!
my thoughts:
I preferred it to all the others, actually with the acoustic guitar I expected more presence in low frequencies, but I very appreciated the details and the absence of the boomie sound with the proximity effect, that we could find to others.
I appreciated the absence of a boost on higher frequencies, but keeping and open sound.
I hoped for a better environment sound rejection..
Do you suggest it for who has a not full treated room?
I bought an Aston Origin, mostly for vocals, but also trumpet recording. After hearing the comparison videos between the Spirit and the Origin, I realized they actually did sound different. I like the Spirit's sound a small bit more, but I can mostly fake the difference in frequency response by engaging the "Air" setting on my Focusrite. It's not exact, but it's rare I need to sound like I recorded a platinum album anyway, so I don't think anyone would really notice even if I mentioned it.
I swapped out the SE Reflexion Space I was using with it for the Aston Halo. I wasn't convinced there'd be much of a difference, but the Halo actually takes care of more ceiling sound, since it has the overhang. It also acts more as a diffuser with the corrugated pattern, rather than the flat surfaces on the SE Reflexion.
You addressed the sag issue, which I'd heard a lot about. I opted for a $25 cheapo shockmount off Amazon that screws into the threading. I saved myself...a lot, in comparison to the Aston shock mount. I thought the texture on the black version would possibly alleviate the slippage, but...I guess not.
So far, I think you're the only person who's done an A/B video without any reverb and other processing, which Jesus Christ, I really appreciate.
Hey! Do you maybe remember which shock mount you got? Your comment helped a lot! Thank you!
@@Nyghtfall Yeah, I just pulled it up. Look for the "Auphonix" Blue Yeti shock mount, and you'll see it. There are a few vendors that sell it under a different name.
@@cktrumpet Thank you so much man!
I love those mics that Aston make. Worth every penny
Thanks for this...I'm looking for a multipattern mic and was hoping to get comparisons to the Shure and the AKG (I was looking at the C314 but assume the 414 sounds very similar to that), both much more expensive mics...I'm glad to hear that this mic held its own (at least to my ears) against those. I was also considering the AT2025 which is a bit cheaper, but your demo of the AT2020 here showed it much more inferior than the Spirit. I think it's the Spirit ftw!
i love the editing and ur unbothered expressions 😂
Good one dude, another mic to consider if I need a multi pattern mic in my locker. On a side note... that Neat King bee really holds its own against mics well above its price point. Got that based on your review. Thanks👍🏼
Yeah the King Bee is really crazy for the price and has been developing quite the cult following. Apparently they're working on a Gen 2 of the mic and hopefully it's as good.
@Podcastage Looking forward to the Gen2 as well, but worried how it will turn out with Skipper and the rest of his team now gone from Neat. Hopefully they don’t change too much. I’ll wait for your review when it comes out!
True facts: Am British and settled down with my evening cuppa especially to watch this!
I just hopped over back and forth on different mic videos just so I could make my decision based on how "greetings earthlings" sounded. great job!
That Aston sounds great with your singing voice!! wow!
i agree
Sounds like a great mic!
love the songs at the end!! love u buddy! dont hate ur self and try not to go nuts ;)
Another amazing video, my friend
I like the sound of the AKG
Not the biggest fan on how this mic looks but definitely feelin' that pop filter
again, the best is you buddy! your voice!!!
Brilliant review. Thank you❤
You're welcome, thank you very much for watching.
So happy I got the Spirit over the Origin, definitely could hear a difference in your test. The Spirit sounds so much richer in tone, the Spirit is definitely the winner.
my voice is naturally boomy in the low mids, should I still get the spirit over the origin?
@Cristo Fuentes no I’m short on money so I bought the se electronics se x1s. Best mic in that price range for me
man you just get the reviewing gear thing right, good stuff
Awesome as per usual
thanks for doing this
I couldn´t agree more with you!! I believe this is a new modern standard for microphones, it just hasen´t hyped up enough yet..
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this mic. Happy recording!
I gotta say, I think the spirit sounded best ngl..that's some crazy good quality for the money man. I'm blown away..
Also, your song was awesome! You are a very entertaining guy!
"I hate myself, goodbye" lol
I have the Spirit and love it! For anyone finding the issue with sliding down the shock mount, if you wipe the mic down with a microfiber cloth, and the small pads on the mount, it will grip as it should. No more issues. Must be a small amount of production grease causing the slip.
Mine is sliding too -> ruclips.net/video/YcZiAFVfhsM/видео.html
Thank you for your advice. I’ve been searching for a solution.
I will try to wipe the mic and pads and see if that will work.
Boy I'm on the fence with this one. Currently using the NT1 for spoken word. Great mic, but a wee bit too flat for me maybe. I would love to compare the Spirit to the TLM 103. Borrowed a 103 for a few days... loved it but just can't justify 1100 bucks just to follow the "looky what I have" herd... Another great vid, Bandrew!
100% agreed. Thank you!!
I wonder how well it would pair with the Origin for mid/side micing?
I'm not sure about that one honestly. Maybe that would be a good test on my second channel. Do people typically do M/S micing with two different mics?
@@Podcastage some people do, usually to blend both.
@@ndavies8 I just watched a video this morning actually about doing MS with an LDC and a ribbon.
@@Podcastage I do this extensively, as my go to acoustic miking method, and can vouch that it works very well! I don’t think it’s “normal” per se, but it’s definitely been done before and can lead to some interesting coloration. They don’t have a crazy amount of difference in terms of how they pickup (origin/spirit), and I think it sounds pleasing.
Spirit all the way in this demo
thats rlly helpful! thankyou!!
You’re very welcome. Thanks for checking it out.
amazing video!
love my king bee, but i need an omni mic for Pow-Wow Drumming and Singing groups were it is customary to sing in a circle. this was a great review, I think that it will do the trick for me.
HAHAHAHA, bro, i love your videos, making my days better, good job!!!!!
Love it! Good looking
Thank you for the nice review!! Could you make a video for Lauten LA-320, please :)
Some comic genius in this video… very good!
Fantástico tutorial acabo de comprar dos micrófonos espero poder sacarle todo el rendimiento la verdad es que me gustan muchísimo
Given you spent half of your review of the AKG p420 talking about the 15dB self noise, i would have figured you would have mentioned the near identical self noise on this unit a couple of times
LonelyGirl 15!!!
I think the Aston Spirit compares well to the Shure ksm44a for the price gap. These two sound the best in the video.
Thanks Bandrew, was great to review this video while I'm contemplating pulling the trigger on buying this mic. Is there a mic you would recommend checking out to hear the kind of vintage, warm tone you're referencing in contrast with the Spirit's modern sound?
I love Aston sounds great and it’s a tank
NAHHH Whatttt that sing you just threw innn🔥🔥🔥
Sounds great, I agree with Kenneth tho would like to hear a tube mic review as well, perhaps the Telefunken tf29
I preferred the KSM until you said the price. Thinking about picking up the Spirit. Really a great deal for a great mic.
they look great.. look well built and nice to look at.. this or the microphone that mimics all the best mics???
Nice review and i would like to ask you of you could please review aokeo ak-60 condenser microphone with and without phantom power... thank you.
Thanks for the review. It's definitely not my favourite, especially on electric and acoustic guitar. I guess I tend to like more vintage-sounding mics.
Great video man. Can you do the Mojave MA-200 next?
Hello! Please review the new T.bone MB 7 Beta, and compare it with the SM7B 😁 I'll be looking forward to that!
Geez… came here directly from your review of the Sennheiser 421, this sounds so unpleasant and harsh by comparison that my ears are filing a police report for assault right now. And I actually really like this mic! It was a bad transition is what I’m getting at.
The king bee is absolutely the favourite
To my ears the Astoni Spirit... I agree about the airy/ modern/ detailed/ articulate descriptions but it sounds quite shrill to me especially at first and the C414 was way more pleasing to my ears.
Nice mic. I'm liking a lot of Aston's stuff although I think I'd pick up the King Bee or NT1 instead. I have the Aston Elements pre ordered so I'm looking forward to that. I know you have a huge back log of reviews to do so I'm sure you won't get to it for a bit haha.
Instalike, plz do more Lewitt mics. 550 DM, 840 DM, 940 CM
🤠 On another person's video I noticed that he mounted the Spirit horizontally--that may be a good way to prevent it slipping off the shockmount.
i like how this dude spends his money to helps us to find ot what mirophone to get
Honestly for the same price I would go with the vanguard v4 condenser microphone. For $400 dollars you get an amazing shock mount and a great sounding mic. Would love to see this mic getting reviewed in the future! Thanks for the videos they are extremely helpful.
Glee does band wagon mics only vanguard is not a mainstream mention mic I agree with u
I like the Neat King bee
Please do a Warm Audio WA87 R2 review!
More interested in the vintage sounding mics.
When are you gonna make an album full of songs where you sing about mics?
Can you make a video comparing at2020 and origin or spirit with electric guitars? Thank you for your video... Great job!
Great videos man. What mic would you recommend in the same price range for spoken word if you do want that "Voice of God" sound you mentioned? Something that's gonna capture the low end frequencies and give a richer sound without having to kiss the mic? Also, preferably something which is multi-pattern.
YO this thing sounds great. And its noise cancellation on cardioid mode is amazing. At least for a condenser, usually turning them doesnt actually do that much. Which prob isnt that big a deal in a well treated space, but in a wanabe treated space I'd think it would help. I wish the origin was just as good. A little expensive tho. I just feel like theres some cheap options like the king bee that just hold up so well that theres no reason for me to spend more for what I need.