Aston Microphones Spirit Review – Delivering the Art of Audio

Design:
Features:
Performance:
Value:

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It’s fair to say that Aston Microphones has made a few ripples in the industry with their recent products – the Spirit being one of them. With striking looks and solid specs, the Spirit is easily one of the most impressive sub-$500 condenser microphones you can buy in 2018. Today we are going to take a closer look and find out why.

Design

As soon as you open the box you can see that the British brand has taken a different approach to many other high-end condenser mics. The Spirit features a rugged solid stainless-steel chassis, with a definite hint of steampunk about it! The grille comes in the form of a tightly woven metallic mesh, that sits comfortably within a rustic metal cage. The entire microphone features a tumbled metal finish that oozes confidence.

Honestly, aside from Aston Microphones’ purple logo on the shaft, it looks like a custom workshop mic. Very attractive and very unique. Needless to say, the overall build quality is just as impressive, with a feeling of robustness and durability. Full marks!

Features

The hardware inside this unique mic tells a very interesting story. Aston Microphones has used a well-designed 1” gold-evaporated capsule that sits suspended within the chassis. In addition, the components used to assemble the circuitry are borderline boutique in nature.

Looking at the specs, the Spirit features a 20Hz to 20kHz frequency response range combined with a max SPL value of 138dB. Other useful features include a built-in pop filter, a polar pattern select switch (with three pattern choices), attenuation switches (-10dB pad and -20dB pad), and a low-cut filter. The switches aren’t the easiest to use compared to other mics, but function well enough and do their job.

Performance

The core performance on offer with this boutique mic impresses – the amount of clarity, warmth and definition this thing delivers gives more expensive condensers a real run for their money. Vocals come out vividly with plenty of that midrange sparkle, while capturing highs without any harshness. In many ways, this model sounds too good to be true.

Thanks to its attenuation pad, the Spirit is very flexible when it comes to recording various instruments. With the higher SPL, it makes light work of recording aggressive acoustic instruments, including drums. Lastly, the fact that both the pop filter and shock mount are integrated within Spirit’s chassis means you can use it right out of the box.

In many ways, this model sounds too good to be true. Thanks to its attenuation pad, Spirit is very flexible when it comes to recording various instruments. It can handle higher SPL of aggressive acoustic instruments, including drums. Lastly, the fact that both the pop filter and shock mount are integrated within Spirit's chassis, you can use it right out of the box.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, Aston Microphone’s Spirit is a rock-solid package that delivers the performance you would usually have to splash a lot more cash on to receive. Its unique style will appeal to many users, but it is more than just a pretty face with the reliable, consistent and versatile sound that is required in a modern recording studio.

For more info about the Aston Microphones Spirit, click here.
For more Condenser Microphone Under $500 you might like, click here.