Aston

Reviews | Aston Origin
98
T
he Aston Origin may be
competitively priced, but it
possesses a degree of
originality that is uncommon
in this range. The Origin is a fi xed
pattern (cardioid) condenser and is the
smaller of Aston’s two mics: the larger
Spirit is a multi-pattern condenser with
an extra 10dB of pad available.
There are two switches on the
stainless steel casing: 10dB pad and
80Hz low-cut fi lter. The XLR connection
is on the underside of the mic, as is a
mic stand mounting socket (5/8-inch
with a 3/8-inch adaptor included). This
latter feature means there’s no need for
a mic clip, though this does limit angle
choices to the capabilities of the stand.
The wave-shaped outer spring/mesh
acts as a shock absorber for the
capsule, and behind it sits a stainless
steel wire mesh shielding. Though not
related to its performance, it is worth
noting the foam and card packaging is
100% recyclable and biodegradable – if
only this was the industry standard!
The Origin has a solid, unfussy
aesthetic that makes me only worry for
the fl oor in the event of mic stand
collapse. That said, this is not a
particularly heavy microphone and will
be happy on the end of a standard
boom stand over a drum kit. Drums are
the one instrument I didn’t get to try the
Origin on but, considering its
performance elsewhere, I would be
happy using it in most drum/percussion
set-ups; but that’s getting ahead a little.
So, what does the Origin sound like?
In short, nothing much. This is not a
characterful mic, or what I think of as
an additive tool; on nearly all sources
the Origin is a clear and able translator.
Close up the proximity effect doesn’t get
boomy and misbalanced; the low-end
characteristic is pleasing, rendering the
source with little tonal alteration beyond
the basic physics of proximity. Vocals
are a clear winner here, with plenty of
scope for playing the mic from close-up
intimacy to a more roomy distance
without losing or altering the voice.
Often cheap head-amp designs are
plagued by poor self-noise performance,
which becomes screamingly obvious
with a quiet singer and the modern
penchant for absurd compression.
Again, the Origin does well with a
respectably low noise fl oor, and one that
sounds more brown noise than white, ie
a cranked up, super-breathy vocal EQ
won’t immediately drown in hiss.
The Origin possesses a sensitivity
that easily renders the detail of
harmonically rich instruments, such as
saxophone and acoustic guitar, with a
balanced ease free from audible phase
shift issues and early HF peaks (you
know, that ‘brittle’ thing). This
sensitivity is coupled with plenty of
headroom before you need to reach for
the pad switch to prevent distortion.
Though the sprung head design
provides important shock protection for
the capsule, the Origin will still require
a shockmount cradle when recording
bass instruments where other LF
sources (feet, drums, bass amps,
livestock, and so on) are present;
otherwise the low-cut fi lter switch does
what it’s supposed to.
When I received the Origin for
review I had no idea of the price it
commanded and I assumed, mostly due
to its unique appearance, that this was
a more ‘boutique’ offering. I only found
out the £199 price tag after it had been
in the studio for a number of days and
had been deployed alongside a range of
mics. The Origin acquitted itself well in
nearly all instances (it wasn’t the mic
for me on a guitar amp, but I rarely fi nd
a condenser that is, no matter what the
price, such is the subjectivity of sound),
and I’d be happy to pop it on a mic
stand in any studio where I found it. I’d
recommend sourcing a shockmount
cradle that can accommodate the mic’s
54mm diameter, though many
situations will be fi ne with direct stand
mounting. This a quality all-rounder of a
mic and competitively priced to boot.
Aston Origin | £199
Aston Microphones’ UK-made cardioid condenser promises high-quality
build and sound that will leave change from £200. Robbie Stamp checks
out the Origin…
WHAT IS IT?
Cardioid condenser
microphone
CONTACT
Who: Sonic Distribution
Tel: [phone]
Web: www.astonmics.com
HIGHLIGHTS
1 Sensitive and
detailed response
2 Plenty of headroom
3 Solid build
SPECS
Transducer: Condenser
Polar pattern: cardioid
Freq response: 20Hz-20kHz
(±3dB)
Equivalent noise level:
18dB A-weighted
Sensitivity (1kHz into
1k): 23mV/Pa
Max SPL (for THD 0.5%):
127dB
Additional controls: Pad
(-10dB), Low-cut Filter
(80Hz)
Weight:
439g
VERDICT
BUILD
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VALUE
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EASE OF USE
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VERSATILITY
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RESULTS
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Delivers a natural and detailed
sound across a wide of sources at a
price that is hard to ignore.
FMU303.rev_aston.indd 98 2/24/16 12:24 PM