AUDIO-TECHNICA
EXHIBITS THE AT4080 AND AT4081 BIDIRECTIONAL RIBBON MICROPHONES
—
Designed from the ground up by Audio-Technica, the AT4080 and AT4081
offer warm, natural sound for a wide variety of applications —
—
With a proprietary ribbon design and rugged handmade construction,
the AT4080 and AT4081 are significantly more robust than traditional
ribbon mics —
127th AES CONVENTION, NEW YORK, NY, October 9, 2009 —
Audio-Technica,
a leading innovator in transducer technology for over 45 years,
exhibits its first-ever ribbon microphones, the AT4080
and AT4081,
two new offerings from A-T’s expanding 40
Series. Audio-Technica’s R&D team in Japan
engineered and manufactured the AT4080 and AT4081 from the ground
up, utilizing a hand-built, proprietary design and rugged, durable
construction. Both offer smooth, warm and natural sound with precise,
articulate detail to meet the critical requirements of today’s
recording, broadcast and sound reinforcement professionals. With
18 patents pending, Audio-Technica’s innovative ribbon transducer
advances the evolution of ribbon microphone technology, combining
remarkable durability and high SPL capability with smooth, rich
audio quality. The AT4080, whose footprint is that of a classic
“suspension cradled” side-address condenser, is recommended
for vocals, horns, strings, acoustic instruments, drum overheads,
orchestras, ensembles and guitar cabinets. The AT4081, with an appearance
more like that of a pencil condenser, is optimized for strings,
saxophones and other horns, acoustic instruments, drum overheads,
orchestras, ensembles and guitar cabinets; its low-profile stick
design maximizes placement options. Both mics excel in recording
studios as well as in live-sound settings.
The AT4080 and
AT4081 are side-address ribbon microphones with bidirectional polar
patterns. Delivering the versatile performance and warm, natural
sound of classic ribbon microphones, the AT4080 and AT4081 each
feature a robust build for long-lasting performance and offer phantom-powered
active electronics for easy use with microphone preamplifiers. Extremely
powerful N50 rare-earth neodymium magnets provide high output levels,
and the mics’ innovative dual ribbon construction offers increased
sensitivity and SPL handling capability. The bidirectional polar
pattern of the mics makes them equally sensitive to sounds originating
in front and back of the mic. Both feature extended frequency response
for natural audio reproduction, and the AT4080 utilizes an acoustic
baffle system and an extra-large output transformer, providing extended
low-frequency response and dynamic range.
The AT4080 and
AT4081 both benefit from Audio-Technica’s meticulous attention
to detail. Each microphone is handmade in Japan, including ribbon
corrugation, imprint and assembly. Both models feature a rugged
and durable construction, making them far more robust than other
ribbon mics. And like all 40 Series microphones, each and every
AT4080 and AT4081 microphone is individually tested and inspected
for 100 percent quality assurance.
A significant
breakthrough in ribbon cartridge design, Audio-Technica’s
patent-pending MicroLinear™ ribbon imprint minimizes lateral
flexing for durable performance and accurate reproduction of the
sound source, as well as freedom from ribbon distortion. The AT4080
and AT4081 are enclosed in rugged housings and feature stabilized
internal components. Both employ ultra-fine inner mesh to help protect
the ribbon elements against damage from wind and plosives. Combined,
these engineering features result in a ribbon microphone of unparalleled
durability.
While the application
of phantom power was prohibited for typical ribbon microphones,
the AT4080 and AT4081 in fact require 48V phantom power for operation.
The phantom power, however, is used not for the microphones’
dynamic ribbon transducers, but for their active electronics, which
bring their output to near condenser microphone level. This high
output and stable impedance make the microphones easy to integrate
with microphone preamplifiers. The output of each microphone is
a 3-pin XLRM-type connector. Output is low impedance (Lo-Z) balanced.
The AT4080’s
included AT8449/SV shock mount and the AT4081’s included isolation
clamp provide superior isolation and permit mounting on any microphone
stand with 5/8"-27 threads. The AT4080 comes with a dust cover
and a protective carrying case, while a windscreen is included with
the AT4081. Both mics are fully RoHS compliant, meaning they are
free from all substances specified in the EU directive on hazardous
substances.
The AT4080 and
AT4081 Bidirectional Ribbon Microphones will be available November
2009 with respective U.S. MSRP’s of $1,245.00 and $895.00.
For more information, please visit www.audio-technica.com.