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AUDIO-TECHNICA
INTRODUCES 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
—
STOW, OH, September 10, 2009 — Audio-Technica,
a leading innovator in transducer technology for over 45 years, unveils
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.
…ends
620 words
Celebrating
over 45 years of audio excellence worldwide, Audio-Technica is a leading
innovator in transducer technology, renowned for the design and manufacture
of microphones, wireless microphones, headphones, mixers, and electronics
for the audio industry.
—For
more information on the complete range of Audio-Technica products,
contact
Karen Emerson, Audio-Technica U.S., Inc., 1221 Commerce Drive, Stow,
OH 44224.
Tel: (330) 686-2600; Fax: (330) 688-3752; Web: www.audio-technica.com
—For
further information regarding product availability and pricing in
the United Kingdom, please contact Harvey Roberts (hroberts@audio-technica.co.uk);
in Germany, please contact Anja Groth (a.groth@audio-technica.de);
in the rest of Europe, please contact Evangéline Pirot (epirot@audio-technica-europe.com).