Sontronics Aria Tube Microphone Sontronics

The Sontronics ARIA is a large-diaphragm tube condenser microphone purpose-built for superior vocal recording, ear-tested by top artists, producers, and Abbey Road engineers.

With the multiple award-winning ARIA cardioid condenser microphone, Sontronics set out to prove that a microphone capable of producing commercial-quality recordings needn’t be priced out of reach. Purpose-built for vocals by Sontronics’ founder Trevor Coley, and ear-tested by producers, such as Paul Epworth, who works with some of the world’s top vocalists, the ARIA gives you stunning results with any singer who steps up to it. From soft intimate passages to full on belting, the ARIA delivers the quality goods, thanks to its silky-smooth sonics, accurate response, vintage-style tube saturation, and Sontronics’ trademark high-frequency roll-off, which provides the larger-than-life sound and musically pleasing high-frequency response of a ribbon mic combined with the kind of detail only achieved by a condenser.

The Sontronics ARIA tube condenser-Just the Facts:

• Incredibly smooth sound
• Designed to give amazing results on male and female vocals
• Beta-tested by producer Paul Epworth, PJ Harvey, and several engineers at Abbey Road Studios
• Power-supply LED indicator lights when mic is properly warmed up 
• Covered by Sontronics no-nonsense Lifetime Warranty

The Sontronics ARIA-Behind the Grille  

The ARIA features a large, 1.07-inch, edge-terminated capsule. With no wires running across the diaphragm the way center-mounted capsules do, the ARIA captures all the detail and subtleties of any male or female vocal (sung or spoken) with no interruption of acoustic waves entering its chromed grille. The result of painstaking shootouts, the Sontronics selected a European 12AX7/ECC83 tube for the ARIA, which provides the euphonic character found in prized vintage tube (valve) microphones. The response curve of the ARIA is tailored specifically to bring vocals subtly forward in a mix, with balanced lows and mids (for plenty of mix information) and a small high-frequency presence peak for detail and definition.

Providing an additional level of control, the SPS-2 power supply that accompanies the ARIA has a –10dB pad and high-pass filter (linear, 75Hz). An added bonus, the power supply hosts a “tube ready” LED indicator that lets you know when the mic is sufficiently warmed up to record. Inside the unit is a pro-quality, medical-grade electricity filter to ensure clean, interference-free power.

Concept behind the mic

Sontronics crafted the ARIA to provide both an inspiration sound for artists to achieve their best performances, plus all the information an engineer needs going in without having to rely on heavy processing to make the vocals shine in the mix. The result is a go-to microphone that’s a must-have if you’re serious about achieving the best results from vocals, voiceover, and broadcast. The ARIA can also lend its magic to piano, acoustic guitar, cello, and other instruments as well.

An essential component of ARIA’s design is not an electronic one, rather its 12 months of beta-testing by top artists and musicians, including producer/writer Paul Epworth, who’s worked with the world’s top vocalists, including Adele, Florence & The Machine, and Paul McCartney; singer/songwriter PJ Harvey; as well as several engineers at Abbey Road Studios, all of whom are now convinced that they can’t live without their ARIAs. According to these and other professional users, ARIA’s sound and quality easily matches mics (both modern and vintage) that cost ten times more.

In the box

The ARIA microphone is supplied in its own velvet-lined wooden box, which comes in an aluminium flight case together with its elastic spider-style shockmount, a ring mount and the SPS-2 power supply, connecting cable and power lead. Like all their mics, ARIA is covered by Sontronics’ no-nonsense lifetime warranty.

Sontronics ARIA recommended applications:

Though built with a primary focus on vocals recording, the ARIA also shines on a number of sources, including:

• Male and female vocals
• Voiceover
• Cello, violin, and viola
• Piano
• Acoustic guitar
• Drum overheads

What the pros are saying about the Sontronics ARIA

“ARIA is incredibly smooth with bags of character . . . it easily competes with any vintage valve microphone I’ve ever used!”

– Paul Epworth, Producer (Coldplay, U2, Florence + The Machine, Adele)

“Your ARIA is incredible… it brings light into my life”

– PJ Harvey, singer-songwriter

“ARIA is silky smooth with all the classic characteristics

I’d expect from a vintage valve mic. Yet another well designed and beautiful sounding mic from Sontronics!”

– Andrew Dudman, Recording Engineer, Abbey Road (Lord Of The Rings, The Golden Compass, Robbie Williams, Elbow)

“There isn’t a voice that it doesn’t suit”

– Tim Brian, producer (London Grammar, Bloc Party, Rae Morris)

The budget-friendly Sontronics ARIA gives you breath-taking vocals on par with the world’s best vintage mics. For more information, call or chat online with your PAD Studio Specialist today. 

Specifications

• Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz
• Tube/valve: European 12AX7 / ECC83
• Sensitivity: 18mV/Pa -33dB ±1.5dB
• (0dB = 1V/Pa @ 1,000Hz)
• Polar pattern: Cardioid
• Pad: 0, -10dB
• Filter: Linear, 75Hz
• Impedance: ≤200 ohm
• Equivalent noise level: 18dB, (A-weighted)
• Max SPL (for 0.5% THD @ 1kHz): 125dB
• Power supply: SPS-2 115/230V *Phantom power NOT required*
• Connector: 8-pin connector (mic),
• 3-pin XLR-M (power supply)
• Dimensions (Mic): 9-3/64″ x 2-11/64″ x 2-11/64″ (230 x 55 x 55 mm )
• Weight (mic): 1.6 lb. (744g)
• Weight (mic with shockmount): 2.5 lb. (1155g)
• Weight (power supply): 4.1 lb. (1880)g
  

Includes

• Velvet-lined wooden box (for Aria mic)
• Shockmount
• Cables
• SPS-2 power supply
• Aluminum flight case