ARTIST ELITE SERIES
Microphones
It was basically two mics housed in one casing unit that provided perfect phase alignment, with the dynamic element holding the aggressive attack of the beater while the condenser element captured the sound of the shell.
T he “studio -to- stage” evolution, powered by the company’s engineering prowess, culminated with the introduction of the Artist Elite line in 2002. The flagship AE5400 shared the same 4050 element as its worthy predecessors, the AT4054 and AT4055. A sibling handheld condenser, the AE3300, which utilized the element from the studio stalwart AT4033, was better suited for smaller venues. The same pattern followed in instrument mics such as the AE3000, a low-profile side-address, large diaphragm condenser, and the large diaphragm end-fire AE5100. Because of their unique housing design, neither took up much valued space onstage, making them a musician’s best friend in a live setting. All the mics provided pristine studio quality sound for kick- out-the-jams live sound. Later, the need for a better kick-drum microphone, A-T engineering responded with an industry first: the dual-element AE2500.
It wasn’t long before glowing testimonials poured in.
“The AE2500 is one of the best mics that has ever come into this business,” noted Paul Owen, Metallica Monitor Engineer. “Considering so many people put condensers and dynamics together in a kick drum and never get it right, that is just an amazing bit of engineering. It’s just a perfect application for what we use it for… go straight in the middle, you never go out of phase, you never have a problem.” “The AE2500 is possibly the best mic ever made,” exclaimed Front -of-House Engineer Laurie Quigley (Aerosmith, Mötley Crüe, Van Halen, Saliva and others). “It’s an incredible kick-drum mic! But I also usethem on guitar cabinets. The first time I used the AE2500, I shoved it in front of a guitar cabinet just to see what it would do, and I was frightened by the sound – it was that good.”
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