With the release of the A440, AEA has synthesized more than 30 years of experience with high performance microphones. The A440 is the quietest ribbon microphone ever produced. The A440 combines all the warmth and beauty of the classic 44, both sonically and visually, but with a signal so hot you'll have to try it to believe it. Like the rest of AEA's Big Ribbon Mics™, it needs little EQ, takes it nicely when you want it, and is free of resonances in audible range. The A440 is unlike any other product on the market today and no professional studio should be without one.

Like its cousin, the R44CX, The A440 is based on the RCA 44BX, but is phantom powered and uses a Lundahl transformer. It uses the same RCA NOS ribbon element, only 1.8 microns thick, which is from material originally manufactured for RCA. It also features the museum quality shell with a durable bronze investment cast yoke. An umber paint with red medallion transformer case and bright nickel finishes with golden accents is standard. The microphone package includes a three meter cloth covered Accusound Silver Studio Pro cable, a zippered canvas bag, and AEA 44VC vertical case for proper shipping and storage.

RCA 44 ribbon microphones have remained an essential part of studio life well after RCA stopped manufacturing them in 1955. The sound and response of the 44 B/BX were unlike anything else available, and was cherished for its smoothness, forgiving nature and unique tonal balance. As collectors began to buy up the supply of RCA 44’s through the 90’s, the availability of this wonderful ribbon mic to the studio was greatly endangered. Wes Dooley, a specialist in ribbon mics of all kinds, recently began a project to restore availability of the RCA 44 to its rightful position in the studio. After tracking down the folks who built and designed the original RCA 44, Wes’ company, Audio Engineering Associates, acquired the ribbon material, made the tooling and custom machined the parts necessary to build the original RCA 44 B/BX design as it was in the 1930s. After years of painstaking work, AEA has again begun production of the most important ribbon mic of all time: the AEA R44C.

The A440, like the rest of AEA's maufactured product lines, is manufactured and assembled in the U.S.A.

"Magnificient!"
     – Shawn Murphy, Audio Engineer for film scoring, Los Angeles, CA

"Without Boundaries!"
     – Jeff Peters, Audio Engineer for the Beach Boys, Los Angeles, CA

"Fantastic! Clean and quiet, just awesome –and I've listened to a lot of ribbons!"
     – Vance Powell, Blackbird Studios, Nashville, TN

"The A440 just has so much depth...blistering hot output with no real noise to speak of. Good stuff!"
     – Warren Dent, Front End Audio, Columbia, SC