Transformer Stage
Electronic Stage
Backlit Controls
Peak Meter
Transformer Output
Electronic Stage
Backlit Controls
Peak Meter
The Aim Audio ESSENCE is a trailblazing and stunningly beautiful microphone that has been entirely conceived from the ground up, to change the studio microphone world forever.
Made in Berlin, Germany, this new high-performance studio mic is a world first and comes with a host of unique, useful and innovative features, including our patent-pending switchable Transformer/Electronic Output stage. From a direct, beautifully open and fast response, to smooth and intimate sounds with sparkling harmonics and deep lows, ESSENCE is surely going to become a top choice wherever and for whatever source you wish to use it on.
Add to this a fresh look, backlit and tactile controls, reversible orientation, built-in Peak Level Metering, a hand-built 1” Gold Sputtered Mylar true condenser capsule (externally polarized) and you have one of the finest new audio products to ever hit the market – all at a price/performance ratio that defies regular convention.
Main Features
- Truly innovative, with multiple Patent-Pending features
- Developed by an experienced team of experts in audio
- All-metal housing with unique oval design
- Class-Leading Audio Performance (>140 dBA internal headroom*)
- Switchable between Electronic or Transformer Balanced Output stages
- Custom-wound Toroidal Audio Transformer with VITROPERM core
- 1” Large Diaphragm True Condenser (Gold Sputtered Mylar)
- Sound chosen by blind listening tests, using our industry leading panel
- -10 Pad option
- 80 Hz Low Cut switches
- Integrated Peak-Level Metering
- Backlit Controls (dimmable and lockable)
- Built-in direct-to-stand mounting
- Powered by regular 48 V Phantom Power
- Optional Custom ORBIT Shock Mount, with adjustable clamp angle and more
- Made in Berlin, Germany
Aim ESSENCE
Cardioid Condenser Studio Microphone
The Aim Audio ESSENCE is a trailblazing and stunningly beautiful microphone that has been entirely conceived from the ground up, to change the studio microphone world forever.
Made in Berlin, Germany, this new high-performance studio mic is a world first and comes with a host of unique, useful and innovative features, including our patent-pending switchable Transformer/Electronic Output stage. From a direct, beautifully open and fast response, to smooth and intimate sounds with sparkling harmonics and deep lows, ESSENCE is surely going to become a top choice wherever and for whatever source you wish to use it on.
Add to this a fresh look, backlit and tactile controls, reversible orientation, built-in Peak Level Metering, a hand-built 1” Gold Spluttered Mylar true condenser capsule (externally polarized) and you have one of the finest new audio products to ever hit the market – all at a price/performance ratio that defies regular convention.
Main Features
- Truly innovative, with multiple Patent-Pending features
- Developed by an experienced team of experts in audio
- All-metal housing with unique oval design
- Class-Leading Audio Performance (>140 dBA internal headroom*)
- Switchable between Electronic or Transformer Balanced Output stages
- Custom-wound Toroidal Audio Transformer with VITROPERM core
- 1” Large Diaphragm True Condenser (Gold Sputtered Mylar)
- Sound chosen by blind listening tests, using our industry leading panel
- -10 Pad option
- 80 Hz Low Cut switches
- Integrated Peak-Level Metering
- Backlit Controls (dimmable and lockable)
- Built-in direct-to-stand mounting
- Powered by regular 48 V Phantom Power
- Optional Custom ORBIT Shock Mount, with adjustable clamp angle and more
- Made in Berlin, Germany
Innovate, not imitate
Yes, it is an often-used cliché for many products and brands these days. Now, while we love vintage and classic mics (the team at Aim own and cherish several fine examples), much of the studio mic industry can seem, to us at least, like it just wants to follow the same path as many of these vintage examples. So, with stellar audio performance and aligned to a beautiful sleek and modern design, we looked at what genuinely useful innovation could bring to the world of studio microphones.
Let’s look at all of those new features in detail.
The sound of success
Despite all the fancy tech wizardry that we have innovated and integrated into our mics, the sound all starts with the capsule.
At Aim Audio, we developed the Aim sound by carrying out a number of double blind tests with a team of leading studio engineers, musicians, artists and audio professionals across the world. Along the process and to find out what style and tonality worked best with our custom electronics, we also compared each of these tests by ear and included checking these results randomly, against some of the most popular and best competitor mics on the market.
There are a number of different types of condenser capsules, whether the termination is centre or edge mounted, what materials are used etc.. All have their advantages and disadvantages, but for the sound of ESSENCE, our panel overwhelmingly chose to use the classic centre-terminated capsule design, that originated out of our home here in Berlin.
Our handmade, externally polarized, 1” capsule features a 6 micron gold-sputtered genuine Mylar diaphragm, isolated brass backplates with the finest quality tensioners and a customized ring connector. We also use Teflon coated wires, as this improves the S/N ratio to our own and separate Hi-Z electronics. It really is a work of art.
The cutting edge electronics inside ESSENCE are also extremely important to the sound. For all of our PCBs (also made in Berlin), we selected the highest quality components throughout – despite the cost, to maintain and exceed audio performance from many other designs that our team have been involved in. We also wanted to achieve a very low noise floor without compromising on the audio quality, so we have a total number of four separate PCBs in each microphone, to minimise crosstalk and provide a leading-edge internal headroom of 140 dBA+. Plus, the entire mic is powered by regular 48 V Phantom Power!
Change the Output Mode
While we wanted to provide the best quality that we could electronics wise, the question came up whether we should use a Transformer or Electronic Output stage. So why not have both in the same mic?! It really was a challenge, but we made it happen. To many, one of the reasons they chose a certain condenser mic for a source is because they fall into either one of these two output topologies.
For our Transformer-based circuit, the Aim Audio team developed a Custom Wound Toroidal Transformer with a nanocrystalline VITROPERM core. This special design doesn’t sound harsh or just add distortion, like many off the shelf transformer circuits can do, but it provides a slightly thicker and richer LF, plus a slightly airy top end and a slower transient response. Useful for all sorts of audio; from aggressive or velvety smooth vocals, to heavy guitars or a brass section, this mode gives a beautifully open sound with shimmering harmonics.
While our super clean Electronically Balanced Output will react much faster with transients and can handle higher SPL, even at ultra-low frequencies. Perfect for catching fast moving audio like shiny drum overheads or tracking acoustic guitars, without any ‘smearing’ of the audio, this mode gives stunningly transparent and natural recordings. It captures all the detail in the HF but without adding a zingy quality that some condensers can be prone to.
Aim Audio’s patent-pending output switching technology is a world first. Now for the very first time, you can instantly* swap between these two distinct types of output and choose exactly which style best suits your source, at source. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll wonder why it’s not been done before!
Find out more details on our Technology here
See it your way
Many mics are just plain darn hard to read when setting up on dark and moody stages or in studios, where you often want to get the best atmosphere for a performance. We thought about how best to change this, so the LED backlit controls on ESSENCE make it easy to see exactly what settings the mic is set to, at a moment’s glance. They’re also completely powered by regular 48V Phantom Power – no extra hardware is required!
While we think that LEDs are cool and want to show them off, we totally understand that not everyone will want to see them on all the time or potentially distract an artist from a performance. We have you covered here, as all of the controls can be easily dimmed to three levels or even turned off. This makes ESSENCE a perfect ‘invisible mic’ for video, calming studio environments or in live settings.
You can also easily lock the buttons too, great if you want to stop performers from “fiddling” or to prevent accidental changes while moving the microphone’s position.
Catch the Peaks and Rumbles
You know how it goes, a perfect take ruined because you didn’t spot the mic was peaking and causing input distortion. Well despite the electronics of ESSENCE being capable of 140 dB + of internal headroom (that’s louder than a jet taking off above your head!), very many mic preamps are just not capable of either taking anywhere near that kind of level or even sounding great if they do. Which is why mics generally have pad options on them, to help reduce the output level.
While the average source should not present an issue, loud amps, drums or even singers with the odd peaking transient can distort your input. So, to help you better catch these short overload peaks before they damage recordings, we fitted a simple Peak Level meter to ESSENCE. The LED will flash Orange when the level is approaching the ‘danger level’ and will go Red when it hits around 128 dB*. Even though ESSENCE should not distort internally at this level, as this is at source it makes it way easier to set the -10 Pad control and will help you make better distortion free recordings, no matter what kind of kit you are using.
The mic also has a switch for a Low Cut Filter at 80 Hz. This is are useful for helping to you to get the best sound possible for your recordings.
Take the Shock
ESSENCE is equipped with an integral direct-to-stand mount thread in the base of the microphone, which makes setting up in tight spaces a breeze. Aim’s custom capsule holder is also made from the best Anti-Vibration material – Sorbothane®, meaning it will protect your takes from most knocks and bumps that could ruin a recording.
But for the absolutely best shock-mounting experience and if you want additional mounting options, we’ve developed the optional ORBIT, our revolutionary patent-pending multi-position Shock Mount. This also comes with the SENTRY magnetic Pop Filter, as part of this optional package.
Gallery
Gallery
ESSENCE Technical Specs*
*Preliminary Launch Information
Transducer Type
True Condenser
Frequency Response
20 Hz – 20 kHz
Sensitivity at 1 kHz into 1 kΩ
20.7 mV/Pa
Signal-to-Noise Ratio
86 dBA (rel. 94 dB SPL)
Pad Switch
-10 dB
LF Cut-Off Filter
80 Hz
Equivalent Noise Level
8 dBA
Maximum SPL
140 dB (at 0.05% THD) – no pad
Pricing and availability
Estimated Shipping – Summer 2024
Expected Launch Pricing:
ESSENCE
$499 US MAP (excl. local sales Tax)
549 € Euro ERP
£469 GBP ERP
Optional ORBIT/SENTRY Package
$129 US MAP (excl. local sales Tax)
149 € Euro ERP
£129 GBP ERP
