Aston Stealth - Bullets
Broadcast quality cardioid microphone for studio and stage
4 settings – 4 different voices – 4 discrete signal paths
Works with and without 48V phantom power
Autodetect function senses 48V and activates built in preamp
Class A mic preamp built in - no external gain lifting device required
Unique Sorbothane internal shock mount
Excellent off axis (side) rejection
Built-in purple LED phantom power indicator - switchable for stealth mode
Aston’s legendary build quality
Sound developed by 92 top engineers, producers and artists on the Aston 33 panel
Supplied with quick release stand mount
Stealth Short Bio
Aston Stealth - The world’s most versatile microphone
The Aston Stealth is a revolutionary broadcast quality microphone for studio and stage,
with 4 switchable voices delivering unparalleled performance in almost any situation.
Stealth is the world’s first microphone with an autodetect function which senses 48V
phantom power and automatically switches the mic to active mode. A built-in, high quality,
Class A Mic Preamp dispenses with the need for an external gain lifting device in active
mode. Stealth also features a unique Sorbothane internal shock mount system and Aston’s
legendary build quality. With so many cutting edge features, and suitable for almost every
conceivable application, we believe Stealth is the world’s most versatile microphone.
Stealth was developed in partnership with more than 90 top engineers, producers and
artists on the Aston 33 development panel who participated in a series of blind listening
tests designed to create the best possible sound. The resulting four voice settings, Vocal 1,
Vocal 2, Guitar and Dark, offer an unprecedented variety of world class sounds to suit
almost every application.
Stealth Long Bio
Aston Stealth - The world’s most versatile microphone
The Aston Stealth is a cardioid, end-fire microphone for use on stage or in the studio, from
VO, to gaming, live sound to serious high-end recording.
With some of the biggest advances in mic technology in decades, conceived and designed
from the ground-up, Stealth is the world’s most versatile microphone. Boasting settings for
four separate voices, each one rigorously tested to deliver unparalleled performance across
a wide range of applications, Stealth also introduces a host of innovative technological
features offering significant improvements over traditional mic designs.
Four settings, four different voices.
Think of Stealth as four professional microphones in one. Each setting has been voiced by a
panel of more than 90 top flight audio engineers and producers on the Aston 33 panel
through a series of double-blind listening tests, beating not only every mic in its class, but
some far more expensive ‘industry standard’ mics.
There are 2 vocal settings, optimised for different vocal textures, a guitar setting which is
equally suited to Spanish guitar, Electric guitar cab and steel string acoustic, and a dark,
vintage setting, reminiscent of classic ribbon mics.
Mics which apply ‘flattering’ - but destructive - pre EQ make professional post-processing
almost impossible. Stealth, however, provides a choice of four pure, high quality signal
paths. The voice settings are not EQ filters, they are contour networks, meaning the bulk of
the signal does not pass through any sort of filter circuitry. The whole signal is slightly
attenuated, with some frequencies being added back in at a higher level. This results in
much lower phase distortion than conventional filter designs.
Active & Passive modes with 48V Autodetect function
Stealth works with or without 48V phantom power. In passive mode (unpowered) the active
circuit is completely bypassed and Stealth operates with the simplest possible signal chain
to give a beautifully clean sound.
A unique (world’s first!) built-in Autodetect function senses the presence of 48V phantom
power and will automatically switch the mic to active mode to utilise the onboard class A
mic Pre.
Built-in Class A Mic Preamp
When in active mode Stealth features a high quality built-in Class A Mic Pre, dispensing with
the need for an expensive external gain lifting device.
Stealth features a fully balanced signal path from capsule to output, yielding a superior
reduction of ‘Common Mode’ noise compared with single-ended (unbalanced) designs.
Unique Sorbothane internal shock mount
Aston Stealth includes a proprietary internal shock mount design with the mass loaded
capsule being suspended in mid-air, completely isolated from the mic chassis, and
supported at 3 points by Sorboathane polymer hemi-spheres.
Sorbothane is a synthetic viscoelastic urethane polymer used as a vibration damper and
acoustic shield used in computing, hi-fi and many industrial applications.
Improved side rejection
Stealth’s acoustically tuned headstock provides a highly focused cardioid polar pattern with
enhanced off-axis rejection.
Excellent rejection of electromagnetic hum
Stealth’s capsule is completely enclosed in a stainless steel Faraday cage.
Legendary Aston build quality
Like all Aston microphones, Stealth is built for work. Proprietary manufacturing techniques
and the use of novel materials have created a near-indestructible microphone, equally at
home in the most demanding of recording environments, or with the rigours of life on the
road.
The chassis is constructed from extruded aluminium and finished with a sleek, ‘soft-feel’
urethane-acrylic coating.
The four voices are accessed via a discreet, flush-aligned rotary switch which cannot be
accidentally moved during performance or in transit.
Stealth mode
Stealth’s phantom power mode is indicated by the soft glow of Aston purple LED floodlights.
These can be switched off when the mic is to be heard but not seen, for example in
broadcast and video environments.
The Aston 33 – the blind-testing process
The Aston 33 (so named after the original members) is now a panel of more than 120 top
producers, engineers and artists who work with Aston on new product development to
ensure every mic is best in class before it is released to the market, 92 of whom worked
directly on the development of Stealth.
They perform double-blind listening tests on a range of possible versions of each new mic,
plus ‘industry standard’ models from key manufacturers and vote on performance on a
variety of sources (vocals, guitars and so on). In tests the panel do not know which mics they
are listening to, or even which are included in the tests, so the resultant votes can’t be
biased by brand reputation, or an expectation of how a certain microphone should sound.
Some surprising results arose from the Stealth project testing. For example the prototype
Stealth voicing that consistently came top in the voting for female vocal takes came off
worst for male vocals and vice versa, regardless of the pitch of the singer! Furthermore a
different voicing came top for ALL guitar sources, from finger picked acoustic through to
mic’d distorted guitar cabs.
These discoveries, derived from more than 9000 data points, were the catalyst for the Aston
team to set about reimagining the microphone from the ground up. Stealth is not a jack of
all trades, it truly excels at capturing professional quality audio in almost every situation,
and masters them all.
Aston Stealth - Specifications
Transducer Type: Moving coil
Directional Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz
Equivalent Noise Level: 10dB
Sensitivity (passive mode) at 1 kHz into 1 kOhm: ave. 1mV/Pa*
Sensitivity (active mode) at 1 kHz into 1 kOhm: ave. 150mV/Pa*
Maximum SPL for THD 0.5%: 140dB
* Varies across the 4 voices
Broadcast quality cardioid microphone for studio and stage
4 settings – 4 different voices – 4 discrete signal paths
Works with and without 48V phantom power
Autodetect function senses 48V and activates built in preamp
Class A mic preamp built in - no external gain lifting device required
Unique Sorbothane internal shock mount
Excellent off axis (side) rejection
Built-in purple LED phantom power indicator - switchable for stealth mode
Aston’s legendary build quality
Sound developed by 92 top engineers, producers and artists on the Aston 33 panel
Supplied with quick release stand mount
Stealth Short Bio
Aston Stealth - The world’s most versatile microphone
The Aston Stealth is a revolutionary broadcast quality microphone for studio and stage,
with 4 switchable voices delivering unparalleled performance in almost any situation.
Stealth is the world’s first microphone with an autodetect function which senses 48V
phantom power and automatically switches the mic to active mode. A built-in, high quality,
Class A Mic Preamp dispenses with the need for an external gain lifting device in active
mode. Stealth also features a unique Sorbothane internal shock mount system and Aston’s
legendary build quality. With so many cutting edge features, and suitable for almost every
conceivable application, we believe Stealth is the world’s most versatile microphone.
Stealth was developed in partnership with more than 90 top engineers, producers and
artists on the Aston 33 development panel who participated in a series of blind listening
tests designed to create the best possible sound. The resulting four voice settings, Vocal 1,
Vocal 2, Guitar and Dark, offer an unprecedented variety of world class sounds to suit
almost every application.
Stealth Long Bio
Aston Stealth - The world’s most versatile microphone
The Aston Stealth is a cardioid, end-fire microphone for use on stage or in the studio, from
VO, to gaming, live sound to serious high-end recording.
With some of the biggest advances in mic technology in decades, conceived and designed
from the ground-up, Stealth is the world’s most versatile microphone. Boasting settings for
four separate voices, each one rigorously tested to deliver unparalleled performance across
a wide range of applications, Stealth also introduces a host of innovative technological
features offering significant improvements over traditional mic designs.
Four settings, four different voices.
Think of Stealth as four professional microphones in one. Each setting has been voiced by a
panel of more than 90 top flight audio engineers and producers on the Aston 33 panel
through a series of double-blind listening tests, beating not only every mic in its class, but
some far more expensive ‘industry standard’ mics.
There are 2 vocal settings, optimised for different vocal textures, a guitar setting which is
equally suited to Spanish guitar, Electric guitar cab and steel string acoustic, and a dark,
vintage setting, reminiscent of classic ribbon mics.
Mics which apply ‘flattering’ - but destructive - pre EQ make professional post-processing
almost impossible. Stealth, however, provides a choice of four pure, high quality signal
paths. The voice settings are not EQ filters, they are contour networks, meaning the bulk of
the signal does not pass through any sort of filter circuitry. The whole signal is slightly
attenuated, with some frequencies being added back in at a higher level. This results in
much lower phase distortion than conventional filter designs.
Active & Passive modes with 48V Autodetect function
Stealth works with or without 48V phantom power. In passive mode (unpowered) the active
circuit is completely bypassed and Stealth operates with the simplest possible signal chain
to give a beautifully clean sound.
A unique (world’s first!) built-in Autodetect function senses the presence of 48V phantom
power and will automatically switch the mic to active mode to utilise the onboard class A
mic Pre.
Built-in Class A Mic Preamp
When in active mode Stealth features a high quality built-in Class A Mic Pre, dispensing with
the need for an expensive external gain lifting device.
Stealth features a fully balanced signal path from capsule to output, yielding a superior
reduction of ‘Common Mode’ noise compared with single-ended (unbalanced) designs.
Unique Sorbothane internal shock mount
Aston Stealth includes a proprietary internal shock mount design with the mass loaded
capsule being suspended in mid-air, completely isolated from the mic chassis, and
supported at 3 points by Sorboathane polymer hemi-spheres.
Sorbothane is a synthetic viscoelastic urethane polymer used as a vibration damper and
acoustic shield used in computing, hi-fi and many industrial applications.
Improved side rejection
Stealth’s acoustically tuned headstock provides a highly focused cardioid polar pattern with
enhanced off-axis rejection.
Excellent rejection of electromagnetic hum
Stealth’s capsule is completely enclosed in a stainless steel Faraday cage.
Legendary Aston build quality
Like all Aston microphones, Stealth is built for work. Proprietary manufacturing techniques
and the use of novel materials have created a near-indestructible microphone, equally at
home in the most demanding of recording environments, or with the rigours of life on the
road.
The chassis is constructed from extruded aluminium and finished with a sleek, ‘soft-feel’
urethane-acrylic coating.
The four voices are accessed via a discreet, flush-aligned rotary switch which cannot be
accidentally moved during performance or in transit.
Stealth mode
Stealth’s phantom power mode is indicated by the soft glow of Aston purple LED floodlights.
These can be switched off when the mic is to be heard but not seen, for example in
broadcast and video environments.
The Aston 33 – the blind-testing process
The Aston 33 (so named after the original members) is now a panel of more than 120 top
producers, engineers and artists who work with Aston on new product development to
ensure every mic is best in class before it is released to the market, 92 of whom worked
directly on the development of Stealth.
They perform double-blind listening tests on a range of possible versions of each new mic,
plus ‘industry standard’ models from key manufacturers and vote on performance on a
variety of sources (vocals, guitars and so on). In tests the panel do not know which mics they
are listening to, or even which are included in the tests, so the resultant votes can’t be
biased by brand reputation, or an expectation of how a certain microphone should sound.
Some surprising results arose from the Stealth project testing. For example the prototype
Stealth voicing that consistently came top in the voting for female vocal takes came off
worst for male vocals and vice versa, regardless of the pitch of the singer! Furthermore a
different voicing came top for ALL guitar sources, from finger picked acoustic through to
mic’d distorted guitar cabs.
These discoveries, derived from more than 9000 data points, were the catalyst for the Aston
team to set about reimagining the microphone from the ground up. Stealth is not a jack of
all trades, it truly excels at capturing professional quality audio in almost every situation,
and masters them all.
Aston Stealth - Specifications
Transducer Type: Moving coil
Directional Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz
Equivalent Noise Level: 10dB
Sensitivity (passive mode) at 1 kHz into 1 kOhm: ave. 1mV/Pa*
Sensitivity (active mode) at 1 kHz into 1 kOhm: ave. 150mV/Pa*
Maximum SPL for THD 0.5%: 140dB
* Varies across the 4 voices