“Many of my peers make music professionally. So if something comes up on their radar, the first thing they want to do is extol its virtues. And that’s exactly what happened with Aston. I was at the NAMM show in Anaheim a few years back and the buzz was all about Aston and the Origin. I wanted to get my hands on one and see if it was everything it was cracked up to be. When I did, it not only matched, but exceeded my expectations.
With a microphone, I’m not thinking about cost - I want to have the best tools. Every Aston microphone I own has met that threshold – regardless of price point. That’s where it starts. Then, when you compare Aston to other microphones, does it have a signature sound? Does the microphone have some unique characteristics? It’s not trying to do everything, it’s just trying to be good.
I put an Origin up in front of Jim Horn, a legendary horn player, and his response was: ‘What the f*** is this, where the f*** did you get it and how the f*** can I get one?’. That’s not only an affirmation; he’s hearing what I’m hearing. There’s are components of clarity, of transient response, EQ curve, noise floor, all on the technical side. But at the end of the day, does it sound like it works, does it fit, does it capture the sonic emotion? And does its tone signature come together with that of the particular instrument you’re using it on? It doesn’t matter what it looks like, what the price point is. If it sounds like garbage, I won’t use it. And that’s really the bottom line.”