Perfect Christmas gifts for musicians, producers, Youtubers, podcasters and gamers

You can NEVER have too many microphones!

Try telling a guitarist they don’t need another axe! It’s the same with mics – building a collection provides versatility, flexibility and choice of sounds and, of course, is essential in a studio where multi-mic set ups are needed. We’re not suggesting everyone’s home set-up should be equipped like Abbey Road (they have literally HUNDREDS of mics), just that anyone who is serious about making music, publishing video or podcast content, or building a reputation in the gaming world, will ALWAYS be stoked by a new mic!

So what to go for? Beware the ultra-cheap stuff that’s out there. It might look the part but unfortunately that’s not the measure of a good mic, and the harsh sounds and noisy performance of many has often ruined otherwise great work.

Aston Microphones, the UK’s only mainstream mic manufacturer, have become famed for making mics and accessories which sound so good the professionals use them, yet cost a fraction of many ‘major brand’ offerings. And they’re SO cool…!

An Aston mic will give years of trouble-free service, with world-class results, and bring a smile to anyone who sings, writes, plays or broadcasts – these are gifts where you can’t really get it wrong!

So here are our Christmas picks…

Aston Element Bundle - £159/€179/$199

With a sound famously crafted by public vote, Element, the ‘People’s Microphone’ is THE mic for the singer/songwriter, using bespoke and ingenious tech to outperform everything in its class and many mics costing far, far more. It’s been scientifically measured as being the world’s quietest mic (in a good way!) and also having the widest frequency response of any similar mic ever made! It sounds simply fantastic, looks gorgeous, and comes with FREE specially designed pop filter and shock mount (essential studio accessories to get the best out of any mic).

Great for: Vocals • Acoustic guitar • All acoustic instruments • Spoken word

“An astonishing mic.” Music Tech Magazine

Winner of Music Tech’s ‘Innovation’, ‘Value’ and ‘Excellence’ Awards (the first time a mic has ever won all three!).

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Aston Halo/Halo Shadow - £219/€249/$299

No matter how good the microphone is, if it’s surrounded by bad acoustics it won’t be at its best. Most living spaces have nasty sound reflections from walls and ceilings which enter the mic, spoiling otherwise great recordings. Halo sorts it all out by absorbing, diffusing and diffracting the sound, ensuring smooth, accurate results in pretty much any setting. Many of the stars use them, including Stevie Wonder, Drake, Gary Barlow and many more. Choose cool Aston purple (Halo) or sleek black (Halo Shadow). Suitable for use with most studio mics.

Great for: Improving any recording environment

“Sets a new bar for personal vocal booths.” Sound On Sound magazine.

Halo has won multiple industry innovation awards.

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Aston Stealth - £299/€339/$379

Stealth is the world’s most versatile microphone, as used by Coldplay, Nothing But Thieves, Don Broco, and many, many other top artists and producers. It’s also proved a game-changer for broadcasters and gamers with its host of sonic options and superlative performance. In brief, it offers a choice of four ‘voices’, active and passive modes (so it can behave like a dynamic OR a condenser mic) and a built in Class A preamp (usually a costly add-on). It’s the most talked-about microphone in the audio industry since its 2019 launch.

Great for: Literally everything.

“If I was stuck on a desert island with one microphone, this might be it.” (Tape Op magazine).

Winner of pretty much every audio award going, including ‘Best Microphone’ at the prestigious international NAMM TEC Awards (the ‘Oscars’ of the audio industry).

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Aston GN/Swift/SwiftShield – Accessories from £49/€55/$84

Great mics record what they hear. Unfortunately this can include unwanted various kinds of noise which can ruin a great take. The main culprits are the plosives and ‘esses’ that even the best singers sometimes produce, and unwanted vibrations, perhaps from feet tappng on the floor. To eliminate these you’ll often see the professionals using an Aston pop filter and shockmount. These essential accessories just make everything better. The Aston Swift is the ingenious and ultra-effective shock mount which cradles most popular condenser mics and sorts out bad vibrations, Shield GN is our best-in-class pop filter and eradicates all those unwanted vocal nasties. Or take a look at Swiftshield, which combines the two in a stylish, quick and easy gift set.

Great for: Getting the best results from a studio condenser mic

“If you're in the market for a shock mount and pop filter combination, the SwiftShield should be your first choice.” Tape Op magazine

Swiftshield – Music Tech Magazine 10/10 Excellence award winner.

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Aston Origin - £249/€285/$299

The mic that started it all. Origin was Aston’s first release and has become a modern-day classic. The ultimate all-rounder, it’s a large diaphragm condenser (the most popular type of studio workhorse) with a smooth, warm sound that makes anything you put in front of it sound amazing. It started the Aston tradition of building mics to last, with it’s solid-aluminium chassis, individually tumbled to give a unique and beautiful finish. An invaluable addition to any recording set-up and a cool talking-point, too. The sound has been compared favourably to mics like the Neumann U87 (around £2000).

Great for: Vocals • Guitars • All acoustic instruments • Spoken word

“Origin is a product of original design, quality and flawless workmanship… a serious contender to the U87” Audio Fanzine

Origin is a multiple award winner, including Future Music magazine’s ‘Platinum Award’ and Music Tech’s ‘Excellence Award’.

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Aston Spirit - £349/€395/$449

The professional’s choice of large diaphragm condenser, just without the price tag. Spirit is a switchable pattern mic giving a beautifully open sound with sparkling harmonics. It’s used by countless top engineers, producers and artists worldwide, including Noel Gallagher, Tory Lanez, Robbie Williams and many more. Like Origin, it’s virtually indestructible and so will provide a lifetime’s world-class recordings. Spirit is used for all manner of applications, including drums. It excels on vocals and acoustic instruments.

Great for: Vocals • All acoustic instruments • Drums/percussion • Spoken word

“A phenomenal product that will stand up against microphones ten times the price” Audio Media International

Spirit won Music Tech magazine’s ‘Gear of the Decade’ award, amongst many others.

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Wishing you all a fantastic Christmas and a Happy New Year. From everyone at Aston Microphones :)