The NEW Limited Edition R44!

For those of you who couldn’t make it out to NAMM this year, here’s the rundown on a limited edition R44 we premiered at the show!

In 1998, AEA released its first museum-quality reproduction of the iconic RCA 44. Now, we honor our continued legacy with a limited edition homage to the RCA 44BX: the 44-CX 25LE. Complete with a three-position inductor high-pass filter switch and original color-matched transformer case, this unique product recalls the vintage sound of the 44BX with the added benefit of modern components and materials. After studying our extensive, in-house collection of RCA 44s, the AEA R&D team worked through many design iterations to find a circuit design that most closely emulated that iconic 44BX sound.

Special care was taken to source just the right grille silk, transformer case paint, and cabling to really make this mic look like one from the 1940’s. Much like the original 44BX, the 44-CX 25LE features an umber gray case and brushed satin plated finish, custom “meatball” logo badge in original RCA font, and brown cabling. Look closely, and you might even spot a color difference in the grille silk, which is slightly more muted to emulate an aged mic.

The most exciting feature of the 25LE is the three-position circuit jumper switch at its base. Historically, many broadcasters and musicians alike modded their BXs with similar switches, eliminating the need to open the case for adjustments.
Inspired by old RCA schematics of the 44BX’s “reactor” (now commonly referred to as an inductor), our team collaborated closely with Cinemag Transformers to develop the best-sounding inductor-transformer combination. The 25LE model features a 1:32 transformer (rather than our standard 1:28), paired with an inductor that is connected to the secondary of the transformer in various configurations. By switching the toggle on the bottom of the 25LE, you can choose between:
– “M” (or “music,” which bypasses the inductor)
– “V1” (a slight high-pass filter, best for taming more distant or mid range vocals)
– “V2” (a more aggressive high-pass filter, for close miking, deeper vocals, or just sound coloration)

Limited to a run of 44 mics, the 44-CX 25LE can be found at your favorite AEA dealer for a very limited time only!