Our opinion
“An amazing kick mic, that produces a “finished” sound right from the start.” - Victor Malvolti aka Boring Vic
Figure 8 Dynamic Microphone
The DrAlienSmith Alien8 is a figure 8 dynamic microphone designed for low frequency sources that also need to have a detailed mid range. It really shines on kick drums, bass amps and even guitar amps by capturing a big low end with a unique presence. It's an almost 'finished' sound that needs little or no eq to effortlessly place sounds up front in the mix. Google search 'TapeOp Alien8' for their review.
The Alien8 features two identical 50mm headphone drivers as capsules. Sitting one on top of the other, the top one faces forward while the bottom one faces back. Each capsule picks up sound in a figure 8 pattern but like some ribbon microphones, the rear of the capsule sounds different to the front. By using two capsules the Alien8 takes advantage of these tonal variations with its 3 position switch. Select top capsule only to get a brighter sound, select bottom capsule only for more body or choose both capsules to get the best of both worlds (our favorite setting).
While taking a little design inspiration from the classic AKG D30 (dual capsule) and Beyer M380 (headphone driver), the Alien8 is definitely not intended to be a clone or a remake, it has a distinct sound all of its own.
The Alien8 is transformer balanced and unaffected by phantom power.
