Aston Microphones are making waves in the music industry. This is especially true when people compare the aston origin vs spirit models.
What sets these microphones apart? It's their exceptional craftsmanship, their incredible attention to detail, and the amazing sound they produce. All of this is both refreshing and impressive. No matter what you're recording at home, chances are you’ll do it better by picking up an Aston mic.
Want to know more? Check out our detailed review that covers everything you need to know about these mics. Or, if you're in a hurry, just check out our quick summary below.
Aston Origin Microphone
"The Aston Origin is a high-performance cardioid condenser microphone utilizing a one inch (1 inch) gold evaporated capsule. It is versatile enough to use with most instruments and excels on acoustic guitar and vocals. Its hand-selected capsule is teamed with high-end transformer-less circuitry using only the best components. The Origin is designed to deliver direct, smooth and intimate sound for a natural and transparent recording."
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Aston Spirit Microphone
"The Aston Spirit is a high-performance, switchable pattern, microphone utilizing a 1 inch gold evaporated capsule. A switch on the mic body selects from Omni, Cardioid or Figure-of-Eight polar patterns. It is versatile enough to use with most instruments and excels on acoustic guitar and vocals. Its hand-selected capsule is teamed with high-end transformer balanced circuitry using only the best components."
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The two most important Aston mics for vocal recording are the Aston Spirit and the Aston Origin. The two are very similar in appearance, but there are some crucial differences you need to know about.
Curious to learn more about Aston Origin vs Spirit? Below, you’ll find our full review & comparison of the two popular Origin & Spirit recording microphones — plus advice on which of these two excellent Aston microphones is right for your recording situation.
Aston Origin vs Spirit: Similarities
The Aston Origin and the Aston Spirit share many traits in common, so we’ve gathered those together to start out. Both are condenser microphones equipped with large, one-inch diaphragms. Both do a masterful job of capturing sound, especially vocals, with pristine clarity and warmth. And both feature very similar builds, with barrel-shaped bodies crafted from laser-cut stainless steel.
Sound Quality
You can read about the sound quality of these microphones on just about any gear website. And no matter where you look, you’ll see absolutely glowing reviews. You’ll see sentiments similar to “Put it up against anything else, and it’ll have merit.” MusicTech says it holds its own against mics 10 to 20 times the price, and backs up the claims with blind testing. Stunning, clear, smooth, deep, natural — at some point the superlatives seem almost too good to be true — especially when you consider the approachable prices of both models.
Wave-Form Mesh Head
The almost rough-finished steel is complemented by a unique microphone head, which the company has dubbed a wave-form mesh head. Both aesthetically interesting and functional, the wave-form spring head absorbs impacts and protects the capsule inside. Just underneath, the custom mesh pop filter protects your tracks from plosives and other harsh pops.
Eco-Conscious Packaging
Some pro-grade microphones come in cheap Styrofoam packaging, while others come in ostentatious carrying cases made from wood or even metal. Both ends of this spectrum have an environmental cost, though. Aston touts eco-friendly, 100% recyclable packaging for its microphones. The packaging is sturdy enough to be reused if you wish, but it can be recycled when it reaches the end of its useful life.
Steel Body and End Cap
The steel body looks refreshingly rugged, not like the polished metal and matte plastic so common in the industry. The end cap here is unique as well. Most large-diaphragm condenser mics must be shock mounted to avoid vibrations and unwanted noise. But the custom-designed steel end cap on the Aston Origin and Spirit is engineered to direct mount onto a stand with virtually no handling noise. This is a small feature that speaks volumes about the company’s attention to detail.
The point here is that both microphones are simultaneously excellent choices, yet uniquely different from most other large-diaphragm condenser microphones. For the money, you’ll be well served by picking up an Aston mic.
Of course, there’s still the question of which one is right for you. To answer that, we need to get into the differences between the two microphones.
Aston Origin vs Aston Spirit: Differences
Sound Quality
Sound quality is as subjective as anything when it comes to microphone reviews, so we’ll tread carefully and keep this brief. Simply put, they’re both great microphones in terms of sound quality. If you haven’t gotten the sense thus far in reading this article that the Origin is a fantastic microphone, we have to wonder how.
The Spirit adds additional polar pattern functionality (see next section), but it also adds some additional technical wizardry in the form of a transformer-based circuit. Aston describes the Spirit as having “oodles of headroom,” resulting in more air and space in your sound.
If the Origin is a deeply impressive all-arounder, the Spirit is the bigger, more flexible microphone with a decidedly professional edge. The Origin is forgiving and straightforward, while the Spirit is more revealing, with sparkling harmonic content that impresses.
Directionality/Polar Pattern
The biggest difference between the two Aston mics is directionality or polar pattern. For those unfamiliar with the concept or terminology, here’s a brief explanation. Not every microphone picks up sound in the same way or in the same pattern, and some can switch between multiple patterns.
Some pick up the sound that’s in front of them and reject everything else. This pickup pattern is called cardioid. Others pick up sound in all directions (omni) or pick up on two opposite sides and reject on the other axis (figure eight).
The pickup pattern you want is largely based on the kind of recording you’re doing. For isolated vocal or single-instrument recording, cardioid is the most common choice.
The Aston Origin is a unidirectional cardioid microphone. It’s designed for use in the home studio, where you’d sing or play directly into the microphone. This is the same polar pattern you’ll find in all sorts of similar condenser microphones, including most of the ones we reviewed in our 10 Best Home Studio Microphones in 2024.
On the other hand, the Aston Spirit is a multipattern microphone. You can select from three polar patterns: cardioid, omni and figure eight. This switch makes the Spirit a more versatile microphone, to be sure.
Some beginners wonder if a multipattern microphone contains any trade-offs. Is the cardioid mode a little worse because the engineers focused on adding the other modes? The answer here is a clear “no.”
To achieve the multipattern function, Aston has simply added a second diaphragm, as is standard in the industry. In cardioid mode, only the front diaphragm is active. There’s no loss in quality here, and in fact Aston has added some higher-end components to further improve the sound in the Spirit.
Size and Weight
The Aston Origin weighs in at just under one pound at 0.99 pounds. It’s a hefty, solidly built microphone, thanks to the stainless steel enclosure. But it’s not so hefty that it’s difficult to handle.
The Aston Spirit packs in an additional diaphragm to achieve the multipattern functionality, as well as other additional components. The Spirit is longer than the Origin and heavier as well, at 1.38 pounds.
As far as dimensions, both microphones have the same diameter at 2.13 inches across. The Spirit is considerably taller, though, at almost seven inches. The Origin isn’t quite five inches tall.
Price
The Aston Origin is the microphone that started it all for Aston Microphones. As a unidirectional cardioid microphone, the Origin packs less complicated hardware on the inside. The Origin has a $299 MSRP and is rarely found any cheaper.
The Aston Spirit, as we mentioned above, packs more complex technology into the cylinder so that it can record well in three different polar patterns. For that added complexity, you’ll pay around $150 more, as the MSRP for the Spirit is $449.
If you’ve shopped for high-end and pro-grade condenser microphones, you know that it’s not hard at all to spend upwards of $1000 on a good vocal microphone. To get this kind of quality at the price points Aston Microphones has achieved is nothing short of astounding.
Check current prices on Amazon for the Aston Origin
Check current prices on Amazon for the Aston Spirit
Aston Origin and Spirit Microphone Black Bundles
Aston Origin Microphone Bundle
Aston Spirit Microphone Bundle
For $50 to $70 more, you can purchase either microphone in a Black Bundle, which gives you a special black finish on the microphone itself and adds in a shock mount and a Swiftshield pop filter. Now, you don’t technically need a shock mount or external pop filter thanks to the clever engineering of the microphone itself. But it’s worth noting that the microphone’s unique cylindrical shape prevents most third-party shock mounts from fitting correctly. If you want or need a shock mount, getting this bundle is the best bet.
Check current prices on Amazon for the Aston Origin BLACK BUNDLE
Check current prices on Amazon for the Aston Spirit BLACK BUNDLE
Other Technical Differences
The two Aston microphones we’re reviewing are extremely similar, but they aren’t identical in terms of technical specs.
Both are pressure gradient condenser microphones with a 20Hz to 20kHz frequency response (+/-3dB). But the equivalent noise level is lower on the Spirit, at 14dB A-weighted. The Origin has 18dB. Both are quieter than typical room noise, but the higher-end Spirit does win out.
Along the same lines, the Spirit wins out on max SPL, with 138dB to Origin’s 127. There’s a slight difference in the signal-to-noise ratio as well, with 80dB for the Spirit and 76 for the Origin.
The Origin comes equipped with a lone -10dB pad switch and an 80Hz low-cut filter. Step up to the Spirit and you gain a three-way pad switch (-20, -10 and 0).
So, Which One Should You Get?
At the end of the day, what you really want to know is this: when considering Aston Origin vs Spirit, which one is right for you?
For most home artists, either microphone will be an absolutely fantastic performer. But which one is better for you? The answer likely comes down to budget and proficiency level, plus how you want to use the microphone.
If you’re not very experienced yet, you might opt for the Origin both for its forgiving sound and its lower price. If the Spirit’s “more revealing sound” scares you a bit, that’s OK. The Origin is also considerably cheaper, which is a factor for some buyers.
If you’re an experienced recording musician looking for an affordable pro-level experience, then we say go for the Spirit, no question. Even if you never need the other polar patterns, the enhanced audio quality is worth the investment.
Of course, if you need a microphone that can operate in omni or figure-eight mode, then the decision is simple: choose the Aston Spirit for its multipattern function.
Final Decision: Aston Origin Black Bundle is the Winner
If you've gotten to this point and you're still not sure? Let me tell you what I did get and what I would get if I could go back and do it again. In the end I decided to purchase the Aston Origin Microphone and I've never looked back. It's an amazing, high quality microphone with an unbeatable sound in my opinion. Maybe one day I'll "upgrade" to the Spirit but for now I don't see any reason to...
I would highly recommend getting the bundle so that you get the SwiftShield and shock mount for a good deal. Personally I wish I had gotten the black color because it looks really classy - unfortunately it didn't exist when I purchased mine (or I didn't know it did at the time). My top recommendation is to grab yourself the Aston Origin Black Bundle.