AEA R88 Series Bag — a black cloth drawstring bag for the AEA R88 and R88 MkII stereo ribbon microphones, serving as an on-stand protective slipcover between takes and sessions, blocking airflow and ferromagnetic particles from reaching the two ribbon elements inside the microphone.
The AEA R88 owner's manual is explicit on this point: the microphone should always be kept covered whenever it is not actively in use — this applies to breaks between takes as much as to longer session pauses. The R88 has deliberately minimal internal ribbon shielding — a single screen and acoustic gauze designed for maximum tonal transparency — which means environmental protection relies on the slipcover. The black cloth drawstring bag covers the full microphone body including the breakout cable at the base, eliminating access by airflow (room movement, air conditioning, people walking past) and by ferromagnetic particles (tramp iron) drawn by the neodymium magnets toward the magnetic gaps of both ribbon elements.
Two Protection Elements, Two Distinct Roles
The R88 Series Bag and the R88 Series Case are complementary, not interchangeable. The case — OEM fabric with die-cut foam — protects the microphone during transport and long-term storage away from the studio. The drawstring bag goes over the microphone on the stand in the studio, every time it is not recording. Sound On Sound noted this dual-layer protection system in their original R88 review: the separate nylon bag prevents dust and tramp iron accumulation on the stand, while the case handles shipping and storage. Both are necessary for maintaining the two 1.8-µm aluminium ribbons in working condition over the long term.
Format Matched to R88 Dimensions
The R88 MkII stands 381 mm tall with an approximately 100 mm diameter — one of the largest active microphones in current production. The R88 Series Bag is sized for this footprint: long enough to cover the full body with the swivel adapter attached, and the drawstring closure at the base pulls snugly around the XLR-5M cable without leaving any section of the housing exposed.
KEY FEATURES
- Black cloth with drawstring closure — tight seal around the microphone body and base cable.
- Between-take on-stand protection — placed over the R88 on the stand whenever the microphone is not recording.
- Tramp iron barrier — fabric prevents ferromagnetic particle access to the ribbon magnetic gaps.
- Air blast protection — eliminates ribbon damage risk from room airflow during standby.
- Compatibility: AEA R88, AEA R88 MkII.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Type: Drawstring slipcover bag
- Material: Black cloth fabric
- Closure: Drawstring
- Application: On-stand protection between takes and sessions (complement to, not replacement for, the transport case)
- Compatibility: AEA R88, AEA R88 MkII
- Microphone dimensions (R88 MkII): 381 × 99 mm
- Country of manufacture: USA (Pasadena, CA)
