AEA
AEA Stereo Bars & Arrays Decca Tree Regular
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AEA Stereo Bars & Arrays Decca Tree Regular — a modular microphone array positioner spanning 2 meters wide by 1 meter deep, purpose-built for classic Decca Tree orchestral recording as well as any spaced or surround microphone configuration requiring precise, repeatable geometry.
The Decca Tree technique dates to the early 1950s at Decca Records, where Kenneth Wilkinson's team deployed three omnidirectional microphones in a T-formation to capture orchestral depth, natural room spread, and a coherent centre image — something no coincident pair reliably delivers. AEA's Regular version translates that geometry into hardware: three 1-meter aluminium bars assemble into a 2 m rear span and a 1 m forward arm, proportions close to what Wilkinson used at Kingsway Hall. The result is a system that brings a defined, reproducible method to a technique that has historically relied on educated guesswork and improvised rigging.
Stepless Positioning, No Compromises
The SMP-S sliders travel freely along the full length of each bar and lock with a thumb screw at any point — no indexed holes, no 10 cm increments. Shifting the rear pair from 1.5 m to 2 m takes seconds without dismantling the rig, which matters on a live orchestral session where stereo width decisions often come after the first playback, not during load-in. The AEA-CP coupler mounts the entire assembly to a standard 5/8" mic stand thread with no adapters required. Four sliders included in the Regular kit cover a standard three-mic T plus one additional position for a spot microphone or an outrigger pair extension.
Beyond Stereo — Surround and Immersive Arrays
The modular format is not limited to three microphones. Additional SMP-S sliders can be ordered separately to expand the array with lateral outriggers or configure a first-order Ambisonic capture rig. Each bar carries a centimetre-engraved scale, so the exact slider positions from a previous session are written down and reproduced to the millimetre at the next one — critical when a film score is tracked across multiple days with matching room image required throughout. The three bars can also be reconfigured as a Mini Tree or Super Tree by substituting bar lengths, making the Regular a long-term investment rather than a single-purpose fixture.
KEY FEATURES
- Array dimensions: 2 m wide (rear arm) × 1 m deep (centre arm) — classic Decca Tree proportions.
- Stepless SMP-S sliders — continuous positioning along the full bar length, thumb-screw lock at any point.
- Modular design — three 1 m bars reconfigure into Mini Tree, Super Tree, or custom spatial arrays.
- AEA-CP coupler — direct 5/8" mic stand mount, no adapters needed.
- Centimetre-engraved scale — session-to-session geometry repeatability.
- Universal mic compatibility — accepts any microphone with a standard 5/8" clip or adapter.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Variant: Decca Tree Regular
- Array dimensions: 2 m (width) × 1 m (depth)
- Bars included: 3 × SMP-1M (1-meter bar)
- Sliders included: 4 × SMP-S
- Bracket: 1 × Decca Tree bracket assembly (with angle brackets and hardware)
- Coupler: 1 × AEA-CP (mic stand coupler)
- Mount thread: 5/8" standard microphone stand
- Bar material: Anodised aluminium with engraved centimetre scale
- Country of manufacture: USA (Pasadena, CA)
