Grammy Award-winning engineer Brandon Bell recorded live in-studio sessions with more than 20 artists during AmericanaFest in Fall 2025, relying exclusively on AEA ribbon microphones, preamps, and the 1029 compressor. Partnering with The Bluegrass Situation at Welcome to 1979 Studios, Bell captured performances from artists including Donovan Woods and Franklin Jonas across a demanding three-day run. Recording six or more acts per day with varying instrumentation required a fast, efficient workflow with zero room for technical issues. Bell says, “I need gear I can trust completely. If I start worrying about whether or not something is going to behave the way I expect, I’m no longer focused on the music. The moment you shift into problem-solving mode, the creative flow is interrupted, and that can change the entire energy of a session.”
Bell paired AEA ribbon microphones with the AEA TRP3 preamp and the 1029 compressor as his primary vocal chain. He emphasized the importance of low-noise equipment in fast-paced recording environments, explaining, “The TRP3 is the quietest thing I have. I want clean gain so the microphone sets the tone, and I prefer not to use extra gear to fix noise or color. For me, less is more, and the TRP3 lets me work that way.” Bell selected different AEA ribbon models based on each artist’s arrangement and room dynamics, noting, “The R84, being a favorite of mine, is the perfect balance of big ribbon sound with great tone. The vocals on these AEA ribbon mics just sounded right. I’d solo them and get lost in how smooth and pure they sounded.” During mixing, Bell ran tracks through the RPQ503 to access its EQ section and applied the 1029 compressor across the mix bus. The first AmericanaFest session videos are available on AEA’s YouTube channel, with new sessions releasing weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays through March.