In this episode of MakeMineMusic, Marc Daniel Nelson shares his experiences and stories of the magic of Tube Microphones. Join him in this fireside chat as he breaks down his personal experiences with a vast array of microphones.
The great, classic tube microphones will be discussed in this video and are mentioned in the list below!
C12 by AKG
AKG’s C12 is one of the best-known tube condenser microphones in history. It is a side-address, large-diaphragm design based on AKG’s CK12 capsule, a 6072 dual-triode glass tube, and a transformer-coupled output circuit.
Telefunken ELA M 251 (AKG made)
Arguably one the most beautiful microphones ever produced, the TELEFUNKEN ELA M 251E has been featured on countless hits and classic recordings over the decades. Today, prime examples of vintage ELA M 250 / 251 (both “E” and “non E”) microphones have become rare and highly sought after jewels, commanding tens of thousands of dollars on the vintage market.
Neumann M50
The Neumann M50 is a pressure-type microphone with non-directional characteristics. After its introduction in 1950, the outstanding tonal quality and omnidirectional pattern of the Neumann M50 made it the gold standard for the recording of symphony orchestras, either with the single-microphone technique, a stereo pair, or the Decca Tree for three-track recordings.
Neumann M49
The M49 has a dual-diaphragm design, which allowed it to become the first condenser microphone with a remotely switchable pickup pattern having constant sensitivity: the psu doubles as a pattern selector, with a continuously-variable potentiometer for choosing cardioid, omni-directional, figure-eight or any position in-between the three.
Neumann U67
The U 67 was developed to replace the venerable U 47 as the company’s flagship large-diaphragm condenser. The U 67 is incredibly versatile. No source is off limits; its high SPL handling, ruler-flat frequency response, detailed midrange, and sweet, velvety character with a hint of delicate airiness make it a first-call mic for drums, piano, acoustic and electric guitars, strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and vocals.
Neumann M269
The M 269 is a large-diaphragm, multipattern tube condenser microphone. It is a variation of the Neumann U-67, developed as a way to sell the U-67 to the German broadcast market.
Neumann U47
The Neumann U 47 is the granddaddy of large diaphragm condenser microphones and features a legendary sound that has captured the vocal stylings of the greatest singers in the modern era. The Beatles used it to great effect, as did Frank Sinatra. From Ella to Adele, the Kingston Trio to the King of Pop, the vocal sounds of jazz and rock, folk and pop would not be the same without a U 47 in the studio.
Neumann U48
10 years after the development of the ubiquitous U47, the U48 was released with one variation to the U47; it had “bidirectional” (figure 8) capability. The bidirectional capability can be very useful in more “ambient” recording environments where the engineer recording the sound does not want to hear as much of the room ambience as might be recorded with an omnidirectional or cardioid pick-up pattern.
Today we have Marc Daniel Nelson sharing with us his experiences and stories of the magic of tube microphones.
Marc will be telling us about the three-dimensional sound of tube microphones and how they compare to valve microphones. While valve microphones can get “sick” overtime, tube microphones will maintain their quality.
The great, classic tube microphones will be discussed in this video and are mentioned in the list below!
C12 by AKG
AKG’s C12 is one of the best-known tube condenser microphones in history. It is a side-address, large-diaphragm design based on AKG’s CK12 capsule, a 6072 dual-triode glass tube, and a transformer-coupled output circuit.
Telefunken ELA M 251 (AKG made)
Arguably one the most beautiful microphones ever produced, the TELEFUNKEN ELA M 251E has been featured on countless hits and classic recordings over the decades. Today, prime examples of vintage ELA M 250 / 251 (both “E” and “non E”) microphones have become rare and highly sought after jewels, commanding tens of thousands of dollars on the vintage market.
Neumann M50
The Neumann M50 is a pressure-type microphone with non-directional characteristics. After its introduction in 1950, the outstanding tonal quality and omnidirectional pattern of the Neumann M50 made it the gold standard for the recording of symphony orchestras, either with the single-microphone technique, a stereo pair, or the Decca Tree for three-track recordings.
Neumann M49
The M49 has a dual-diaphragm design, which allowed it to become the first condenser microphone with a remotely switchable pickup pattern having constant sensitivity: the psu doubles as a pattern selector, with a continuously-variable potentiometer for choosing cardioid, omni-directional, figure-eight or any position in-between the three.
Neumann U67
The U 67 was developed to replace the venerable U 47 as the company’s flagship large-diaphragm condenser. The U 67 is incredibly versatile. No source is off limits; its high SPL handling, ruler-flat frequency response, detailed midrange, and sweet, velvety character with a hint of delicate airiness make it a first-call mic for drums, piano, acoustic and electric guitars, strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and vocals.
Neumann M269
The M 269 is a large-diaphragm, multipattern tube condenser microphone. It is a variation of the Neumann U-67, developed as a way to sell the U-67 to the German broadcast market.
Neumann U47
The Neumann U 47 is the granddaddy of large diaphragm condenser microphones and features a legendary sound that has captured the vocal stylings of the greatest singers in the modern era. The Beatles used it to great effect, as did Frank Sinatra. From Ella to Adele, the Kingston Trio to the King of Pop, the vocal sounds of jazz and rock, folk and pop would not be the same without a U 47 in the studio.
Neumann U48
10 years after the development of the ubiquitous U47, the U48 was released with one variation to the U47; it had “bidirectional” (figure 8) capability. The bidirectional capability can be very useful in more “ambient” recording environments where the engineer recording the sound does not want to hear as much of the room ambience as might be recorded with an omnidirectional or cardioid pick-up pattern.
Watch the video below to learn more about these mics!
