opinions/ info on telefunken u47m

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

"sean" <anthrgryday@hotmail.com> wrote in message
newsda2d9b6.0410271430.385a718a@posting.google.com...
> So I litteraly found what appears to be a 1970's vintage telefunken
> u47m. In it's pretty little box with some wiring schematics, in very
> good condition. I'm wondering if this can use common phantom power or
> if it requires a special source. It has a very odd connection that I'm
> not familiar with. Is it worth it for me to Find a solution to the
> connection problem (does it really sound that good?) or should I sell
> the hell out of it?

You have the microphone part of the <microphone-cable-power supply> system
that is required to get the sound out, so to speak. The U47 uses a vacuum
tube within the microphone shell as an amplifier and impedance converter.
That tube requires rather high voltage compared to solid state circuits most
people today are familiar with, thus the need for a power supply. I don't
have an example here, but, from memory the power supply is about 4 inches
wide ax 5 inches high ax 8 inches long and weighs a few pounds. The cable
is a multi-conductor cable that carries the several power supply voltages
(filament and BE+) and the shielded audio pair. The connectors with their
funny flat pins are not Radio Shack items, but they are available. The long
and short of it is, IMO, it is impractical for you to build what you need to
make a working microphone. Check with Bill Bradley in Nashville or others
who specialize in the repair and restoration of vintage micas. They can
help you decide whether to make the investment in missing components or to
sell to someone equipped to restore the mice.

I would be excited by such a find. However, there is a real chance that
your microphone has been stolen. Such micas have been known to disappear
from studios, taken by musicians who did not realize that their booty was
worthless without the associated components.

Steve King

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

play-on" <playon@omcast.net> wrote in message
news:f5f0o0dobvjlple8uo44lhjhrkmuhqf577@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 17:52:40 -0500, "Steve King"
> <steve@REMOVETHISSPAMBLOCKsteveking.net> wrote:
>
>>"sean" <anthrgryday@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>newsda2d9b6.0410271430.385a718a@posting.google.com...
>>> So I litteraly found what appears to be a 1970's vintage telefunken
>>> u47m. In it's pretty little box with some wiring schematics, in very
>>> good condition. I'm wondering if this can use common phantom power or
>>> if it requires a special source. It has a very odd connection that I'm
>>> not familiar with. Is it worth it for me to Find a solution to the
>>> connection problem (does it really sound that good?) or should I sell
>>> the hell out of it?
>>
>>You have the microphone part of the <microphone-cable-power supply> system
>>that is required to get the sound out, so to speak. The U47 uses a vacuum
>>tube within the microphone shell as an amplifier and impedance converter.
>>That tube requires rather high voltage compared to solid state circuits
>>most
>>people today are familiar with, thus the need for a power supply. I don't
>>have an example here, but, from memory the power supply is about 4 inches
>>wide ax 5 inches high ax 8 inches long and weighs a few pounds. The cable
>>is a multi-conductor cable that carries the several power supply voltages
>>(filament and BE+) and the shielded audio pair. The connectors with their
>>funny flat pins are not Radio Shack items, but they are available. The
>>long
>>and short of it is, IMO, it is impractical for you to build what you need
>>to
>>make a working microphone. Check with Bill Bradley in Nashville or others
>>who specialize in the repair and restoration of vintage micas. They can
>>help you decide whether to make the investment in missing components or to
>>sell to someone equipped to restore the mice.
>>
>>I would be excited by such a find. However, there is a real chance that
>>your microphone has been stolen. Such micas have been known to disappear
>>from studios, taken by musicians who did not realize that their booty was
>>worthless without the associated components.
>
> Such components are easily found as aftermarket custom-made. Your
> automatic assumption that the mic was stolen by a musician... if
> stolen from a studio it would be unlikely that it would be in the
> original box. When you assume you make an "ASS" out of U 'n ME

I didn't assume anything. I said there was a chance. You're right that
having the original box suggests that it is less likely that the mic was
stolen. Now, will the cretin musician who stole the M-49 and the 77DX from
Sound Studios in Chicago in 1970 please return them. And, how about the
jerk who stole the 451 from Paragon a couple of years later. I'm still
looking for you!

Steve King