Download the complete 23pp 1970 Turner Microphones Catalog (in two parts due to size):

DOWNLOAD PART ONE: Turner_1970_catalog1

DOWNLOAD PART TWO: Turner_1970_catalog2

Models covered, with text, specs, and photos, include: Turner 500, S-500, 505, FM500, and 777 microphones; Turner 600, 600, 701, 2203, 35, 35A, 2300, Balladier 866, 766, 566, and 2266 mics; Turner Model 360, J-360, 350C, 355C, SR90D-5, SR90D-6, SR90R, M+2/U, JM+2/U, +350, and J+350 push-to-talk communications mics; Turner 254X, 254C, 454X, 454C, 754C, Model  +3, Model +2, model 750, 751, 758, 250, 251, 252, 253, 258, and +50 ‘base station’ tabletop mics; Turner model 2800, 2804, 2811, 2812, 2813, 2814, S2850, 2852, 304C, 300C, 304X, and 30002 ‘tape recorder’ (IE, economy) microphones; Turner SR585D, 585m SR70D, 58, 58A, S58, 33D, S33D, P-9D, 35614, and 36004 ‘general purpose’ mics; and a range of accessories including the Turner RA-50 ‘remote amplifier.’

Above, the Turner +3 ‘base station’ mic.  The “plus-three” designation, in Turner-speak, indicates a battery-powered, self-amplified microphone that also has a built-in compression circuit.  Although the +3 is the only mic in the 1970 catalog that has this feature, it would become available on some of their smaller hand-held communications mics in a couple of years.  I recently purchased a new-in-the-box M+3/U that I am excited to try out; the only problem is that it uses some sort of since-banned mercury-cell battery.  So I need to implement a work-around there.  Could make an interesting ‘secret weapon’ ‘set-to-incinerate’ room mic.  Sorta like an ancient mic-plus-level-loc all-in-one.

Above, the Turner 510, one of our favorite snare drum mics at Gold Coast Recorders.  The 510 was, AFAIK, the most high-fidelity mic that Turner ever made.

  Above, the classic Turner 33D, perhaps the most visually-iconic of their lineup.  How long was thing thing in production?  At least forty years.  Seems like an impossibly long time, until you consider how long Shure has been making 545s, and how long Sennheiser has been making 421s… both of those designs are past the 45-year-old mark at this point…

…and the Turner 251.  The 250 series was also very long-running at Turner; 251s can have a really cool sound for that ‘rock’ vocal thing; instant ‘bad-p.a.’ punk sound, but quiet and reliable.  I seem to find one or two of these per year; there are a ton out there for very little bread…

See here for previous Turner Microphone coverage and catalogs at ps dot com.

Today we’ll look at several Turner microphones of the 1940s which were marketed to Radio Hams in the pages of QST.  The development and marketing of recording-studio microphones is generally oriented towards full frequency response, low self-noise, and the ability to handle large sound-pressure levels without distortion.  The development and marketing of live-sound, I.E., PA-system microphones places a definite emphasis on these points as well, but with an equally strong emphasis on durability and feedback rejection.  Ham, or ‘communications’ mics, on the other hand, have the unique distinction of being designed to emphasize the frequency range most necessary to intelligible human speech: approx 500hz to 5000hz.  This is done to ensure that the broadcast will only issue forth the necessary sonic information: the communication value of the words themselves.  Fidelity to the actual tone and timbre of the speaker, and/or the sonic representation of the speaker’s environment (IE the room he/she is in) are irrelevant for this activity.  So when you think about that ‘old mic’ sound, yeah, it is somewhat the result of primitive technology.  But it is also in-part an intentional, engineered condition.

The Turner Model 20X Microphone

The Turner Model 22 Microphone

The Turner Model 33 Microphone

The Turner Model VT73 Microphone.  This model of microphone was also manufactured with a built-in control knob to operate a wire recorder.  Not so different from the USB ‘podcasting’ mics of the 2010’s: combining the acoustic-pickup device with certain elements of the actual recording apparatus (I.E., the d/a convertor and mic preamp) into a single unit.

Continuing our survey of AUDIO magazine’s early years: over the next couple of weeks we will look at some of the more relevant content from the first two years that this venerable publication ran under the title ‘Audio,’ the prior title having been ‘Audio Engineering.’ (full backstory here and here).  We’ll start today with the crop of studio microphones on the market in 1954.  One thing becomes pretty clear: the Austrians were really ahead of their time.AKG C-12 advert 1954

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Telefunken U-47 and 201-M adverts 1954

Capps CM 2001, 2030, 2250, and DM 2050 microphones c. 1954.

Anyone have any experience with these mics?  Look interesting.  Let us know…

The Reeves S-T Condenser Microphone; another early American Condenser mic. Very rare.

The Shure 333 ribbon mic.  This was their cardiod ribbon.  I’ve never used one of these, but i would love to get my hands on one.  Stephen Sank recently re-ribboned my circa 1954 Shure 300 (the 300 was Shure’s high-end figure-8 ribbon of the same period) and wow did he do a great job.  It sounds incredible now.    I had thought it was a P.O.S. until he re-did it.  If you own a vintage Shure ribbon mic and you are underwhelmed by it. give Sank a call and see what he can do for you.

…and here is some period analysis of the then-new Shure 333.

Follow the link below to READ-ON….  more studio mics of ’54 follow….

The Turner 50D broadcast dynamic microphone

The Turner 57  Microphone

The Turner ADA 95D microphone

]]> https://www.preservationsound.com/studio-microphones-of-1954/feed/ 17 https://www.preservationsound.com/oddball-dynamic-mics-of-olden-days/ https://www.preservationsound.com/oddball-dynamic-mics-of-olden-days/#comments Sun, 10 Apr 2011 01:12:08 +0000 http://www.preservationsound.com/?p=2185 A quick review of some odd mics from the ‘pile’ that have not made it over to the studio yet.  If anyone out there is using these for makin’ records, drop a line a let us know yr thoughts.  Above is the Altec 660A, which is an Altec-branded iteration of an earlier western-electric mic. This thing sounds very thin.  it’s quite small – check the XLR connector for size reference.

Another ancient Altec mic.  this is a 684B.  This piece does not sound bad, but… it failed the SM57 test.  What, you ask, is the SM57 test?  Well…  whenever a new mic appears, i quickly A/B it with an SM57.  If the SM57 sounds both ‘better’ (IE more ‘hi-fi’) AND ‘more interesting’ (this is harder to quantify….), then the new mic goes in a box somewhere.  684B up there failed the SM57 test.

This is an American D4T.  This is a hi-Z dynamic public-address mic from the 40s.  This is, btw, the first antique mic i ever bought.  picked this up at an antique shop in Prov RI back in the mid 90s, along with a little tube suitcase PA system and nice old cast-base mic stand…  $75 i think….  This mic still works, and it sounds cool, but it’s just too distorted…  feel like it sounds too ‘Pop,’ of all things, at this moment; ‘distressed-vocals’ being the trendy thing that they are.

An Electro-voice military communications mic.  Got this one still in its heremetically-sealed, foil-lined pouch.  It ain’t bad, but…  i have too many mics like this, only just slightly better….

A Sennheiser MD 416.  I was really excited about this thing, and i paid like $100 for it, which is a fortune for a cheapskate like me.  Now, I have a lot of old sennhesiers…  an original 409, 421, and several 441s… and i really dig them… but this thing just has no… balls?  No low-end, at least.  And that Mini-Tuchel-to-XLR cable wasn’t cheap either.  This gets my vote for the most-expensive-mic-that-looks-like-a-really-cheap-mic.  I will call it Paris H. from now on.

Shure 585 ‘unisphere A.’  Basically a cheap hi-z dynamic with a volume pot built in.  I think this is known as the ‘James Cotton’ mic.  Cotton was a harmonica player in the 60s whi apparently used just about every amp and mic in existence at one point or another, cos there is really no limit to the range of items people are eager to associate with him.

Shure 777s Crystal mic with switch.  I think this came with a large pile of old mics.  It’s a 60 year-old crystal mic.   not much more to say.

Shure Commando.  Honestly not even sure what kind of mic this is.  Sounds pretty cool but it’s hi-z so it’s a pain in the ass to use in the studio.  harp (harmonica) dudes seem to dig these.

Shure PE-54.  The ‘PE’ stands for ‘Professional Entertainer,’ believe-it-or-not (seriously, though, this is true.).  This is the hi-z version of the Unidyne III… which is the forerunner of the SM57. This is actually a really good sounding mic, but since it’s hi-z, it’s a pain to use. I have an SM56, which is the balanced version of this thing, so this is kinda redundant.  but for real this mic sounds great.  i was surprised.

Turner 510.  The best dynamic mic Turner ever made.  I am actually not sure how this thing failed the SM57 test.  Think maybe it deserves another chance.  Look for a shoot-out including this mic.  here.  soon.

DOWNLOAD: Turner_Microphones_1962

The Turner Microphone Company was based for many years in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  What and interesting story they had.  The Turners were a highly successful family of morticians.  Their funeral home was so large and accommodated so many mourners that in the mid-20’s they became interested in installing an early PA system.  This lead to DIY manufacture of PA systems, and eventually microphones.  By the Mid-60s, Turner had become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of communications and PA (as opposed to recording and broadcast) mics.

Turner did manufacture some high-end mics for professional audio applications, though.  I own a model 510, and it’s not terrible.  The grey-blue finish is really stunning.  When I get around to it… I hope to do a listening test of the 510 next to some period competitors (EG, Shure SM-56 and an EV 666). 510s are hard to find.  The example that I own is the only one that I have ever seen in the flesh.

Much more common are the Turner U9s and its several variants.  See this link for a listening test I did with a U99 earlier this year.   When Turner describes this mic as rugged, they are not kidding. I own three of these; they are around 50-60 years old, and they all work perfectly.  And they get used in the studio for ‘certain’ sounds.

Turner 250 series mics are also commonly found today.  They made and sold a shit ton of these for use in PA and paging systems.  I like the sound of these mics as a close-mic for raw-sounding rock vocals, along with a good condenser mic a few feet off of the performer for some depth.  Blend em and voila.  Lots of grit without the typical ‘Strokes-mic’ vibe.

You will also see a lot of these little plastic Turners around.  I have not found a good use for mine.

I am not sure that this is an effective way to mic up a rock band, but like I said, Turner Microphones were not considered studio-standard.