The Amperite Velocity Microphone
Continuing our review of Audio Engineering Magazine, today we will look at some of new offerings in microphones available to audio engineers in the late 1940s.
The Electrovoice 635
The Electrovoice 650 and 645. I really would like a nice 650… the ‘Jac Holzman Mic’
An Electrovoice line-up circa ’47
The Electrovoice Cardyne and Cardax
The Electrovoice Century
The Electrovoice V1 ribbon mic.
Many more images follow. Click the link below to Read-On…
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.
Do any of the Top-Quality mics in the above scan look familiar?
I seem to see… an RCA BK-1A?
….a shure 777 crystal mic?
an Electrovoice 664?
…and what is this thing exactly?
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I picked up this Lafayette PA-46 for a few dollars at the Flea Market yesterday. It appeared to be unused; the odd 3-pin socket was unsoldered. I hooked it up and it works well. I wired it ‘hi-z’ and the sound is good for a 50 year old dynamic mic. The design seems to be an ‘homage’ to the contemporary Electrovoice 636. Here they are side-by-side:
…although it also seems to have connection to the earlier Altec 21b ‘coke bottle’ condensor mic:
…and maybe the Dukane 95D as well.
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Lafayette Electronics was an importer and retailer of consumer-electronics active from the mid 1920s through the early 1980s. They were a competitor of Radio Shack and Allied electronics; when those two retail giants merged, Lafayette was squeezed out of the market. So what happened to all of the Lafayette shops? Turns out that may of them became Circuit Cities. Crazy. Anyhow, a lot of Lafayette’s merchandise in the 1960s was re-branded Japanese goods that bore a certain resemblance to US-made goods of the period. These microphones are a good example. When the Japanese designers got the ‘copy’ exactly right, it’s not that interesting… but the odd pastiches, such as the PA-46, have a certain weird-dream charm to them. Check out the complete history of Lafayette at this link.
Download the sixteen-page 1968 Altec Sound And Communication catalog:
DOWNLOAD:AltecFullLine1968
Products covered, with text photos, and limited specs, include the full range of microphones, horn speakers, Duplex coaxial speakers, full range drivers, voice-of-the-theatre systems, tube and solid-state power amps, pre-amps, compressors, and mixers; the full range of plug-in transformers, 9200 console and attendant components; a page devoted o the ‘Giant Voice’ public warning system (see earlier post); plus the range of telephone audio equipment and intercom systems for industry and hospitals.
If you are not familiar with Altec’s classic pieces, this brief catalog is a great place to start. Altec’s market-leadership would soon be supplanted by a range of innovations introduced by smaller companies in the 1970s, but at the time, this was still top-end gear. Much of this equipment is still used today; if not in recording studios, then by audiophiles. Dig in.
Download three circa 1980 Sennheiser product-sheets for the MD-421-U and MD-441 microphones:
DOWNLOAD 421-U (color 4-panel): Sennheiser421_Color
DOWNLOAD 421-U (monochrome 2-panel):SennhesierMD421U
DOWNLOAD 441: SennheiserMD441
If you have spend much time in recording studios, you are probably familiar with these great microphones. When we were kids first learning about recording, the 421 was the one ‘good’ mic that we had; we didn’t know exactly why it sounded so very much better than the assorted Shure, EV, and Realistic public-address mics that we had, but the difference was shocking. A little while later I discovered the 441, which I find to be a less-exciting sound but still incredibly useful, especially when you want a really tight pattern and good fidelity (esp. under the snare). Also good on the rack toms to reject snare and hat. Stan Coutant’s excellent Microphone Data website has a download link for more current spec sheets on these models; I thought it might be useful to offer some earlier material here.
Download the thirty-two (32) page 1981 AKG Acoustics catalog (9.8mb file):
DOWNLOAD: AKG_Acoustics_FullLine_Catalog_1981
Models covered, in text and photo (no specs), include: AKG C-422 stereo condenser microphone; C-33 and C-34 stereo mics; C-414EB. C-414E1 and C-414EM/p48 condensers plus S-421E1 control unit; C-450 System; C-535EN, C-567E, C-568EB condensers, D-300 series live sound mics; D-224E and associated dual-diaphragm mics; plus the proverbial ‘shit-ton’ more. AKG BX-20, BX-10, and BX-5 reverbs are included, plus a wide range of headphones including the K-40, K-41, K-141, K-240, and K-340 dual-system.
AKG USA was once-upon-a-time located right down the road from here in nearby Stamford, CT. I think this is probably one reason that I have come across so many unusual AKG mics, headphones, and related literature at the flea markets and estate sales of Southern CT. The AKG 414 microphone, in all of its variations, is a staple of the audio world and a staple of this website; longtime readers will recognize this as my ‘reference mic’ for audio examples. It’s not the most exciting sound but it’s a high-quality sound that many of you know and therefore I feel that (along with the SM-57) it makes a good benchmark. ANYhow… check out the crazy art-direction of the this catalog.
In addition to the awesome haute-’70s monochromatic earthtone backdrops (see examples in photos above), we have various ‘symbolic objects’ to characterize the products; King Tut represents the gold of the diaphragms;
…a crystal vase represent ‘clarity’ of the electret-condenser line;
…a ‘flower-in-vase’ perhaps suggests the ‘capture-of-nature’ promised by the dual-system electrostatic/dynamic K-340 headphone? Dig in and enjoy.
Download the entire 12-page Primo Microphone Catalog Circa 1980:
DOWNLOAD: PrimoMicrophoneCatalog
Models covered, with specs and photos, include: Primo CMU-503 and P-77, P-88 ‘professional’ studio microphones; UD-876M and UD-959 Live Sound mics; and a huge range of general-purpose stage mics including: Primo UD-905, UD-876, UD-866B, UD-871B; Electret Condenser models EMU-4520, EMU-4516, EMU-522, EM-518, EMU-4517; plus many more mics and accessories.
From what little information I can gather, these mics seems to have been made in Japan and then sold in the US by ‘primo,’ which also made telecommunications mics and/or mic elements. I have never come across one of the these units. Anyone?
Best half-tone cover image ever, btw.
Download the entire twelve-page SHURE c. 1954 catalog:
DOWNLOAD: Shure_Microphones_1954_Catalog
Models covered include: Shure 333, 525, 300, 330, 55s, 556s, 51, 535, 530, 315; 430 Commando, 215, 715; A86A impedance-matching transformer; Slim-X, Monoplex, and Stratoliner; Green Bullet, Hercules, and Ranger; plus a wide range of tape heads and phono cartridges.
The Shure 55s and 556s (see images at left) are undeniably the most iconic of all microphones. Examples: when Elvis Presley got his postage stamp, he was pictured with a 55. When Eva Peron declared ‘don’t cry for me, Argentina,’ the Shure was there. (AFAIK).
For the curious: There are actually 4 different models of Shure Mic that get lumped into the ‘Elvis Mic’ designation. The 55s and and 556s seen on the left are the ‘small’ versions of the earlier 55 and 556. The ‘S’ means small.
As far as the difference between the 55(s) and the 556(s): the 55 is the ‘PA’ live-sound reinforcement version, and the 556 is the pro ‘broadcast’ version with improved frequency response and a built-in rubber isolation mount (hence the larger base), and presumably a better transformer.
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Besides these iconic 55-series mics, Shure made a great number of other models in the 50’s. The Model 51 seen above was one-step below the 55. These sound pretty cool. A few years ago I chanced upon a pair of 51s, still in sealed cartons. One worked, the other did now. One thing to remember with these early low-Z mics: they do not use XLR connectors. The use an earlier amphenol (i think..) screw-on connector. Easy enough to find, but keep it in mind if you plan on buying one, as you will likely want to replace the factory cable.
Shure also made 2 lines of ribbon mics into the early 1980s (they have only recently gotten back into this type of product). The 300 and 315 are the bi-directional figure-8 models (again, ‘broadcast’ and ‘PA’ models, respectively), and the 333/330 are cardioid ribbons. I have a mint-condition 300 which I had re-ribboned by ENAK repair. It sounds good but… the transformer seems to not be magnetically shielded, making it very sensitive to physical orientation. Combine this unfortunate feature with a very low output level and you get a mic that is frankly not very useful. Beware…
I also found pair of factory-sealed (hermetically-sealed foil-lined bags, actually) of military-surplus Shure 535s not long ago. The 535 has a limited frequency response, but it sounds pretty cool. These actually get used in the studio. A 535 was included in my ‘Forgotten Mic Shootout’ earlier this year, so follow the link to hear it if you are curious. I am honestly not sure why omnidirectional dynamics are no longer used much (Shure does still make a few models, btw), but they are useful for some recording tasks.
Download the eight-page Neumann FET 80 catalog:
DOWNLOAD: Neumann_fet_80_Catalog
Features, photos and specs on the following models: KM 83, 84, 85; KM 86 and 88; KMS 84; KMF 4 i; TLM 170; U 47 fet; U 87 i; U 89i; SM 69 fet; USM 69 i; KU 81 i ‘Dummy Head’ ; KMR 81 i; KMR 82 1; and all associated accessories of the era.
Download the entire circa-1962 Turner Microphone Catalog. Dig the crazy Soviet-esque graphic-design. Printed on that great old eggshell-texture paper, no less.
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.
