| Originally
the Neumann U47 was a valve microphone based on the famous Telefunken
VF14m "Pentode" valve and production of the tube-based
U47 microphone came to an end in 1965. Four years later, with
the VF14 tube no longer available, Neumann developers tried to
recapture the sound æsthetic of the U47 using transistors
and the result was the U47 fet (Field effect transistor), which
had the same K47/49 capsule as the U47, and continued in production
until 1968. The circuit electronics are quite complicated, using
with 7 transistors, one being an FET and though it's generally
agreed that it sounds quite different to its older valve counterpart
the Neumann U47 fet quickly became a favourite especially in broadcast
circles. 40 years on it's one of the most revered vintage mics
and is now almost as collectable and sought after as it's valve
predecessor. Over the past year the U47 has been the most searched
for mic on this website. |
