Stagg 50's Style Dynamic Stand Mounted Microphone for Vocal Pickup

Product Information

The AKG C12 capsules were made by hand and were far more involved than those fitted to equivalent Neumann mics in the 1950s, including more than 120 individual parts. The C12 was also frequently used to record both strings and piano on Beatles records. It was used on the orchestral session for A Day In The Life, and Something. Talk about history in the making!

Today, we’re going to talk about the 7 most legendary vintage microphones so you too can get a taste of recording history. What Are The 7 Best Vintage Microphones? In this article, we’ll be taking a closer look at vintage and antique microphones and compiling a list of products that exemplify the best examples of retro microphones and their multiple alternative uses. Different types of Microphone Many of the most sought-after vintage microphones had a limited amount of models made, and have since been discontinued. In return, these characteristics made their prices soar as collectors and engineers search the internet trying to find some of the originals. The AKG C12 is still considered a classic to this day and remains very popular amongst both classical/film and pop engineers alike. The Telefunken Ela M 251 was produced from 1960 to 1965 with an estimated total run of 3650 mics. No wonder these models are so expensive!

Required Cookies & Technologies

It was consistently used as a bass mic on many Beatles sessions, and it became legendary for this reason. Advanced Audio CM251: This is a large-format condenser tube microphone that recreates the iconic ELA M251 model. Since then, microphones have continued to be improved upon, reducing in size, and increasing in performance and quality. Popular Vintage Microphone Brands Available Today You’ll be surprised to discover that, while the term ‘microphone wasn’t coined until the early 1800s, the first device that echoes what came to be a microphone was created in 1665 when inventor Robert Hooke made an acoustic cup designed to transmit sound across a distance.

The U47 used a vacuum tube that had ceased production, so Neumann had to find another option. The U67 was based on the readily available EF86 pentode tube and incorporated a K67 capsule and transformer-balanced tube circuit along with other mother innovations. The RCA 77-DX is perhaps the most iconic-looking microphone on this list. It is a poly-directional ribbon mic, introduced by RCA in 1954.

The Telefunken ELA M 251E can work beautifully on a number of instruments, in part thanks to its 3 polar pattern options. You can record vocals with stunning results, and you can even set it up on a figure-8 pattern to record two singers for a beautiful duo sound. When used in cardioid polar pattern, it is level from approximately 150 Hz to 2 kHz, with a slight rise peaking at just under 5 kHz, then dropping approximately 3dB/octave to 20 kHz. The 1920s saw rapid improvements to microphone technologies largely thanks to the increased demand for broadcast radio services. In 1928 the first commercial condenser microphone was released. These traits make it a go-to mic for drums, piano, acoustic and electric guitars, strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and vocals.