Few microphones have shaped recorded music as profoundly as the Neumann U 47, and plenty of ink has been spilled extolling its time-honored sound. No matter how many words are written about it, though, it’s nearly impossible to convey the bold weight, detail, and sense of immediacy this icon brings to the studio.
The U 47’s reputation comes from a remarkable combination of components that had everyone from Ol’ Blue Eyes to the Mop Tops reaching for the mic. There’s its classic body and perfectly rounded grille, the VF14 tube, the original M7 capsule and later K47/K49 design, and the custom-wound transformer. Each is an essential part of the equation, contributing to a sound that remains unmistakable decades later.
Recently, Neumann U 47 #5251 came to Vintage King and was brought into the Vintage King Tech Shop for some much-needed care. Read on to learn about the work performed and check out more photos of this beautiful microphone once the service was complete.
When it comes to vintage microphones at Vintage King, there’s only one man for the job: our in-house mic technician, Tim “Timmo” Johnson. During his 27 years at Vintage King, Timmo has worked on hundreds of vintage Neumann microphones, bringing a deep knowledge of these iconic designs to everything from routine service to full restorations.
#5251 was definitely in need of some attention, so Timmo started with a thorough inspection of the microphone, its cable, and power supply. The U 47’s original capsule was missing spots of gold and showed significant wear, so Timmo determined that it needed to be replaced and installed a new Neumann K49 capsule. He also swapped out several high-power resistors, carefully reshaped the microphone’s grille, and gave everything a deep cleaning inside and out.
Next up were the microphone cable and power supply. Timmo completely disassembled the cable, gave the connectors an ultrasonic cleaning, replaced several worn parts, and built a new GAC4 cable. The power supply received an extensive service as well, including several new capacitors and high-power resistors, an IEC power connection with chassis ground, new rubber feet, and a newly recovered leather handle.
Once everything was reassembled, #5251 underwent another round of testing to ensure that the microphone, cable, and power supply were performing properly, and it passed with flying colors. Stay tuned, as this U 47 will be making its way to the Latest Arrivals section of our site in the coming weeks.
