Klaus Heyne wrote on Wed, 22 September 2010 09:43 |
...That's another reason why modifications of U47 mics to run with EF14 tubes are questionable: they often include self-biasing, due to feeding a separate heater voltage to the mic. The tube's sound is already a bit anaemic, even with fixed biasing.
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According to Merriam-Webster's On Line Dictionary:
anemic (which is how I would spell it, although anaemic is also acceptable):
a : lacking force, vitality, or spirit <an anemic rendition of the song> <anemic efforts at enforcement>
b : lacking interest or savor : insipid <anemic wines>
I would never think of the word "anemic" when describing my 2 U47-inspired mics, both of which utilize EF14's. 1-2 times/week, for the past 6 weeks, I have spent several hours listening to a big, baritone voice cutting Sinatra-like vocals at Capitol on a mic that I would describe as a classic U47-type sound: maybe more so than any 47 I've come across in LA, probably close to a dozen at this point (although the actual Capitol mic is a K47-based U48). In the midst of these sessions, I did a date with another big, baritone voice using my mic. Was it exactly like the Capitol U48? No. Was it very close in overall character? Yes. Did it have a similarly satisfying and powerful lower midrange? No question. Was it lacking in "vitality" compared to the Capitol U48. Nope. I felt like there might be a slightly better 'see through' quality in the 1 kHz-3kHz area on the U48. But my mic has a Thiersch PVC M7 instead of a K47 and this might be part of it. Or maybe the coupling capacitor... or the different mic pre. If anything I would say that my mic has a touch more character than the U48 and, if I had my 'druthers', I would sacrifice a bit of the character for a bit more of that 'see through' quality. But lacking in force or vitality or interest are factors that don't equate in my experience.
EDIT: According to Merriam-Webster's On Line Dictionary:
vitality:
1
a : the peculiarity distinguishing the living from the nonliving
2
b : lively and animated character
1a could maybe be equated with the see-through aspect I described that is enhanced in the U48 (compared to my mic)
2b is definitely not lacking in my mic
For the record, my engineer friend that has been doing the Capitol/U48 dates came to my date and, unsolicited, said he liked my mic a lot. This is not something I expected to hear him say because he doesn't profess to liking much of anything generally. I realize that this might violate the "third party" rule; please delete if you think it does.