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R/E/P => R/E/P Archives => The Acid Test => Topic started by: phantom309 on October 30, 2008, 10:18:00 PM

Title: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: phantom309 on October 30, 2008, 10:18:00 PM
We just took delivery a NU-47 from Martin Kantola. No more tracking sessions until this weekend, but so far it's sounding phenomenal on some piano and voice...just fooling around with a friend in the studio.

The wooden body? I'd guess you love it or hate it (I find it a very refreshing change from the usual metal bodies), but Martin has some much more substantial reasons for this choice. I'll let him speak for himself on that one-

EDIT: Ooops...sorry about that quote! I'm sure Martin will chime in here when he gets a moment.

It was a funny moment when I first lifted it out of the case....SO light!

M7, VF-14m.

I don't have much experience with a GREAT U-47, plenty of hours with what was characterized as a "good" refurbished one ( I know, a huge can-o-worms) and a number of great M-49's., I'll try to give a good description of what I hear, but will most likely just post some MP3's so you can hear for yourselves.

We're very excited to finally have such a great vocal mic in the studio. Many thanks to Martin, I've been bugging him for an opportunity to own one of these for years...sometimes it pays to be a pest!

I just love it when such passion results in new music making tool.

index.php/fa/10257/0/
Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: Silvertone on October 31, 2008, 07:32:33 AM
Congrats David!  Please keep us informed, I always wondered about these mics.

When you have someone like Bruce Swedien giving them such praise you gotta figure it to be a pretty special mic.

Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: phantom309 on October 31, 2008, 10:26:42 AM
Thanks Larry. Since Bjork's Vespertine, I've been hot on getting one, but that 47 Joe has at Shorefire was the final straw! That thing sounded SO good at the Helios test...I just couldn't get it out of my mind. The problem is finding a good one that you can have confidence in purchasing. The mic forums are full to the brim of "buyer beware" posts and I'm not knowledgeable enough about them to avoid getting burned.  

Also, Martin has kept a good parts inventory back for repairs...nothing spookier than watching an original 10K relic headed for the studio floor. Things happen.

We're in the market for ONE more LDC though. Another poetic interpretation of classic mic designs would be welcome. As much as I like the Classic II from Rode, it was pretty much shamed by the NU last night. Astounding.
Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: bushwick on November 01, 2008, 02:33:02 AM
The classic II is not a very nice microphone. At one point when the dollar was crushing, about eight years ago, I bought two of them. I was scratching my head wondering what the deal was. Frankly, some of their lower end mics sound much better. Rode makes some nice stuff, but I think the Classic III may need to come out to but their flagship on the same page as one of the great mics.

josh
Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: Silvertone on November 01, 2008, 07:40:54 AM
phantom309 wrote on Fri, 31 October 2008 09:26

Thanks Larry. Since Bjork's Vespertine, I've been hot on getting one, but that 47 Joe has at Shorefire was the final straw! That thing sounded SO good at the Helios test...I just couldn't get it out of my mind. The problem is finding a good one that you can have confidence in purchasing. The mic forums are full to the brim of "buyer beware" posts and I'm not knowledgeable enough about them to avoid getting burned.  

Also, Martin has kept a good parts inventory back for repairs...nothing spookier than watching an original 10K relic headed for the studio floor. Things happen.

We're in the market for ONE more LDC though. Another poetic interpretation of classic mic designs would be welcome. As much as I like the Classic II from Rode, it was pretty much shamed by the NU last night. Astounding.



I totally agree about Joe's mic, it did sound fantastic. Here is the scary thing,  that was Joe's U47 that had the VF14M removed and a nuvistor tube in it's place!!! It's the second time in my life that I've heard a great sounding U47 without a VF14 tube in it... go figure.

I PM'd you about that "one more classic mic".

I'd forgotten you worked with Bjork, another great endorsement for that mic.

Enjoy!!!
Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: J.J. Blair on November 01, 2008, 11:48:32 AM
Here's the thing: Nuvistor U47s can sound really nice.  EF86 U47s can sound really nice.  But when I've A/B'd them with a good VF14 equipped U47s, you can hear what's missing.
Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: deville on January 10, 2009, 03:03:58 PM
A NU-47 in Calgary... I have been intrigued by this mic since I saw a picture of Bruce Swedien with one in I believe the big mic issue of EQ mag from a few years ago. I might have to see it (or hear it) for myself sometime.

______________________________
Doug Patterson
A.K.A Lynyrd DeVille
Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: phantom309 on January 13, 2009, 11:24:15 AM
deville wrote on Sat, 10 January 2009 13:03

A NU-47 in Calgary... I have been intrigued by this mic since I saw a picture of Bruce Swedien with one in I believe the big mic issue of EQ mag from a few years ago. I might have to see it (or hear it) for myself sometime.

______________________________
Doug Patterson
A.K.A Lynyrd DeVille


Come on by for a listen, Doug...it's a peach.
Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: mitgong on January 15, 2009, 07:49:21 AM
I thought there was a ton of hullabalo about Bjork using an SM58 for that record.  Was that not entirely true?
Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: phantom309 on January 15, 2009, 12:28:28 PM
mitgong wrote on Thu, 15 January 2009 05:49

I thought there was a ton of hullabalo about Bjork using an SM58 for that record.  Was that not entirely true?


http://www.nu47.com/menu2-2.html
Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: JosephDeMaio on January 16, 2009, 09:02:22 PM
Silvertone wrote on Sat, 01 November 2008 07:40

phantom309 wrote on Fri, 31 October 2008 09:26

Thanks Larry. Since Bjork's Vespertine, I've been hot on getting one, but that 47 Joe has at Shorefire was the final straw! That thing sounded SO good at the Helios test...I just couldn't get it out of my mind. The problem is finding a good one that you can have confidence in purchasing. The mic forums are full to the brim of "buyer beware" posts and I'm not knowledgeable enough about them to avoid getting burned.  

Also, Martin has kept a good parts inventory back for repairs...nothing spookier than watching an original 10K relic headed for the studio floor. Things happen.

We're in the market for ONE more LDC though. Another poetic interpretation of classic mic designs would be welcome. As much as I like the Classic II from Rode, it was pretty much shamed by the NU last night. Astounding.



I totally agree about Joe's mic, it did sound fantastic. Here is the scary thing,  that was Joe's U47 that had the VF14M removed and a nuvistor tube in it's place!!! It's the second time in my life that I've heard a great sounding U47 without a VF14 tube in it... go figure.

I PM'd you about that "one more classic mic".

I'd forgotten you worked with Bjork, another great endorsement for that mic.

Enjoy!!!

Hey Larry,
let me guess, Joel told you that my 47 had the VF14 replaced with a nuvistor. But guess what, I had the VF14M put back in a few years before the Helios test as I have a half dozen of them and I just needed to find a socket for the VF14.
Anyway, David I'd love to hear the Nu the next time your back east.
Hope all is well.
Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: ssltech on January 19, 2009, 11:08:36 AM
David, I'm jealous!

I have the highest respect for Martin and his product. -At the moment I'm beginning work on a design/upgrade project for Martin to listen to, and it is the fact that Martin listens SO intently to the results, which drives me to be ultimately cautious about how I approach every aspect... because I know full well that every aspect will be scrutinized in detail by Martin's ears.

He's a perfectionist, and there are so few around these daysthat it makes one work all the harder.

I envy you. The Nu-47 with the Strawberry desk... I'm going to HAVE to pay you a visit some time! Wink

Keith
Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: phantom309 on January 19, 2009, 07:33:19 PM
ssltech wrote on Mon, 19 January 2009 09:08

David, I'm jealous!

I have the highest respect for Martin and his product. -At the moment I'm beginning work on a design/upgrade project for Martin to listen to, and it is the fact that Martin listens SO intently to the results, which drives me to be ultimately cautious about how I approach every aspect... because I know full well that every aspect will be scrutinized in detail by Martin's ears.

He's a perfectionist, and there are so few around these daysthat it makes one work all the harder.

I envy you. The Nu-47 with the Strawberry desk... I'm going to HAVE to pay you a visit some time! Wink

Keith


Hey Keith,

I don't have half the experience that some do on this board, but Martin's mic sends shivers up my back everytime we use it. Just gorgeous. One thing's for sure, once the Lucas CS-1 triplets arrive, there will be NO EXCUSES around here (short of occasional attacks of idiocy) for bad sounding recordings.

YOU are welcome here anytime!  In fact, the big missing piece of the puzzle here is a full time tech. Ken McKim, John Leimseider and Dave Harrison have been absolute lifesavers for this studio, but they either have full time gigs or (in Ken's case) live in New York. Maybe someday we can talk you into coming up for a working holiday when the Floridian heat gets the better of you.
Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: Silvertone on January 20, 2009, 10:24:43 AM
JosephDeMaio wrote on Fri, 16 January 2009 20:02

Silvertone wrote on Sat, 01 November 2008 07:40

phantom309 wrote on Fri, 31 October 2008 09:26

Thanks Larry. Since Bjork's Vespertine, I've been hot on getting one, but that 47 Joe has at Shorefire was the final straw! That thing sounded SO good at the Helios test...I just couldn't get it out of my mind. The problem is finding a good one that you can have confidence in purchasing. The mic forums are full to the brim of "buyer beware" posts and I'm not knowledgeable enough about them to avoid getting burned.  

Also, Martin has kept a good parts inventory back for repairs...nothing spookier than watching an original 10K relic headed for the studio floor. Things happen.

We're in the market for ONE more LDC though. Another poetic interpretation of classic mic designs would be welcome. As much as I like the Classic II from Rode, it was pretty much shamed by the NU last night. Astounding.



I totally agree about Joe's mic, it did sound fantastic. Here is the scary thing,  that was Joe's U47 that had the VF14M removed and a nuvistor tube in it's place!!! It's the second time in my life that I've heard a great sounding U47 without a VF14 tube in it... go figure.

I PM'd you about that "one more classic mic".

I'd forgotten you worked with Bjork, another great endorsement for that mic.

Enjoy!!!

Hey Larry,
let me guess, Joel told you that my 47 had the VF14 replaced with a nuvistor. But guess what, I had the VF14M put back in a few years before the Helios test as I have a half dozen of them and I just needed to find a socket for the VF14.
Anyway, David I'd love to hear the Nu the next time your back east.
Hope all is well.




Hey Joe,

Just got back from Jersey... if I had time I would've stopped by.

I thought it was you that told me it was one of the nuvistor ones, I know Joel mentioned to me that he did change one of your mics. Good move on changing it back. I do remember it being one of the best sounding U47's I've heard.  That and Eddie Hollands (from Holland, Dozier & Holland fame) that I've used in the past.

best,
Larry

I think a mic listening party might be in order at the BarFunGul this year... CS-1, NU-47, U47's, U67's and M49's, one of a kinds like my Popov/Gangwer Russian tube mic... etc... would be interested to hear them all...

Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: ssltech on January 20, 2009, 04:07:05 PM
phantom309 wrote on Mon, 19 January 2009 19:33

Maybe someday we can talk you into coming up for a working holiday when the Floridian heat gets the better of you.



Someday perhaps...

...Though I very much doubt that day would be today!  Very Happy (it's not far noth of freezing down here in FL, so LORD knows how chilly it is up there!

-On a related note: Did you see the console in this video?

Keith
Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: phantom309 on January 20, 2009, 05:50:06 PM
ssltech wrote on Tue, 20 January 2009 14:07

phantom309 wrote on Mon, 19 January 2009 19:33

Maybe someday we can talk you into coming up for a working holiday when the Floridian heat gets the better of you.



Someday perhaps...

...Though I very much doubt that day would be today!  Very Happy (it's not far noth of freezing down here in FL, so LORD knows how chilly it is up there!

-On a related note: Did you see the console in this video?

Keith


Oddly enough, it's in the 50's here today. It goes up and down like a yo yo around here.
New video for me...that's Sam Clayton's desk! Great shots of it.

Cross post to the Helios thread?

We used the NU-47 for vocals over the last 4 days intensively. The unexpected cumulative effect is how much fatigue I DON'T have.  NU-Redd47-RS124-Helios line/EQ with just a smidgen of 2.8K added. Gorgeous, deep field, immediate but not hard at all and the singer just had a blast singing into it...working a 25 in. or so pattern. The sparkle in her eyes said it all.


Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: Marcus Black on January 22, 2009, 09:03:50 AM
I have a prototype of the new NU-47fet here and I´m waiting for the production model to arrive, I believe I´m one of the first to purchase one.

I will definitely share my experience with the fet version if anyone is interested.
Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: gwailoh on January 22, 2009, 01:00:14 PM
Marcus Black wrote on Thu, 22 January 2009 06:03

I have a prototype of the new NU-47fet here and I´m waiting for the production model to arrive, I believe I´m one of the first to purchase one.

I will definitely share my experience with the fet version if anyone is interested.


Very interested indeed.  Thanks so much!
Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: Marcus Black on January 22, 2009, 03:36:02 PM
I want to be a little careful about what I write about the NU-47FET until the production model arrives, what I have is a prototype which Martin Kantola kindly loans me until I get the real one.

I want to make it very clear that Martin is an old friend of mine and that my opinion about anything Martin builds is highly biased - simply because I know he is a perfectionist when it comes to gear design and I have the utmost respect for the man.

I actually contacted Martin wondering if he could build a custom tube mic for me. I had a refurbished M7 laying around, good experience with TAB-Funkenwerk transformers and I was toying with the idea of using my M7, finding a good tube, a matching transformer from TAB and have Martin make something nice out of it.

He replied with "Wanna try a solid state mic ?" Had it been someone else the discussion would have ended right there. But knowing Martin I got curious. I like solid state mics for two reasons: 1. they are fast to setup, no psu hassle and warm-up time 2. No need to worry about the condition of the tube and if I ever will find a replacement for it. I´m not a fan for one reason - I had yet to hear a fantastic sounding one.

Martin told me he completely did re-think solid state microphone design and ended up with a unique circuit unlike any other fet mic. The goal beeing a mic that brings very desireable musical and sonic qualities to the table that will make you totally forget about whether it´s a tube design or not. I think he succeeded with that, there´s nothing "fet" about the way it sounds.

I got two prototypes to try out, one with a K47 capsule and one with a completely different capsule which is essentially flat in its response with no presence boost or excessive resonance. I gave some feedback and am now anxiously awaiting the arrival of the final production model.

The sound is fullbodied and smooth with fantastic detail and dimension. It has all the great qualities of a truly great mic with none of the headaches of owning a vintage classic. When considering this mic, lay aside all prejudice you might have about solid-state mics, many ears have been fooled to think there´s a tube in there.

I hope Martin doesn´t kill me for writing this, I´ll be back with more (and sound files) once the production model arrives.

Title: Re: NU-47 lands at Audities
Post by: Doug Rogers on February 08, 2009, 07:02:53 PM
We were lucky enough to get 2 of these from Martin, the sound is beyond unbelievable. When they arrived the first one I tried sounded really awful, and I immediately contacted Martin who insisted I send it back ... it had arrived damaged, and not only did he pay for shipping both ways, he repaired it and replaced the part that broke so it wouldn't happen again. He said he was only making 10 of them, and I can't believe we got 2 of them for EastWest Studios.

Thanks to Bruce S for the recommendation!

Cheers,

- DR