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From: rzdz@fluke.UUCP (Rick Chinn)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: High Quality Recordings
Message-ID: <164@tpvax.fluke.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 11-Jan-84 13:03:18 EST
Article-I.D.: tpvax.164
Posted: Wed Jan 11 13:03:18 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 15-Jan-84 00:39:12 EST
Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Everett, Wash
Lines: 49

re: High Quality Recordings

Recently, Greg Rogers submitted the following:

	I have made these subjective comments about the "sound" of Sheffield
	disks because of the many comments in the article in which Sax
	implies that his records are superior due to the use of TUBE
	amplifiers and TUBE microphone /preamp systems.  In fact he makes
	completely unsubstantiated claims like,

	      "...old tube microphones are the most revered in the industry
	      by all the recording engineers."

	 Really? Who else uses them today?  He gives no examples.  Again
	 about the mikes, ...

Yes Greg, there is a santa claus. I hate to differ. but with most recording
engineers, an old tube condenser microphone will bring tears to their eyes,
or some sort of highly emotional response. Most claim that the tube mics
sound warmer, particularly near overload. Some of the reasons that
abound:

	 more punch, particularly when it gets loud
	 warmer sound
	 i like it
	 tubes overload in a more audibly pleasing manner

Who uses them? Just about every contemporary studio that attempts to keep up
with the state of the art. It looks good on their rate card when they can
say that they have a couple of U67's, or M49B's or maybe a bevy of U47's. Or
how about an AKG C-12 or C22 or whatever...get the picture.

If these old antique microphones wern't revered by studio engineers, then
why are they selling for 8 to ten times what they were worth when they could
be purchased off the shelf? (a Neumann U47 microphone fetches anywhere from
1500 to 2000 dollars now. They were $250 20 years ago.) For that matter, I
have seen "wanted" ads for the VF14 tube used in the U47 that mentioned
prices of a half-kilobuck or more! (Wish I had a few.)

Put that in your pipe and smoke it! 

As always, civilized discussion is welcome, but kindly direct your flames at
/dev/null.

Rick Chinn
John Fluke Mfg. Co MS 232E
PO Box C9090 Everett WA 98043
{uw-beaver,decvax!microsof,ucbvax!lbl-csam,allegra,ssc-vax}!fluke!rzdz
(206) 356-5232