New Telefunkens
hank alrich wrote:
Arny Krueger wrote:
"Bill Graham" wrote in message
mcp6453 wrote:
How do the new Telefunken mics, such as the U47 with a
VF14k, compare with their originals? Are the Telefunken
recreations any better than the knock offs, like Wunder,
Peluso, and a host of others? The new U47 is $9000.
The obvious question is, is it 100 times better than the
$90 microphones on the market?
It doesn't have to be. At this price level, most would agree that
diminishing returns may have set in.
And, how do you build a
$9000 microphone that costs 100 times as much as the ones
you can build for $90?
Better design, better materials, better fabrication, better
assembly, better QC.
If you've been paying attention, you know that the $90 mics are
usually clones or derivatives of some really pretty good mic from
the past.
If you look carefully at the spec sheets you often find that the more
expensive mics have helpful refinements like better off-axis
response and lower residual noise. You know that there are a
virtually unlimited number of responses versus acceptance angle that
can all be called "cardioid", right?
If you use cheap mics you know that they may be more prone to
failure under tough conditions of humidity, temperature, and shock.
The assembly tolerances are sometimes so variable that people have
made a business out of buying the same parts and assembling them
more carefully, using better-trained staff.
Are the profit margins higher? Probably.
At this point just about everybody, no matter what their preferences
are has done a gig with a cheap mic and it came out pretty well, all
things considered. Doesn't mean that it might have sounded better
with a better tool.
Are you sure you aren't buying jewlery?
For $9k I do expect a nearly jewel-like appearance. But I've just
pointed out all the ways that there could be more than a pretty face
to behold and benefit from.
Like what you buy when you buy a $9000 watch? It
won't keep time 100 times better than the $90 watch, but
it will be encrusted with diamonds and rubies.
I think you can pay $9 large for a watch with no precious or
semi-precious stones on it at all.
Will the performers sing better when using it?
In a sighted evaluation, perhaps. You hand them the mic, you tell
them not to drop it because it cost $9k. That might improve their
attitude a bit! ;-)
I am not a pro audio guy. But my common sense tells me to be very
suspicious of any microphone that costs more than about
$500.
I think you've set the bar too low. I routinely use a half dozen or
so mics that list for $488 each, most of which have another $100 or
so worth of options attached. Those are $588 microphones, right?
If a cheapskate like me is using stuff like that, where is the bar
to be set? Much higher, it seems.
I've done a fair amount of work with borrowed mics that list for
about $2k each. Almost cried when I sent them back. In some sense
they are equivalent to mics that sell for $49.95 but let me tell you
about the ways that they are different...
I think that, like guitars, you don't gain much above $500.
You stuck your foot in it now! The musos I work with are not so
much about expensive guitars but there is definately some far bigger
money on the table when we start talking about their brass and
woodwind instruments. Also true of the various permuations of
violins, both large and small. $500 is chump change when it comes
to professional grade musical instruments of just about any kind.
Arny, kudos, man; that is a beautiful response.
Yes, I agree that my dollars come from twenty or thirty years ago, rather
than from a visit to the musical instrument store yesterday. Perhaps I
should have used $2000 instead of $500, but the basic principal is still
there. And that is, beware of just trying to achieve quality by pouring
money into something. There is a cost-benefit curve that everyone should be
operating on. Back in the 60's the USA spent like 40 or 50 Billion dollars
to do something manned that could have been done by robots for 10% as much
money. But they didn't care, because it was taxpayers money.
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