telefunken elam 260

[Nate Najar]

has anyone here used these?

I have to record and mix an album project for a piano trio in their personal studio next week. Well record there, mix at my place. I've been there before- the rooms are pretty good actually. They want lots of isolation for a modern sound and the ability to fix things.

They sent over their mic list today. I was planning on bringing mostly my own mics but i wanted to see what they had to augment. The only stereo pairs I have are a single pair of schoeps and a pair of dpa miniatures. Depending on what they had I was going to use the schoeps on the piano and not use the dpa's. The only stereo pairs they have are these telefunken 260's that I've never heard and a pair of 414 xl2's which I don't like but they're not bad.

So I'm wondering what these tfunks sound like and if they're worth auditioning on the drums or the piano. I know what the schoeps and dpa's sound like. I want a quick setup for obvious reasons so I don't want to spend a lot of time dicking around with mics. I'd really rather not use the 414's on drums or piano (although for a modern sound they might not be bad on the piano but I can't bring myself to do it!) so I may end up with the dpa's lavs on the piano.

the piano is a good sounding, not too bright but not mellow steinway B.

so how do they sound?

as usual, thanks for the help.

N

[Nate Najar]

On Thursday, June 5, 2014 10:40:02 PM UTC-4, Nate Najar wrote:
> has anyone here used these?
>
>
>
> I have to record and mix an album project for a piano trio in their personal studio next week. Well record there, mix at my place. I've been there before- the rooms are pretty good actually. They want lots of isolation for a modern sound and the ability to fix things.
>
>
>
> They sent over their mic list today. I was planning on bringing mostly my own mics but i wanted to see what they had to augment. The only stereo pairs I have are a single pair of schoeps and a pair of dpa miniatures. Depending on what they had I was going to use the schoeps on the piano and not use the dpa's. The only stereo pairs they have are these telefunken 260's that I've never heard and a pair of 414 xl2's which I don't like but they're not bad.
>
>
>
> So I'm wondering what these tfunks sound like and if they're worth auditioning on the drums or the piano. I know what the schoeps and dpa's sound like. I want a quick setup for obvious reasons so I don't want to spend a lot of time dicking around with mics. I'd really rather not use the 414's on drums or piano (although for a modern sound they might not be bad on the piano but I can't bring myself to do it!) so I may end up with the dpa's lavs on the piano.
>
>
>
> the piano is a good sounding, not too bright but not mellow steinway B.
>
>
>
> so how do they sound?
>
>
>
> as usual, thanks for the help.
>
>
>
> N

to be clear i'm asking about the current production telefunken USA mics....

[Scott Dorsey]

Nate Najar > wrote:
>has anyone here used these?

I haven't used them for 35 years but when I was an intern one of the big
classical guys in Atlanta liked them. They were designed and built by
AKG for Telefunken's broadcast folks, and they are basically AKG C60
mikes with some modifications to meet the Telefunken standards. Unfortunately
just like the it has an AC701k tube which is completely unavailable today,
and for which replacements don't exist. But the capsule is the same CK1 as
on the C60 and the C451 and so if those fail you can get replacements.

I was never excited by the things, but if you like the C451 you should give
it a try. However, my inclination would be to avoid any vintage mikes with
an AC701k just because you're going to find so many of them out there have
been butchered or have marginal emission, etc.
--scott



--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."