Recording - February 2013 - 40

B Y PA U L V N U K J R .

Now that Audio-Technica has brought to market a new microphone with the familiar number 4047 in its name, let’s spell out its heritage and how it relates to the AT4047/SV, which I like to think of as the more flavorful little brother of the venerable workhorse, the AT4050. The 4047/SV was originally released just over twelve years ago and reviewed in our January 2000 issue. It is a cardioid pattern large-diaphragm condenser mic with a transformer-coupled output, and with the aim of capturing the sound and feel of the classic FET designs of yesteryear. Indeed its numeration nods toward the Neumann Fet47 (the solidstate version of the classic U47), and while the 4047/SV never actually attempted to be a clone of that classic microphone, over the

Audio-Technica 4047MP
How do you improve on a classic mic? Give it multiple patterns!
past decade it has become a modern classic in its own right. Now comes the AT4047MP; its new suffix stands for Multi-Pattern, and it offers a choice of cardioid, omni, and figure-8 patterns. Fit, finish and features The 4047MP features the design and look of A-T’s 40 Series of mics and is visually identical to its sibling, except at 7.40" it’s just a tad longer. It has a 2.10" diameter and weighs 18.5 oz. It retains the classy brushed silver look of the original, and in addition to the –10 dB pad and 80 Hz lowcut also found on the SV model it adds a third switch for pattern choice. It ships in the standard A-T foamlined vinyl box along with an AT8449/SV shock mount. The 4047MP uses an externally polarized (DC biased) condenser element. Its capsule is 2 microns thin, with a diameter of 21.44 mm. The capsule is center-terminated and is encased in a unique acoustic element baffle of nickel-plated brass. This perforated housing helps increase sensitivity and also acts as an eq of sorts, to help tune the microphone’s overall tonal characteristics. Of course it retains the classic FET-based transformer-coupled output found in the original, and the 4047 models are the only ones in the A-T 40 Series that make use of them. Although similar in build to the 4047/SV, the 4047MP differs in some of its specs. The original 4047/SV had a sensitivity of –35 dB (17.7 mV), a max SPL of 149 dB (159 dB padded), a 140 dB dynamic range and a signal-to-noise ratio of 85 dB, whereas the new 4047MP has a sensitivity of –42 dB (7.9 mV), a max SPL of 155 dB (165 dB padded), a 141 dB dynamic range and a signalto-noise ratio of 80 dB. In English, it is slightly less sensitive, has a higher noise floor, but can handle even higher SPL levels. Calling all frequencies While both models have a stated frequency response of 20 Hz to 18 kHz, the measured eq curves differ between the mics. While this should be expected with the new polar patterns, the cardioid response of the MP also varies from the original model.
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RECORDING February 2013

The MP has a slight midrange peak at 4 kHz instead of the SV’s 2.5 kHz peak, an ever so slightly more rolled-off high end, and most notably a much tamer low-end response that rolls off at 50 Hz where as the AT4047/SV alternately rises in the same spot. The new omni mode is the smoothest in the lows and mids with a high mid peak of 6 kHz. The figure-8 pattern has the most pronounced low end of the bunch (although still not equal to the low response of the original model), and it also has the widest high-mid response centering at 8 kHz. Vintage sounding or not? When released in the late ’90s the original 4047/SV was instantly labeled “vintage sounding” due to its thick low end, and even more importantly because its high-frequency peak only hit a 2 dB rise at 10 kHz and then rolled off. This was in stark contrast to most of the other modern (and typically Asian) mics of the day that typically peaked between 12–18 kHz and often as significantly as by +10 dB. By those standards, yes, the 4047/SV’s reputation for a thick, smooth and forward sound easily applied, and it certainly did seem darker and vintage for the times, especially since we seem to equate “dark” with “vintage” for some reason. Interestingly, the new MP model, with its tapered low end, is actually closer to many vintage FET mics with similar low-end traits. The 4047MP’s magic still lies in its forward yet controlled top end, which keeps the 12–18 kHz range (that can be so brittle and overbearing in “modern” mics) nicely subdued. In use In the studio and on stage the AT4047MP is easily more versatile than its previous model and can really be used on anything. However, unlike mics like the AT4050 and AT4033, it is not as much of a general workhorse, because it does have a sound and vibe all its own.
Recording - February 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - February 2013
