Recording - February 2015 - 22

Neumann U 47 fet Collectors Edition

The final verdict among all of us was that
any perceived differences between the new
and vintage models was no greater than
that between the vintage models on their
own. Overall each of the mics had the
same flavor, weight and feel.
Conclusions
The verdict: Neumann nailed it! This is
not a recreation, a replica, or a tribute. It
is a real Neumann U 47 fet in every way
from its build to its sound. It is one of
those mics with a true classic sound and
niche all its own, but on all of the sources
for which it is legendary... yeah, it is truly
legendary! To my ears, this applies to
brass even more than kick drum.
At $3999 street, this is a serious investment, but one that stands toe to toe with its
vintage counterparts in every possible way,
and Neumann needs to be applauded for

achieving this level of authenticity. Wow.
Just wow....
Price: $3999.99
More from: Neumann,
www.neumann.com
Paul Vnuk Jr. (paul@recordingmag.com) is a
recording engineer, live sound engineer, producer, and musician, living and working in
the Milwaukee area. Paul would like to thank
the staff at the Chicago Recording Company
(chicagorecording.com) for their assistance:
Chris Shepard (General Manager), Dennis
Tousana (Engineer), John Zacks (Chipotle
and ears), Bruce Breckenfeld (Studio tech),
Bernard Chae (bass player), Rob "Rob The
Intern" Turner (setup and kick drum), and Leo
Q. Allen (trumpet and vocals). Special thanks
to Klaus Heyne (germanmasterworks.com).

Mic Maestro Klaus Heyne Weighs In
Klaus Heyne of German Masterworks is one of the foremost microphone technicians
in the world, and one of the most knowledgeable people around when it comes to the
subject of Neumann microphones, both old and new.
Recently on his online forum, he did a complete teardown of an original U 47 fet as
well as the new version, and he was kind enough to answer my questions as to this
new model's authenticity from a build standpoint. The following contains excerpts of a
much longer interview with additional insights, which can be read at our website:
http://is.gd/KlausHeyneRECFeb2015
The first and most obvious question, how did they do? Did they get it right?
Klaus Heyne: In a word: 100% right. [...] From the machining to the plastic molding, from component choices to the careful assembly, it is astounding to me what is
going on here: never before has Neumann reissued a vintage or classic model with
such perfection and attention to detail.
22

RECORDING February 2015

Anything where they missed the mark
or any obvious differences?
With one exception, no detail or mark
has been missed or glossed over. Even the
messy layout of the high impedance amplifier board was meticulously recreated.
The one exception where the company
thankfully did not copy the original: the
slider switches. The originals were made
of brittle plastic which by now has deteriorated in most of the mics, rendering
switching functions inoperable. But even
here, Neumann paid attention to detail:
while the new switches are not interchangeable with the original version (of
hundreds of components, the only part,
by the way, that you cannot use on an
original U 47 fet!), the externally visible
switch actuators look identical.
Any idea why Neumann went with a hard
mounted swivel arm vs a shock mount or
even the old base swivel designs?

Why attempt to reproduce a model in
all its minute details, and then decide to
"improve" on the original mount, which
was never an obstacle to recording in the
first place? The elegant swivel arm is an
integral aesthetic part of the original mic
design. Besides, the U 47 fet is rather
bass-shy to start with, so transmission of
subsonic vibrations from the floor is not a
major issue here.
What is the purpose of the locking
cord holder which looks way too small
for a mic cable?
The standard 5mm ø Neumann IC 3 mic
cable fits fine. But the point is well taken: I
don't believe I have ever seen anyone use

http://www.neumann.com http://www.chicagorecording.com http://www.germanmasterworks.com http://www.is.gd/KlausHeyneRECFeb2015

Recording - February 2015

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