Recording - February 2020 - 12

Telefunken
Elektroakustik

Alchemy Series TF47 & TF51
capsule. Telefunken mentions that the
new K47-style capsule is "...just as
punchy in the mids, but the high end is
smoother and a bit less 'in your face'
with a fuller low end."
The tube in the TF47 is a NOS Americanmade Raytheon/Philips 5840W. This
tube was used in the AK-47 MkII and
is also used in the ELA M 260. The
transformer is also carried over from the
AK47 MKII and is a custom-wound, historic spec BV8, which was used in classic U47 microphones.
Frequency Range: .............20Hz - 20kHz
Sensitivity: ...............................22 mV/Pa
THD at 1kHz at 1Pa (Amplifier): ..< 0.3%
Output Impedance:...............< 300 ohm
Maximum SPL (for 1% THD): ......125dB
S/N Ratio: ................................... 84 dBA
Self Noise (Amplifier): ............... 10 dBA

Sound

Sonically, the TF47 is flat from 20Hz
up to 500Hz, where it starts rising to a
4kHz peak of about 3dB. From there, the
curve rolls off quickly. As such, the TF47
does exhibit the telltale midrange thrust
one expects in a 47-family microphone;
it's a sound that will quickly push a vocal,
guitar or drum front and center in a mix.
I'll get more into use below, but one aspect of the TF47 that I quite enjoy is how
clean and smooth it is. While it offers the
classic U47 thrust and tonality, it doesn't
sound rough, dusty, or vintage in any way.

Telefunken TF51

This is my third time reviewing this microphone. We first looked at the R-F-T AR-51
in November 2010, when it was based
around a TK67 capsule. Version two was
reviewed in May 2014, after Telefunken
changed the capsule to an edge-terminated CK12 style (closer to the ELA M 251
design). I described the original AR-51 to
have a feathery top end, and the 2014
capsule update added smoothness and a
fuller low end capture. The TF51 retains
the same capsule, and thanks to the new
dual-layer mesh grille, inches even closer
to the 251 sound. On that theme, the TF51
uses the same Telefunken-branded 6072A
12 RECORDING February 2020

miniature tube used in the Telefunken ELA
M 251E and C12.
The transformer in the TF51 is custom designed and made in Germany
by Haufe, which also manufactures the
T14/1 transformer found in the 251E
and C12. It boasts improved low end
frequency response and lower THD figures than its predecessor, due to a better
impedance match to the 6072A.
Frequency Range: .............20Hz - 20kHz
Sensitivity: ...............................19 mV/Pa
THD at 1kHz at 1Pa (Amplifier): ..< 0.4%
Output Impedance:...............< 300 ohm
Maximum SPL (for 1% THD): ......128dB
S/N Ratio: ................................... 86 dBA
Self Noise (Amplifier): ................. 8 dBA

Sound

Like the TF47, the TF51 is fairly neutral from 20Hz to 200Hz, but with just a
touch more body. Its midrange response
is gently scooped by less than 1dB, and
then it displays a 1dB rise at 3kHz that
falls back to zero at 6.5kHz, followed
by a 2.5dB peak at 10kHz.
Again, I would describe this mic as exhibiting a clear yet feathery top end, a smooth
and neutral midsection, and a low end that's
full and deep but not exaggerated.

In use

I started with some side-by-side comparisons of the entire Alchemy family. I
tracked a song with all of the mics in a
close capsule star pattern on a full song
of small-body Gibson acoustic guitar,
female vocals, shakers, and percussion.
When switching between mixes made
with each mic, it was like turning a focus
or tone knob. The TF51 was smooth and
very neutral, with excellent clarity and
depth. Selecting the TF47 tightened up
the lows while thrusting the upper bite
of the acoustic and the vocals forward.
Switching to the TF39... stay tuned for a
future review of my results!

pair of TF51 mics enough.
On drums, the TF47 is better suited to
front of kick, or as a mono room mic,
where it takes compression quite well.

Guitars

On guitars, it depends where you want
the instrument to sit in the mix and what
you're trying to capture. If you want a
more rock 'n' roll acoustic sound to poke
out of a dense mix, I would choose the
TF47, but if acoustic guitar is the star of
the mix, then the TF51 captures the rich
lows and strums nicely.
On electric guitar, 90% of the time I
would choose the TF47 for its thrust and
controlled low end, but on bass cabinets,
I've always been a fan of the TF51 which,
similar to acoustic guitar, lets the full, deep
low end through while highlighting the
detail of the fingers or pick on the strings.

Vocals

Here again, it's a tossup. On female
vocals in a sparse folk mix, I preferred
the full, feathery TF51, but on a fuller indy
rock track with loud guitars and a male
vocalist, the TF47 was the better choice.

Conclusions

Telefunken has taken its popular R-F-T
line and made some well-executed improvements in the Alchemy Series. Despite their sharing of bodies and packaging, these are not simply variations
on a single mic design. I'm pleased that
they're quite different from one another, and they really do hit their familial
targets quite well. If you're after a modern take on one of the classic mic styles
without spending boutique dollars, then
these might be the mics for you.

Drums

The AR-51 has long been one of my
favorite drum overhead microphones,
especially when you want the overheads
to represent the sound of the whole kit
with individual spot mics mixed in at low
levels for clarity and punch. While I only
had a single TF51, it continued to shine
in this use. If you like to do Glyn Johnsstyle drum miking, I can't recommend a

Price: TF51 $1,895, TF47 $1,895
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telefunken-elektroakustik.com
http://www.telefunken-elektroakustik.com
Recording - February 2020

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