Recording - May 2021 - 22

REVIEW

Peluso
P-47 SS

Solid State LDC Microphone
A bold new take on classic FET sound
REVIEW BY PAUL VNUK JR.

A

bout twenty years ago, Peluso Microphone Lab was one of the first
companies to craft mics inspired by sought-after classic designs and
offer them at affordable prices. Peluso did this through a marriage
of imported metalwork, custom in-house components, and strict QC at its
Virginia facility. Last year we looked at the company's all-original tube-based
large diaphragm P-280 (August issue) and the small diaphragm P-28 (May
issue). This month, we introduce the just released P-47 SS, a solid state large
diaphragm condenser inspired by the classic Neumann U 47 FET.

FET-STORY

While its name implies that the Neumann
U 47 FET was a solid state replacement
for the famous VF14 steel tube-equipped
U 47, it wasn't. The original U 47 FET was
introduced in 1972, seven years after the
U 47 ceased production, even following
the solid state Neumann U 87 launched
in 1967. The U 47 FET did offer a few
nods to the original, chiefly the K47 capsule used in late model U 47 mics. The
U 47 FET was produced until 1986 and
then revived in a historic reissue in 2014
(reviewed February 2015). Both editions
still sell for upwards of $4000.
Sonically, the U 47 FET offered a full,
open, yet un-hyped low end, a subtle
22 RECORDING May 2021

midrange pop, and a top end that
famed microphone technician/historian
Klaus Heyne has described as 'cotton
mouth sibilance'. The U 47 FET is a popular choice on bass amps, upright bass,
and vocalists needing top-end taming.
It's also often referred to as the most expensive kick drum mic of all time. With
all of the above in mind, let's meet the
new Peluso P-47 SS.

The P-47 SS

The P-47 SS smartly shares a body and
grille with the Peluso 22 47, which is the
short-bodied broadcast U 47 variant in
the Peluso catalog. The mic is housed in
a brass 8 " x 2.25 " nickel-finished body.

It features a 34mm single-backplate
dual-diaphragm capsule, a FET-based
amplifier, and a sizeable custom-wound
transformer. It exhibits a solid low end
that remains neutral from 20 Hz up to
about 400 Hz, where it gently slopes
upward, peaking broadly 2-3dB @ 2.5
kHz, followed by a broad but gentle
peak from 7 kHz to 9 kHz. It comes in
a compact kit with a velvet bag, shock
mount, hard mount, and foam windscreen,
all together in a flight case.

A modern inspiration

The P-47 SS is indeed inspired by the
U 47 FET, but in no way is it a clone. Notable differences: unlike the cardioid-only
U 47 FET, the P-47 SS offers a choice of
omni, cardioid and fig.-8 polar patterns.
The P-47 SS offers the option of -10dB
and -20dB pads and a 75 Hz low cut
filter; the U 47 FET had separate pre and
post output pads at -6dB and -10dB, as
well as a 140 Hz low cut filter. The P-47
SS does not have the built-in mounting
arm found on the U 47 FET. Sonically,
there's a difference, with the P-47 SS offering a fuller, less scooped low-end capture, and a smidge more top-end clarity.
Recording - May 2021

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