RECORDING March 2023 - 10

REVIEW
Neumann M49 V
The return of one of the world's most
iconic microphones... for real!
REVIEW BY PAUL VNUK JR.
he M 49 V is the latest historic microphone reissue from Neumann.
Like the U 47 FET (reviewed February 2015) and U 67 (reviewed
May 2019), the new M 49 V is not an inspiration nor a new twist on
a classic design. This is a Neumann M 49 built by hand in Germany for
a new generation-and all that implies.
Vintage Innovations
Designed circa 1949, the first production
M 49 was released in 1951. At the
time, it featured more than a few innovations
for its day.
The Pantheon of Microphones
Alongside the Neumann U 47, the U
67, the AKG C12 and the Telefunken ELA
M 251, the Neumann M 49 is among the
most prestigious mics ever made.
Despite the history and stature of the
M 49, its popularity is often overshadowed
by the four other models. Perhaps
this is because when the M 49 was created,
it was marketed as a West German
broadcast mic more than a studio offering.
It could be due to scarcity. Despite
a 20-year run, only around 2,500 were
ever produced. Maybe it's because The
Beatles rarely, if ever, used one-and I
am only half joking. A possible fourth reason
is that in our current recording scene,
vibey is better recording landscape.
The M 49 is in many ways the least
sonically imposing or character-filled mic
out of all of the mics mentioned above,
and yet, it might just be the most magical.
10 RECORDING March 2023
It was one of the first large-diaphragm
mics to use a (now common) slanted/
tapered grille design that helped control
stray resonances and standing waves
inside the capsule housing.
The M 49 was the first mic to offer a
continuously variable polar pattern from
Omni through to Fig. 8 via a knob on
the remote power supply.
In that same vein, the M 49 also instituted
a circuit design that kept the output
level uniform across all polar patterns
by retaining voltage in the mic capsule's
rear diaphragm versus the U 47, which
lost about 5 dB in level in Omni mode.
[Neumann explains: In the M 49, the
rear diaphragm is always connected
(except with the internal switch set to cardioid
only mode). The rear diaphragm's
capacitance forms a voltage divider,
thus reducing the capsule output level
that reaches the tube input. In the U 47,
the rear diaphragm is only connected in
omni mode, hence the level difference
when switching from cardioid to omni.]
M 49 Evolution
The M 49 borrowed much of its base
technology from the U 47, most notably the
classic PVC-based Neumann M7 capsule.
As with the U 47, by the early 1960s, this
was changed to the similar, yet different
Mylar-based Neumann K47/49 capsule still
found in many of the company's mics today.
Initially, the M 49 employed a Hiller
MSC2 tube, but by 1954, this was replaced
by the sub-miniature Telefunken AC701K
triode. It should be mentioned that, unlike
many previous tube designs, the AC701K
was purpose designed for mic use.
The Letter B
By 1957 the M 49 became the M 49 b.
Changes included the now classic Neumann
BV11 output transformer, offering a
higher output level and less self-noise. The
BV11 in the M 49 b was also switchable
from a 50Ω to 200Ω output impedance.
The M 49 b variant also added an internal,
fixed, low cut circuit. There were
also additional spec and gentle sonic
tuning changes introduced at this time.
The Letter C and the M 249
The final changes to the initial M 49
run came around 1964 with the introduction
of the M 49 c. By now, the K47/49
capsule was fully implemented, and the
tube biasing circuit was changed from a
fixed bias to a self-biasing cathode offering
an even better noise floor.
The final variation was the parallel
introduction in 1961 of the Neumann
M 249-a broadcast-focused M 49 that
used a 7-pin Tuchel connector versus the
8-blade style Tuchel connector. This new
connector and cable offered improved
RF (radio frequency) rejection.
The final M 49 and M 249 mics rolled
off the line in 1971.
T
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