Recording - September 2014 - 44

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

Pearlman TM-47 Tube Microphone
A classic design in modern form that's a stunner in the studio
A few months ago, in our February
2014 issue, we took our first look at
Pearlman Microphones when we reviewed
the TM-250, which is still currently at the
top of my want list of microphones to buy.
With that in mind, I was pretty curious to
check out the new Pearlman TM-47 when I
saw a picture of it pop up in some session
pictures on well-known engineer Ronan
Chris Murphy's Facebook page. Of course,
I was even more thrilled when I received a
call from Dave Pearlman telling me that he
was sending one my way for review.
As a quick introduction to those of you
who didn't read the TM-250 review, Dave
Pearlman is equal parts audio engineer, touring pedal steel player, studio owner at
Rotund Rascal Studios... and lucky for us, he
is also a microphone builder! Most notable
about Dave's designs and building techniques is that he favors the parts, practices,
and performance of vintage microphones
over those with more modern designs, technology and construction techniques.
In a phone conversation Dave mentioned
to me that he originally took the modern
design approach to mic building, and
while everything was technically "correct,"
modern, and supposedly superior to the older
designs with regard to specs and such, the mics
just never sounded right to him. It was not until he
returned to old-school parts and techniques such
as vintage-style capacitors, custom-made transformers, hand
wiring, and more, that he was happy with their sound. The end
result is the line of Pearlman mics we know today.
Dave also makes no secret of chasing the mojo found in
famous mics of the past. The TM-250 that we looked at in
February is, as one might guess, inspired by the Telefunken ELAM 250, and also in the line is a special microphone known as
the Church mic, a spec-for-spec replica of the Stanley Church
modified Neumann U 47s found in the 1950s at MGM studios.
Still in the catalog, of course, is the microphone that started it
all-the Pearlman TM-1, which many users claim to have some
47-esque mojo itself.
With the new TM-47, Dave has taken the U 47 paradigm
head-on with an interesting twist. The original Neumann U 47
featured both cardioid and omni patterns and its sister mic the
U 48 featured cardioid and figure-8. Back then, this pattern
switching occurred on the body of the mic itself, while most current 47 clones on the market feature multiple pattern selection
from their power supplies, with anywhere from 3 to 7 pattern
choices. However, the TM-47 features a cardioid pattern only.
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RECORDING September 2014

Old-school construction and a steel tube
As with most modern 47-inspired mics, it's not fair to call the
TM-47 a "clone", as it is not a spec-for-spec duplication per se.
However, it does use Dave's old-school build techniques and features vintage internal bracing, hand wired point-to-point circuitry,
a paper-in-oil output capacitor, and a Pearlman BV8 type output
transformer made for Dave overseas. The capsule is a centerterminated K 47 style capsule that is handmade in California by
Dave, and the mics are all hand-assembled one by one in his
California workshop. Integral to the sound of the TM-47 is a vintage style EF-12 German steel tube. Most U 47 fans know that
the original U 47s used a VF-14 steel tube that was hand picked
and tested by Neumann, and when the supply of usable VF-14
tubes ran out, production ceased on the U 47.
Today you can get an EF-14 tube as well, and Dave will build
one into his TM-47 for an extra charge. While EF-14s are
known to yield a slightly punchier low end than the EF-12, most
mic builders consider the EF-12 a better choice for microphones
due to better heat dispersion and voltage considerations.
Ultimately, with the TM-47 the choice is yours, and Dave would
be happy to help you discuss the pros and cons of each.
Lastly the TM-47 forgoes the vintage colored enamel look of
his other models and instead features a brushed silver body and
head basket that is closely inline with the vintage long-body U
47s of old. The mic also features a black enamel Pearlman
badge, and while many photographs make the mic look goldish in hue, it is silver and chrome in person.

Recording - September 2014

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