U 47

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The U 47 was a large-diaphragm condenser microphone manufactured by Georg Neumann GmbH during the years 1949-1965.

The U 47 used the M 7 capsule originally developed for the CMV 3 microphone ("Neumann bottle"). Its PVC membranes unfortunately tended to dry out with age, however, and in 1960 the M 7 was superseded by the K 47, a capsule with identical acoustical design but membranes made of age-resistant tensilized polyester film (Mylar). The U 47's circuitry was based on the Telefunken VF 14 M vacuum tube; its discontinuation was caused primarily by the decision by Telefunken to halt production of the VF 14. In essence the successor to the U 47 was the U 67.

The U 47 is well-known for its clear sound, with a distinct emphasis in its upper-midrange frequency response. It has been used in countless famous recordings. The Beatles' producer George Martin used the U 47 extensively in the group's recordings and claimed it was his favorite microphone.

The U 48 was identical to the U 47 except for the available polar pattern combinations (cardioid and figure of eight instead of cardioid and omnidirectional). According to Neumann: The Microphone Company. by Anselm Roessler^[1], the U 48 was not introduced by Neumann until 1957. However, according to representatives at Georg Neumann GmbH, examples of the U48 existed as early as 1950.

The U 47 fet, a solid-state microphone with the K 47 capsule, a headgrille identical to that of the original U 47 but with solid-state circuitry, was produced by Neumann during the years 1969-1986. It was intended to recapture the sound of the original U 47, but enjoyed only limited success.