C-2 Fixed cardioid condenser
microphone.
K-12 Fixed Omnidirectional condenser microphone from the
early 60´s.
C-12 fixed cardioid with low frequency roll-of below 120
Hz.
C-12 F "-20 dB" was a concept of vibration reduction.
The construction allows for dividing the microphone housing.
The C-12 F was one of the latest tube models produced and the amplifier
is mounted on a circuit board instead of a acrylic
plastic foundation.
This one with low frequency roll-of as well and with dull chromium
housing for use in television broadcasting enviroment.
8-CK and C-2 condenser microphones in boxes.
Two 8-CK with housing removed.
These are two 8-CK from the late 60´s. Probably some of the latest
manufactured. They have 6-pin cannon connector instead of the
earlier Amphenol 165-14 connector, aluminium diafraghm capsules instead
of gold coated membrane, tubes with late serialnumbers and the more modern
E-2815 power supply instead of the old E-2800 type.
8-CK from 1963 with Amphenol connector - the most common connector
type.
A rarity: Pearl
C-15 6CW4 nuvistor based presented in 1961 in limited series. Fixed
Cardioid pattern.
Stereo Models from the early
60´s
ST-5 X/Y Stereo microphone presented in 1962 very few
manufactured mearly on experimental basis and to be followed by the
8-CK stereo with variable pattern on both
capsules (below).
8-CK M/S stereo variant with cardioid capsule on top of a regular
rectangular capsule. Two separate AC701 ampifiers feed by a special power supply
(E-3100)
8-CK Stereo (ST-6) has two separate AC701 amplifiers,
two reqtangular capsules, a 12 pole Amphenol connector and a special
power supply (E-3100) prowiding double polarisation, anod and heater
voltage.
AC 701k tube working daily since the early 1960´s in a
microphone originally delivered to the Swedish Radio Broadcasting
company.
Now retired...Though still sounding well!
New AC 701:s waiting to get to work...
Type 1909 Microphone gooseneck with Amphenol connector for
the 8-CK model.
E-2800 Power Supply for Pearl Microphones with remotely
variable pick-up pattern.
Later replaced by the E-2815 model (Se below)
Condenser Microphone Power supply E-2815 (left) - a successor
to the E-2800 and E-4510 (right) for the TC-4 V
The FET era
In
1964 Rune Rosander and Pearl
introduced the TC-4 equipped with Field Effect Transistor and pre-amplifier and
impedance converter
instead
of tubes though the tube microphones was marketed until the
late 1960´s.
Rune
Rosander published a lot of articles in major pro-audio publications
around 1965 and the interest was great.
Being
somewhat noisy the TC-4 couldn’t compete with the tube microphones the
first years but from 1967 the TC-4, now in a new
shape
with black body was introduced. The TC-4 V model below has remotely
variable pattern and is feed by 120V from the power supply. In the
years to come a whole series of FET microphones, amongs them the DC-21, DC71
DC-96 and DC-63 was introduced and the penetration of the market was
increasing.
In
the US Pearl had its own marketing organization : Ercona corp. in New
York.
The first TC-4 from 1964 (left), dismantled (middle) and TC-4V
(right) introduced in 1968 with remotely
variable characteristics.
The TC4-US- Special export model for
the US. Bigger appearance, frequency
roll-off and Pad on the microphone.
DC 73 Fixed Cardioid Condenser with circular capsule.
Early DC-63 Condenser Microphone with up to 44 in-between pattern
settings locally switchable on the microphone.
DC-63 in its final and most common shape with ring switches
for pad and pick-up pattern .
Milabs version of the above PML DC-63. Basically the same microphone
produced by Milab up until the mid 80´s.
ST-82 Stereo.
ST-8 Stereo version of the TC-4
The TL-4
milestone
From 1983 and on Rune Rosander begun the development of the
groundbreaking TL-4 microphone concept featuring many unique qualities:
Using the dual-diaphragm with independent outputs making it possible to
add, phase invert or combine the separate signals in a variety of different
ways.
The TL-4 also featured transformer less output with high output
level (up to 5,6 V)
The TL-4 was later also offered in a standard output version: the
TL-44.
The first prototype TL-4:s had TC-4 housings.
The TL-4 in its first marketed version.
TL-MA Early omni directional prototype, later named TL6
Miniature Condenser
models
Apart from the pioneer "E-12" the EC61 (cardioid) and "EK61" (omni) was
the first miniature model in larger series featuring circular capsule and a
direct heated tube (often a pentode in triode mode). At Right the original
a battery power supply and tranformer in external box.
The "61" series was followed in 1968
by the EK/EC 71 witch featured a FET-amplifier and separate power supply with
70V feeding.
Pearl also presented the EK 0071 – a
lavalier version of the “71”.
Both the “61” and “71” could be
found frequently in the US as the export of these models and
the TC-4 US was quite extensive thru Ercona corp. in
New York.
DC 21 FET Lavalier microphone introduced in 1969 with
two characteristics: the DC 21 was a cardioid, the DC 20
omnidirectional.
The connector was of "Lemo" type and the S/N ratio was 126 dB impressive
at the time!
At right the frequency response diagram for a DC 21.
Dimensions: Lenght: 78 mm, Hight: 18 mm.
DC 20 Fixed Cardioid Condenser with small circular capsule.
Early Electret
models
FP-92 is one of Pearls
limited series of electret microphones from the early 1970´s. It is powered by a
6 Volts battery , consumes 50 mA and has a standard XLR connector. Electret
capsules was not a big product though a couple of models was developed during
the 70´s. About 10 years later the electret technique could be found in Pearls
stage microphones and other more rugged applications.
PB31 Electret Omni microphone from early 70´s.
Electret Lavalier
models
CL-3 Electret miniatyre lavalier microphone. Small series, early
70´s.
HM-47 Omnidirectional lavalier microphone. Early 1970´s.
SK-25 Omnidirectional lavalier microphone with batterycompartment. Also
a product of the early 1970´s.
OC 70 small electret microphone and battery compartment. A
product for the US market - sold by Pearl subsidairy in New York during the 70´s
: Ercona corp
Other Pearl products and marketing
material:
Shockproof mount type 1910 designed and
developed by mr Bernt Malmqvist in the early 1960´s.
On Left: prototype shockmouth and on right shockmouth for smaller
microphones like the "Dc-20" series etc.
D-42 Headphones. The elements for the earpieces were also manufactured
by Pearl.
Wireless transmitter M-34 probably from mid 60´s with the top taken off.
It operates on 42,5 and 43,5 Mhz, has two channels, input for one
microphone, rechargeable battery and is to be carried by way of a sholder
strap.
DS-24 Handhelld wireless microphone with dynamic capsule and S-28
reciever also operating on 42,5 and 43,5 Mhz.
Microphone impedance matching tranformer 200 ohms to 1 Kohm. Pearl
delivered a lot of smallsignal transformers to other companies and they could be
found in microphone pre-amplifiers and mixing consoles. They were also sold
as accesories like this in a variety of different modells.
Another microphone matching transformer TR-36 50 ohm -1 Kohm.
Pearl Product catalog from the early
60´s.
This is not a PML - Pearl Microphone
Laboratory Microphone!
This is a microphone from the Japaneese drum and instrument manufacturer
"Pearl" and it has got nothing to do with Pearl Microphone Laboratory in Sweden!
This Japaneese microphone is called CR-57 and features a double condencer
capsule - at least that is what the specifications read - and can be
powered either by a 9 Volt battery or by phantom power. It actually is a quite
terrible microphone with a very high noice floor and weak frequency
respone from low polarization of the capsule, bad overall construction
and poorly choosen semiconductors.
Here below some other microphones and gear
from the archives.
Neumann
(Left) Neumann U-67 from 1962 and (right) M-269 basically the
same microphone, the M-269 though adapted to the 120/4V German Broadcast
standard and
incorporating AC701 tube and has three characteristics remotelly
controllable. Both mics is highly usable in many situations and I have used
the U-67 frequently since I bought it back in 1982!
NU-67 Power Supply for Neumann U-67 and N52 Power supply suitable for
M-269, M-49.
Two KM-56 from Neumanns "Kleine serie" Really nice on Piano, Guitar and
other acoustical instruments.
The "Kleine series" were developed during the mid 1950´s much to meet
the demands from the rapidly developing
television broadcasting enviroment.
Neumann SM-2 Stereo microphone with remotely controlable patterns of the
two capsules, the upper capsule can be ofset at an angle of 270 degrees to the
lower one.
Neumann SM-23
Basically the same microphone as the SM2 but could be feed from two
separate power supply units apart from the SM-2 with its dedicated power
supply.
Neumann U-47 - a classical
microphone introduced in 1947. This one is from the mid
1950´s.
Up until 1958
Telefunken also acted as distributor for Neumann products and through a
development and marketing agreement Telefunken was allowed to put their own
label on Neumann products. One should not forget the importance of
Telefunken as a major developer - essential factor in providing tube
development, patents etc. etc.
Telefunken
steeltubes VF-14 found in Neumann U-47 and U-48. Neumann selected and noise
measured is labelled "M".
EF
12 and EF 14 is steel tube pentodes as well today the mainly acts as "stand
ins" for the hard to find VF 14, the sound they produce is in many aspects
quite different than that of the original and very special sound of
the VF 14. One often get the information that the EF14 or UF
14 identical with the VF 14 except for the heater voltage. This is not
true: there are several intricate structural differences regarding cathode
material, dimensions etc.
There
is also a common story that the VF14 is a WWII surplus tube but the VF14
was not produced before 1944. The first time it shows up in Telefunken
databooks and price sheets is in 1946.About 27.000 VF-14 was made
in the Telefunken plant in Berlin. Neumann tested VF-14 for low noise and
low microphonics and labeled them
"M".
Neumann CF-35 Signal lamp used often in Radio Broadcast
studios.
SELA Condenser
microphones
SELA is another very interesting Swedish microphone manufacturer.
Apart from designing and building consoles and other broadcasting
equipment SELA also launched a series of microphones in the mid 50´s: the "PT"
series. The "T" models was introduced in the late 50´s, they where fixed
cardioids and featured the M-7 capsule from Neumann, later
the KK-47 capsule.
The "T" series had Telefunken AC701 tubes.
SELA PT 8 from 1956 featuring M-7 capsule and 6AK5 tube. The transformer
is located in the power supply.
SELA T-22
SELA T-24 prototype with M-7 capsule.
SELA T-24 final shape with gril removed. M-7 capsule.
SELA T-25 with gril removed. KK-47 capsule.
SELA T-25.
SELA T-27
Schoeps M-221b with mechanically switchable capsule. This patent
originated from Dr Herbert Grosskopf (Institut für Rundfunktechnik
IRT) also well known developer of the Neumann M-49 and
M-50.
This microphone was
also fabricated for Telefunken as was the case with Neumann microphones witch
could be badged with the Telefunken logo as well.
N 20 Schoeps Power Supply userful for Neumans Kleine serie as well as
Pearl C-12 and K-12 and Schoeps
M 221 above.
Neumann NN-48 Power Supply for the M-49 and also suitable for the "KM -
Kleine Mikrofon" Series.
