For recording engineers, the U47 is the most recognizable mic, and even the average person will recognize it due to the fact that so many famous artists have been pictured with the mic from its inception to today. The U47 can be found in virtually every book on recording, biography of singers, documentaries as well as videos, and even immortalized in song lyrics. It simply is one of the vintage mics that everyone wants to have. If imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery than the U47 is admired by folks around the globe. There are more clones and derivatives made based on the U47 design than any other mic in recording history!
So, is it truly special or is it a status symbol? The answer is both. To a skilled engineer well versed in placing mics and building the proper gain structure, there definitely is some magic that happens with this mic. The combination of capsule, tube, amplifier circuit and transformer creates harmonic overtones that are pleasing to the human ear. This effect provides warmth, richness and thickens the sound of the source being recorded. The U47 shines on close mic guitar cabs and close-up male vocals. For example, during the height of his greatest 1950s and 1960s recordings, Frank Sinatra recorded almost exclusively on Telefunken branded mics.
But the U47 was limited in production to a best estimate of 5000-6000 units. While that sounds like a lot, when you consider the number of recording studios around the world (all of which would like a stereo pair) and the number of home studios that are in use, there arent enough to go around to everyone who wants one. As a result, a lot of people see the U47 as the ultimate status symbol. If you have one, youre viewed as a serious, professional (and successful) studio that can produce quality recordings. Additionally, as engineers, producers and artists specifically request the Neumann U47, it has become one of the must have microphones to secure named artists to work at ones studio.
In the end, microphones are like paint brushes. There is no one brush that can be used for every style or aspect of painting and the same is true with microphones. However, the U47 is a brush that can be used for nearly everything and it will always deliver full, rich and vibrant colors of sound on a recording.
