Yeah i think it's well too early to make a critical assesment until there are more units in the field and going through different chains.

Perhaps to aid things going forwards if people can list the chain that they are posting samples of or are using that might help steer the conversation out of conjecture and into something a bit more controlled in terms of assesment.

Keep it up MattC

Yes thanks Matt! Really appreciate a proper listen. Your voice is very sweet.

It doesn't really sound like a FLEA with a Neumann capsule as I've just done 2 in the last couple of weeks and they sound a bit bigger and warmer with a dryish, classic edge.
This sounds different, more pointed and modern somehow.
Hopefully they'll compliment each other nicely..... Just waiting for Neumann to send mine through before the end of the month for a direct comparison so I can get a proper feel.

Yes it sounds more modern. Any of my M49 doesn´t sound like that-

yes yes let us not comment on what the results of recording with the mics sounds like lmao

It doesn’t quite have the “smooth” factor a real M49 can be setup to have, but does seem to have that leaner 6S6B-V coupling with BV11 sound. Sounds a lot more like a FLEA M49 than a real M49 to me, but I also don’t necessarily mean that in a derogatory way. It is how the consonants sound and quick transients sound, insofar as what I think I can determine is added by the headamp, and what is coming through fast vs what isn’t.

Thanks Paul, I believe my high passing and compression choices have a lot to do with any modern vibe. To my ears, my M49V is really thick and vintage-feeling before adding or deducting things. I think you will find it to have vintage character in spades. I hope yours arrives soon. If I can carve out some time, I will see if I can get another vocalist over here (on an off night) to do a raw vocal take with no processing.

I think of the 49, like a 47/48 with good behavior!

Is the 49 the more polite/refined?
Feel free to set me straight.
Thanks, Chris

If anyone lives reasonably close to the Southern PA/DC area and has a vintage M49, we should attempt a shoot out.

Whether you change the course of rock music using an M49 or an M149 as vocal mic, that does not matter too much

Thanks for posting!
Lovely song and playing, and I like the sounds.


Would love to hear a sample without any signal processing (EC5b) if you are so inclined to share more. Just really interested in the naked sound of the mic.. though that 1-2db probably isn't making a huge difference sonically.

Thank you though!

Yes it doesn't have that lovely strong lower mid range. Which is a plus and a minus depending on your endeavours.

When attempting to sing I have a somewhat bassy range and I love close proximity with 47's & 49's which the Fleas are great with. Almost as good as my OG 47. Despite the tubes.

The Fleas with the K47 sound terrific, I just hope the M49V sound better.....

Have you ever tried a Bock 47?

I have a friend I mixed for who has one.

Hmm...

Just wondering because I have one and it has a pretty big bottom end, to the point I have to high-pass for vocals, and just wondering how the M49V compares to that.

The Bock sounded like a stronger bottom end, when I got to try singing on it.

The Bock 67 sounded terrific too.
I hope the legacy of David's innovation, will be well maintained now at UA.
Chris

IMHO if more Rap/Hip Hop Artists/Producers,
listened to the early R&R of someone like...

How Little Richard's vocals lept out of the speakers, there would be even more demand for the 47 style.
Or when Sir Paul imitated him!
Chris

They are quite different on top. It is hard for me to compare them because I have to go off memory.
I will say that the M49v has the biggest bottom low, lows of any condenser mic I’ve used.

Thanks.

Yeah, I hope so too. That guy made some nice mics.

Is that like saying Liz Taylor was "nice" looking, in her heyday?

Chris

I loved the mic on Matt's voice. And Matt - keep on singing! You have a wonderful voice!

Add me to the list of those complimenting your singing. I'd also like to hear something without compression as well as without the HPF on the Neve. I wonder if the latter is part of why it is not quite coming across as the familiar M49 sound.

That’s encouraging for me. Stick it through a Coil and an RS124 and it should sound fantastic. I wasn’t given a choice of sound selection. I presume I can just switch it myself? That’s what I was led to believe. Not sure I need 12hz though.

I have repaired some M149, and feel like it's labiodental sound is too exaggerated and not very natural especially for female voice.

M149. Al Schmitt liked his. Outta my price range.

I had an M149 from 2011-2018ish. I really liked it; it is a great modern mic.

Gotta love Neumann capsules.

I've been listening specifically to the lower priced Neumann's (TLM's) lately, against other mic's/brands. For me, there is no comparison at that price point. Comparatively, and IMO, the TLM-102 has exceptional balance, clarity and realism in the midrange, against a lot of other affordable mics. I've read some negative things about the modern Neumann's, but based on what I've been hearing, I don't at all agree. I think they sound really good. Even the affordable ones, and I'll be investing in a TLM-107 as soon as I can.

The TLM102, 107, 193, etc, can all be great.

The only thing I’d throw out there on that note, is that the Shure KSM are very sonically competitive and often available for much less. The TLM rough equivalents, I own because I have a large collection of mics and like how they look comparatively. If someone is stretching their dollar, trying to get the most out of some bedroom setup…look away!

I wouldn’t bring it up in the thread, except for the comment about there being no comparison with these TLM series.

I suppose the lower cost transformerless Gefell mics are also a good comparison; UMT71, the UM 9XX series.

I’d also probably rather use a Milab DC96C than most any of these other lower rung transformerless mics, entering a whole other battle class with that one.

I commented against a lot of other mics...not every mic. But a lot of mic's I'm hearing cannot stand up to the affordable Neumann's, at least for what I like.

Agreed that the 102 is very good. Better than the 103 for my taste, at half the price.