What kind of mics were used on Feb. 9, 1964?

[mojo_jojo]

Anyone know what brand and model mic was used on the Sullivan show that night? Also, do you think they had back-up guitars with them??

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

I've heard this question before, and never got a good answer. Here are some good guesses one person gave elsewhere...but still no answer...

"AKG C451E with a windscreen,
EV RE16,
A Turner 404 with a windscreen,
or maybe something in the old EV 600 Series?"

[brammy]

I'm not sure if they used the AKG C451E, but here it is

Made from the late 60's through the mid 80,s, the original
AKG C-451 C Condenser Modular System (CMS Series) was
a best-selling chameleon of a mic. It was designed to be
adaptable to nearly any purpose; it could be outfitted with
any of a whole system of modular components such as
screw-on capsule attenuator pads, extension tubes and
swivels that greatly increased its versatility. The original
mic used the N-46E dual-AC power supply that supplied
12-volt phantom power and had a two-position, bass roll-off
filter switch. The mic would accept up to 52-volt phantom
powering without smoking. The original, externally biased
CK-1 capsule had an extremely low mass, making the mic
insensitive to handling noise and a favorite for hand-held
radio and TV use.

[Memphis Blue]

According to a friend of mine....

"The mics on the first Ed Sullivan shows in February of 1964 were AKG C60’s. They are small diaphragm, tube condenser mics and are nearly unobtainable. I’ve probably seen less than 10 ever for sale on ebay, and I check for them frequently. When they sell, they bring big bucks. The major visual characteristic about the ones on the Sullivan show was the big, round removable windscreens. I’ve NEVER seen one of those for sale, and without it, the visual impact is just not there.
On the Sullivan show where they played Help! and Yesterday, they used AKG D24s, although they may have been branded Norelco. The labels were long gone, but I have some memory of them being Norelco. A bunch of other bands were seen on Sullivan using D24s, including the Doors and the Stones if my memory serves me correctly. The D24s are dynamic mics with a frequency response curve similar to a Shure SM58."


Hope this helps.

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

The C60 sounds like a better candidate than the C451...since the latter came out in the late 60's, time travel is required.

But it looks different...

[brammy]

Speaking of mics... a number of years ago I switched from a Shure SM58 to an AKG D880.
AKG is the way to go for a quality reasonably priced mic.... in my humble and limited experience opinion.

[jps]

I recently bought an Audix OM5, I think it makes me sound more like a better singer, well if I could actually sing, that is.

[peewee]

Speaking of mics... a number of years ago I switched from a Shure SM58 to an AKG D880.

Similar experience but I switched to Sennheiser e835s after having an SM58 turn up missing after a gig. They were actually a little less expensive at the time and are hands down the best vocal mic I've ever used. I've let others use them and the next time I see them, they are also using them. Can't recommend them enough.

[brammy]

I recently bought an Audix OM5, I think it makes me sound more like a better singer, well if I could actually sing, that is.

Ah yes, that is the rub.... I too am awaiting the "auto your ****** voice into a good voice" mic.
Years ago I attempted to do just that with the Antares box
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/pr ... B&ZYXSEM=0
but, while it will produce interesting effects, it simply doesn't turn a so-so voice into a good one and I found that it's
far better to be able to listen to your real voice.... however lousy.... than to a "corrected" one. ------ Cher, call your office.

Sennheiser e835s

sennheiser-e-835-s.jpg (5.36 KiB) Viewed 3065 times

Sennheiser e835

given the choice, I'd personally stay away from the one with the switch

[tallpat1]

I been a vocalist for over 30 years always with the SM58 or Beta 58. A few years ago I purchased an EV N/D 767a, Wow! what an awesome mic. mid are cleaner more pronounced and far better clarity overall. I highly recommend them for just over $120 buclks or so.

Just my 2 cents

[peewee]

Sennheiser e835s

sennheiser-e-835-s.jpg

Sennheiser e835

sennheiser-e-835.jpg

given the choice, I'd personally stay away from the one with the switch

Oh, my mistake. No switch, I merely meant that I have more than one e835. I think that the last mic I owned with a switch on it was for an ancient cassette player/recorder!

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

If you liked the SM58--and you should...it's a marvelous, indestructible little icon--then you'll love a shure SM7b or an Electro-Voice RE20. They are Big Brothers in every way. All these dynamic mics are a good way to go if you record in a "non-room" like a living room or bedroom...it won't pick up all the room reflections like a condenser mic will.

Both Bjork and Bono record mostly with an SM58. As usual, it ain't the mic so much as the singer and the engineer.

[jps]

All these dynamic mics are a good way to go if you record in a "non-room" like a living room or bedroom...it won't pick up all the room reflections like a condenser mic will.

Wouldn't that be more related to polar pattern than type of transducer?

[jingle_jangle]

I'm no mic expert, but have been recording at home a bit here and there, using a variety of mics, vintage and new.

No question you would want a cardioid pattern for vocal and directional work. I've found ribbon mics to be too crisp and revealing (a boon to many, I realize) and ended up using an ancient EV 664 to record some nylon-stringed guitar and also to mic my bass amp for the bass portion of the track.

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

All these dynamic mics are a good way to go if you record in a "non-room" like a living room or bedroom...it won't pick up all the room reflections like a condenser mic will.

Wouldn't that be more related to polar pattern than type of transducer?

Definitely true...but in practice, it often ends up being one of the main reasons to choose one over the other. Seems like even when condensers are set in a directional pattern, they STILL end up picking up more noise than most dynamics.

I'd really like to get me an EV RE20...they've become the broadcaster's choice, but they're wicked good at picking up a nice focused signal even in loud rooms.

Paul, that old 664 is a beautiful mic...to me, at least. A cool old design...I hear it used to be a favorite of blues musicians for some reason.