Mike Used By Beatles on Ed Sullivan Feb. 9, 1964

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Jun 26, 2002 2:45 pm

Don Adamek asked this good question and here is the results of my first attempt at an answer. I am betting that it is an AKG D-24E and I have provided the photos here. While not conclusive it is a first attempt.

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Wed Jun 26, 2002 9:46 pm

Peter; thanks for the input, but memory serves me that those "Beatle/Sullivan mics were much "rounder" on the ball than the one you
pictured here.Come to think of it, I don't belive it's talked about in Andys' Beatle gear book, either, though I confess my "studying" of that book is more eye candy than serious text reading.
Maybe someone here on the Forum has some good shots of the Beatles on those first couple Sullivan shows they could put up and we can figure this out!!

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Jun 26, 2002 9:58 pm

Don: Here is one of the photos from the Ed Sullivan performance that I enlarged to get the above photo.

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Jun 26, 2002 10:57 pm

Also, for a period of time I understand that this microphone was marketed under the name or Norelco.

carr · Post by **carr** » Thu Jun 27, 2002 1:57 am

Could be that they are Beyer

John

admin · Post by **admin** » Thu Jun 27, 2002 3:22 am

John: Beyer is definitely a contender as well and I am researching that possibility. There are some features of the microphone that don't match with the AKG (Norelco) line. We are getting closer I think.

admin · Post by **admin** » Thu Jun 27, 2002 9:57 am

John and Don: This is the microphone that Ringo holds at one point on the Sullivan Show. It appears to be somewhat different from the mikes the Beatles used on the set, however, it may be just the angle of the photo and lighting. Why would they use a different mike for Ringo? This image raises suspicion about the AKG D-24E model in my view.

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Thu Jun 27, 2002 4:21 pm

Peter; this last pic Here is a good shot.See how Round it is, almost "golfball like", even more round than an SM58. The search continues....

carr · Post by **carr** » Thu Jun 27, 2002 9:17 pm

Peter Writes" Beyer is definitely a contender as well and I am researching that possibility. "

I dont recall any switching on the models we used ( Beyer). We got them as part of a job lot of equipment after a local studio upgraded all their gear and there in amongst the mixers and ferrograph tape decks were Beyer mikes. If I recall corectly , they were low impedance and had a pot type jack plug to change them from low to high. The theory being that low impedance mikes could/would incur less interference so a longer cable could be used if the changeover was at the jackplug.

Dont know if that is true but that was the story .

Back to the point, the mikes in question are pretty similar in shape

John

admin · Post by **admin** » Sun Jun 30, 2002 4:25 am

Here is another photo of Paul and George and mike in question. I have gone through all the old photos I can find with regard to Beyer Dynamic, AKG and Shure with no luck as yet.

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Sun Jun 30, 2002 12:03 pm

Another great old Beatles live closeup.I still say these Sullivan show mics are "golfball" shaped, as opposed to the 1st pic in this thread, which has a more "eggish" shape to it.SOMEONE knows what the deal is here.I'm surprised it's not in the Beatle gear book.Then again, if the mics weren't the bands' own......

admin · Post by **admin** » Sun Jun 30, 2002 2:32 pm

Here is a mike from 1968 used by Lennon in the studio.

rick12dr · Post by **rick12dr** » Sun Jun 30, 2002 4:01 pm

I wonder if Sennheiser or Neumann had anything like the ones we are trying to find?

admin · Post by **admin** » Wed Jul 03, 2002 5:09 am

The following information was received from Beyer Dynamic today. With reference to the microphone from the Ed Sullivan Show posted at the beginning of this topic and the one held by Ringo..Quote:Hello Peter,

That model is not a beyerdynamic product.

I did a search with our main headquarter in Germany and their response was
that is not our microphone.

Thank you,
Sincerely,
Herber Herrera
Service Technician Manager.
beyerdynamic ))) North America

admin · Post by **admin** » Thu Jul 04, 2002 1:55 am

Don: I have reviewed the history and current catalogs of Sennheiser and Neumann and, to my way of thinking, there have been no microphones made by either of these companies that closely approximates the Ed Sullivan Show mikes.