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What kind of mics were used on Feb. 9, 1964?
Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 10:16 am
by 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??
Re: What kind of mics were used on Feb. 9, 1964?
Posted: Fri Oct 09, 2009 4:23 pm
by 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?"
Re: What kind of mics were used on Feb. 9, 1964?
Posted: Sat Oct 10, 2009 10:12 pm
by 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.
Re: What kind of mics were used on Feb. 9, 1964?
Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 7:13 pm
by 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.
Re: What kind of mics were used on Feb. 9, 1964?
Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 7:33 pm
by 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...
Re: What kind of mics were used on Feb. 9, 1964?
Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:22 pm
by 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.
Re: What kind of mics were used on Feb. 9, 1964?
Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 6:01 pm
by 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.
Re: What kind of mics were used on Feb. 9, 1964?
Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 6:14 pm
by peewee
brammy wrote: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.
Re: What kind of mics were used on Feb. 9, 1964?
Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:53 pm
by brammy
jps wrote: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 3071 times
Sennheiser e835
given the choice, I'd personally stay away from the one with the switch
Re: What kind of mics were used on Feb. 9, 1964?
Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 3:36 pm
by 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
Re: What kind of mics were used on Feb. 9, 1964?
Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:05 pm
by peewee
brammy wrote:
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!
Re: What kind of mics were used on Feb. 9, 1964?
Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 6:50 pm
by 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.
Re: What kind of mics were used on Feb. 9, 1964?
Posted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 10:23 pm
by jps
lyle_from_minneapolis wrote: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?
Re: What kind of mics were used on Feb. 9, 1964?
Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:53 am
by 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.
Re: What kind of mics were used on Feb. 9, 1964?
Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 5:12 pm
by lyle_from_minneapolis
jps wrote:lyle_from_minneapolis wrote: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.