Neumann M49 #2039 (Vintage)

The M 49 is best known for its use on Miles Davis, Barbara Streisand, Duke Ellington, Simon and Garfunkel, and countless other classics. This mic has an incredibly rich and round tone that has the ability to make even harsher sounds much more pleasant and warm. Great on most female vocals - Norah Jones used one on her first album, and it was a favorite of Aretha Franklin.


The M 49 has a dual-diaphragm design, which allowed it to become the first condenser microphone with a remotely switchable pickup pattern having constant sensitivity: the psu doubles as a pattern selector, with a continuously-variable potentiometer for choosing cardioid, omni-directional, figure-eight or any position in-between the three.

The AC701K triode tube is the higher-quality version of the AC701. Created for the telephone network in Germany, the 'K' stands for Klingarm, which means 'low ringing noise'. This tube was specifically designed to be less susceptible to tube microphonics. The AC701K came standard on all early M49's, as the successor to the earlier MSC2 made by Hiller.

Released in 1952, the M49 was a huge success, and became a standard radio broadcast microphone in Germany, as well as a staple in orchestra halls, being used as the main overhead microphone for recording.