Where does this come from, and can I check it?

The German valve microphone appeared in 1947 and defined the vocal sound. The figure is taken from Neumann, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a music fact?

Yes. It sits on the Music shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

The Neumann U47 set the sound of the studio

The German valve microphone appeared in 1947 and defined the vocal sound Georg Neumann's U47 used a large dual-diaphragm capsule and a valve circuit with an output transformer, giving a warm low end and a lift in the upper mids. It can switch between cardioid and omnidirectional patterns remotely. Original examples are rare, and modern reissues copy the circuit closely. It sits in Mondo's music collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Neumann

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

Go further

Technology trivia Science trivia

More facts like this

Microphones are chosen for two different jobsCondensers are sensitive and detailed, dynamics are rugged and forgiving One valve microphone defined the studio soundThe Neumann U47 has been behind countless vocal recordings since 1947 The same stage microphone has been standard since 1966The Shure SM58 is a budget dynamic built to survive being dropped Microphones replaced recording horns in 1925Electrical cutting roughly doubled the range of frequencies a disc could hold Alan Blumlein patented stereo recording in 1931His patent covered coincident microphone pairs and the mid-side technique The Shure SM58 became the standard stage microphoneThe cardioid dynamic mic arrived in 1966 and has barely changed since

Tags: microphones, studios, neumann

The Neumann U47 set the sound of the studio: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: The German valve microphone appeared in 1947 and defined the vocal sound. The figure is taken from Neumann, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a music fact?: Yes. It sits on the Music shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.