Does Neumann Sell Any Mics These Days?

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Giganova said:
I don't wanna sound like a Neumann spokes person, but it sometimes upsets me that companies like Neumann are always getting bashed on this and on other forums (when was the last time someone said something positive on this forum?).
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I can't remember any Neumann bashing on these forums, they make awesome mics overthere, although not as awesome as 40 years ago.

I'm thinking M49, U47 and KM84, is this bashing Neumann?

I own a M149 that was making some noise after some two and a halve year.
It turned out it needed a new tube and that has cost me more than $400.

The list price of this tube though (JAN6111) is $6.75 and I wonder now whether it was the tube or not that caused the noise, since I found out that the M149 uses the tube only in the cardioid pattern, so it may have been a capacitor as well. The tube is soldered on a small board with a couple of transistors, capacitors and resistors.

IMHO it's pretty arrogant to treat customers this way. Am I bashing Neumann now?
 
So, did they charge you 400 buxx for replacing the tube only (which would be outrageous!) or did they replace parts of the electronics, too (which sounds more reasonable given the wages in Germany)? :rolleyes:

In any case, 400 buxx is a lot of dough!
 
Yes, the invoice was something like Dfl 947, which is more than $400, maybe close to $450.

Like I said, the small tube is soldered to a very small board, together with a couple of other electronic components, but nothing fancy or special. They swapped the small board with the tube. The mic doesn't have a transformer.

Funny thing though is that the tube is an Amperex, made in Holland.

Next time it needs a tube I'll go to Haarlem and get a couple for maybe less than $10.

It's a wonderful sounding microphone though, but like I've said a couple of times before, the MXL V77 sounds wonderful as well.
 
Alan, dude, this isnt helping you ANY.....you have the right to free speech, but slumming with DJL is just making you look bad.....

we've had some heated discussions in the past ourselves but it wasnt anything like this.....this is just silly.......
 
Gidge said:
Alan, dude, this isnt helping you ANY.....you have the right to free speech, but slumming with DJL is just making you look bad.....

we've had some heated discussions in the past ourselves but it wasnt anything like this.....this is just silly.......
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It has gotten to that, hasen't it? You have any suggestions of how to remove an anal fissure? Don't tell me to ignore it away...that does not work.
 
alanhyatt said:
It has gotten to that, hasen't it? You have any suggestions of how to remove an anal fissure? Don't tell me to ignore it away...that does not work.
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I know it's hard - sort of like Chinese water torture - plink.............................plink.......................................plink.....................

Maybe if you can think of him as someone who can't help himself, who has a type of illness, instead of an adversary, you could keep from lashing back at him. Gidge is right - this is really casting you in a bad light - you need to try to have some self restraint. This is bad for your health - I wouldn't be surprised if your blood pressure was through the roof. Most of us know the situation here - you don't have to defend yourself against his every post.

Maybe you should take a break from this place for a few days. After all, it's not reality - it's cyberspace.Things probably won't be any different when you come back, but maybe you can have a new perspective on it, having been away from the dripping water drop for awhile.
 
ive told you before what to do...let someone else do the talking.....i think Brent has thicker skin.....DJL knows he can get to you, and knows how to do it well.....

and you know my opinion about what discussions i think PMI as a company should stay out of......this was one of them......if you can make a post and someone comes out feeling like they were helped, such as info on a mic, then by all means post.....but when some anonymous yahoo makes a slanderish post, you have more than enuff people that will defend you, and most know whats really behind it anyway......NOTHING! NOTHING! NOTHING! is gained for you by responding and making threats.....im on your side in this thread and yes, you made a threat......

and you cant put yourself on the same level as most of us....if DJL makes absurd comments, nothing is loss...he's justa username and an internet persona.....you are the President of a well established microphone company who's products speak for themselves.....

i know youre saying you cant ignore him, but thats your best choice.....if you just post that you took a shit, DJL is gonna turn it into something.....so why let it get to you.......you have NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING to gain by dragging out these threads.....

and really, that goes for everyone.....what drags these threads on and on and on is everyone jumping on DJL.....

imagine this scenario:

Alan: the C1 would be a good mic to capture the female orgasm

DJL: really? have you evr heard a female have an orgasm before?

chirp chirp (the sound of noone taking the bait)

chirp chirp


THREAD DIES!

everyone that jumps on DJL is responsible for what he is today.......

so in the future, EVERYONE, including Alan, you can either be part of the problem or part of the solution.......
 
Han said:
I can't remember any Neumann bashing on these forums, they make awesome mics overthere, although not as awesome as 40 years ago.

I'm thinking M49, U47 and KM84, is this bashing Neumann?

I own a M149 that was making some noise after some two and a halve year.
It turned out it needed a new tube and that has cost me more than $400.

The list price of this tube though (JAN6111) is $6.75 and I wonder now whether it was the tube or not that caused the noise, since I found out that the M149 uses the tube only in the cardioid pattern, so it may have been a capacitor as well. The tube is soldered on a small board with a couple of transistors, capacitors and resistors.

IMHO it's pretty arrogant to treat customers this way. Am I bashing Neumann now?
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Two points Han, then a comment.

First, the tube in the 149 is soldered to a circuit board. When you replace the tube the circuit board is replaced too. That has alot to do with the $400 repair.

Second, the tube is used in all patterns, not just cardioid. There was a recent rumour over on PSW (Klaus' faorum, I believe) that the M149 only uses its tuibe in cardiod and not in any other polar pattern. That rumor has been quashed and Klaus has stated so on his forum. The tube is used for every pattern in the M149.

Many are drawn to the older Nuemanns, as you mentioned, such as the M49, U47 or KM84. Many think the newer crop are not as nice. All would agree (I think) that they are not the same. Only time will tell about the newer mics. You would likely admit, the M149 is one of the smoothest mics on the planet, among other qualities. Neumann is facing competition from the boutique makers, such as Korby, Soundelux, Lawson, etc. It's a great time for mics.

As mentioned before, I'm still pulling for Microtech Gefell. They make such incredible mics.

And the efforts of Studio Projects and several other companies have yielded very good to excellent mics (and other products too - pres, compressors, monitors, etc.) at a very affordable price. This is good news too.
 
sdelsolray said:
Second, the tube is used in all patterns, not just cardioid. There was a recent rumour over on PSW (Klaus' faorum, I believe) that the M149 only uses its tuibe in cardiod and not in any other polar pattern. That rumor has been quashed and Klaus has stated so on his forum. The tube is used for every pattern in the M149.
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I don't see that the rumor has been quashed (though it probably will be) - Klaus has only stated that he's looking into it, and will post when he's verified the circuit. See the link I posted above.
 
crazydoc said:
I don't see that the rumor has been quashed (though it probably will be) - Klaus has only stated that he's looking into it, and will post when he's verified the circuit. See the link I posted above.
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Actually, you'll have to go to the Neumann Pinboard forum to verify that the rumor is false. The original rumor (which started on the PSW site) caused quite a stir at the Pinboard, and the Neumann technical heavyweights "weighed" in. Klaus was contacted (dunno how) and that's where it sits.
 
sdelsolray said:
Two points Han, then a comment.

First, the tube in the 149 is soldered to a circuit board. When you replace the tube the circuit board is replaced too. That has alot to do with the $400 repair.
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Sdelsolray,

Nah, that's not the case. Originally, this Neumann came with 8254 tube, and Han had this tube, IIRC. The PCB was replaced because of the different tube. The reason for swapping it later for 6111 Mr. Schneider never explained. Anyway, I believe with either reason for swapping "normally" respected company would put it on something like "recall". As I expected, I never got satisfactory answer (read: "No answer, at all"). Here is my message:

"Dear Mr. Schneider,
First, I would like to tell that I highly regard many Neumann's microphones and at different points owned some 'classics'--SM2, U47tube,U67, U87, KM54. I was the person Han refered as 'engeneer' in his post. For different studios I have serviced and repaired literally hundreds of microphones, including Neumanns. If you don't mind I have a few questions:
1)As Han has mentioned, his tube became noisy after some 2 and half year. We all know that normally (esp. preselected) the tube should be fine for at least 20-30 years. Considering that you use 'special selected tubes', which priced quite high, do you have any warranty, which covers that, or every two-three years your customers have to pay some $400 for replacing the tube?
2)As I understand, first M149's were with 8254 tubes. If you could tell me please, what's the reason why later it was replaced with 6111? Is it a quality reason, or 8254' availability?
3)A few years ago friend of mine replaced his AC701 (which is by far much more expensive tube than 6111) in his forty years old M50. If I remember correctly, he payed $350. I am interested to know what makes 6111, (even specially selected) $50-$100 superior than AC701, considering that it goes noisy in two and half years?
Thanks, Marik"
 
Han said:
I can't remember any Neumann bashing on these forums, they make awesome mics overthere, although not as awesome as 40 years ago.

I'm thinking M49, U47 and KM84, is this bashing Neumann?

I own a M149 that was making some noise after some two and a halve year.
It turned out it needed a new tube and that has cost me more than $400.

The list price of this tube though (JAN6111) is $6.75 and I wonder now whether it was the tube or not that caused the noise, since I found out that the M149 uses the tube only in the cardioid pattern, so it may have been a capacitor as well. The tube is soldered on a small board with a couple of transistors, capacitors and resistors.

IMHO it's pretty arrogant to treat customers this way. Am I bashing Neumann now?
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That is a falacy, The M149 uses the tube in ALL patterns. Please look at Klause's forum for the actual facts. Many people thought this but it is not right.

Enjoy.
 
I see Vikki post about a mic and I know already what's coming next. I think Vikki should stop posting :) :) ;) ;) ok, back to mics.

I think I saw some clip of Howard Stern using a mic that looked like the Neumann m149? or the MXL 990. Aren't those the same form factor? (a bs word from tech industry meaning size.)

Also, since pro's will be buying Neumanns, they will be buying a number of them. A studio won't just have one. But a home studio may have one, or none but have some cheap mics. So I'd say that they are still in the same market that they always were in, if not better b/c now home users might actually get them. Whereas pro studios will still need them and some cheap mics, but they won't only have the cheaps.

Don't studios also work in the rental biz?

Hey, I saw a clip on tv of someone, I can't remember who, and it looked like the vocal mic was a v67g - some young female singer in a studio, I can't remember, it was a short clip....

I really hate to say this, but if/when i go into a pro studio they won't stick a $50 mxl 990 or even v67 in my face or I'll tell them to get it out of here and get me a real mic. I use those at home, I'm not paying hundreds a day to use a home mic. I don't care if it's been modified, I want the tube vintage or new expensive as gold mic. So, yes I'm sure the studios have the cheaps, but I won't be using them there. If i ever get there. sorry to say, but wouldn't that be true?
 
Junpugged, sometimes a 'cheap Chines condenser' gives you exactly the sound you're after, while the $5K 'expensive German condenser' sounds better, but is just isn't the sound you seek for.

Having worked with very expensive classic mics I can assure you that many people won't hear much difference between a Neumann and a nice mic that came from China.

I agree with you though that if I would enter a $100 hr studio as a musician and found only cheap mics, I would have to grab behind the ears whether to stay or go.
 
junplugged said:
Hey, I saw a clip on tv of someone, I can't remember who, and it looked like the vocal mic was a v67g - some young female singer in a studio, I can't remember, it was a short clip....
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Are you sure it wasn't one of these?

AKG_C12_VR_Roehrenmikro.jpg


:confused:
 
it makes sense that all the cheap mic's case's would be made to look like some expensive, well-known mic. I shouldda known, I even mentioned that in my own post!! Duh!!

I really can't tell unless I see the clip again but it would make sense....
 
junplugged said:
it makes sense that all the cheap mic's case's would be made to look like some expensive, well-known mic. I shouldda known, I even mentioned that in my own post!! Duh!!
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It makes a lot more sense when you understand that the cavity that houses the capsule also contributes to the sound. In simpler terms, you need that size to get that sound.
 
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