THE MOST MYSTERIOUS DYNAMIC MOVING COIL MICROPHONE EVER
The Telefunken ELA M203/1 is perhaps the most mysterious microphone I know. It intrigued me since I first laid eyes upon it, thinking:”What sort of a beast is this?”
Unlike most other microphones , there is very little information to be found about it. Although Telefunken issued catalogs almost yearly, this never featured in any of them, which may have to do with WW II: a time when most production was for military purposes.
The microphone is a moving coil dynamic, with a conus like diaphragm and a large Alnico magnet that caused the weight to be an impressive 2.5 kilo’s! Productiion was probably between 1936 and ca. 1945. Although Telefunken was really a sales organisation, not a producer of microphones, this model does not seem to be an OEM.
The connector is also unique, it was not used for any other microphone.
The ELA M 203/1 was probably intended for use as a desk microphone; two different suspensions are known; the one shown here and a sort of U-shaped design. Of course it could also be placed on a floor stand.
But it is not just the origin of this microphone that is a mystery, it is also the design. Earlier dynamics all had an omnidirectional pickup pattern and the first cardioid dynamic was not made until 1939: the famous Shure 55 ‘Fatboy’.
The ELA M 203/1 however is an earlier design which definitely has a directive pickup pattern; The slots at both sides of the microphone allow sound waves to reach the back of the diaphragm, which is essential in a cardioid design. I experimented with the microphone to prove it indeed has a directive recording pattern.
I am surprised other people did not notice this earlier; the little info there is about this beast states it to be an omnidirectional type.
Alas the microphone does not give away its design secrets: I have not been able to open it up for inspection, the screws can not be loosened without ruining them and, since it is a microphone in good working order, I do not want to force anything I might regret that afterwards.
These microphones do surface from time to time, and are mostly offered for absurd prices.
The frequency reach is about 50-8000 Hz, which is limited for modern microphones, but in the same league as the well-respected RCA 74B Jr and the PB 90; both are used in many studios. The sound of the ELA M 203/1 is fat and certainly useful.
If anyone can tell me more about this mystery mic, or can provide pictures from the inside, it would be more than welcome. For now, the mystery remains. .
Dimensions: 110 mm High x 70 mm Wide x 65 mm Deep – without ring
156 H x 98 x 65 mm with suspension. Weight: 2.5 Kg with suspension.