MICROPHONE OF THE MONTH JANUARY 2014

The Neumann CMV 3, first produced in 1928, is the "Mother
of all Condenser Microphones" it has an omni directional pick- up pattern, and is nowadays a much sought after collectors item.

The 1932 CMV 3 A version had a modular design; capsules
with different directional characteristics could be screwed
onto the bottle, a system which is still used today, for condensers. The bottle part contains tubes and other electronics, to amplify the initial signal.
Design remained the same for decades, apart for small details.
The quality of this microphone is hard to beat, even 80 years
later, and some CMV 3 A's are still used in recording studios.
Neumann made many of these microphones for Telefunken,
which sold them World Wide, under their own name.
An updated version is produced today by B.L.U.E. Microphones, a company based in Latvia.

When Neumann restarted production in Berlin, after the War,
the design was modernized, but the M 7 capsule, the heart
of the system, remained unchanged. This same capsule is still used in some of the best condensers.

These microphones would conquer the recording studio's of the World, with their detailed, musical sound. The U 47, the most famous model, today may cost over $25.000, when sold second hand on Ebay.
Neumann's mics are recognized as the very best in the World.