| The internet rumor mill had been churning out rumors of a Neumann M 49 reissue from as long as last December. Late last evening, in its social media feeds, the German manufacturer confirmed one of its most emblematic tube condenser microphones will be reissued as the M 49 V (V as in Variable). The M49 V will be 100% hand-crafted and, per Neumann parlance, ‘extremely limited’. Apparently, only three people on the planet are capable of assembling one at the moment. It does sound like a fairytale, but it’s also in line with Neumann’s military-like pedanticism. So let’s hope the company can keep those fabled master microphone crafters’ whereabouts a secret, lest they get swarmed by hordes of vintage mic obsessives. Read more about the original M 49 and our thoughts below… Neumann M 49 reissue (M 49 V) Neumann M 49 original The original Neumann M 49 Released in 1949 following joint development with the Northwest German Radio (NGR), the M 49 is notable for its warm, soothing character. It lent itself well to harsher-sounding voices and instruments which the microphone smoothed out just right. It also became a reliable choice for other purposes, such as radio broadcasts and overhead recording in orchestra halls. The M 49 legacy also includes notable technical innovations. It was the first tube condenser microphone to have remotely switchable pickup patterns at constant sensitivity. Its hefty power supply featured a continuously variable knob to freely shift between cardioid, omni-directional, figure-of-eight, and in-between polar pattern configurations. This system is an NGR invention that Neumann licensed for the M 49. Importantly, the microphone managed to keep practically equal input sensitivity across the different polar patterns. Prior, it was common to have a mic like the famous U-47 run hotter in Cardioid than in Omni. Another important change was the slanted grill. It stopped standing waves from occurring inside the microphone assembly. It all made for a versatile microphone that was considered exceptional and enjoyed success in the recording industry of the era. The M 49 underwent at least five revisions before being discontinued in 1974.  While we don’t know anything else about the upcoming official reissue from Neumann yet, we are absolutely sure that modest pricing is out of the question for the M 49 V. That’s because the original M 49 is marveled vintage microphone with prices for authentic units reaching as high as USD 19,995. Meanwhile, available clones from manufacturers such as FLEA Microphones and Wunder Audio (among others) sell for as much as USD 4725 to USD 7345. That’s a lot to pay for a microphone replica. It’s not entirely unjustified, however, given the demands of producing a respectable clone of this particular Neumann. It probably won’t be long before we learn more about Neumann’s approach to producing and selling an M 49 reissue that’s worthy of carrying the brand name. The expectations are extremely high and while it’s impossible to please everyone, it’s always good to have Neumann revisiting its legacy with appropriate care. |
