Neumann U47

In a twitter Q&A someone asked him what his favorite mic to record vocals is. His answer was the Neumann U47. Calvin is a Neumann collector of sorts, he has about 2 of every Neumann microphone, in some cases, he has had 3 or 4 of the same microphone. The Neumann U87/U87AI in this case.

In this video, Yorke is using a neumann u47 microphone

"The U47 – that’s the one I used on Bublé, Paul McCartney and so many others. (...) For Diana Krall and Paul McCartney (and others) I used a Neumann Tube U47 into Neve Preamp and then into a Fairchild compressor. That, to me, is the ultimate." — Al Schmitt, producer

"Weiland, who uses the BAE Audio DMP with a vintage Neumann U47, says the combination "sounds flawless on my voice.""

"We’ve been using Neumann U47s and Shure SM57s – the usual mics – and it seems to work pretty well."

While discussing the nuances of choosing vocals mikes in [this R / E / P forum thread](https://repforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php?topic=20563.0), producer J.J. Blair mentioned his use of the U47 on Cash. > I will choose a U47 typically for a male singer who has any texture in his voice, if it's not "airy." If I use my C12 or Manley Gold on those singers, I can't add compression without bringing out that throat texture in an unflattering way. > > I'll name drop here, simply because you know these voices: I used a U47 on Johnny Cash, because it captures perfectly that granite resonance in his voice. On Rod Stewart, who has texture, but lets a lot of air pass through his throat, I used the C12 to capture that air. His texture was more crackle, where John was gravel. While discussing recording Bob Dylan in [this *Mix Online* interview](https://www.mixonline.com/recording/bob-johnston-365163) , producer Bob Johnston also mentions using a U47 on Cash anecdotally. > I always used three microphones on Dylan, 'cause his head spun around so much. I used a big [Neumann] U47 on him, same as I used on Johnny Cash later.

"I always used three microphones on Dylan, 'cause his head spun around so much. I used a big [Neumann] U47 on him, same as I used on Johnny Cash later. I would put a baffle over the top of his guitar because he played while he sang lead vocals. I didn't use any EQ on the band, just set the mics up right to make each instrument sound the best it could. I used some EQ on Dylan's voice." — Producer Bob Johnston

In his Instagram story, Luke Hemmings can be seen in the studio using a vintage Neumann U47 Tube Microphone. The clip was uploaded to his story on May 16th, 2017.

"That's Jeff Bass playing guitar on 'Lose Yourself'. I mixed that — I was there from the beginning. We were on the set for the movie [8 Mile] when Marshall did his vocal. He would come in on his lunch break, which was usually 15 minutes long. The vocal that ended up being the final vocal was the first take. He tried to sing it a few other times, but just couldn't beat it because he had some kind of other energy. He was making them wait — he came in and said, 'Okay I gotta do this real quick.' He did it real fast and laid some doubles on it like he usually did. You can hear it's in one of those vox boxes in a trailer — the floor is kind of hollow. But the emotion he put into that particular performance was awesome — we were all like, 'Oh my God!' That guy is super talented, brilliant. (...) The vocal chain was always an Avalon preamp, Neve 33609 compressor and a Sony C800G tube mic. Earlier with Marshall I used the Neve 1073 preamp and a [Neumann] U47." — Steve King, sound engineer and writer for the *8 Mile* soundtrack

In a photo on this page, Cohen can be seen recording with a Neumann U47.

"It's not a big surprise to find a Neumann U47 and Telefunken 251 being used, unfortunately they're out of production and these vintage mics command a hefty price on the second hand market (when they turn up!)."

Humberto Gatica, who produced Bublé's "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You" and "Stardust", states that "with Michael I use a vintage tube Neumann U47". Al Schmitt, who produced *It's Time*, *Special Delivery*, *Christmas*, *Nobody But Me* and *Love*, stated in [this July 15, 2015 interview](http://www.voicecouncil.com/the-man-whos-recorded-sinatra-krall-and-dylan/) that he also used a valve-based U47 with Bublé: > The U47 – that’s the one I used on Bublé, Paul McCartney and so many others. (...) For Diana Krall and Paul McCartney (and others) I used a Neumann Tube U47 into Neve Preamp and then into a Fairchild compressor. That, to me, is the ultimate. Lastly, a valve-based U47 can be seen throughout various "Studio Clip" videos on Bublé's official YouTube channel. Its label can be seen up close in [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUSY9UohMhU) for Bublé's cover of Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You". The label reads "M7 Capsule Nov2006", offering that it contains the M7 capsule typically associated with vintage Neumann U47s.

According to producer Dae Bennett, Neumann U47s were used to record Bennett and his guests on *Duets II*. > "My vocal setup for the recordings with the quartet consisted of two Audio-Technica AT4047 mics, going into a Neve 1073 and then a [Urei] 1176. I normally like to use the classic Neumann U47 for recording vocals, but they would have picked up too much of the room. The AT4047s have a tighter cardioid pattern and also sound very good. In the sessions when the vocalists sang to the locked two-track edits, I did use two Neumann U47 mics." > > (...) "We set Tony and Amy [Winehouse] up with playback speakers and two [Neumann] U47 mics, and what you see in the video are the actual vocal takes that I selected for my edit. The signal chains were the same: Neve 1073 and then an 1176 and then going into Pro Tools. I recall that they did about five or six takes. You can see some mutes in the vocal takes, which is where there may have been too much leakage or too much of the sound of the room. But in general I left the spill. The string arrangement was added later."

"For vocals, Jimmy Buffett has an amazing Neumann U47 and it's George's mic of choice. George has his own U47, but he prefers this one.”

The microphone that was used most often to record Amy Winehouse was the U47.

Elliott uses sometimes for vocal parts (Figure 8 songs written in Abbey Road studios). He uses too in electric guitar with a Leslie (and 2 SM 57's in 130 degrees)

"But [songwriter and producer Glen] Ballard’s latest project, an acoustic re-recording of Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill required techniques a bit more delicate. Ballard’s collaboration with Ms. Ironic on the original was both artists’ biggest commercial success, and they commemorated the albums’ 10th anniversary by revisiting the songs unplugged. The acoustic instruments were captured at Westlake Audio Studios (where Ballard once jammed on the synth of Michael Jackson’s Bad) with his cherished standbys — a vintage [AKG] D12, and a trio of Neumann mics — a 49, 47, and 67. These went through outboard Neve 1073 preamp, a classic Neve BCM-10 'sidecar' console."

Jonathan Wilson explains his use of great microphones at an early age

At 36:33 of this documentary, Smith can be seen singing into a Neumann U47.

"Jónsi’s layered vocals are a Sigur Rós trademark, and they’re not arrived at easily. He typically sings through a Neumann U47..."

After the guide bass and rhythm guitar parts had been replaced — Adam Ant's Fender Telecaster being miked with a U87 microphone — his vocals were recorded last, with a combination of Neumann FET and valve U47s.

According to this *Mixonline* interview with producer Al Schmitt, a Telefunken U47 was used for Krall's vocals on *Turn Up the Quiet*. > “The Neumann U47 sounded fantastic on Diana,” Schmitt says. “It’s my go-to vocal mic, the same one Sinatra used on his Capitol records. I placed it about five or six inches from Diana. I also used a Neve 1073 preamplifier and just a touch of my Fairchild 660 compressor for the warmth of its tubes, compressed a dB or two. I ran Diana’s voice through Capitol Echo Chamber #4, blended with my Bricasti Design [Model 7 Stereo] reverb to get the sound that I want.” Despite Schmitt's mention of Neumann, [Sinatra's U47](https://equipboard.com/pros/frank-sinatra/telefunken-u47-microphone) is famous for bearing the Telefunken brand.

"[Producer Rudy] Van Gelder was one of the first Americans, let alone engineers, to acquire the German Neumann U-47 condenser microphone when it became available in 1949. Van Gelder sought to bring a more intimate sound to small jazz groups. This required placing a microphone closer to the instrument in order to capture the subtleties that traditional recording techniques missed. When Van Gelder initially used the U-47 microphone, he found the sound was easily distorted and unusable. However, a friend of Van Gelder’s, Rein Narma, was able to reconfigure the circuitry of the U-47, making it ideal for close range recording. The result was a detailed, warm sound that many would imitate but few would master. The difference in sound is quite clear when comparing albums Davis recorded with and without Van Gelder. "Half Nelson" from Davis’ “Miles Davis All Stars” was recorded in 1947 at Harry Smith Studios in New York City. Davis’ talent is undeniable, his vocabulary is progressive, his temperament is wholly his own but—he sounds far away. Davis’ voice exists in the mid range of the mix, and is overshadowed by the shimmer of Max Roach’s ride cymbal and the high end of John Lewis’ piano overtones. The sound heard on "Solar" from Davis’ album “Walkin’,” recorded in 1955 with Van Gelder, is markedly different: his voice is at the front of the mix, his subtle inflections are captured perfectly. The once intangible details of his playing style are captured, thanks in no small part to a modified U-47 and of course, Van Gelder’s mastery."

A Neumann U47 is seen in the background multiple times, including at 1:05.

You can see the U47 around 0:18 min mark in the attached video.

The gear they used included an Apple Mac G5 running Digidesign Pro Tools; a bevy of period keyboards including an ARP Solina, Korg MS20, Sequential Circuits Prophet 5, Wurlitzer, Memorymoog, Moog Source and Minimoog; a classic Roland TR-808 drum machine; and some modern synths such as an Elektron Monomachine and a Manikin Memotron. They patched and mixed everything through a 24-channel Trident Series 65 console, and also employed a '70s-era Rogers drum set, various MoogerFooger processors and three Neumann U47 mics.