Most famous vocal microphone?????

[blue_sky]

In short, what microphone was used on more top 10 pop hits than any other in history? Say starting from 1957 to present day.

how bout top 10 rock hits? would it be the same mic?

what is your reasoning for your answers?

thanks
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[Ted]

Hmmm, I'd guess the Neumann U87...it seems to be the "standard" studio vocal microphone, although I have no numbers to back that up. I know the U47 (long out of production) is also a favorite, and if you go back to 1957 it may be the one (there are still a good number in use today). Other popular favorites have been the AKG C12, the Telefunken ELAM 251 (although that one's only been "discovered" fairly recently), and the old RCA ribbon microphones...

I saw some Britney Spears thing on MTV as I was flipping through the channels recently and saw her singing into a Manley tube microphone. (I stopped on that channel because of the microphone...that's the kind of thing that will stop me. I also stopped and watched some of a Suzanne Vega concert on PBS because she was singing into a nice Microtech Gefell microphone).

Anyhow, I'd imagine the U87 or U47 is most likely the one that's been used on the most hits. Anyone actually know?

-Ted

[Roland]

Originally posted by Ted
Hmmm, I'd guess the Neumann U87...it seems to be the "standard" studio vocal microphone, although I have no numbers to back that up. I know the U47 (long out of production) is also a favorite, and if you go back to 1957 it may be the one (there are still a good number in use today). Other popular favorites have been the AKG C12, the Telefunken ELAM 251 (although that one's only been "discovered" fairly recently), and the old RCA ribbon microphones...

I saw some Britney Spears thing on MTV as I was flipping through the channels recently and saw her singing into a Manley tube microphone. (I stopped on that channel because of the microphone...that's the kind of thing that will stop me. I also stopped and watched some of a Suzanne Vega concert on PBS because she was singing into a nice Microtech Gefell microphone).

Anyhow, I'd imagine the U87 or U47 is most likely the one that's been used on the most hits. Anyone actually know?

-Ted

Come on now Ted, you mean Britney's bare midriff didn't catch your eye even just a little?!?! :D

[Roland]

By the way, if you want a pretty good emulation of the old out of production Neumann U47 or Telefunken ELAM 251, consider the Soundelux E47 and Elux 251 which are excellent copies. I recently acquired these two and am very pleased with their performance. They are also much less expensive and presumably more dependable than the originals. :)

[Ted]

Not in this case...in all seriousness, it was a through-the-glass shot, and was all above the midriff...making the microphone that much easier to recognize.

So in this particular case...the bare midriff didn't catch my eye.

-Ted

[Ed Belknap]

Originally posted by Ted
I saw some Britney Spears thing on MTV as I was flipping through the channels recently and saw her singing into a Manley tube microphone. (I stopped on that channel because of the microphone...that's the kind of thing that will stop me. I also stopped and watched some of a Suzanne Vega concert on PBS because she was singing into a nice Microtech Gefell microphone).

LOL! I once wound up at a "Gentleman's Club" with my A2 after a gig, and despite all these severely under-dressed ladies parading around, we're like "Dude, are those CyberLights or VariLites?"

Anyway, I'd vote for the Neumann U-47

[Ted]

Yeah, I'm not sure which would make me look worse...to admit that I was ogling a teenager or to admit that I was ogilng a microphone instead of nubile young flesh...I guess this reveals me for the audio geek that I am.

And yes, the more I think about it, the more I think that the U47 may be the one...since we're going back to 1957, and the '87 didn't come out until ten years later, and the U47 is still one of the top choices, I'd imagine that may be the one that's been used on the most hits.

Anyone actually know?

-Ted