Neumann M 149 Tube Microphone "B" Stock, from Neumann

The M149 marks an astonishing achievment for Neumann. Like many of the classic vintage Neumanns, this one is very multi-purpose. It is a remarkeable tube microphone that sounds good on just about every application that you can plave it. Like its vintage predecessors, for vocal applications, it can often benefit from some additional EQ'ing in the high frequency area. It isn't as "tuned" of a microphone as some other tube mics in its price range... of course, we're convinced that Neumann did this on purpose. Although certain tuned mics can sound amazing on certain applications, they can sound pretty pitiful on others. What's nice about this microphone is that it sounds great everywhere... particularly neutral as tube mics tend to go these days, the M149 will sound great on grand piano, symphony orchestra, as a drum overhead, and certainly on vocals. Aditionally, we have found it to be VERY eq friendly, and can take quite a bit of EQ'ing unlike some other highly tuned tube mics. A microphones tuning sometimes makes it very susceptible to exposing its own problems when under situations of significant EQ'ing. Not so here! Somewhat a typical of tube mics in general, the microphone to microphone consistency on these is excellent for the purpose of stereo pairing.

Directional patterns: Nine different patterns with Omni, Cardioid, Wide-Angle Cardioid, Hypercardioid, and Figure 8

Acoustic operating principle: Pressure Gradient Transducer(K 49 Capsule)

Frequency Range: 20 to 20 kHz

Sensitivity: 30/44/55 mV/Pa

Rated Impedance: 50 ohms

Equivalent loudness level due to inherent noise (DIN 45 405 CCIR 468-3): 28/25/23 dB,(DIN/IEC 651) 16/13/11 dB-A

S/N ratio related at 1 Pa at 1 kHz: (CCIR) 66/69/71 dB (A-weighted) 78/81/83 dB-A

Typical SPL (tube characteristic) for less than 0.5% THD: 114 dB

Typical SPL (tube characteristic) for less than 5.0% THD: 134 dB

Total dynamic range of the microphone amplifier (cardioid) with max. output: 101/121 dB (16 dB re. 0.775 V [4.9 Vrms])

Power Supply: N 149

Connector (microphone): 8-pole (DIN 45 326)

Connector (power supply): 3-pole XLR

The M 149 Tube is a large-diaphragm condenser microphone with switchable polar patterns. It is the first new 'Tube' microphone design from Neumann in over 30 years, and also the world's first transformerless tube microphone.

The head grill is instantly recognizable to vintage Neumann afficionados as that of the classic M 49/M 50. The capsule (K 49), also from the M 49, is a select version of the K 47 capsule from the famous U 47. The M 149 Tube has the lowest self-noise of any tube microphone on the market and features 9 polar patterns switchable on the microphone body. There is also a 7 position high-pass filter on the rear of the microphone body. The circuitry of the M 149 Tube includes a tube amplifier coupled with the FET 100 transformerless circuitry as used in our award-winning TLM 50 microphone. We have been approached by scores of customers asking us to build again the classic U 47.

Unfortunately, the VF 14 tube of the U 47 is no longer available. We have optimized the M 149 Tube to have a sound "character" very similar to the U 47. Also, by incorporating modern technology with the tube amplifier, we are able to produce a tube microphone with unprecedented specifications. Vintage and modern technology combined!

The M149 tube won the TEC award in 1999.