Sound Pure's Take

The Telefunken AR 51 is an affordably priced large diaphragm tube condenser microphone, and a part of Telefunken's R-F-T line.  The microphone uses the amplifier circuit design of the world reknowned and extremely valuable Telefunken Elam 251 E and the C12 , but uses an offshore capsule and power supply in order to meet this affordable price point. The basis of the amplifier is a New Old Stock ECC81 vacuum tube and a German built output transformer that you will also find in their much more expensive C-12 and ELA M 251E.

This is a wonderful mic that works great on a variety of instruments and circumstances.  It is a fantastic vocal mic, but also sounds great on drums, sax, and as your are now hearing it, it is a great mic for acoustic guitars.  It has a very smooth mid-range with an open, brilliant, sparkly, and detailed top end and a well-balanced low end.   Despite this top end, it is not harsh at all, unlike many other microphones that try!

The microphone is delivered in a beautiful wooden box with a Telefunken shock mount, cable, and power supply.  The microphone has 9 different polar patterns that are selectable from the external power supply.  The multitude of polar patterns makes this mic extremely flexible for a variety of recording situations.

Thank you for checking out the Telefunken AR51’s with us.  Please call any of the engineers here at Sound Pure if you have any questions on this mic or any of the other fine Telefunken microphones and boutique professional recording equipment that we carry.

From TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik

While TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik is well known for our historic recreation microphones, but as we all know those recreations are intended for the 'upper crust' of the recording industry who can afford the best of the best.

With this in mind we created the R-F-T Series of microphones as an affordable solution that delivers amazing tone, ultimate application flexibility at a price anyone who is serious about recording can afford.

The AR-51 is the culmination of this ideal. For the AR-51 we took the amplifier electronics of a C-12 and ELA M 251E and married them to an offshore capsule and power supply so we can bring the best of both worlds together for what are destined to become the classics of tomorrow.

While the capsule is built off shore, it is tested to very high tolerances for consistency in our Connecticut based US laboratory. The capsule is then coupled to a slightly tweezed classic amplifier. The core of this amplifier is NOS [New Old Stock] ECC81 vacuum tube which is coupled the same German built output transformer you will find in our far more expensive C-12 and ELA M 251E.

In use, the R-F-T AR-51 is a fantastic utility mic!! Its smooth mid-range, open top end, and solid well-balanced low frequency translation make it a great choice on anything from vocals to drums and percussion to acoustic guitar to saxophone. There are 1000 more uses, but we think you get the idea that this is indeed a remarkably versatile microphone.

The remote pattern selector (located on the power supply) provides 9 different polar patterns, giving the user a myriad of choices for how to record the source sound in a manner that will best compliment their production.

You can start your path to sonic euphoria by contacting your favorite TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik reseller and requesting a demo of the R-F-T AR-51. It is sure to put a smile on your face without putting too much of a dent in your wallet.

 

Type

Condenser Pressure Gradient

Capsule

dual sided gold sputtered membrane

Frequency Range

20Hz / 20kHz

Polar Pattern

Omni, Cardioid, Figure 8 with 6 intermediate stages

Sensitivity

14MV/Pa = -37dB (0dB = 1v/Pa) -10bD

Impedance

200 ohms stock

SPL

138 dB

Non Linear Distortion

Less than or equal to 0.5% at 100 dyne / cm sq

Equivalent Noise

16 dB (a-weighted)

Tube Type

NOS ECC81 twin triode

Power

Dedicated Power Supply

Weight

27oz (765g)

Size

9 1/2" (241mm) length x 1 3/4" (44.45mm) diameter

Extras

Modern Power Supply, Shock Mount, Wooden Box

 

Free 3-Year Warranty

Sound Pure stands behind our products. Free three-year warranty on this item. Coverage exclusions live in Terms & Conditions, Section 27.

Level of support and expertise that simply isn't available at big-box megastores. Read the warranty →

Returns

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Sound Pure Studios · Durham, NC

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