Reissmann-Neumann Tube Mic

[tardishead]

anybody know anything about these mics? Reissmann-Neumann Tube Mic?
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7315087315
I was going to get this until the seller told me that it needed a 3 pin DIN connector to connect the mic to the PSU.
not many pins heh? no output transformer? does not look like many parts at all - is it poss that most of the guts( output transformer etc) are inside the PSU. surely sending the high Z signal unbalanced is going to have severe problems

 

[pucho812]

hmmm lets see from the info posted with the ebay sale.

It has a neumann M 55K capsule wich according to google sites is an OMNI cirectional capsule. So it's an Omni tube Mic. Aside from that the shape gives it away.
I don't speak German but looking at the numbers Has A frequency responce of 30HZ - 20K
Looks like they are saying it has similar characteristics to a neumann CMV 563. Has 2 din connectors on one side of the power supply and on the other has that 1/4 Jack which thows me. Looks like it goes to the mic with a cable but that would be wrong in a tube mic. Looks like a power switch and a 12 amp fuse in it. I am thrown by the 2 din connectors mainly because there are 2 I Would say that one is for the mic to PSU and then to a console but the bottom pic of the mic looks like 1/4 connector? it if anything should be a DIN. Hmmm 2 Dins possible it was a broadcast mic and was used in german broadcast as back in the day they would use din connectors VS the now standard of XLR. I have never seen the neumann logo on the bottom B4 but that doesn't say much as I am no nuemann expert.
I hope that helps some.

 

[chriss]

I guess the assumed 1/4-jack is a banana-jack for external grounding. The sign next to the jack shows a sign that is commonly uses for 'Ground'.
I doubt the thing with 3-pin-connector. You need one for tube-heater, one for tube-anode, one for ground and two for signal. That's five and I think all the DIN-pins need to be used. The sign next to the lower DIN-connector is the sign for 'Microphone'.
But since there is no cable included the function of the thing is doubtful. I would not buy this at this price! Even if it was fully working, I wound't pay that much. You'd better watch out for a real CMV563 with the same capsule (and I'd try to also get a M7-capsule).

Btw. german broadcast didn't use the DIN-connector. They used a large connector known as 'Groß-Tuchel', there were small ones (almost alike DIN) called 'Klein-Tuchel' (like on Neumann KM54, 56 etc.). Good example is the Sennheiser MD421 and MD441: They have three versions: One with Klein-Tuchel, one with Groß-Tuchel and one with XLR. Just as a marginal note...

Chris

 

[Nat]

Maybe the thing that looks like its a 1/4 socket is really for a captive cable, or something? Also, the DIN connectors shown in the picture are 5 pin, not 3 pin.

 

[Rob Flinn]

The DIN/Tuchel connectors look like 5 pin ones on the PSU. This is consistant with a valve mic with a fixed pattern.

My AKG C60 which was one of the forerunners to the C451 uses the similar connector, however the pins are arranged with a 240 degree angle rather than the 180 degree that this mic uses.

It`s possible that the output transformer is in the PSU (like on my C60), which is not ideal, but does not seem to affect the sound too badly.

 

[pucho812]

Btw. german broadcast didn't use the DIN-connector. They used a large connector known as 'Groß-Tuchel', there were small ones (almost alike DIN) called 'Klein-Tuchel' (like on Neumann KM54, 56 etc.). Good example is the Sennheiser MD421 and MD441: They have three versions: One with Klein-Tuchel, one with Groß-Tuchel and one with XLR. Just as a marginal note...

thanks for the information. I would say if anything by the mic, gut it and put a g7 in there but it's too expensive

 

[Gus]

this post made me think of this

http://www.manleylabs.com/containerpages/babymic.html

IIRC Zebra50 worked on some Reissmann microphones.

 

[chriss]

Man - Ley ! That's ugly!

 

[Marik]

[quote author="chriss"]the bottom pic of the mic looks like 1/4 connector?[/quote]

It looks like a bottom of the capsule--not the microphone, and of course, needs only two connections.

 

[pucho812]

It looks like a bottom of the capsule--not the microphone, and of course, needs only two connections.

oh yeah

 

[zebra50]

Interesting. I have worked on 4 Reissmann mics, nnoe of which had a neumann capsule. All the capsules were dirty or damaged in some way, so make sure you get pictures of the cpasule or some guarantee.

Some discussion at this thread

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=2185

The geman ebay mic above looks to have the same body as the small mics I saw. These also had 5 pin DIN type connectors. If so it is likely/ possible they have a similar circuit. It will probably be something like thos

The mic runs with just B+, ground and heater connections, with the plate resistor and output cap in the power supply. There may or may not be an ouput transformer in the power supply - the ones I saw went straight to another amplifier stage - they were PA mics.

surely sending the high Z signal unbalanced is going to have severe problems

Actually really not so bad! The noise level can be extremely low if everything else is optimised.

Hope that helps. I may be able to answer specific questions.
Cheers!
Stewart