Recording - October 2011 - 54

B Y PA U L V N U K J R .

Telefunken Elektroakustik AK-47 MkII
Tube Condenser Microphone
This wonderful tube mic is far more than a “clone”
This month we take a look at the third and final entry in Telefunken Elektroakustik’s current R-F-T series of tube condenser microphones. Our journey started almost a year ago in our November 2010 issue with the introduction and review of the then-brand-new AR-51; then in June 2011 it was the CU-29 Copperhead; and now we wrap things up with the AK-47 MkII. The new AK-47 MkII is almost a complete redesign of the original AK-47 that—along with the now discontinued M-16 MkII—helped launch Telefunken’s R-F-T line back in 2005. What’s the same, what’s new, and how does it fare next to its siblings? Lets find out. Radios, guns, and a global economy... That pretty much describes the R-F-T line in a nutshell. R-F-T is short for Radio Fernseh Technik, which was an obscure German electronics firm that produced radios and TVs and such circa the ’60s and ’70s. Now in the Telefunken universe it is the cool sounding moniker for their small-arms inspired (AR-51, M-16, AK-47) “budget” line of microphones. “Budget”, in this case, meaning $1200 to $1800 microphones vs. Telefunken’s series of über-accurate historic recreations that will set you back closer to $8000. As you’d expect with any $1,000-plus mic, an R-F-T mic is still a serious piece of kit that is made possible through the blending of Telefunken’s extensive mic design knowhow with globally sourced parts that are then hand-assembled and quality-tested in the company’s Connecticut-based factory/ headquarters. The anatomy of the new AK The AK-47 MkII has a 32mm, 6-micron thick dual diaphragm, dual back plate, and center-terminated K 67 style capsule. The capsule and much of the internal and external metal work make up the overseas-sourced portion of the mic.
54
RECORDING OCTOBER 2011

The amplifier circuit is designed and handbuilt in Connecticut and the newly designed transformer hails from the USA. Lastly, the tube is a NOS (“new old stock”) Germanmade Telefunken EF-732 miniature tube. At over a pound and a half, this mic has the same body style and basic look as both its predecessors as well as the AR-51 and older (discontinued) M-16 MkII. It is a thinner C-12 style body and measures 91/2" with a 11/2" diameter. With a black textured body with chrome hardware, it is the most classic looking of the three. It comes with a felt-lined wooden storage box, a vintage clamp-based shock mount, a power supply complete with a 9-pattern selector switch, and a 7-pin mic cable. Factory stats: The AK-47 MkII has a frequency range of 20 Hz - 20 kHz, a 14 MV/Pa = –37 dB (0 dB = 1v/ Pa) -10 dB Sensitivity, a 200 ohm Impedance, 125 dB max SPL level, 16 dBA of Equivalent Noise, and 9 available polar patterns: Omni, Cardioid, Figure-8, and six stages in between. What makes this a MkII? Whenever a product receives a promotion to MkII status the big question is, what’s new? In the case of the AK-47, two things: One, the custom-built amplifier has been overhauled with thicker traces for better conductivity and lower distortion (just like those of the AR-51). Two, the new transformer is custom made in the US Midwest, and it is a spec-for-spec model of the BV8 transformer found in original U 47 microphones. The original transformer was a BV47 supplied and designed by Oliver Archut at AMI/TAB Funkenwerk, who also designed the original amplifier. In use I used the AK-47 MkII extensively in sessions over the last 6 months, sometimes with the help and ears of one of my close studio friends, engineer J. Christopher Hughes (who also lent a hand with the Copperhead review). Comparing R-F-T models side by side shows them all to be very different from one another. You may remember the AR-51 to

Recording - October 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - October 2011