The M 49 V is a large diaphragm tube circuit microphone with a silky, warm, and magically rich, deep sound. Practically, it has needed absolutely no introduction from the very start, since it took over the recording and broadcast studios in 1951. One of the reasons: The revolutionary microphone came with a remote-controlled polar pattern (from omnidirectional to cardioid to figure-8). Back then, most bands or orchestras were recorded with a few microphones, often fixed installed. The remote control saved a lot of time, and the engineers could work in a lot of situations with the very same microphone, from vocals to instruments. While the remote setting is more of a secondary feature these days, the signature sound remains unparalleled and unachieved. Although today’s production is defined by digital workflows, the warm magic of a tube-driven, analog microphone remains unrivaled. The M 49 has a natural position on the shortlist of genre icons for 70 years and counting. For many reasons, it is an inseparable part of the Neumann DNA.
