The new AT5047 cardioid condenser studio microphone from Audio-Technica, has recently been used on a wide variety of projects from top producers and engineers in the industry.
Multi-GRAMMY Award-winning engineer/mixer/producer Ross Hogarth (Keb’ Mo’, Flogging Molly, Van Halen) has been in the studio with the AT5047 and shared his thoughts on the microphone: “When I first heard about the innovative multi-capsule technology of the AT5047 microphone, it really tickled my curiosity. In testing out and using the AT5047, I found the microphone to be incredibly flat and uncolored. One can choose to color it with different preamps and compression choices. The headroom and flat response makes the 5047 an extremely versatile microphone.”
Niko Bolas, known for his work with Neil Young, Melissa Etheridge and Warren Zevon, states, “In all, the AT5047 is a very unique microphone, having the character and dynamics of a great condenser but the shape and size of a really good ribbon. We used it on a recent project for The Mavericks, on all the acoustic guitars, most of the percussion and electric guitar.”
Multiple-GRAMMY Award-winning engineer and producer Al Schmitt (Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Diana Krall), a long-time Audio-Technica user, states, “I just used the AT5047 on a male vocal at La Fabrique in Provence, France. Wow, I’m just knocked out by how good this mic sounded, now it’s on my bucket list to have in my personal arsenal.”
Robert Carranza, whose extensive work includes a wide variety of artists including Marilyn Manson, Salvador Santana, Jack Johnson, The Mars Volta and more, comments, “In this new age of making records in hotel rooms, on tour buses or just about any place with a power outlet, the AT5047 is as elegant as a photographer’s Leica camera, yet rugged enough to take anywhere and capture the nuances of any tone.”
“It’s not often that you come across a new microphone that’s so outstanding, you would use it on any instrument or vocal,” states Elliot Scheiner (Steely Dan, Van Morrison, The Eagles). “Occasionally I’m asked, if I can only afford one mic, what should I get. The AT5047 is that microphone.”
The most recent addition to A-T’s 50 Series (which also includes the AT5040 vocal microphone and AT5045 instrument mic), the AT5047 is a studio microphone that features the same capsule as the AT5040 but with a transformer-coupled output and optimized electronics. It is equally at home capturing instruments and vocals.
Boasting a wide dynamic range – the widest among all Audio-Technica microphones – the AT5047 captures the full, expressive character of a sound source, no matter how loud or how soft. And since it is equipped with a transformer-coupled output, the microphone maintains a constant load output impedance, even when capturing sources at extreme SPL, resulting in a stable relationship between the mic and a mic preamp or console input.
The AT5047 features four rectangular two-micron-thick diaphragms, which function together to provide a combined surface area twice that of a standard one-inch circular diaphragm. Discrete components have been carefully selected and optimized for maximum performance and compatibility with a wide array of microphone preamps and console inputs. Advanced internal shock mounting decouples the capsule from the microphone body, and the included advanced-design AT8480 shock mount provides isolation.
With an elegant, durable housing of aluminum and brass, each AT5047 has been hand-assembled and inspected for 100% quality control. A custom hard-shell carrying case with die-cut foam compartments offers protection during storage and transport.
AT5047 specifications:
— Element: Fixed-charge back plate, permanently polarized condenser
— Polar Pattern: Cardioid
— Frequency Response: 20 to 20,000 Hz
— Open Circuit Sensitivity: -29 dB (35.5 mV) re 1V at 1 Pa
— Impedance: 150 ohms
— Maximum Input Sound Level: 148 dB SPL, 1 kHz at 1% T.H.D.
— Noise: 6 dB SPL
— Dynamic Range (typical): 142 dB, 1 kHz at Max SPL
— Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 88 dB, 1 kHz at 1 Pa
— Phantom Power Requirements: 48V DC, 2.7 mA typical
— Weight: 592 g (20.9 oz)
— Dimensions: 165.3 mm (6.51-inches) long, 57.0 mm (2.24′-inches) maximum body diameter
— Output Connector: Integral 3-pin XLRM-type
— Accessories Furnished: AT8480 shock mount for 5/8″-27 threaded stands; 3/8- to 5/8-inch stand adapter; protective carrying case
The AT5047 is now available at a U.S. price of $3,499.
