In September TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik fans were encouraged to submit suggested names for the company’s new tube microphone that will be introduced at AES in San Francisco on November 4.
The response was overwhelming, with thousands of individual suggestions coming from across the globe and from dozens of countries, including Morocco, Greenland, New Zealand, Denmark, and Thailand.
Below is a list of names in alpha-numeric order that have been chosen as the best suited for TELEFUNKEN’s new R-F-T microphone.
Voters will only be allowed one vote, and the polls close at 6pm EDT October 21st. The winner will be announced on Friday, October 22nd at 12 Noon PDT.
“We always like to be responsive to our friends and supporters,” explained company founder Toni Fishman. “So for this very cool new mic design, we thought we’d reach out to our fans and have a contest to name the new microphone.”
Traditionally, the microphones in TELEFUNKEN’s R-F-T line have been based on famous powerful munitions, such as the AK-47 and the M16.
“But we’re not limited in that respect,” added Fishman. “I thought of the ‘Bolt,’ which refers to the company’s lightning bolt logo. Let’s see what the public comes up with.”
Names for consideration are:
AF-29; COPPERHEAD; CU-29; EP-1C; M1C; M29; MP-5; TALOS; U-21; V1C
In development for 18 months, the newest mic in the company’s ] R-F-T line was designed by the company’s in-house engineering team, with outside consultation from some of the world’s top amplifier designers.
The microphone is based around a unique circuit that features a New Old Stock (NOS) TELEFUNKEN vacuum tube, custom audio transformer and a fixed cardioid large diaphragm capsule.
Sonically, the microphone carries similar characteristics found in its R-F-T line counterparts, the AR-51 and the AK-47 MkII.
Featuring a custom antique copper finish, the new microphone has an open top end, smooth midrange, and a detailed low end.
The amplifier design and frequency response are tailored for vocals, however the microphone works exceptionally well on many signal sources including acoustic guitars, amps and percussion.
The contest ends at 18:00 (EDT) October 21. The winning name will be announced at Noon (EDT) on October 22nd. The person who suggested the winning name will be rewarded with a pair of the R-F-T mics in a custom flight case. The 2nd and 3rd place names will win an M80 Dynamic microphone.
The street price of the new R-F-T mic will be $1295, making it the first large diaphragm tube microphone offered from TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik available below the $1500 price range.
Each microphone system comes complete with power supply, 20′ mic-to-power supply cable, shockmount and wooden box. New custom flight cases are available for an additional $99.
To vote visit the TELEFUNKEN website.
