Telefunken / Siemens

I originally got this device for a musician’s masterclass. Then the years passed and I made myself a small studio and took this grandma out – I’d even forgotten I had it… after a quick restoration, it is now in perfect working state! So far, i have only used it to record vocals through a Studer 963. Its sound is unbelievable – very precise, detailed, round, warm, all you love from such antique analog beasts. These devices were built like tanks! It provides an incredible headroom, it’s almost impossible to have it distort. Building quality is FLAWLESS!!!! The device is very easy to understand as it’s very well conceived and clear. I’m far from being a specialist, but I’ve had no problem reparing it myself (a belt and a fuse were to be replaced – not so much as you see). It disassemble and reassemble easily, just like playing Lego. As for the electronics, tuning and calibration, I still went to a specialist but watching what he did I realized it was quite easy, provided you have access to the equipment required for it (an oscilloscope and generator). I love this device and rejoice at the idea of using it for mastering for instance. So far, I found it no cons, I’ll edit if need be in the future. When you consider all its qualities and the price at which it gets sold, don’t hesitate and buy one!! They’re quite little known (compared with Studer/Revox), hence very affordable!

The Telefunken/Siemens V 72 is a dual channel microphone preamplifier generally considered one of the best ever made. It is an all analog unit and has 1/4 inch connections as well as connections to hook it up to a console. It is indeed rack mountable and will take up two rack spaces. UTILIZATION Using the Telefunken/Siemens V 72 is incredibly easy as it only has a knob for the level coming into the preamp. It has a switch for phantom power and beyond this there really isn't anything else to this preamp. Even if you don't have much experience with preamps, this is as easy as it gets as all you have to do it dial in the level that you want to get. Since this is an older piece of gear I've never seen a manual, but unless you need one for the schematics or something like that, a manual isn't necessary at all. SOUND QUALITY The sound quality of the Telefunken/Siemens V 72 is absolutely incredible. Everything comes in crystal clear and full of life and no matter what else you are using it with it will do its job great. It doesn't color the sound but does have its own signature sound, which is really just a really clear and full sounding signal. While it certainly matters what type of microphone you are using, I find that this does a great job in picking up the subtle things that some of the best microphones have to offer. OVERALL OPINION I've only had the pleasure of using the Telefunken/Siemens V 72 a few times as the one that we have at the studio I work at has been broken for a while, the few times that I used it I was blown away with the sound quality. It definitely lives up to its name and Telefunken is a company that I really trust to give me quality across the board. I can't say that recommend buying the Telefunken/Siemens V 72 as it is really just too expensive unless you are professional or loaded with money! Overall, the Telefunken/Siemens V 72 is definitely one of the best microphone preamps out there and is a pre that all engineers should try out if they have the ability to.

The Telefunken ANT W695B's are parametric equalizer modules that were originally from some kind of Telefunken console. Admittedly I don't know too much about the origins of these modules, as I don't own them and have just used them in the studio that I work at. We have a set of two of these EQ's racked in it's own custom casing and power supply. I don't know exactly who racked them up, but in order to use these outside of the console you'll need a custom rack and power supply for them, as is the deal with anything from a console. UTILIZATION If you understand the basics of parametric equalizers, using the Telefunken ANT W695B's will be easy. I think it's pretty safe to assume that you probably know a thing or two about EQ basics if you do indeed own these or have used them before. The ANT W695B's are basically three band equalizers, with each band consisting of separate frequency and gain parameters. Each band also has a three way bandwidth (Q) switch that has setting for a small, medium, and wide sized bandwidth. Everything should be pretty self explanatory here if you know the general make up of parametric EQ's, as this one is pretty standard. SOUND QUALITY The Telefunken ANT W695B's can get extremely precise, making them ideal for equalization during mixing and at times when you'd want to get as direct as possible. They don't color your sound at all beyond the way you decide to affect the signal, and in general these are some of the cleanest sounding equalizers that I've used. They're easily adapted to any situation, as I don't think there is an application that I wouldn't try them for. The frequency selection for each of the bands is vast, which is what makes them so versatile... OVERALL OPINION You definitely won't find the Telefunken ANT W695B around too often, as saying they're rare is an understatement. However, you will see them every now and again and I've been lucky enough to work at a studio where they've got a set of these on hand. I've only had the chance to use them on a few occasions since they are a floating piece of gear in the studio, but every time I've used them it's been a real pleasure. If you ever get the chance to try or buy these and it's reasonable, you simply couldn't go wrong with having these rare and classic Telefunken EQ's around.

The Telefunken 251 is a high quality tube condenser microphone and is one that many consider to be one of the best mics of its kind. It comes with its own special cables and power supply, both of which are very heavy duty. I have only used the Telefunken 251 for recording and this is the only application that this should be used for as it is an extremely expensive and fragile microphone. OVERALL OPINION I recently had the pleasure of using the Telefunken 251 for the first time after hearing myths and stories about its great sound quality and I have to say that even with all of the hype, this microphone still sounds absolutely amazing. I have only used it for recording lead vocals and for this application it works perfectly. The sound quality comes in crystal clear while maintaining a warmth and fullness that is unparallel. It is definitely one of if not the best microphone that I have used and since the night that I was able to use it I have only wanted to use it more! You know that it is an extremely expensive microphone when it costs more to rent for a day than a lot of microphone cost to buy! I had to say that it was worth it as I’ve never heard my vocals come in so clear. It is basically a fool proof microphone as all you have to do it plug it in properly and let it do its thing. While a lot of people will claim that a certain microphone is the best, there are so many great microphones out there that work great for different situations and applications, and the Telefunken 251 is one of them. While I won’t say that its necessarily the best microphone ever made, it is definitely one of them and all serious engineers should have a go with this microphone at least once (if not multiple times!) in their career. While I can’t say I would recommend buying this microphone unless you are made of money, it is definitely worth renting or seeking out a studio that as one as you can really get some great tones with this mic.