BeesNeez Pro Audio Tribute 1 (U47)

Tribute 1

Condenser Microphone (U47)

“The T1 can basically run your studio for you while you pop off down the beach. Seriously though, the presence of any of these microphones in your studio will make it a better place to work in, and if you can stump up for the T1 in particular you’ll find that recording just got a whole lot easier and more fun.” – Greg Walker, Audio Technology Magazine

The Neumann* U47 is one of the most revered microphones of all time, racking up more number one hits then perhaps any other microphone in history. It’s a microphone that is over sixty years old and yet it is still the “go-to” condenser microphone for many high budget, large-scale recording studios. At BeesNeez, we don’t like to make gains from the glory of others, so we decided with our Tribute 1 condenser microphone to make it sonically equal to the U47, but we gave it more features, stronger build and lower noise.

* BeesNeez Pro Audio has no affiliation with Neumann / Georg Neumann GmbH.

Circuit Design
The transformer in the Tribute 1 is the BeesNeez BV-08, made to the original factory specifications of the Neumann BV-08. The UI30/25 lamination size was specifically developed for use only in audio applications. Due to the quantity needed this lamination can be very difficult to have made. The audio grade lamination material we are using we has been specifically made for this application, to ensure consistency and quality. We also seal the windings and laminations to prevent any acoustic resonance.

The capsule in the Tribute 1 is the BeesNeez M7 microphone capsule, which is hand made in our Australian factory from the original gun barrel material that Neumann used more than 65 years ago. Until recently, this material was not available. However, lots of research and bulk buying has enabled us to have it re-made. The M7 was made famous in microphones such as the Neumann M49 and U47, the Gefell CMV563, and many others since. The main reason for the popularity of this capsule is its realistic analogy of the source material, its great mathematic proximity and its sultry overtones.

The tube in the Tribute 1 is the EF12, or a substitute is also available.

Sonic Characteristics
What made the U47 so special? It had the ability to bring out the special source nuance of everything it captured. No single component in the U47 was anything super special or previously unused, however the magical combination, or shall we say the sum of all of its parts, truly made it an amazing tool of the trade. The T1 feels like a hot knife through butter, effortlessly bringing out the best of any captured source.

Build Quality
Whereas most manufacturers cannot control all aspects of their manufacture, BeesNeez can. We manufacture the head grilles, bodies, bases, capsules, diaphragms, transformers, etc. The Tribute 1 body tube is turned from a food grade bore casing [brass]. We chose this particular type of brass due to its superior machine ability and durability. After machining the body, it is sent to a local powder coater for completion. The head grille is cut from bronze cast and machined to a mirror finish. The mesh windows are then removed during the same process before the head grille is sent off for medical-grade nickel plating. The base is made from 380 grade brass. It’s a solid brass round that we cut and form in our very own 8-axis turning center. Our proprietary swivel mount connector features a gold-pinned Bakelite socket. Our pins are turned rather than pressed. The advantage here is a lifetime of connection without degradation.