Microtech Gefell reissues the UM 57 tube condenser

Microtech Gefell has brought back the UM 57, a tube condenser microphone for vocals and instruments. The company is based in Gefell, a town in Thuringia near the Czech border. Neumann moved production there after its Berlin factory was damaged in the Second World War; when the region came under Soviet control, Neumann returned to Berlin and set up Georg Neumann GmbH in the Allied-controlled sector, and the state-owned operation that stayed in Gefell became Microtech Gefell.

Capsule and tube

The reissue uses the original M7 capsule design with gold-plated PVC diaphragms, the same capsule type that was used in the Neumann U47. The preamplifier inside the microphone runs on an EF 86 pentode, chosen for its sound and low noise.

Power supply and patterns

Polar patterns are selected on the power supply, which offers cardioid, omnidirectional and figure-8. The supply is a switching design, so it works on both North American and European mains voltages. It connects to the microphone through a 7-pin cable, while the audio leaves the supply on a standard XLR output. The microphone body and the power supply both have a hammered metal finish that gives the set a vintage industrial look.

Specifications and price

• Dynamic range: 104 dB
• Maximum SPL: 120 dB
• Frequency range: 20 Hz to 20 kHz
• Nominal impedance: 200 ohms

The microphone is meant as a main studio microphone for vocals and instruments. Its price puts it close to the modern Telefunken U47 reissue.

Pre-orders for the UM 57 are open now at about $7,699 or €8,239.