Above: Schoeps mics circa 1961. Schoeps have a deserved reputation as being the most high-fidelity of any widely-available microphones.
The Schoeps CM66 circa 1961
The Schoeps M221B microphone. I really, really need to get me a pair of Schoeps…
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5 replies on “Schoeps microphones of the early 1960s”
Schoeps M201 was the main (but not the only) mic used for the Mercury Living Presence recordings. In the mono days, starting in 1951, first it was a single Telefunken-badged Neumann U-47. But by 1953, the M201 was discovered and that became the single-mic mono pickup from then on. There were very few M201’s made, so when stereo recording started, in late 1955, it was not possible to locate six M201’s (needed three for recording and three backups — session time with an orchestra was way too expensive not to have backups for every microphone). The earliest Mercury 3-channel stereo recordings were made with a M201 in the middle and U-47’s on the side. However, in early 1956, the switch was made to Neumann KM-56 on the sides. By the beginning of 1959, enough Schoeps M201’s had been located so all Mercury recordings after that, through the last Living Presence in San Antonio in 1967, were made with M201’s.
Beautiful mics, but it’s my experience most studios already have too many mics and not enough experience using any of them.
In the old West, it was said that a man with one gun probably knew how to shoot it. I don’t advocate one mic for everything but a relatively modest mic locker-none of which need be vintage-and a good amount of experience in placing them combined with some strategic simple first order filter EQ (think no more than four resistors and two caps) will steamroller the yupster with a pile of money spent on the flashiest toys bought to impress his friends.
Although i generally agree with the previous commenter ‘s views, i had the pleasure to do some recording sessions last month with a good selection of microphones, a pair of Schoeps M221F (the special French version of the M221B) sporting the switchable omni/cardioid M934 capsules being among them.
These are the kind of microphones that can elevate your recordings from good to spectacular (a decent understanding of the technique and a good room with good musicians in it would help, too). I urge any one serious about their art to try & hunt down a pair of M221. Just marvelous!
A good room and good musicians and anyone can make a good recording. RVG. QED.
I repaired a Schoeps M221B which was acquired a while back in a equipment barter. The mic was marked “defective” and I immediately thought it was the AC701. Tested the cable first, and it was bad. An hour on the bench, now the mic sounds beautiful. Looking for another one…