Microphones 30s/40s retro mics

[bgerard]

Looking at producing the 1940's Radio Hour. I have some Shure 55s but I'd really like to be more accurate to the early 1940s. Any thoughts on a good modern mic with a retro look besides the 55s?

 

[metti]

Looking at producing the 1940's Radio Hour. I have some Shure 55s but I'd really like to be more accurate to the early 1940s. Any thoughts on a good modern mic with a retro look besides the 55s?

As you probably know, the 55S was from the 1960s. I don't know of any modern production mics that are styled after mics from the '40s so when I designed a production where we needed a mic that looked like it was from that era, we got a Shure 700A Crystal and replaced it's insides with a Countryman ISOMAX 2, which sounded and looked awesome. If you can't afford to go that route (IIRC, it cost about $500 between buying the 700A and the ISOMAX 2), the 55s is decent and most audience members don't know what old mics look like so they won't really notice that it is a '60s design.

 

[cpf]

Ebay has stacks of microphones in various functional conditions. Of course, it's a gamble if the microphone would survive shipping, so you might end up having to rip out the innards and make yourself a modern microphone in vintage packaging, as metti suggested.

Idea 2 is that if you have some fabrication skills you could put together a decent "old microphone" shell with some thick wire mesh, windscreen foam, metal tape, and assorted hardware. Just slip any (I'm imagining a wireless lav.) microphone inside it, and if desired glue a cable on the bottom and run it off stage.

 

[avkid]

The seemingly discontinued Heil Sound CLASSIC-PRO fits the bill perfectly.
Heil Sound CLASSIC-PRO Classic RCA Style Broadcast Mic

If you contact Heil directly you may be able to buy them from the factory.

 

[SHARYNF]

The shure 55 was widely used in the 40's on stage, it became more famous with Elvis,many years later but it is a 40's mic

Shure Americas | 55SH Series II Iconic Unidyne Vocal Microphone | Vintage Microphones, Retro Microphones, Legacy mics

Sharyn

 

[howlingwolf487]

Anything with the letters RCA will be your friend...but the price tag will not!

After Googling "working replica mics 1940", I found this site - definitely worth looking into, methinks...

 

[FMEng]

The mic of choice in radio studios of that time was the RCA 44-BX.
RCA Type 44-BX

The RCA 77-DX was widely used for radio, too. I believe it came on the scene after WWII.
http://www.coutant.org/rca77dx/index.html

The Shure 55 was more of a stage mic, and would not have been used as much in radio studios.

 

[bgerard]

Many thanks for the great ideas.