Maroon VC1 and JM47 Tube Capacitor Mic

[Graham]

Hi Ted

I wonder if you can give me some background info on one of my units. I have a Maroon painted Studio Channel VC1 Ver 3.3 Serial No. 101719 which was last tested on 18 / 4 / 99. I acquired this unit around the year 2000 from a mutual friend Anthony Carey of Teignmouth. I have never ever seen another maroon coloured VC1 and would like to know its history. Tony suggested that originally, you were thinking of using the maroon colour but changed to your famous green livery. Al so I would like to get the unit health checked, can you help me with this please.

Secondly, I also have a JM47 Tube Capacitor Microphone with its own power box which I also got from Tony around the same time. I have never seen one before. Tony has suggested that he believed that only 6 were ever made. People continually ask about it as it delivers superb results every time. I have used it as a studio vocal mic and have had great results with it. It’s so crisp and clear. Can you tell me some of its history and perhaps what it was modelled / designed on?

I can supply photos of both if you require them

Many thanks

Regards Graham

[Ted Fletcher]

The maroon colour is very nearly unique! I think we only made a handful of VC1 mic amps in maroon; it was going to be an alternative colour to the famour green at the time, but surprisingly, everyone wanted the green!

As for the TB47, I introduced some ideas and modifications to a Chinese company that was trying to produce a microphone to rival the Telefunken 251 of which I had two at the time (!) I had 10 of them made and they were very successful, but uneconomic, it was a time when a number of people were producing cut price microphones so We did not produce any more. As a studio microphone for vocal recording it is unrivalled (except for the Telefunken 251!).

[Graham]

Ted

I am a little bit confused.

You call the mic TB47 but it is marked JM47?

You are right, as my studio microphone for vocal recording it is unrivalled and I have achieved great results. People keep saying, how do you get that sound?

Feed it in through VC1 then use P38 for final compression – surperb.

Are you in a position to health check the Maroon VC1 please?

regards

Graham

[Ted Fletcher]

Typical! I misread you and thought you were referring to the TB47 because you called it a ‘tube capacitor mic’…… It isn’t! The JM47 has a capsule that is very similar to the Neumann U47/U87 and a solid state preamplifier in the body. We made several hundred of these mics and they are in use in studios all over the world. They were originally produced for us by the SE Electronics factory in Shanghai. It’s a really good mic.

Yes, I’m happy to have a look at the VC1.

[Graham]

Hi Ted

Still confused!!!

The Mic is stamped JM47. It has a BNC cable connector on the bottom which feeds into its own power supply box 5.5 inch by 4.5 inch by 2.5 inch.

The box is in your green livery and is marked as JM47 Tube Capacitor Microphone. The front just has an on/off rocker switch.

The rear has normal kettle lead socket for power, the BNC socket to connect the cable and a standard XLR socket as output. It says made in England by Fletcher ElectroAcoustics Torquay giving a Newton Abbot Tel No. (Quay House I expect)

I would send a photo but can,t seem to crack that. Does that help Identify it?

Regards

Graham

[Ted Fletcher]

I have to admit that I don’t remember that one! It must have been a prototype mic because all the ‘JM47’ mics that I remember were direct 48V phantom powered, not with a separate power supply…… unless the ‘box’ is just a 48V supply? I need to see a picture!

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