Released in 1949, the Neumann U47 is the microphone Frank Sinatra demanded, the Beatles tracked vocals through, and that nearly every major pop vocal record before 1970 went through. Original tube U47s sell for $25,000+. Modern Neumann reissues are around $11,000.
The original U47 used a Telefunken VF14 tube and the M7 capsule (the same capsule design used in the famous CMV3 “bottle” mic of 1928). When VF14 tubes ran out in the 1960s, Neumann switched to a new K47 capsule and a different tube. Both versions are revered today.
In 2018, Neumann reissued the U47 as the Neumann U 47 — a faithful modern recreation, still hand-built, still around $11,000.
The U47’s sound is what most people picture when they think of a great vocal recording. Warm low-mids, smooth presence, a tube’s gentle saturation when pushed. It’s the mic that defined pop vocal sound for two decades.