The D-19, the 635a, and the SM57.

I've really been into vintage dynamic mics lately for the same reasons that I enjoy a dirty 1950 Silvertone guitar or an early 1900's piano: they have character. Not only were they constructed completely differently from how they are made today, but they have age and wear, which make them unpredictable from one mic to the next. I have two EV 635a mics. They are only a few years apart in age but the newer one gives a much hotter level than it's younger brother.

I've noticed that in a number of old studio photos of the Beatles you see them using AKG D-19s.


It almost seems like they used that mic much like we use a Shure SM57 today. For them it was the kind of microphone that worked on everything. The D-19 was also rebranded and sold by Telefunken. This pair happens to be in pristine condition, not to mention it has very sexy casing.

Get them here on eBay. They're $480 for the pair.

While looking around for cool vintage mics I picked up two EV 635a's, which as I said before tend to vary in sound from year to year.


I love these mics for their unique midrange character and like to pair one of these with a condenser for acoustic guitar. Again, there are a ton of these old dynamic microphones that often tend to work on any instrument, or at least give that instrument its own voice in the recording. And if you're smart, you can pick these up for cheap on eBay or, if you want to go through the hassle, at TV stations in their back closets that nobody's stepped foot into since 1970.

Everybody has seen an SM57. Everybody has used an SM57. Everybody probably owns an SM57 actually.


Anyway, as I have been saying this whole time, they work on everything. Save the "air" for the condensers. Personally, just so I can achieve a sound that others wouldn't be able to get with an SM57, I like to try and find an old mic that is slightly varied from an SM57, but still similar enough in sonic character that it sounds familiar. The Unidyne 545 is the SM57's predecessor. It's also kind of cool.

Rip the transformer out of an SM57 and you can turn it into this:

(Stripped down SM7. You can buy the newer SM7b here)

Anyway, condensers can be overrated. Pair a funky dynamic with a good pre and you'll get a sound that's different from all the overly bright Chinese mics (even though I am guilty of having a pair). And do your ears a favor and quit killing them with super bright recordings that need high shelving out the wazoo. The only downside I see to using a dynamic over a condenser is the general lack of detail a dynamic produces. Then again there are many dynamic mics that can get just as detailed as a condenser, you just have to find them.

Ciao.