SPOTLIGHT ON OUR MICROPHONES: 85 YEARS OF MICROPHONE EXPERTISE
100 years of beyerdynamic stands for a long and exciting history of microphones. For many decades, our microphones have been creating moving stories and stirring deep emotions on stages and in studios all over the world. Today we will take you on a journey into the world of beyerdynamic microphones. You should be very excited.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What distinguishes one microphone from another? Some are assembled by machine, while others are made individually by hand. Some microphones have a simple sound guide, others have a more complex one – resulting in different technical characteristics. And while some have only components inside, others contain the experience and precision of one of the oldest companies in the audio industry. And that brings us to the microphones from beyerdynamic.
Our first microphone: M 19
The history of our microphones began in 1939 – 85 years ago – with our M 19, the first studio-ready dynamic microphone. It was the first dynamic microphone approved for radio use – a milestone in electroacoustics.
It was an omnidirectional moving coil microphone with an aluminium diaphragm. Since it did not require a power supply, it was much more compact than the condenser microphones that were gradually emerging at the time.
It was also extremely robust. Even back then, we took the quality control of our products very seriously. Legend has it that, during its certification, the robustness of the M 19 was tested by dropping it from the second floor of the Berlin broadcasting centre. The M 19 passed with flying colours.
The first beyerdynamic microphone M 19 was not to remain the only one for long. In the 1950s, we launched the first microphones on the market, which are still available today.
Our M series
The M series microphones are an important part of our microphone history and have stood for outstanding product quality for decades. For just as long, professional sound engineers, musicians and producers have been creating unique recordings and unforgettable concert moments with the help of the M series microphones.
Our Acoustic Design Engineer Arnim Hoffmann explains what makes our M Series so unique for him: “There are very few classics that have been made over so many decades with virtually unchanged tonal characteristics. A huge amount of manual labour goes into the production of microphones here in Heilbronn, comparable to the construction of high-quality musical instruments. I am very pleased that many customers are also aware of this and decide to buy these high-quality products. A good sound is always associated with emotions. I’d rather hold a microphone in my hands that has a history and has been produced lovingly and under good conditions than one that has been produced without love, fully automatically and in very large quantities.”
Ribbon microphones pose a major challenge in production. We are proud to say that we are one of the few microphone manufacturers who still produce double ribbon and ribbon microphones such as the M 130 by hand at our Heilbronn site. You can find out exactly how they are made in this blog post.
By the way, Did you know that has been in our current range the longest is the M 130? It was launched in 1957 and has stood the test of time, having only undergone minimal changes ever since. Over the years, we have simply provided the microphone with a new XLR connector and given it a bit of a facelift, making it a truly unique product and a piece of music history.
Quality “Made in Germany” – the M series
All microphones in the M series are handmade in Germany at the company’s Heilbronn site. From the diaphragm and the transducer to the microphone basket – components relevant to the sound are not bought in, but instead painstakingly manufactured by us. This approach, which is unusual in the industry, enables us to maintain control over the entire production process. And even with our series facelift last year, we remain committed to the “Made in Germany” label and continue to produce our products by hand in Germany. With products that have been produced for almost 70 years in some cases, it is important that production processes are regularly scrutinised and put to the test.
You can find out how our production has changed over the course of the company’s 100-year history in our anniversary story Our production through the years.
Microphones, that stir emotions and write stories
Our microphones stir emotions and can write stories that last forever. Legendary performers like Led-Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Phil Collins treasured these microphones and immortalised their sound with the help of these products. Our M 88 directional microphone was already considered an excellent choice for voice reproduction at the time, and was the only microphone chosen for the official events in the programme of Queen Elizabeth II’s royal visit to Australia.
In addition to the greats of rock history, the current generation of musicians such as Aaron Sterling (drummer for Harry Styles, Taylor Swift and John Mayer), Ash Soan (studio drummer for Dua Lipa, Adele and others), Jost Nickel (drummer for Jan Delay) and Daniel Schild (drummer for Pietro Lombardi) also rely on the natural sound character of beyerdynamic microphones that have their origins in the M series. But, in addition to the M series, our microphone portfolio also includes the TG series.
Our TG series
Just like the models in the M series, all microphones in the TG series aim to record sound as neutrally and unadulterated as possible. What s more, these microphones, developed for the rigours of everyday touring, are designed to be resilient, robust and durable.
The TG series drum mics
Drum microphones should sound clear and convey the natural sound of the drums instead of distorting it. This is ensured by the Touring Gear drum series: high sound pressure tolerance, excellent impulse response, maximum feedback resistance. Our drum microphones leave their mark, from the smallest to the biggest stages in the world. We’ve been on world tour with Depeche Mode, and have contributed to the sound of the Fantastischen Vier (Flo Dauner, TG D35) and Vanessa Mai (Jens Golücke, TG D57). The condenser microphones with the patented clip were also used for many years by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam. But our drum microphones aren’t just appreciated on stage. It is also perfectly suited for studios and home recordings.
Famous drummers who rely on our microphones
Jost Nickel has been the drummer for Jan Delay & Disko No. 1 since 2006 and is a member of Germany’s golden generation of drummers. He has also performed with such stars as SEEED, Mousse T., Sasha and Johannes Oerding.
Not only is Anika Nilles a professional drummer, she is also a composer and head of the drum department at the Popakademie Mannheim. She has already released three albums as a solo musician: Pikalar (2017), For a Colourful Soul (2020) and Optunia (2022).
Daniel Schild has already worked with renowned artists such as Blaze Byley (ex-Iron Maiden), Tom Coster (Santana / Vital Information) and Syndey Youngblood. He is in great demand both inside and outside of Germany as a drummer for tours and studio productions, and also does numerous impressive solo performances.
Domino Santantonio has been known in the industry as a drummer on stage and in the studio for several years. The Canadian-born drummer is very successful on the social media platform TikTok, where she reaches and inspires millions of people with her short drum covers.
PRO X microphones
Our PRO X series blends the modern audio technology with the wealth of knowledge we have acquired during our company’s nearly 100-year history. The microphones in the PRO X series dazzle the eye with their well-crafted electro-acoustic design. The M 70 PRO X delivers the best sound for streams and podcasts, while the M 90 PRO X is perfect for project and studio recording.
In addition to the microphones mentioned, our PRO X series is complemented by two headphones. The highlight of the DT 700 PRO X and DT 900 PRO X headphones is the STELLAR.45 driver that we produce in Heilbronn. It delivers an unprecedented level of studio-headphone performance. More about our Stellar.45 driver can be found here.
Five creators at different locations, four products, one song: The PRO X “HOME OF THE CREATORS” campaign highlights real, authentic artists. The singer Rola, the producers Dexter and iamnobodi and the mixing & mastering engineer Volker “IDR“ Gebhardt used the PRO X series to create the song titled “Feels like Home”. The creation process was backed up by the podcaster Miriam Davoudvandi, aka Cashmiri. Click here for the video >
The favourite microphones of the beyerdynamic employees
The enthusiasm for our microphones starts during the development process – not just with our customers. But which microphones inspire our employees the most?
Arnim Hoffmann, Acoustic Design Engineer:
The M 201 is my favourite microphone. It is a special microphone because there are hardly any dynamic rod microphones. It is largely produced by hand – and has been for decades. The frequency response and directivity are very good.
Sarah Scholl, Graphic Designer:
I’ve been using the TG V70 (s) for my vocal performances for some time now and I’m extremely happy with it. It is robust and has a great, clear sound. The feel of the mic in your hand is also great. All in all, I wouldn’t want to be on stage without this microphone.
Michael Böhringer, Marketing Manager:
My favourite microphone is the TG D71. We like to use this in our band for live performances because the “plug & play” principle really applies: You don’t need a tripod, so it’s also ideal on narrow stages. The form factor and the non-slip underside do the rest and help with quick setup. What’s more, the sound “out-of-the-box” is already very high quality, so you don’t have to tweak the EQ much.
An exciting look back at some historic microphones that are no longer in our portfolio:
