What it is and what it was built for
The Neumann M 49 is a large-diaphragm condenser microphone built for German broadcasting studios. It was developed to give engineers real-time control over pickup pattern without touching the mic. It was developed at the Central Laboratory of the NWDR in Hamburg.
It is made by the German company Georg Neumann GmbH, and it was the world’s first microphone with a remotely switchable polar pattern. It was first designated B-M49, the “B” standing for the British occupation zone in which Hamburg lay at the time. Early prototypes had an unpainted aluminum body and used the MSC2 vacuum tube.
How it works, in terms a player would use
It uses a pressure-gradient capsule. A remote control switches polar patterns.
Production M49s made by Neumann first used the M7 capsule and later the K49 capsule. Proximity effect occurs even in omnidirectional mode.
What it does better than anything else
It does better than any predecessor at letting engineers switch polar patterns remotely during a session.
What it does badly
It does badly at delivering true omnidirectional response. Its pressure-gradient design forces proximity effect regardless of pattern setting.
What people made with it
German broadcasting studios used it from 1952 onward. No other use or user is documented.
The patent application was filed in 1949, but the microphone did not reach German broadcasting studios until 1952. In July 2022 Neumann announced a limited-edition reissue, the M49 V, for which production of the K49 capsule resumed after several decades.
Who should use it, and who should not
Broadcast engineers working with vintage signal chains should consider it. Modern users seeking neutral omnidirectional capture should not.
Is it worth your time
It is worth your time only if you need a historically significant large-diaphragm condenser with remote pattern switching and can accept its atypical omnidirectional behaviour.
