Sony ECM50

[bruce]

I have recently acquired a few Sony ECM50 mics.

 

First impressions - they sound fine, but aren't exactly subtle-looking by today's standards.

 

But at one time they were apparently the industry-standard, particularly in TV, news studios etc.

 

Anyone got any comments on them? Are people still using them? In theatres? I've got a number of radio mic packs that they can be used with...

 

Bruce.

 

ps - confession time: I actually.... no, I'll save that one for later. :D

[Bobbsy]

I'll show my age and admit that I remember the ECM-50/55 mics from way back when in my TV days. As big as they seem now, they were considered amazing in their day (mid 70s I'd guess) because they were the first "tie clip" microphone to come into common use. Before then, lavaliers really WERE lavaliers in the true sense of the word: if you look it up, it means a pendant hung around the neck. Prior to the 55 we used various brands of mic about the size of a man's thumb, hung round the neck on a cord. OT aside: if we wanted to hide the pre-55 lavs, they went under they shirt, enclosed in a condom to minimise clothing rustle. It was the job of the most junior technician to go to the chemist every few weeks and buy 50 condoms at one go!

 

It's many years since I've heard a 50/55, but I seem to recall the sounded pretty good but with a pronouced roll off at higher frequencies. If memory serves, they didn't have much response above 13 or 14 kHz.

 

I've never tried them in the theatre, only clipped to ties and lapels in a TV studio. You'd need a pretty good head of hair to try a hairline mount though!

 

The only thing that occurs is that the mics you have are probably 20-30 years old. I have absolutely no idea what that sort of age will do to performance on an electret mic.

 

Bob