BBC in-vision mic, 70's/80's

[KevinE]

Can anyone ID these mics, they were used on TOTP and most BBC music output in my youth.

 

[Derek Tallent]

I think it's the AKG C451 preamp with the VR2 extension tube and the CK6 capsule.

 

I may of course be wrong...

[bruce]

I was going to say something similar - a C451 and extension tube. Although I’d have guessed the CK1 or CK2 capsule.

 

Here’s a pic of the metal windshield:

 

 

from https://www.ebay.com/itm/AKG-W17-Vintage-Metal-Windscreen-for-AKG-C451-452-CK1-CK2-and-Other-Capsules-/282714818650?hash=item41d31dc85a%3Ag%3Axv4AAOSwR2RZ9-xV&nma=true&si=QW50wjmPflOtDlejKYZdQ%252Bp3TE8%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

[KevinE]

cheers. I wonder why they fell out of favour, they were pretty much everywhere at one time!

[sandall]

The C451 (hand-held or on an extension tube) was the in-vision mic for all sorts of music in the 70s. Later on Neumanns became very popular (possibly because they were even more expensive!). Not to be confused with the TOTP dummy mics.

[GaryNattrass]

Defo an AKG 451 but I think the short ext tube was the VR1 and the VR2 the longer one.

 

A modular mic system with cardioid and omni capsules CK1+2 with a third that was the cardioid fitted fixed within the mesh windscreen CK6, there was also a long CK9 shotgun too.

 

They were available in silver and black over the 70's and 80's and we used them a lot at Tyne Tees TV. The later ones had a high pass filter and -10db pad fitted in the mic amp end but still used the CK1 etc capsules.

 

You could also get knuckle joints to angle the capsules and an in line screw in -10db pad.

 

I suspect the ones used on vocals in the 70's were the omni capsules or cardioid with -10db pads fitted.

 

They were replaced by the AKG 460 ser and Calrec had a copy modular system that was larger with the 2010 and 2050 mics. They were looked after by the late Keith Ming and became Hebden Sound. You can still see the gold plated ones by the Queen at the state opening of Parliament.

Edited February 9, 2018 by GaryNattrass

[GaryNattrass]

Just found the full list of mic heads on Gearsluts:

There are several capsules for the 451, including the CK-1 cardioid, CK-2 omni, CK-3 hypercardioid, CK-4 LDC, CK-5 (cardioid vocal head), CK-6 bi-directional head, and the short and long shotguns (CK 8 and 9.)

[paulears]

I don't think anyone understood why the stopped the 451 series at all! It was such a brilliant system, and the extension tube idea such a great way of minimising impact. Why they gave up and left the market to Schoeps I never understood.

[Simon Lewis]

I think that there was also a slide on wire pop shield available for the CK1 capsule?

 

If not, the one I have in the mic junk drawer is a fortuitous fit for the CK1!

[p.k.roberts]

Great sounding mics, but terrifyingly easy to cross thread the capsules when attaching them to the body. Superseded by the 'Blue Line' system, which I seem to recall did have extension tubes available and a much more robust bayonet fitting system for the capsules, but never seemed to quite capture the market in the same way.

[J Pearce]

Nominally replaced by the SE300 preamp, and CK91, 92, 93, 94, and 98 capsules, with a more foolproof bayonet lock.

[paulears]

I bought 100 Chinese copies - they'd copied everything - INCLUDING - the micro-thread, and these could be cross threaded exactly the same way. I've still kept a dozen, sold the rest and everybody was pretty impressed - not one fault in three years and lots of people bought more. They'd not used the same tube - the AKG was, I think plated brass - and these were an alloy and much lighter, but the omni capsules were really good. With the hyper capsules they were really good on table stands for conference top tables. Then suddenly, the factory abandoned production. They will make me a new batch, if I buy 500!

[GaryNattrass]

My Takstar Cm60 and 61 mics are very similar but if you want the real deal they are still available: https://www.anderton...ASABEgIPmvD_BwE

 

Great mic on acoustic instruments and I used to have two but sadly they got stolen.

 

On offer as a pair here: https://www.gear4mus...AiABEgLryfD_BwE

 

and yes the CK1 and CK2 had a slip on metal pop shield which is what you see on TOTP but then they did the CK5 integrated capsule with the pop shield later.

Edited February 9, 2018 by GaryNattrass

[paulears]

Sorry to dredge this up again, but we missed this mic out. It's in a lot of pictures and the front basket is similar to the CK5 for the AKG, but the tube is much thicker and it looks like a Tuschel or DIN connector. It is in lots of photos from the 70s and 80s?

[sandall]

AKG used Tuschel DINs as an alternative to XLRs on many of their mics (I used to have a couple of D202s & several D190s with Tuschels).