Re-Interpretation of the classic Stanley Church/MGM Design
Pictured at Germano Studios in NYC with a matched pair of TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik CineMics is producer/engineer Ed Tuton.
Troy Germano, owner of Germano Studios in NYC, has purchased two TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik large diaphragm tube CineMics. The matched pair are an interpretive recreation of the rare Stanley Church/MGM design, bringing the total number of TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik microphones to eight in the studios’ extensive collection.
“I was looking for a great matched pair of U47-style mics and there were less than 200 of this rare CineMike produced, so very few engineers have even experienced them,” explained Germano. “I’ve had such good luck with my other re-issues from TELEFUNKEN that I thought this pair, Serial #001 and #002, would really round out our collection. They’ve already created quite a sensation among our clients.”
Producer/engineer Ed Tuton was the first to work with the new CineMics. Tuton, who is working at Germano Studios with the indie rock band Breaking Laces, commented, “The CineMic gives a producer the most versatile U-47 in existence, plus it sounds incredible.”
The CineMic design utilized a 6072 vacuum tube in an unusual high-voltage circuit, resulting in a sonic character that experienced engineers compare to a U-47 crossed with a C-12. The TELEFUNKEN CineMic utilizes an M7 capsule imported from Germany and a custom audio output transformer handcrafted in the USA.
In the world of film sound, few companies hold the position of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Circa 1954, MGM Chief Sound Engineer Stanley Church produced — for in-house use, and in very limited quantity — the obscurely famous MGM/Church “CineMic,” based around the M7 capsule which MGM obtained from Germany.
Thorough consideration went into Germano’s selection of the new CineMics. He explained, “It is the quality of the workmanship and the pride that TELEFUNKEN takes in their microphones that impresses me the most. It’s a company you can trust when it comes to getting that legendary sound. And their products really stand up.”
Germano currently owns six additional microphones from TELEFUNKEN: an ELA M12 (C-12), RFT M16 MkII, two Ela M260s, and the company’s renowned U-47 and ELA M 251. Adding the TELEFUNKEN CineMics to the collection offers his clientele a wide range of sonic performance to satisfy virtually any recording requirements.
The Germano legacy goes back to 1981 when Troy joined his father Ed Germano at NYC’s Hit Factory. The opening of Hit Factory London in 1989 was followed by the purchase of Miami’s historic Criteria Recording Studios in 1999. Troy Germano received the 2003 TEC Award for Studio Design of Hit Factory Studio 6, and in 2008, his Studio Design Group won a second TEC Award for LA’s Red Bull North America Studio. Germano Studios, launched in June of 2008, houses two stunning control rooms and recording spaces, both featuring SSL Duality 48-input analog consoles and Digidesign Pro Tools HD5.
Other clients who have been working in the busy studios since August include Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Mary J. Blige, Britney Spears, Chris Martin, Robin Thicke, Michael Buble, Leona Lewis, Carrie Underwood, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Grizzly Bear, Rod Stewart, Breaking Laces, Akon, Ne-Yo, Justin Bieber, Adrienne Bailon, 50 Cent, Birdman, Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, Jazmine Sullivan, and Ozzy Osbourne.
The TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik CineMic is a new model from the company’s Custom Shop, which produces microphones with rare vacuum tubes and capsules in customized versions of the current product line. The Custom Shop offers the discerning recordist assistance in cosmetically, electronically, and sonically modifying the existing product line with personalized specifications.
For more information, visit http://www.t-funk.com
