Pictured at 20th Century Fox studios with the new Telefunken | USA Ela M 251 microphone are Brian Wilson and stage and studio collaborator Jeffrey Foskett. Photo by David Goggin.

Hollywood, CA, August, 2008 — Brian Wilson returns this September to Capitol Records, his first record company, for the release of his new album, That Lucky Old Sun. Wilson and his music director Jeffrey Foskett chose 3 new microphones from Telefunken | USA for the landmark project.

When asked for the secret of his signature vocal sound, Wilson replied: "It's always been Telefunken microphones. That's all we've ever used — they're the best." For the new album, he sang into a new Ela M 251 recreation of the classic microphone of the 1950s, this one featuring an NOS (New Old Stock) AC 701 vintage tube.

Wilson's collaborator, Jeffrey Foskett, utilized the Telefunken | USA M16 MkII, described by the company as a cross between the legendary C12 and the prized U67 large diaphragm condenser mics.

"It is the single best sounding microphone I have ever heard in my life," says Jeffrey Foskett. "And I have used the best microphones around, in studios all over the world, from Australia to Japan, from England and throughout Europe, to the best studios in the US. I have had my favorites among the classics of the past, but this new one from Telefunken | USA beats them all."

A third microphone acquired by the Wilson camp is the Telefunken | USA AK 47, which is a modern hybrid based on the classic U 47 and M 49 microphones originally manufactured by Telefunken.

For the vocals on the new album, the three new microphones were set up with the fourth an original Telefunken 251 from Wilson's private collection. With isolating gobos set up for separation among the vocalists, the singers were able to maintain visual contact during harmonies and when Wilson took the lead as singer and also as narrator for the transitional interludes spoken by him as "That Lucky Old Sun," the storyteller. The narratives, cameos on life and the heartbeat of Los Angeles, propel the album's musical story.

Wilson describes That Lucky Old Sun as an "interwoven series of 'rounds' with interspersed spoken word," and as an autobiographical travelogue of sorts. The new studio album was produced by Wilson and was created with his acclaimed band at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, where he first recorded in 1962.

The new release continues the inspiring concept album journey that he first began four decades ago. Wilson's songwriting, arranging and producing talents came together in harmonious success for The Beach Boys' 1966 classic, Pet Sounds, and have continued to evolve during his solo career, highlighted by his 2004 critically acclaimed Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE.

See and hear the acclaimed Ela M 251AC at AES San Francisco, Booth #409, October 3, 4, 5

ABOUT TELEFUNKEN ELEKTROAKUSTIK

TELEFUNKEN | USA acquired the TELEFUNKEN Trademark for North America in 2001, and in 2009 the company was named the Elektroakustik (translation: Electrical Acoustics) arm of TELEFUNKEN and awarded the exclusive rights to manufacture a wide variety of professional audio products and vacuum tubes bearing the TELEFUNKEN name, in over 27 countries worldwide. Recreating the classic TELEFUNKEN microphones has been a labor of love for the company CEO, Toni Fishman and the pursuit of that dream has culminated in the manufacture of what we at TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik believe are the finest microphones currently available in the world today.

Along with meticulously manufacturing historic replicas of classic microphones by hand in the USA, TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik is now marketing the R-F-T series of microphones that take advantage of the globalization of technology, in order to offer recording microphones with professional sonic performance at reasonable prices.

Our latest additions to the TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik product line include a revolutionary new capsule design based on Alloy 2213™, an exceptional dynamic microphone [the M80], and a vacuum tube replacement for the original TELEFUNKEN VF14 which offers comparable performance in our U47 and new U48 microphones.

TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik continues to expand, and research and development of new products is an ongoing process. Although based firmly on classic designs, TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik is continuously looking forward. Important changes in our company and further expansion of our product line are slated for the immediate future.

For more information about TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik, call 860.882.5919 or e-mail info@t-funk.com.