South Windsor, CT, September, 2010 — TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik needs a name for its newest large diaphragm condenser microphone, which will be introduced at AES 2010 in San Francisco. In development for 18 months, the newest mic in the company’s acclaimed R-F-T line was designed by the company’s in-house engineering team, with outside consultation from some of the world’s top amplifier designers.

The microphone will be based around a unique circuit that features a New Old Stock (NOS) TELEFUNKEN vacuum tube, custom audio transformer and a fixed cardioid large diaphragm capsule. Sonically, the microphone carries similar characteristics found in its R-F-T line counter parts, the AR-51 and the AK-47 MkII.

“We always like to be responsive to our friends and supporters,” explained company founder Toni Fishman. “So for this very cool new mic design, we thought we’d reach out to our fans and have a contest to name the new microphone.”

Traditionally, the microphones in TELEFUNKEN’s R-F-T line have been based on famous powerful munitions, such as the AK-47 and the M16. “But we’re not limited in that respect,” added Fishman. “I thought of the ‘Bolt,’ which refers to the company’s lightning bolt logo. Let’s see what the public comes up with.”

Featuring a custom antique copper finish, the new microphone has a silky, open top end, smooth midrange, and a detailed low end. The amplifier design and frequency response are tailored for vocals, however the microphone works exceptionally well on many signal sources including acoustic guitars, amps and percussion.

The street price of the new R-F-T mic will be $1295 (1000€), making it the first large diaphragm tube microphone offered from TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik to break below the $1500 price range. Each microphone system comes complete with power supply, 20’ mic-to-power supply cable, shockmount and wooden box. New custom flight cases are available for an additional $99.

Starting September 27th participants will be able to submit suggested names for the new microphone via the TELEFUNKEN website. Then, on October 11th the top ten names will be chosen and posted on an online voting pole. The contest ends at 18:00 (EDT) October 21. The winning name will be announced at Noon (EDT) on October 22nd. The person who suggested the winning name will be rewarded with a pair of the R-F-T mics in a custom flight case. The 2nd and 3rd place names will win an M80 Dynamic microphone.

To enter the contest, go to: MIC CONTEST

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.