BBC radio studio microphones, after the AKG D202

[Sparks]

I was watching Terry Wogan's first departure from Radio 2 (1984) on YouTube the other day and I noticed the microphone was no longer a D202 but a new, slimmer device with a windshield that appeared to be several inches long. Does anyone know what the make and model of this microphone is, or was ? Similarly, I remember at much the same time Radio 1 had also replaced its D202s but with a short, upright unit. Possibly a Neumann U87. Is that likely?

Thankyou.

[Andrew2]

Good Morning Sparks. Maybe you already know about this site, but https://martinmitchellsmicrophones.wordpress.com/ is fascinating (if you like mics...).

[Robert Gribnau]

Do you mean this YouTube clip?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiknKUNDB6o

If so, the microphones shown in that clip look like AKG D202's or AKG D202E's to me. I can't see differences in diameter or in the shape/length of the cap.

https://coutant.org/akgd202/

https://www.preservationsound.com/wp...y_mic_1970.pdf

But maybe the differences are too subtle for me to detect?

[Simondm]

AKG themselves replaced the 202 with the 222 in the early-mid 1980s. Those could be seen at the despatch boxes in the Commons. I don’t remember them being used in quantity, but they were bought for London cons, as I have seen photos. They are slimmer and with less obvious rear vents, but quite similar otherwise, and don’t have the bronze colour (all black)

U87s are quite bulky and heavy and would need a different mic arm. They were optimized for close working (i.e. spherical wavefront) and are lovely for close speech. The other popular choice was the AKG C414, which bulks-out when in its shockmount/windshield and then looks cylindrical (without, it's actually lozenge-shaped). They were common in radio studios and sound nicer at greater distances. Both are powered condensers.

The popular North American choice for close speech remains the Electrovoice RE20, which is a dynamic cardioid. They are big and heavy, and somewhat old fashioned, but with compression give the classic American DJ sound. you use them end-on, the Neumann and 414 are side-on.

So, if you can post a link to what you actually saw...

[Sparks]

I'm no good at posting links I'm afraid; I wouldn't know where to start. But it was 28th December 1984 and the microphone was way too long to be a D202. I've seen the same microphone in a picture of Jimmy Young in a Radio 2 studio. By the way, these studios were still the classic 'continuitues' in Broadcasting House at this time.

The Radio 1 microphone is one I remember from Gary Davies announcing the Christmas number one in 1984, i.e. Do They Know It's Christmas? I only speculated on a U87 because I couldn't think of anything else. Radio 1 was broadcasting from Egton House by this time so could well have had more modern studio equipment than in the old continuities.

[John10b]

Thank you the link Andy.
John

[Ted Kendall]

Could easily be a 414 with a windshield.

[Sparks]

I wonder if the 'Terry Wogan' microphone was a BBC-modified D202 ? The adjustable microphone arms they were attached to were originally from desk lamps (I have that on good authority) so I suppose it's not impossible.

[Simondm]

I forgot earlier to mention the AKG D224, which was, supposedly, a D202 in a smarter silver case (it looked a bit like an overgrown C451). They were intended for TV use and similar, and the bass roll-off switch was a ring at the back of the mic (same circuit as the D202, I think). We had a few in my bit of the BBC, but they weren't popular - lower output than the 202 and generally didn't sound as nice. I also don’t think the polar pattern was as good, either.

I am still uncertain as to what the original poster saw, or where. any pointer to that would probably aid identification.

[Sparks]

The microphone is in this picture. The best that I could find!

[Sparks]

Here's a different Radio 2 microphone being modelled by Gloria Hunniford.

[Jonster]

Originally Posted by Sparks

The microphone is in this picture. The best that I could find!

That microphone is an AKG C451 with a CK8 capsule fitted. It has a very narrow 'shotgun' pickup and needs to be worked on axis otherwise it quickly goes 'off mic'

JY always used this combination during my time at the BBC in the eighties.

[Jonster]

Originally Posted by Sparks

Here's a different Radio 2 microphone being modelled by Gloria Hunniford.

This mic is the evergreen Neumann U87.

[Sparks]

Thankyou Jonster, and everyone else. Mystery solved!

[Simondm]

The CK8 is an unlikely but good choice in this context, as the diphragm is maintained at a distance from the speaker. We used to use them in TV in Fisher microphone booms, (see: http://www.jlfisher.com/booms/model_6_base/index.asp) but they are hard to use in that context, as they have a lot of inertia, and you can't rotate the mic quickly ere you swing it past the sound source (A Sennheiser is lighter and a bit shorter).

The actual CK8 capsule is hypercardioid, but the interference tube on the front gives it a polar response that looks like that of a Yagi aerial (lots of back lobes). This is common to all interference tube designs, including its big brother the CK9 and the Sennheiser 400 and 800 series. Note als that the 451EB head amp has two bass roll-off settings at 75 and 150Hz, so you can reduce handling noise substantially. The foam windshield is easily sufficient to eliminate "P-blasting" (from speech fricatives).

[Sparks]

I imagine the desks had to be modified upon introduction of these microphones, in order to provide phantom power which was hitherto unnecessary for the dynamic D202. Happy to be corrected if I've misunderstood.

[Ted Kendall]

Originally Posted by Jonster

This mic is the evergreen Neumann U87.

Looks more like a U89 to me - it's slimmer than the U87, but otherwise similar. We used one on Brain Matthew's Transcription programmes.

[Sparks]

Going back to the old continuity desks, were the faders the Quadrant type? I've seen other pictures of the desks and they appear to be part of an assembly with one or two PO lever key switches and lamps. Sturdy-looking stuff.

[nsykes1]

Yes, the quadrant faders were made by a company called Painton. They were stepped attenuators rather than continuous tracks (1.5dB per step if I remember correctly.)

The module they were built into was a BBC in-house design.

This page shows what they look like. It appears from they may reappear as a retro item but I'd guess they wouldn't be cheap (and the website referenced doesn't show anything yet).

Neil

[Sparks]

I thought they might be quadrants. A thing of beauty but I wouldn't fancy making one!