Steven Miller Picks Telefunken | USA for Dave Matthews Band

February 12th, 2007

New Album Employs Matched Pair of M16 MkII Tube Mics

Engineer and producer Steven Miller chose a matched pair of Telefunken | USA’s R-F-T M16 MkII microphones for the recording of the upcoming studio album from The Dave Matthews Band.  Sequestered at Matthew’s Virginia studio, the band has been tracking the follow-up to 2005’s hit album, “Stand Up.”

“I’ve known Telefunken | USA’s founder Toni Fishman since he started the company six years ago,” recalls Miller.  “I met him at Ocean Way Recording when he was working with Allen Sides to research the recreation of prized microphones from Allen’s extensive collection.”

Since then, Fishman and his team have reverse engineered and recreated some of the industry’s most valuable microphones, including their Ela M 250, U 47M, and the rare and legendary stereo Ela M 270.  The M16 MkII is one of a new line of affordable microphones which faithfully recreate the legendary vintage Telefunken sound.  The microphone features a dual-sided center-contact gold sputtered capsule and the same vintage tube used in the Telefunken Ela M 251.

“Before we started recording, I went through all the mics we had, including some very rare mics from Dave’s collection,” explained Miller.  “But when I put up the pair of M16s as room mics, it was the perfect sound.  Less cymbal splash, more low end and a rock bottom that worked exactly the way I wanted in that room.  I immediately knew I had it.”

After completing four tracks with the Telefunken | USA stereo matched pair, Miller brought the band in for playback.  “There was one tune that really needed a rock drum sound,” he continues, “and when I brought up the sound of those two mics, the band was amazed at the sound we got in their studio.  ‘Whoa, what’s that?  How did it turn into a rock sound,’ they asked.  I pointed out into the room at the two mics -- which ended up giving me about 80% of the total sound I wanted for the record.”