Telefunken is well established German company which was formed in 1903
In the recording industry, most well known for their legendary U47 and ELA M 251 microphones.
There is no way in the world that this TD20 is in the same class of course but many have found these TD20's fun and interesting to experiment with, some studios are not ashamed to state they have these microphones in their arsenal.
http://www.themillstudio.co.uk/equipment
Telefunken Microphone
Dynamic element
Characteristic: omni-directional pattern
"upwards element - NOT facing the front"
Sensitivity: 0.20 mV /µbar
Frequency range: 50 - 15000 Hz
Impedance 700 Ohm
Desk stand (which can be removed) or mic stand mount using the 3/8" threaded hole in the stand
I cannot locate a frequency response curve but from memory our sound engineer said these mic's were "peaky" in the mid range, so don't expect the response to be flat.
These were intended as a consumer grade microphone, used with very old Telefunken tape recorders such as the Magnetophon 200 series but like vinyl records, old becomes new and these old microphones have taken on a new interest for many inquisitive audio recordists.
Some will hate the sound, others will be ok with it - if you are a sound engineer who likes to experiment with different vintage microphones then this may be just the thing for you
https://messageboard.tapeop.com/viewtopic.php?t=9985
As always, I had a quick look inside - VERY interesting element design. It has a rear hood which I thought at first was a transformer. This hood has a breathing tube at the rear and from what I can make out, this is intended to enhance the low frequency response - as discussed by the microphone experts Brüel & Kjær in their very detailed Handbook of microphone design: Volume 1
Plenty of room inside for an impedance transformer or even going from unbalanced to balanced output although it would be much easier just using a DI box
Lead is 140cm long
Originally fitted with a DIN standard connector, this has been removed and changed to a "Fatman" TS jack - the output is unbalanced of course
Mainly a heavy formed plastic body
Metal desk stand which allows for adjustable tilt - this stand CAN be removed (from the inside of the body)
Metal grille front to back
Stamped on the rear
Made in W. Germany
Stamped on the front
Telefunken (logo)
TD 20
Physical dimensions:
120mm high x 40mm deep x 45mm wide
COSMETIC CONDITION:
In very nice cosmetic condition although when opening up the casing I noticed there is severe defoamation, quite normal for a 60 year old piece of foam - I did not attempt to replace it however it doesn't appear to be a difficult job.
TESTING:
Fully operational, certainly nothing startling in audio response but a fun mic to have around - as I say above, some sound recordists love these mics but others detest them
Ex our post production facilities - a "fun mic" for experimentation
Originally marketed to the consumer, semi pro perhaps but worth a play around with
