O.P.R. U47: hand-made Neumann replica from Melbourne, Australia
4,5 / 5,0 | 
There’s no shortage of convincing replicas when it comes to the venerable Neumann 47 microphone. They come in all kinds and prices – take your pick! In the meantime, check this one out – the O.P.R U47 Fet. It’s an obsessively crafted 1:1 replica of the original U47 mic made by Australia’s Open Plan Recording (O.P.R.)
O.P.R. U47 Fet Neumann replica
According to O.P.R, the U47 replica was made possible by ‘exactingly following the original schematics’ and producing a precision-machined, hand-tuned capsule mimicking the original Fet 47 specs. Manufacturing is done in-house in Melbourne Australia.
Staying true to the original, the reworked K47 capsule uses a single, shared back-plate design with center-terminated 6-micron Mylar diaphragms setup for a fixed Cardioid polar pattern. Inside the mic, a discrete op–amp circuit drives a proprietary output transformer. Resultingly, the O.P.R. promises the exact rich, thick Neumann sound with fast transient response. That, and the ability to endure extremely high sound-pressure levels of up to 147dB (with the 10dB pad switch engaged).
O.P.R. vs U47
The mic can comfortably record very loud sources like bass and guitar cabinets, drums, brass instruments, your singer high on meth, etc. Of course, it’s also sensitive and detailed enough to handle softer audio sources. The U47 is a famous all-rounder, a quality typical of high-end condenser mics. It looks like the O.P.R. replica is one of the better ones to hit the market recently.
Price and availability
The O.P.R. U47 is up for pre-order with a price of AUD 1150 (USD 864) sans taxes and shipping. Deliveries will start in July. As the replica is made in-house and in small batches, the manufacturer is doing the sensible thing with its wide pre-order window. They wouldn’t want to build too little or too many mics, they’d rather gauge interest properly and get the quantities just right.
More information
O.P.R. U47 Video
https://youtu.be/qHjL6lIiUmg
- O.P.R. vs U47: O.P.R.
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