Singular Audio f-48: an affordable, hand-built FET condenser microphone

28 Jul 2020 by Lasse Eilers |

1,0 / 5,0 | Approximate reading time: 2 Minutes

Singular Audio f-48 · Source: Singular Audio

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Singular Audio has announced the f-48 large-diaphragm FET condenser microphone. With its K47 capsule design, it’s similar to the famous U47 FET, but not a clone. It’s also surprisingly affordable for a microphone built in small batches in the Netherlands!

Singular Audio f-48

If you’re looking for a large-diaphragm FET condenser microphone, there’s now an interesting new option. The new f-48 from Singular Audio seems to tick all the boxes. According to the manufacturer, it features the same K47-type capsule design used in the famous U47 FET and popular copycats like the Warm Audio WA-47jr and United Studio Technologies UT 47FET. It’s not a carbon copy of the U47, however, as Singular Audio points out. They say that the f-48 uses a simpler circuit design with fewer components overall, which results in a slightly warmer sound with more harmonics.

With a forward mid range and smooth top end, the f-48 works well on a wide range of sources, but especially vocals, Singular Audio claims. The microphone offers switchable cardiod and omni polar patterns.

The f-48 features a vintage NOS transformer

According to Singular Audio, the f-48 is built from high-quality components. The microphone features a 6.5:1 output transformer. The amplification circuit is based on a manually calibrated, vintage NOS FET. The resistors are hand-matched for optimal performance, the manufacturer says. Add to this the fact that the f-48 is hand-built in small batches, and the rather affordable price comes as a very pleasant surprise!

Price and availability

You can order the f-48 on the manufacturer’s website. There’s a special offer for early adopters: Microphones from first batch are EUR 495 (that’s about GBP 448 / USD 580), although Singular Audio doesn’t say how many mics are in that batch. Beginning with the second run, the price will be EUR 595 (GBP 539 / USD 697), which is still surprisingly affordable for a handmade microphone from Europe. Shipping is not included and 21% VAT will be added to orders from within the EU.