Description

Telefunken ELA M 260

The small diaphragm ELA M 260 is arguably one of the industry’s finest acoustic and classical recording tube microphones, offering plenty of tone with excellent detail and clarity. While not a historically accurate reproduction of the original ELA M 260 like the Diamond Series microphones, TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik’s version of the ELA M 260 is still built with the same attention to detail and level of quality that would be expected from a TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik microphone.

Sonic Characteristic

In use, the ELA M 260 has plenty of tone with excellent detail and clarity. It captures sources with a natural presence, making it a fantastic tool for recording acoustic instruments of all types. Violin, cello, upright bass, drum overheads, percussion, woodwinds, saxophones, strings, and especially acoustic guitar all shine through the ELA M 260. Also, despite its size, it has also served well on vocal applications. Its unique tonal character is very well suited for a myriad of applications, both traditional and not.

CiRCUit Design

The ELA M 260 system features a new circuit design based around a New Old Stock (NOS) EF732 / 5840W vacuum tube and a custom output transformer that is wound to exacting specification in the United States. The combination of these features yields a small diaphragm microphone that is unique while also bearing the qualities of the vintage microphones that it was based upon.

System Configurations & Accessories

ELA M 260 tube microphone systems include an M 902 power supply, M 860 25’ dual-shielded TX-7 tube microphone cable with right angle female XLR connector, M 761 elastic shock mount, and hard shell zipper carrying case.

The ELA M 260 Cardioid Set system packages are supplied with one interchangeable TK60 cardioid capsule. Additional TK61 Omnidirectional and TK62 Hypercardioid capsules can be purchased and attached separately.

The ELA M 260 Master Set system packages are supplied with a set of three interchangeable capsules: the TK60 Cardioid, TK61 Omnidirectional, and TK62 Hypercardioid. With all three capsules, the user can have the flexibility to record their source material in any way they wish.

TK60 Cardioid Capsule (ELA M 260, M60)

The TELEFUNKEN TK60 is a small diaphragm cardioid capsule used with the ELA M 260 tube microphone and the M60 FET microphone. Featuring a 6-micron gold-sputtered membrane measuring 15mm in diameter, the TK60 has a surprisingly full low end for a small diaphragm capsule and offers a quick and accurate transient response. These small-diaphragm capsules are tested to a strict ±1dB sensitivity tolerance. The frequency response is flat from 150 Hz to 7 kHz, with a smooth, airy presence peak at 8 kHz making it ideal for drum overheads, acoustic guitar, and other acoustic instruments.

TK61 Omni Capsule (ELA M 260, M60)

The TELEFUNKEN TK61 is a small diaphragm omnidirectional capsule used with the ELA M 260 tube microphone and the M60 FET microphone. Featuring a 6-micron gold-sputtered membrane measuring 15mm in diameter, the TK61 offers a large, open sound perfect for capturing the subtle nuances and space of your recording environment. The frequency response is flat from 20 Hz to 5 kHz, with a smooth, airy presence peak at 8 kHz. These small-diaphragm capsules are tested to a strict ±1dB sensitivity tolerance. When used with the diffuse field spheres in the ELA M 260 Tri-Mono system, the TK61 omnidirectional capsule captures the ambiance and vibe of your room to breathe life into any recording.

TK62 Hypercardioid Capsule (ELA M 260, M60)

The TELEFUNKEN TK62 is a small diaphragm hypercardioid capsule used with the ELA M 260 tube microphone and the M60 FET microphone. Featuring a 6-micron gold-sputtered membrane measuring 15mm in diameter, the TK62 provides a wide cardioid pattern flat in response from 150 Hz to 3 kHz, with a dip at 6 kHz and a smooth, airy presence peak at 8 kHz. These small-diaphragm capsules are tested to a strict ±1dB sensitivity tolerance. This tightened polar pattern is great for use on cymbals, percussion, and as a stereo pair for live performance recording.