Vintage Classic Microphones by Jim Webb

A comprehensive microphone history “coffee table” book crammed with color and B&W photos featuring the histories, anecdotes, and engineering information from famous microphone names of the last 100 years. Names such as RCA, EV, WE, SHURE, AMERICAN, UNIVERSAL, TURNER, ALTEC, BRUSH, AKG, NEUMANN, SCHOEPS and SENNHEISER are carefully detailed and explained along with little known information on OEM mic distributors such as Telefunken. A detailed history of these brands are included and their interrelationships.

Mr. Jim Webb, a noted microphone authority and historian, is the author who has spent nearly 25 years in order to offer the most comprehensive and accurate microphone compendium to date.

He has uncovered some extremely interesting information about the history of ribbon mics and their discovery and use. This will truly amaze you and change your understanding regarding the leaders in the ribbon microphone field of the day.

Jim is uniquely qualified to present this in depth, pictorial book, VINTAGE CLASSIC MICROPHONES. His technical background has been in sound engineering for over 30 years and he has earned an Academy Award for sound in the film, All the President’s Men.

Jim applies his background to provide a logical, academic study of the microphone industry from its beginnings along with some generally unknown insights into the business. He speaks with first-hand knowledge, having recorded extensive conversations with many pioneering microphone audio engineers, many of whom actually designed the mics themselves. His vast library of resource information and his writing skills are an asset to the presentation of this book.

There is a special section detailing the famous internationally acclaimed RCA ribbon velocity microphones, with an insider’s history filled with anecdotal, technical and sales information from the men who designed them. In collaboration with Jerry Silvia, there are detail charts showing the various RCA microphone engineering changes and the how and why of their number scheme, as well as manufacturing engineering and production charts and sales information.

Jim has provided important detailed engineering information on prototype microphones as researched from the RCA Princeton Labs archives.

This important pictorial book is a work-in-progress as of this time. This is the book that will set the standard in microphone history. A portion of the work has already been completed. The gathering of new information as he delves into  details create new information to be included and thus has extended the release date.

Look for the book early in 2009, available from Silvia Classics.