Since its original development in 1946, theTELEFUNKEN U 47has been the microphone of choice for generations of recording professionals. The first condenser microphone to offer selectable polar patterns (cardioid and omni), the originalU-47also featured the famous M7 capsule which had been developed in 1928 by Georg Neumann. To this capsule was added an amplifier built from military surplus VF-14 tubes (they had been used in field and aircraft radios), and BV8 output transformer. The combination of these components created a sonic quality that was absolutely unheard of in the English speaking world of the mid-1940s when darker sounding, less detailed ribbon microphones were the standard. The introduction of theU-47brought a new level of fidelity to the audio world, and is still considered to be one of the finest microphones ever produced.