Celebrating 90 Years of Neumann Microphones

November 01, 2018

Celebrating 90 Years of Excellence In Sound.

We are thrilled to see our longtime friends at Neumann celebrate their 90th anniversary as of this year's 145th AES Convention. As Neumann dealers for the better part of nearly three decades, we've seen the company release staple after staple of the studio recording industry!

For 90 years now, Neumann has been regarded worldwide as the standard-setting, leading manufacturer of studio microphones. Many products introduced in the history of the company have become milestones of professional audio technology. It is no accident that when listing their equipment, audio studios almost always put Neumann microphones at the top of the list – they are a recognized sign of a highly professional operation.

The company was once a unique operation founded in Berlin, Germany by Georg Neumann (at right) in 1928. They not only made microphones, but also specialized in record cutting machines, custom radio broadcast gear, and rechargeable batteries. (Believe it or not, some of the battery designs are still the basis for today's rechargeable technology!). In 2010, with the acquisition of the Klein & Hummel brand, they then began to introduce their legendary transducer design to high-performance studio monitoring systems for studios and post-production facilities.

With such a legacy around us, it's no surprise that the Audio Engineering Society honored Neumann with a "Service To Industry" award at this year's convention. “It is a great honor to be recognized by such a stalwart organization such as the AES, and by Al Schmitt, who is a celebrity in his own right and also a great friend,” commented Neumann president Wolfgang Fraissinet (center of photo). “I am proud of Neumann’s accomplishments over the last 90 years, and humbly accept this award on behalf of all my colleagues, past and present. We are committed to excellence in everything we do and already looking forward to our 100th in ten years!”

Neumann's AES booth (shared with Sennheiser, their parent company since 1991) marked the occasion, displaying some of its classic gear in special forms, including the U 67 Reissue and the U 87 Rhodium Edition. It wasn't just a celebration of the past though - they also displayed their new DSP software app for controlling KH series monitors, showing a look ahead to the future as well.

Dale's marketing director Eric Eldredge caught up with Fraissinet in the booth shortly after the award ceremony and asked him to reflect on the occasion, plus what was in store for the present and future - watch the full interview above!



Some of Dale's staff offer their well-wishes to Neumann:

"So much of Dale's history includes this amazing brand, and we value our relationship with them and Sennheiser. We look forward to many more years of partnership" - Valerie Lager, company co-owner

"As a young audio student, I certainly aspired to have the honor of owning a Neumann in my mic locker. I've proudly owned and used my TLM 103 in my studio ever since and never regretted the investment." - Eric Eldredge, marketing director

"As a buyer for Dale for the past 25 years, it's been a privilege working with everyone at Sennheiser and Neumann. Happy 90th Anniversary to a valued partner!" - Nina Weiss, Sennheiser/Neumann buyer

For more on Neumann products, look HERE.

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