There are so many recreations of classic microphone designs, it can sometimes be confusing. I have used inexpensive copies of Neumann U 87s that sounded pretty good and pricier ones that sounded awful. Some looked classic and sounded terrible, and others that were a bit rough-looking sounded perfect.
I was intrigued when I saw a recreation of the legendary Neumann U 47fet made by Dachman Audio. I have leaned on original versions of the U 47fet on kick drum for over three decades of recording, and I reviewed the Neumann reissue in Tape Op #108. Most engineers tend to use the U 47fet on kick drum, but it’s also a good choice for some singers, and it captures guitars, bass cabs, and other sources well. I have heard and used some magical vintage U 47fets, and yes, they make the job easy. But a vintage one can run between $5,000 and $8,500, and the new reissue is over $4,000. When I came across favorable reviews of the Dachman DA FET 47 recently, I reached out to Dachman, and they were kind enough to send one for review.
The DA FET 47 comes in a foam-lined solid wood box and, by all accounts, looks like an original version of the microphone. Its nickel-plated brass body is beautifully machined, the grill is meticulous, and it has the articulating/swivel stand mount arm, just like the original. The microphone utilizes Dachman's custom-made DA-K47 6-micron gold-sputtered capsule, a DA-BV8 output transformer, and a discrete circuit based on the original vintage schematic. High-quality components include Panasonic FC series capacitors, WIMA capacitors, polystyrene capacitors, and – of course – high-quality FETs (field effect transistors). It has a fixed cardioid polar pattern, uses a standard three-pin XLR connection, and requires +48v phantom power. There are also two recessed switches on the back of the mic: one to engage a -10 dB pad and the other a 140 Hz high-pass filter. These were best switched using a small screwdriver.
As mentioned, 47fet-style mics are often employed for recording kick drums and bass, but the 47fet is also a quality vocal mic that can handle loud and/or aggressive singers with ease, so recording vocals was my first stop for the DA FET 47. I used it paired with a BURL B1D [Tape Op #111] and recorded female lead and male background vocals with fantastic results. The singer commented on how much she liked the tone of her vocals on the track, and the background vocals were smooth, rich, and had a “finished” sound with very little processing. Over the course of the review period, I went back to the DA FET 47 multiple times for vocal duties and was impressed in each case.
For kick drum, the Dachman performed as expected. I like the sound of a 47fet about five inches off to the side of the front kick drum head, typically paired with a microphone halfway in the hole of the drum head for more attack. As I noted above, I have used vintage 47fets on kick for years, and honestly they all sound a little different from one another. Did the Dachman sound identical to a vintage model or the updated version of the Neumann 47fet? It was certainly in the same world, and it did what I expected. Big, rich, kick drum body with plenty of low-frequency information to blend with the mic used for attack. I would gladly use this mic for kick drum recording on any session. Speaking of low end, the DA FET 47 sounded quite good for recording bass through my vintage 1968 Ampeg B-15. Not only did it get all the fat lows and midrange punch, but it also captured the grit and breakup of the amp without becoming harsh or biting.
Although the DA FET 47 will get used mostly for kick, bass, and vocal recordings, I liked it on acoustic guitar and percussion as well, and overall, it just seems like a workhorse mic that will find its way onto many records. Time will tell if it holds up with frequent use, but the mic does come with a three-year warranty and seems to have been built with longevity in mind. You can even try it out for 30 days and return no questions asked if you decide you don’t want it. Nice!