Engineering:Coles 4038

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Short description: Ribbon microphone
Two black oval microphones with V-shaped indents near the top
Two Coles 4038 microphones on display at the Beatles Story

The Coles 4038 is a ribbon microphone produced by Coles Electroacoustics. The microphone was designed and patented by the BBC in the 1950s[1] and was originally known as the STC 4038.[2] The sound of the microphone has been described as "British" with a "BBC politeness",[3] and its appearance has been likened to that of a waffle iron.[4] It is used in both sound recording and radio broadcasting.[5]

History

The microphone was designed by the BBC in 1953 and the prototype was assigned the model number BBC PGS/1.[6] It was designed as a result of the BBC's request for a strong and affordable microphone that was smaller than previous models[7] (such as the Type A). The 4038 was an improvement on the Type A's frequency response, and was described as "less obtrusive".[8]

The microphone was produced by Standard Telephones and Cables[9] before their manufacturing was transferred to Coles in the mid-1970s.[10] Since its design in the 1950s, the technical specifications of the 4038 have remained unchanged.[11]

Use

Recording

In recording environments, the 4038 is often used as drum overheads and on brass instruments.[3][12] The microphone became a favourite of British recording engineers in the 1950s and 60s, but did not receive widespread use in the United States.[12] The microphone was described as recording sounds "bigger than life" – such as drums or amplified guitars – some Beatles and Led Zeppelin recordings featured 4038s as overhead microphones on the drum kit.[13][14]

In a 1994 interview, Steve Albini said that "if [he] owned one mic, this would be it".[1] Albini has also commented that "really nothing beats them as an overhead on a drum kit".[14]

Broadcast

At one point, Bush House (home of the BBC World Service) used the 4038 almost exclusively.[15]

Technical

The 4038's frequency response is flat, with a range of approximately 30–15,000 Hz.[16] The attenuation of high frequencies reduces sibilance on vocals, but also reduces detail.[3]

The microphone uses a bi-directional polar pattern.[17]

The microphone is connected using a Western Electric jack connector designated 4069, which adapts the microphone's 3-pin output to a standard XLR connector.[18]

Sensitivity (at 1,000 Hz Open Circuit Voltage)
-65dB re: 1 Volt/Pa[19]
Impedance
300 ohms
Produced
1950s–present

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 (Schultz 2000)
  2. ↑ (White 2010)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 (Cotton 2007)
  4. ↑ (Fuston 2008)
  5. ↑ (Leonard 2001)
  6. ↑ (Shaw 2008)
  7. ↑ (Streicher Dooley)
  8. ↑ (Institution of Electrical Engineers 1961)
  9. ↑ (Standard Telephones and Cables 1961)
  10. ↑ (Coutant 2009)
  11. ↑ (Electronic musician 2005)
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 (Owsinski 2004)
  13. ↑ (Streicher Dooley)
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 (Shechmeister 2011)
  15. ↑ (Hi-Fi News 1997)
  16. ↑ (Coles 2002a)
  17. ↑ (Coles 2002b)
  18. ↑ (Standard Telephones and Cables 1961)
  19. ↑ (Dooley 2006)

Sources

Further reading





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