Grampian M.C.S.

Vintage Microphone World dates the M.C.S back to between 1933 and 1936.

The earliest reference that we have found so far is an advertisement in Melody Maker in October of 1938.

The MCS appears in Wireless World in May 1939 and is described as follows.

"Undoubtedly the finest moving coil microphone on the market is our type M.C.S. Quality is very good, the response curve being sensibly linear throughout the audio Spectrum, and amplitude distortion is negligible. Sensitivity and range of pick-up are very high, and increased by the fact that the input control can be opened up quite high before feedback occurs. High Output Voltage (0.1 v at normal speech) enables use with an amplifier of quite low gain. No blasting or overloading [is] possible. No background noise such as carbon hiss, and no cavity resonance, owing to the specially designed square case with adequate venting."

This microphone is weatherproof and entirely unaffected by damp.

Price.. 6 Gns."

It was sold alongside the M.C.R. model and was about twice the price.

An advertisement in Wireless World in 1946 implies that the Grampian M.C.S.. was not available through the wartime years of 1939-1945, but was resurrected once hostilities ceased. The Grampian production lines were no doubt give over to the war effort. The advert is quite humorous and reads..

"War-shortage of P.A. sensitive microphones has caused mass-murder of "personality" over many workshop sound-systems. Even the works-manager's voice giving staff-talks has been unrecognisable. But now Grampian are able to release again the Grampian Pressure Microphone Type M.C.S., there is no longer any excuse for poor "local " transmissions. Replace the war-emergency " mikes " you have been using in any P.A. systems you maintain with the high-sensitivity Grampian Type M.C.S., and get rid of one of your worst sources of trouble."

From a 1946 Advertisement: GRAMPIAN MICROPHONE TYPE M.C.S.

Pressure operated.

Swivel stand adapter.

Frequency 70- 8000 Hz

Impedance 20 ohms. 

Sensitivity 42 dB

Price £7 5s

Sadly our example is not in working condition.

A post about the Grampian MC and MCR at Vintage Microphone World.