Philips EL6040

Nicknamed by some as the "The Nun Frightener"!

In 1956 the BBC were sufficiently interested in this model to devote a technical report to it. Although there were some reservations about the lumpy frequency response, they were impressed by the high end response. Their conclusion was...."Unlike most moving coil microphones the Philips EL.6040 has the frequency response well maintained even beyond 10 Hz. This extended range was very noticeable on a speech test; at the same time the low response in the 300 Hz to 3 kHz region and the numerous small irregularities in the frequency characteristics were not as objectionable as might have been expected. In addition to its potential as a hand microphone for commentaries and interviews, the EL.6040 would be a suitable replacement for the obsolete STC microphones type 4017 at present used in the parabolic reflector PRB/2."

Note that the STC 4017 was considered obsolete at this time, although it was still available to buy in 1973, 18 year later.

Technical Specification:

• Frequency range: 50 Hz to 15 kHz
• Sensitivity: 0.22 mV/μbar at 500 Ω
• Impedance: 50 Ω, 500 Ω, and 25 kΩ (Plug Adjustable)
• Connector: 4-pin PHILIPS male plug with screw coupling, balanced

BBC technical report on the Philips EL6040

A post about the EL6040 at Vintage Microphone World