Recreating one of the most legendary tube microphones
The Stam Audio SA-47 MK3 is an exact sounding replica of the most revered vocal tube microphone in history, the Telefunken U47. With the aid of a NOS Telefunken-Siemens EF800 Tube, an Italian made Braingasm M7 capsule and a US made AMI BV08 output transformer we have managed to give this replica the true character of an original U47 at a fraction of the price, making it affordable to everyone.
The SA-47 MK3 is made with premium components
Since the capsule is the single most important component on a microphone’s tone, we have decided to take extra care and use the best replica available of both the K47 and M7 on the market.
The SA-47 MK3 features premium capacitors on the audio path as well as polystyrene capacitors, which are more stable and much more linear in the top end which makes them the perfect choice for feedback circuitry. Additionally, the unit features a NOS Telefunken tube reducing noise and the output impedance to give this microphone the true character of an original U 47 microphone.
Critical to the microphones timbre is the output transformer which is as important as the capsule on this circuit. After testing dozens of samples and every BV08 replica under the sun we settled for the US made AMI BV08C which is wound to original Braunbuch specification using custom UI30 laminations.
We have remained 100% faithful to the original vintage circuit and schematic and have made no compromise in parts, which ensures you get the best possible sounding microphone.
Each SA-47 MK3 comes with a rock solid power supply with a voltage selector which allows you to use it anywhere in the world and includes a premium XLR cable with a locking system. Directional patterns can be switched on the microphone head basket.
We also offer the SA-47 MK3 with a K47 capsule for those whom prefer a more modern and mid forward sound on their 47.
100% satisfaction guarantee – if you don’t love your SA-47 MK3, we’ll refund you
If you’ve used an original vintage U47 before, we’re extremely confident the SA-47 MK3 will put a big smile on your face every time you use it.
However, if you’ve never touched the original before, as gear-lovers ourselves we understand that the only way to really know if this tube microphone is for you, is to put it through its paces.That’s why the SA-47 MK3 comes with a 30-day money back guarantee. This allows you to get it into your studio and see how it impacts your recordings. If you love it (and we think you will!), great…keep the unit and create amazing music with it. If not, no problems. Just send it back to us and we’ll fully refund your purchase.
oliver.jp.kenny –
For the price this is an absolute awesome microphone. For vocals this is pretty much the go to, whether screaming aggressive or the softest of ballads.
egroys –
This mic is worth every penny. Did mic shootouts with different singers and the SA-47 always just sounded like a record right away. It comes in a beautiful case + flight case, the power supply is beefy in all the right ways, the cable is extra long, and the shockmount is very sturdy. I can’t say enough about how great it sounds on anything you put it in front of. Also, don’t sleep on the omni pattern!
Jamie Sitar –
So glad I ordered 2! Amazing on vocals of course, but equally awesome as a stereo pair on drums and piano. Great build quality – a total bargain!
Matt Berky –
STAM has done it again. My 2nd purchase with STAM and I knew I would be getting something special again. This mic is amazing. It is beautifully built and sounds amazing. Nice smooth thick vocals, great for acoustic guitar as well…piano, anything you want to record this just works and gives you a great vintage tone. Shot it against a Telefunken u48 and it’s detail response was almost identical. Congrats guys, another winner here.
Eike Groenewold –
My SA-47 arrived some months ago (after waiting only 3 weeks for shipping to Germany) and yet there seems to be no source it cannot handle. Especially drum room recordings blew me away. Vocals sound full and sit in the mix very well. It took some days to understand that it just does not need a lot of EQ. Being used to a Neumann U87 Ai (which was my workhorse before) and dealing with it´s harshness the SA-47 does sound very natural and full bodied compared to the U87. STAM´s Pultec may be a good partner to add a little shine on dull voices – maybe that will be my next order from STAM 😉 I will be doing a little shootout with my U87 Ai as soon as I have a free week without recordings
Vahe Manoukian –
I have been fortunate enough to hang around some amazing recording engineers and recording equipmen over the last 28 years. I’ve heard many U47s in my life- the most recent was a matched pair with consecutive serial numbers and a stereo power supply! The vintage mics sound incredible!!! My SA47 arrived and it also sounds incredible! I was able to A/B the SA47 to the pair mentioned above. Most U47s sound different from each other. The vintage U47s are over 50 years old and are in great shape but who knows what they’ve been through over the years. You truly are getting the closest thing to a real U47 with it’s high quality. The high end capsule is made by Dany Bouchard in Canada and are professionally skinned with DuPont Mylar and an AMI transformer! No cheap Chinese capsules and transformers!
Frankie –
This mic is gold ! Never had the pleasure of using an original one , but i don’t feel the need anymore . Beautifull full shimmering in depth 3-d sound to me !
Chris Chorney –
Nothing short of amazing. A pleasure to use. Brings out a musical quality in our singers we have not heard before. Compared this to a Flea 47 – same ballpark. Could not be happier with this investment. Thanks Stam for another great product.
Cost has always been our guiding factor – we need the best quality for the lowest price, and this product, we feel, is setting the bar quite high for similar microphones. We finally have a sound that we always wanted – but for a very reasonable price.
One note – we did notice that the phase was inverted when the mic arrived. We became aware of this issue from another reviewer, checked it out and they were correct in their assessment. Not sure where the issue occurred in the circuit but our tech was able to fix the polarity flip. Will update when we have more specific info.
Thanks!
Analog Rock Machine Studio
Honolulu, HI
Peter Knight –
The STAM SA47 is a fantastic microphone. Well built, fantastically priced, and sounds glorious. I couldn’t be happier.
martin schlotfeldt –
I have been using this mic for a few months now, and I love it. Works great on everything, Acoustic Guitars, Electric Guitars, in front of a Drum Kit and is specially great on Vocals. It has been de #1 mic of the studio since his arrival. Great construction and comes with an excellent case and the proper accessories for this kind of mic Thanks guys!
Patrick Bohr –
I got a lot of mics in my locker, Neumanns, JZs, Nevatons, Lautenaudio etc.. but I really love this mic. I only buy it because I want to use it for vocals recordings but after 5 month its one of my go to mics for everything. Great as a OH Mono Mic. Incredible in front of the kick. Nice at E-Guitars, AccGuitars etc… The only problem….I need one more 🙂
Because the wait was long I tried out the warm audio. And IMHO with the WA-47 you get only an idea how a U-47 maybe could be, but the Stam make the magic ! The built quality of the WA-47 by the way is shit. I mean really shit.
The only sad thing about the S47 is that the powersupply has no light to shows that it´s on.
THANK YOU STAM !
Adrian Csapo – Csapo Studios –
I am very happy with my purchase! The vocals are stunning. Magical Microphone!
Aaron Levinson –
I own all kinds of mics from RCA 77’s to the Brauner Valvet and all points in between. This mic is a spectacular iteration of one of the finest Neumann designs. From it’s build quality to its exceptionally low noise floor you simply cannot buy a finer of this microphone on the open market.
Andrew –
The SA47 is an excellent microphone. I have used it for over a year in a variety of situations, the sound quality is consistently fantastic. The microphone, mount and power supply are built very solidly- if expect they will provide a lifetime of use. One thing which is not mentioned- the cable provided is quite long, which allows for wonderful flexibility in positioning, especially in a larger space.
Mike Donaldson –
This microphone is absolutely incredible. I was lucky enough to catch a B-stock sale and was initially nervous in terms of spending money on anything because it was totally an impulse buy, but after receiving the microphone and using it on the vocals, guitar, bass and drum kit for a soul record, it has proven a thousand times over to have been a worthwhile investment. I truly didn’t realize what I was missing until I started recording with the SA47 and now understand how guys like Al Schmitt could get away with very little EQ or compression to make a part fit beautifully into the mix. This microphone gives me the confidence to capture exactly what I need right at the source!
Mansur S. –
BEST MIC BEST MIC BEST MIC ever !!!!!
Just got this baby. And made a quick check.
Never heard such a full and warm tone. Till now the u87 was my to go mic. The sa47 has a much fuller tone. Really sad that I didn’t purchase this before!
Quick delivery. And very well packed. Excellent case and looks stunning! Perfect!
So don t think , GET THIS MIC, u won’t regret it.
Tommy Harden –
Absolutely blown away. Instantly I noticed the Chinese knock off top end zing was gone, finally. Vocals are money. The low end is insane. I mic’ed an underside djembe and the low end beat my kick drum mic. I’m getting another and probably a 67 as well.
Adam Burd –
Totally blown away by this mic! Build quality is top notch – mic is solid and comes in a beautiful wooden case, the shockmount is extra sturdy, power supply is hefty, cable is generous in length, and the whole thing comes in a high quality flight case. The most important factor – the sound! I’ve been fortunate to have used a wide variety of vintage Neumann mics and this instantly felt familiar. Though I have spent limited time using it, results have been very pleasing. Rich and musical, with that three dimensional sound a lot of clones fail to capture. I’m so excited to get it in front of a drum kit. To top it all off, the price can’t be beat! So excited to be a part of the Stam family and I’m looking forward to owning some of their other wonderful re-creations.
T.E.T. –
This is an awesome microphone. Comes with a nice case. Well packed. Sounds like a record. Wish I had more 🙂
Mike –
This is simply a wonderful microphone. I’m also one of those people with lots of mics…Flea, Neumann, Brauner, etc. This in front of an acoustic guitar is a heavenly match and so easy! The right placement, no eq, bang. It is definitely in the group of go-to mics now. I pre-ordered and delivery took some time, but it was worth the wait.
Mark Webster –
Best microphone I have ever worked with. I run it through a Focusrite Clarett and I’m floored by how big and sweet vocals sound. My acoustic guitars sound clear and brilliant but with warmth, no harshness. Wish I had ordered two.
Dave Garner –
Got this beauty a few months back (MK1 version) and I have to say this is the smoothest mic I’ve ever encountered…and I’ve been a studio singer for 30 years in some of the biggest studios around. It just sounds like a record right out of the box…before any effects applied. But then it reacts incredibly with whatever effects are added – they enhance the sound rather than degrade it. Now I’m just waiting for the 1073MPA I ordered a while back. Can’t wait to be blown out of the saddle when that baby finally gets here!!! Josh and his team do an incredible job building these. Just wish I had an extra hundred grand to get 2 or 3 of everything they make!!!
Al kaatz –
I have quite a few mics for a home studio guy, most of what I have tried or used are under $1200 in price. This was a big expenditure for me but I’m totally happy with it – wish I had bought two of them. This mic punches far, far above its weight. Gorgeous on vocals, and pretty much anything. I was a bit worried after reading about wait times but my mic arrived three weeks after I ordered it. I would not hesitate to buy any Stam gear going forward.
Alan Cumpton –
5 star rating …Cheers for a fantastic product know world wide!
Eddie Orozco –
Just got my SA-47 MKII microphone, and let me tell you… nothing short of AMAZING!!! hands down the best microphone I have ever used. ?????
Billy North – Russel Road Studio –
This mic is beyond my expectations! I’ve sung on 47s, so I am familiar with them. Unfortunately I don’t have one in my mic locker to compare… but this is it! It has a 3 dimensional quality I cant put into words. Its beautiful! Magical! Crazy amazing!
George Leong –
Received the new MKII version and got it right to doing it’s job recording a male and female vocal. STAM absolutely nailed the sound of the vintage 47. Back in the 90’s I used to own a vintage U48 which we had to sell off due to the declining studio business. Based off memory, the STAM gave exactly the same vibe as the Neumann. The mic was solid and well made. My only complaint is that the power supply case is made of softer metal, the screws were not able to be screwed tightly and the toroidal transformer came off loose during shipping but tech support helped me get it fixed right away 5 *****. For the price, it’s unbeatable value. Much appreciation to Joshua and his team for working so hard to bring these awesome tools. I also orderered a SA251 but thats a story for another day. – A STAM fan.
Ringo Christiaan Van Droffelaar –
I bought the SA-47 MK2 and it is amazing! Sounds really beautiful, fits perfect for my voice I also have the SA-47 mk1.
That was the best microphone for my voice I ever heard. But the SA-47 mk2 was even better even more full and filled a perfect warm undertone in my voice. Singing through this microphone feels like cheating.and a weight has been lifted. It makes you sound so much better. I love this microphone and that it was even better than the MK1 is unbelievable. I also think that people should chill on them for being slow with delivery. I do understand they have to take a long time to make them to get that kind of quality products. And it’s a small team, I don’t mind it takes long personally. I run a business myself and must admit deadlines goes many times overboard. Especially when you depend on different resourses to build.
Thank You Stam Audio for such Amazing products 🙂
Lucas –
Stam has done an incredible job on the SA47 MK2. This has become my go to microphone for vocals, room and mono drum kit. It’s hard to make to make this microphone sound bad! It honesty sounds good on just about any sound source. It has a huge amount of low end, powerful mids and clear highs. I have been lucky enough to use a real 47 and I must say the SA-47MK2 is every bit as responsive and detailed when using a qualty preamp. I have been blown away at how little EQ is needed on lead vocals. There is an enormous amount of presence in the midrange that gives whatever you are recording an authorative and immediate quality. I had a small probelm when the micropehone first arrived and Stam coverd the cost of shipping and repairs. This was my first purchase from Stam and I would have no probelm making another!
Jerry Thompson –
Got my SA 47 in June. Only had experience with some of the TLM Neuman’s and the Blue mics and some of the other clones of the 47. The SA 47 had the pronunciation definition and dimension that I had not experienced from other microphones. Also, couldn’t find an eq setting or a preamp that would bring out those missing frequencies until now. I guess they weren’t there to bring out to begin with. It pleased me so much. I bought my second SA 47. Due in September Spent my SA 33609 money. But I got a couple of months before they are available. Thanks, Stam Audio. I really Like your Microphones. Jerry Thompson
Ben –
The SA47 MK2 is just as amazing and beautiful sounding as all of these reviews attest. It’s my go-to for vocals and acoustic guitar. I’m very happy with the purchase- highly recommend!
Remy –
Absolutely great mic, been my go-to workhorse for a couple years now (beforeMK3, but still). Use it for vocals, but also on basically all sources now because it just sounds awesome on everything. Very impressed, these guys are definitely doing it right!
castrotomas –
The SA47Mk3 sounds amazing. It’s a beautiful thing that home studio owners now can get U47 sound at a reasonable price. Thank you Stam Audio!
gregcoop7 –
My second Stam Audio mic. NAKED: This is a great mic! Without running it through a bunch of crap. I a/b ‘d it using Grace, BAE73, CAPI, Apollo x, and UA 610 preamps. They all sound good with this mic. I liked the non colored Grace and La610 the best, which left this SA47mk3 true to itself, which is a great sounding mic without any help. It takes eq well but doesn’t need much. 1176, LA2a, CL1b, Dbx560, doesn’t really need it, this mic sounds so good naked! Great vocal tracking Mic! The workmanship on this mic and power box is really good, and a real solid shockmount, not the little flimsy one… Josh has a great ear! Thanks.
Coop: home studio / musician
Chuck Schubert –
This microphone exceeded all expectations! Paired with the Stam 1073MPA preamp it is a match made in heaven. This mic is THE best U47 clone period. Just spectacular. Thank you, Josh!
Simon –
Simply the SA-47 is the best Microphone I have ever owned PERIOD!!
I am a professional voice-over artist, working in Voice-Over since 1995 and this mic is the best, you can work very close on it, and it has such a great response without plosives (mic popping) you can work the best out of your voice with this mic.
You can work at distance, and it keeps a great full sound its awesome.
Josh and your team have created a voice-over microphone that is the best. I just cant believe how good it is!!!
It was completely amazing when I first heard my voice through the headphones. Allot of studios use the Neumann 87ai, the Sennheiser MKH416 the SA-47 MK III kills them.
Also, I have used the WA-47 by Warm Audio, the STAM SA-47 is far superior, the STAM has a really great response in the highs, mids and a controlled natural lower end (not over done) where the WA-47 sounds muddy in the lower mids and a complete fake bottom end. There is NO comparison between the two.
Great mic if you are considering buying a voice-over mic buy the SA-47, your voice will never sound better 🙂
Terry –
I have always wanted a U-47 for vocals. Since I am not wealthy and don’t wish to be smothered in my sleep by my wife I needed an alternative. I got a gig recording vocals and voice over. Josh set me up with this microphone. I have used a U-47 in the studio. It was the same one Kurt Cobain sang through in the sing “You know you’re right.” I know what they should sound like. Stam nailed it. This microphone brings out the harmonics that a lot of microphones miss. I run this through my Neve 1073 and it is just awesome. Just the mic straight into the interface is awesome. I have run it through the Stam API preamp, Neve, and various plug ins. They all sound good on this mic. If you want to take vocals and spoken word to the next level, invest in this. Getting a good track during recording saves so much heartache later. I also have the Stam 87t . I use it on acoustic guitar and this on vocals and it takes everything to the next level.