The Pearlman TM-250 came about after Dave was asked to replicate the famed Telefunken 250 tube condenser microphone. It is hand made following the original mic and power supply schematics and using point-to-point wiring just like back in the day. The capsule is a C12-type made in Denmark by Tim Campbell but you can also get the mic fitted with an actual CK-12 capsule at an additional cost.

The mic has a cardioid and omnidirectional pattern switch on its front and comes in a rugged, foam-lined travel case complete with hand-wired power supply, excellent shock mount basket and all cables required. Inside it uses a 6072 tube mounted in a ceramic socket and an oversized output transformer at its base. The nickel housing is painted the same "mental institution" green like the Tele 250.

I already have and use Pearlman's TM-1 tube mic so I A/B'd it to the new TM-250 here at my Tones 4 $ Studios. Right away I could tell the 250 came from the same builder's hands as the TM-1!

I used 30dB gain for TM-1 and 35dB for the TM-250 through identical channels of my RTZ Professional Audio 9762 Dual-Combo Mic Pre-amp. These two mics are remarkable close in sound but the 250 is more sensitive and has a more open sound. And that is to say it is not super bright--it has no "s" problems at all. S sounds on both mics are clean with the 250 sounding slightly smoother.

The TM-1 has a more pronounced mid-range character--a "nasality" good for somber-voiced singers to cut a busy music track better. I use the 250 for singers who tend to sound nasal and need the extension of high and low frequencies to fill out their sound.