When is a microphone more than a microphone? Perhaps when the device in question is used in recording studios around the globe, or on stage with the world’s most famous musical performers. Telefunken, a South Windsor company, is a world-renowned manufacturer of high-end microphones that combine old-world engineering with new-world improvements.
To walk into Telefunken’s offices is to take a step back in time, both in terms of the vintage marketing dĂ©cor around their recently expanded manufacturing and office spaces, as well as for the rows upon rows of vintage microphones stored in display cases. Many of them have been held by some of the music world’s most famous acts, from Alicia Keys to ZZ Top. And it’s the feverish adherence to old-school design that makes the microphones so sought after. Â
Old Word Techniques, New World Tech
The company has its roots in Germany, established as the basis of a lofty goal to establish the world’s first transcontinental broadcast network. Years later, after realizing the market for professional audio equipment was too small, Telefunken began building broadcast systems for municipal use. The company would still face growing pains and eventually wound down operations.
Regardless of its challenges, Telefunken’s reputation for producing high-quality microphones survived. A robust design – featuring a hand-wired circuit and vacuum tubes – made Telefunken microphones a gold standard in acoustical engineering, considered both over-built and ornate. That’s why to this day major recording artists still rely on Telefunken mics for recording studio sessions and live performances.
After realizing the trademark had been abandoned, Fishman set out to secure a licensed partnership agreement to manufacture and sell the company’s classic microphones all over the world. And thanks to some detective work, Fishman also discovered a stash of new old stock vacuum tubes that ensures the modern Telefunken microphone stays true to the original design. This adherence to originality requires a committed team that painstakingly builds each microphone by hand in the South Windsor facility.
“We started making microphones in the early 2000s, adding the iconic diamond logo that was synonymous with Telefunken,” said Fishman. “And now we have a great team making a great product and creating a great brand.”
Fueling Good Vibrations in Connecticut
Today, the company has undergone a major expansion as it continues to serve customers who knew the original Telefunken brand and respond to a new wave of recording artists, often creating music from the comfort of their own homes. Telefunken’s Director of Operations, Alan Venitosh, notes that Telefunken’s facility now features recording space so artists can explore the range of the company’s products while also providing unmixed sessions so they can hear what each instrument sounds like. This service helps build relationships but it is also a sort of homage to the original company.
“The original Telefunken business had its own record label,” said Venitosh. “They produced and sold records, then used that money to funnel back into R&D.”
R&D looks a little bit different in its new lab space, which Telefunken recently tripled the size of. Its technicians are busy at work developing new products and ways to improve the classic design, fine-tuning existing equipment with real-time feedback from musicians. CAD design and 3-D printers are also utilized for quick fabrication and test-fitting of new components.
But even with the new, Telefunken doesn’t forget about the old: the company will restore your equipment when it needs a refresh. Among their major recording studio clients? None other than Mr. Peter Gabriel himself.
Cox Business: Peace of Mind from a Local Partner
That forward-looking approach to technology is why the company trusts Cox Business to keep its inventory safe and daily operations humming. Telefunken uses Cox Business Security Solutions to provide video surveillance and monitor key access points throughout the sprawling facility. With so many visitors coming to use the recording studio, see the equipment first-hand or simply mingle with other audiophiles, keeping an eye on who’s coming and going is essential – or just making sure the doors are locked when the last employee leaves for the day.
The high-speed internet Cox Business provides – along with a robust suite of data protection solutions – are also used by Telefunken, as an important aspect of a global business that sees sales growing in emerging markets like China, along with the boom in home-based recording artists. Telefunken’s Venitosh notes that the advanced technology solutions, along with partnering with a local company, make managing their impressive growth more streamlined while affording them the bandwidth they need to keep up with increased demand.
By providing turnkey security and data solutions that align perfectly with its business operations, Telefunken can continue to build the products musicians around the globe rely on to make music that changes the world – a net benefit everyone can realize from the company’s investment in South Windsor.
For more information about services from Cox Business, please contact David O’Hara at 860-338-2370
