Flea 49 Demo and Review

[@richlodato106]

Just saw this now old review. I just purchased the Flea 49 and was nervous! Not now! Thank you.

[@alecbrits]

It’s an incredible microphone. :)

[@riverwalktalesofterror8045]

I have watched this a dozen times just today. That is the mic for me.

[@alecbrits]

It’s an incredible option for sure! Miss having it here so much.

[@dknstrkt]

When the demo song is even better than the review. Glad I found your channel! BTW that mic sounds scary good.

[@alecbrits]

Thanks!! :) it’s a great piece of kit.

[@Pariyaa]

I love the retro sound of your music and I very much enjoyed listening to your song and lovely voice. The Flea 49 definitely does wonders as well.

[@alecbrits]

Thank you very very much! :) it’s an unbelievable microphone. Really enjoyed having it here. :)

[@ErnestoPossiSpanishVoiceOver]

It is true! That mic sounds great basically just in everything! I recorded VO with the M49 and is amazing mic too but it is hard to find one in really good conditions….Great video!

[@alecbrits]

It is a really flexible and forgiving piece of gear for sure! :) Thank you for the kind words!

[@gmichaelhall]

Flea does supply an extremely robust hard case with the purchase of a 49. Mine just showed up one day about a year after I received the microphone. Flea 49 is just a work of art made by some really awesome people

[@alecbrits]

I’m glad they do that now! :) back when this was filmed that was not the case.

[@gmichaelhall]

@@alecbrits Actually I bought that first Flea in 2013. The case showed up unannounced in late 2014...completely unexpected that they would even remember promising a case to come. A few months after that, the Flea mic hat arrived but Ivan had told me that was coming. The cases are made by Mello and are probably the finest microphone road case I own.

[@alecbrits]

@@gmichaelhall that’s great to know!

[@richardd3613]

Really enjoying your channel Alec - clearly a super talented and enthusiastic producer, engineer and musician - love your tracks (maybe sensing a hint of Paul Simon / Steely Dan etc.), plus your very helpful, open, easy going and straightforward presentation style - perfect for me at the moment as I'm trying to finish (although it'll never really be finished!) a small studio build - looking closely at adding some better mics and a Cranborne 500R8 - thank you

[@alecbrits]

Hi Richard! Thank you for the very kind words. The Cranborne is just fantastic!

[@timball8429]

Thanks for the review as always Alec. That’s peaked my interest to try out the 49. Sounds great in my iPhone. I know that’s not really going to give me a true reflection of the tone but if it sounds good on that it can only be better on my monitors.

[@alecbrits]

It’s one of the mics I miss most around here. Really beautiful piece of kit.

[@davewestner]

Thanks for doing this man. Dig the tune too. You covered all the stuff I was wondering about.

[@alecbrits]

Thank you for the kind words Dave! :) it’s a wonderful microphone. 👌🏽

[@WarrenHenry]

You sir are one heck-of-a talent! Great review and demo

[@alecbrits]

Thank you so much Warren! :)

[@Jjf109nine]

Neumann will release the Neumann M49 in July 2022. Mark my words. First hand knowledge. Greetings from Hamburg

[@alecbrits]

Well that’s very exciting! :)

[@alicefaivre-duolua]

Great channel! having looked at the others videos the 49 definitely sounds like a record on your voice. They still use ac701 tube or it was another one? Keep going and thanks for sharing

[@alecbrits]

Thank you Alice! :) totally agree, I’m a huge fan of the M49. I really miss having it around here! I’ll keep working and producing more content.

[@livredesd]

Amazing review! the m49 is the best microphone ever built! Never Fails and so underrated , which mic stand you bought for this FleaM49? Blessings!

[@alecbrits]

Thanks so much! :) I used K&M mic stands in this video.

[@EandVEntertainment]

I own two and it really is an incredible microphone. The low end is a touch different than an original, but that’s due to the tube change. Wish they still made the AC701. So far it has worked on everything I have thrown at it; acoustic guitar, female vocals, male vocals, trumpet, saxophone, room, etc. oh, you can get the custom case, but it’s an additional $300. I have a pretty in depth comparison between the FleA 47 and FleA 49 on my channel.

[@alecbrits]

They are so great! I watched your video a few days ago. Great work! :)

[@EandVEntertainment]

@@alecbrits thanks so much.

[@EandVEntertainment]

@@the9thEarl yeah. My wife and I like to cut duets simultaneously, so grabbing a second one made sense. I have a nice video comparing the FleA 49 to the FleA 47 on a bunch of sources. Really love my FleA 49, but also have a U67 for the times the 49 is just too big.

[@snippletrap]

Subbed. I came for the gear reviews but now I just want to hear more songs like this.

[@alecbrits]

Thank you so much!

[@hepzibahchannel7829]

Loving your videos Alec, your music is brilliant! Given the choice, would you choose this over the U67 (Reissue)? Currently trying to decide between the two...

[@alecbrits]

I ended up purchasing two U67’s, but I have every intention of getting a pair of M49’s as well. :) the 67’s are really solid alrounders. This week I’ve used them on overheads, piano, electric guitar, acoustic and vocals. They are sublime and versatile. The M49’s also have similar use cases, but the lack of a pad makes them a little less versatile than a 67. :) I hope this helps.

[@Lapography]

Nice and Warm. I had a Flea 47 I might have to check out the 49. Great song too.

[@alecbrits]

The 47 is great! Give it a go. Having both will allow you to capture pretty much any vocal easily! :) thanks.

[@MikeBrits14]

Sick tune

[@alecbrits]

Thanks Mike!! :)

[@abzee733]

I got a Flea 12, but now I want a 49 as well! 😅

[@HarvinderSingh-yy8th]

Flea 49 is powered by its own phantom supply. So do we need an audio interface for recording. Or is power is directly connected to computer/ laptop.

[@alecbrits]

The power supply supplies power to the mic. It is not a microphone preamplifier. :) so you will always need a mic pre or an interface with this mic.

[@jarlyjarly]

great reviews, thanks and keep it up!

[@alecbrits]

Thanks Joakim!

[@zonarecordingstudio]

also considering flea 47 as well

[@alecbrits]

It’s a solid choice!

[@dirkchurlish4074]

thank you! enlightening. so what are you using in lieu of this smooth 49 on your own voice? and--maybe the same answer, maybe not--which mic is capturing the intro/outro voiceover audio? any experience with the flea superfet?

[@alecbrits]

Thank you Dirk! Recently I’ve been really enjoying the Neumann Fet 47 on my voice. But I do find myself missing that flea more often than not. I have not tried the Superfet yet, but I am SO curious to play with it. For the video recording, I use a Sennheiser MKH 416 into a Neve 1073 DPX.

[@felipecastro5752]

Cool video. I loved this microphone, designer elegant, nice performance, however Very expense. Me desire ALL the best Mr.Alec.

[@alecbrits]

Thank you Felipe! :) hope you doing well! It’s very pricey, but I think that’s due to the insane amount of detail and time taken to make one of these.

[@viociarnau1670]

Are you able to shoot out a FleA12 as well? I’m in between to get either this 49, or the 12...- but l can not find any video about 12 to help me pick up one mic...- and the way you did this video is gonna help me a lot to make that final decision- (l don’t have $$ to buy them both, lol...). Please help me out here bro, at least to have an idea about how the FleA12 sounds - versus FleA49... Thank you very much.

[@alecbrits]

I’ll see what I can do. :) I’m very curious about the flea 12 too.

[@musahenderson]

on vocals did you have to counterweight the mic stand? is it as heavy as the original?

[@alecbrits]

I did not have to counter weight the stand. But when I have used it over the drum kit at a taller height I used my heavy duty K&M stand. But the normal K&M stands I use in the studios do a good job for vocals/piano and guitars. I’m not sure how much the original weighs!

[@EandVEntertainment]

It is as heavy as the original.

[@zonarecordingstudio]

Alec purchasing a new vocal mic flea 49 or neuman u67,thoughts

[@alecbrits]

Hi! :) I really enjoy my 67’s, but I am Looking to get a pair of Flea U48’s.

[@zonarecordingstudio]

@@alecbrits tlm-107 vs u87?

[@alecbrits]

Very different sounding mics for sure! I would tend to go for the 107 personally. It’s more flexible and a little more forgiving tonally. I’ve just finished mixing a record where all the vocals were tracked with the 107, and I’m blown away by how easy it is to push things further with it.

[@michaelk2397]

Which capsule is in the Flea 49 you reviewed, the K47 or the M7?

[@alecbrits]

This one was the M7 :)

[@Screaming-Trees]

I like the sound of the microphone but I don't really like the copying someone else's ideas part and selling them under your own brand name. Especially since Neumann have a 49 style microphone in production still. And what's worse, everyone is riding the coattails of Neumann ideas and innovation but it seems at the same time there is a campaign to smear the present-day Neumann brand. I wish all this would stop. This microphone would be fine trading on its own brand and original look. It doesn't need to trade on someone else's history and ideas. I'm sticking to originals only nowadays. Love the channel as always mate. Thanks for all the great reviews and please, keep 'em coming.

[@alecbrits]

I appreciate your point of view. :) to each their own of course.

[@Screaming-Trees]

@@alecbrits Sure. It is perhaps some harsh criticism but also I think some positive/complimentary feedback in the same breath. As I said, the mic sounds great and could stand on its own.

[@richlodato106]

@@Screaming-Trees It's the sound and feel at a fraction of the cost of a Neumann. I don't see the problem. Neumann is certainly not hurting. I appreciate Flea. They're a very fine company that takes pride in their builds. I have a clone church 47 that sounds every bit as good as the original.. maybe better from what I've heard. You ain't ever gonna get a complaint outta me! I custom built the 47 and is stellar! Thank you Neumann for all the music I made with your ideas! Chill bro.

[@Screaming-Trees]

@@richlodato106 You don't see a problem with theft? Okay fine. Like I already said they make good products that sound good. Why not just do their own thing? Come up with their own ideas? Because that's next level of difficulty. Basic research is difficult and there is no ready market and no way to quantify the risk even. With Neumann reissuing things now I see no reason to not go with the original. If you want Neumann it's available. I bought a U67 reissue for 5.4k USD couple of years ago. Fraction of the cost? I don't think so. You can't put a price of rewarding original work. As for clones sounding as good as original 47s yeah right. I heard that over and over and over but I have yet to hear that. If the clone companies to reverse engineer the front of the capsule, which they can't because it's a chemical process mostly that nobody knows but Neumann, then maybe. Until then any talk of as good as is just hyperbole. I don't really care what you use. What you do and like is obviously up to you. But I draw the line at theft.

[@richlodato106]

@@Screaming-Treesfirst of all, it’s not theft. Secondly, you seem angrier now. Chill bro. I understand how you feel and I can respect that. Just respect the others feel as well. Don’t be such a dictator man.

[@MusicSasho]

Flea 49 or the new Neuman 49?

[@alecbrits]

Think that depends on how much you need to take off your tax bill! :) either will do the job very very well.

[@MusicSasho]

@@alecbrits If you need to choose just one as a gift ?

[@alecbrits]

@@MusicSasho hahaha, who ever is giving me a gift like that is a legend firstly. I think I’d lean toward the Neumann for its value and product support over time.

[@mattyamaori]

Nice song!

[@alecbrits]

Thank you Mattya! :)

[@AndrewMorganSmithMusic]

Trying to convince myself I don’t need this 😂😂😂

[@alecbrits]

Best of luck with that! 😂

[@AndrewMorganSmithMusic]

@@alecbrits I was unsuccessful

[@ljosdreki]

Great

[@alecbrits]

Thank you so much! :D

[@darrylweller6143]

Which do you like better this flea 49 Or Neumann 47 fet?

[@alecbrits]

Hi Darryl! Totally different sounding microphones really. I grew really attached to them both for things like vocals and acoustic guitars, the FET47 was a more open and forward sounding mic while the flea was forgiving and smooth. It’s strange, I like what they do on similar source materials, but for different reasons. If you have the chance to try them both, I would recommend it, there might be a clear choice with your setup/workflow. The Flea has the option of changing pickup patterns, the omni setting on the Flea 49 is something quite special if you are into omni recording. I hope this helps! :)

[@Plush4906]

Open your pocketbook today. Buy it today. Stop goofing around.

[@alecbrits]

Working on it!