Could someone post a screen-grab or picture of Michael testifying at the Questadt hearings? I'm particularly interested in the microphone that's being used in that scene.

tony b.

Perche?

If I had to guess, I'd say it's an Electro-Voice Model 654.

I like the pack of Camels on the table.

Another example of FFC's fanatical attention to authenticity. A director who sweats that level of detail is going to get everything right.

Good call.

I know a little about mics and figured it for an ElectroVoice, but couldn't figure out the exact model.

One geeky thought - notice that the mic cord does not plug into the mic, but into the stand. This is very unusual. It's probably so that the mic can be swiveled around to whoever's talking without twisting the cable.

Another geeky thought - I wouldn't think that type of mic would be ideal for that setting. It's omnidirectional - it picks up sound from all directions. Perfect for placing in the middle of a multi-person discussion but less so for a Congressional hearing. I figured they'd use a mic with a much more directional pattern, like a shotgun mic, which would only pick up the speaker it's pointed at. This mic could get a lot of extraneous chatter from a packed room.

I like the evil look in Kay's eye.

If I'm not mistaken, those are glasses of real water. Only kidding. I love this kind of detail stuff.

Michael should have gone with a different tie. The black suit and black tie thing make him look too much like a mafia don.

Speaking of Mics,for live shows,do you guys mostly use Sm58's in the states or U.K???

Just Lou offers key forensic evidence...

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If I had to guess, I'd say it's an Electro-Voice Model 654. (see his photo, stipulated as Exhibit 1 in an earlier post)

Look for the photo of an EV Model 674. I think that's a better match. Never saw one in real life, but I bookmarked a web site with vintage microphones a long time ago and I was pretty sure it was a 674.

I hadn't given it much thought for a while, but a musician buddy tipped me on a couple of vintage microphones he saw at an antique/re-sale shop in the neighborhood...with the specific description that one of the mic's looked like the ones they used in the hearings. He's not a Godfather fan, but as a working musician he has an appreciation for vintage equipment and seemed pretty confident it was the same one.

The committee members are all using a different microphone -- they appear to be Electro-Voice Model 665. In both cases, it's equipment that would have been manufactured in the early to mid-1950's so these are historically accurate props. What's not right? The cable and connectors in that scene...the original equipment in that era would have had a connector held in place by a concentric ring and NOT the modern push-and-click XLR connector shown in the photograph.

Anyway...I'll find my way to this place and if it's the right thing at the right price, I'll post-up again.

tony b.

The 654 looks like a perfect match to me. The 674 looks nothing like it.

Yes, Shure SM58s are very commonly used in the states. They are prevalent for voice, but also often used for instruments, especially when on a limited budget.