Author Topic: Jim Perry's microphone on CS78 (Read 8867 times)

Argo · « **on:** November 29, 2005, 05:54:10 PM »

I dont know if this has been talked about before, but wondering what kind of microphone Jim used on Card Sharks. It looks verrrry close to the ecm-51 used by Barker and Rayburn, etc... but it looks much more slender and different color. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks
Mark

Chief-O · « **Reply #1 on:** November 29, 2005, 06:04:13 PM »

It's an ECM-51. NBC techs probably just painted it black.

Strikerz04 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 29, 2005, 06:07:04 PM »

A follow-up:

All of a sudden, the mic changed halfway (or late) into '79, and it seemed like he had it for the rest of the run. Was there a sudden change to it by the producers, or was there a malfunction with the old one?

mystery7 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 29, 2005, 07:04:15 PM »

They don't get much more slender than the ECM-51. Well, in those days they didn't. The replacement I remember them using was a Shure SM-63..

Argo · « **Reply #4 on:** November 30, 2005, 11:09:24 PM »

Speaking about slender microphones, i'm surprised that no microphone company has put out an interview microphone like the old ecm-51. I know that they may have had problems with them years ago, but technology today is somewhat better than those of the early 70s. Also, I don't think there is any microphone more attractive than the 51, but there are some nice ones. I know that microphones are not made especially for looks, but still.

Also, still on the subject of Jim Perry and the microphone, very early or very late in the run (i havent seen very many episodes of NBC CS), Jim used a brown colored mic during the Money Cards. Is this correct? If so, what one?

Thanks

Yes i have an obsession for microphones lol

Kevin Prather · « **Reply #5 on:** December 01, 2005, 12:36:55 AM »

As for looks, my all-time favorite is the aforementioned Shure SM-63. A very classy microphone indeed. I remember seeing Karen Carpenter singing with one in the Carpenters ABC TV Special, and admiring that mic quite a bit.

mystery7 · « **Reply #6 on:** December 01, 2005, 07:40:56 PM »

Now that you've brought it up, my vote for sexiest mic would have to go to the Schoeps Collette from the '80s Pyramid shows. Almost as thin as the ECM-51 when attached to their stands (as seen in the Winner's Circle) but much classier.

dmota104 · « **Reply #7 on:** December 02, 2005, 09:53:27 AM »

[quote name=\'Strikerz04\' date=\'Nov 29 2005, 06:07 PM\']A follow-up:

All of a sudden, the mic changed halfway (or late) into '79, and it seemed like he had it for the rest of the run. Was there a sudden change to it by the producers, or was there a malfunction with the old one?

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[/quote]

Memory's a bit hazy on this. I remember hearing this malfunction on a GSN rerun. During a money cards endgame, a bunch of "zaps" and "popping audio" came as Jim was talking. Then, there's an obvious edit and in the process Jim's given a new microphone.

IIRC, Jim's replacement mic resembled Monty Hall's mic on LMaD in the mid-'70s.

Visual aid, courtesy of a Google search: http://www.canadians.ca/celebs/monty_hall-slide.jpg

Chief-O · « **Reply #8 on:** December 02, 2005, 10:11:52 AM »

Monty's mic was the Electro-Voice RE-55.

The Shure SM-63 is actually a newer model----the one Jim used was an SM-61.

SRIV94 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 02, 2005, 11:55:21 AM »

[quote name=\'dmota104\' date=\'Dec 2 2005, 08:53 AM\']Memory's a bit hazy on this. I remember hearing this malfunction on a GSN rerun. During a money cards endgame, a bunch of "zaps" and "popping audio" came as Jim was talking. Then, there's an obvious edit and in the process Jim's given a new microphone.

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There's another malfunction I remember well. In a 1980 ep, Perry had major trouble with the cord (he walked over the Money Cards only to have the cord get stuck, making it a little difficult for him to maneuver).

When they came out of commercial, the wire was all unfurled, and draped all over Perry (nice set-up for him to make a joke about NBC's audio department).

Doug

bossjock967 · « **Reply #10 on:** December 02, 2005, 02:06:42 PM »

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Dec 2 2005, 11:55 AM\'][quote name=\'dmota104\' date=\'Dec 2 2005, 08:53 AM\']Memory's a bit hazy on this. I remember hearing this malfunction on a GSN rerun. During a money cards endgame, a bunch of "zaps" and "popping audio" came as Jim was talking. Then, there's an obvious edit and in the process Jim's given a new microphone.

[snapback]103717[/snapback]

[/quote]
There's another malfunction I remember well. In a 1980 ep, Perry had major trouble with the cord (he walked over the Money Cards only to have the cord get stuck, making it a little difficult for him to maneuver).

When they came out of commercial, the wire was all unfurled, and draped all over Perry (nice set-up for him to make a joke about NBC's audio department).

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[/quote]
Come to think of it... I remember another ECM-51 malfunction on Match Game.

The mic had been popping and cracking throughout the game... and a contestant won the match and was standing center stage. As Gene was throwing it to commerical... the mic cut out... and it looked like the cable connector on the bottom of the mic just fell off. Gene just waved his hands... and the show faded to black.

Then they came back... Gene was holding a different mic.

I've heard that the electronics department at CBS learned to hate the ECM-51s... because the solder connections inside the mic kept breaking. Especially when Gene started using his like a pes shooter. That's why in the later MG7xs and Syndie MGs, he has one that's made out of a solid metal tube instead of the telescoping sections.

I have a Sony ECM-31M, a relative to the ECM-51. And, mine has developed a short that causes audio to cut in and out when you're using it. I guess it was a flaw in the design.