Beyerdynamic MC-740 (1985)
A West German flagship condenser that Beyerdynamic marketed harder than anyone ever reviewed it.
Overview
The MC-740 arrived in 1985 out of Heilbronn. It is a dual large-diaphragm condenser, built to be Beyerdynamic's multipattern flagship. The spec was ambitious for its day: five switchable polar patterns, a claimed 20 Hz - 20 kHz response held to ±2 dB, and self-noise of roughly 17 dB A-weighted. EQ Magazine (May 1996, p.36) printed that spec set in its product pages, and the same numbers turn up in period listings. The archive's corroboration notes are blunt about it, though. The core spec block is one source repeating itself, so treat these as manufacturer claims, not independently verified measurements.
What the record actually preserves is mostly Beyerdynamic's own advertising, which ran from the late 1980s through the 1990s and pushed a single argument. Most studio condensers, the copy conceded, look impressive on paper but have an icy, strident edge in practice - the kind of unnatural sound that never shows up on a response curve. Studio Sound (March 1989, p.38) ran that pitch and claimed the MC-740's five pickup patterns were equally uniform and identically transparent. The campaign was still running two years later, with Studio Sound (March 1991, p.80) crediting a breakthrough electronics design for a natural, transparent response. By late 2000, EQ Magazine (November 2000, p.45) was calling it the best true condenser microphone available anywhere. That's an ad line, not a verdict.
Independent reviews are scarce. Almost everything printed about the MC-740 came from the manufacturer. That makes it an odd entry in the archive: a well-specified microphone whose reputation rests more on a decade of confident advertising than on third-party measurement. Collectors who own them tend to describe them warmly, and one period-adjacent source notes the model was the direct forebear of Beyerdynamic's current MC840 - a lineage confirmed by owners who have spoken with the company about both.
Key Features
Five Patterns, Uniformly Voiced
The MC-740 is a dual large-diaphragm condenser switchable between wide cardioid, cardioid, hypercardioid, omnidirectional, and figure-eight. The count isn't the interesting claim, since plenty of large condensers offer multiple patterns. The claim is that all five are uniform within ±2 dB, which the advertising framed as a design criterion rather than a happy accident. Whether that holds in practice is undocumented here. The intent is clear enough: a mic that doesn't change character when you change pattern.
Remote Pattern Switching via MSG 740
An optional MSG 740 power supply allows the polar patterns to be switched remotely rather than at the microphone body. That's handy for a mic hung overhead in a hall or mounted in a booth where reaching the switch mid-session is awkward. The power supply is a separate accessory, so a used example may or may not come with one. Confirm before buying.
Gold-Vapor Capsule with Concentric-Ring Backplate
Beyerdynamic described the capsule as a pressure-gradient gold-vapor condenser. Owners who have compared it to other large-diaphragm designs note that the rear plate uses concentric rings rather than the usual pattern of holes. Beyerdynamic reportedly confirmed this departure from convention. The capsule is a Beyerdynamic-designed multipattern unit, and the advertising describes the surrounding electronics as achieving unusually low noise and distortion.
Pad, Low Cut, and Directional Switching
The body carries a −10 dB attenuator, a low-cut filter, and the directional switch. Owner reports describe all three as working reliably on surviving examples. The pad matters: maximum input SPL is listed at 134 dB, rising to 144 dB with the attenuator engaged. That's comfortable territory for close-miked drums and loud sources, despite the condenser design.
Specified for Critical Analog and Digital Work
The marketing positioned the MC-740 explicitly for the digital era, arguing that the increased dynamic range of digital recording suited a microphone that added no coloration of its own. Frequency response is quoted at 20 Hz - 20 kHz within ±2 dB, nominal impedance at 150 ohms, self-noise around 17 dB A-weighted, and power at standard 48 V phantom. Dimensions are listed as 215 mm long with a 37 mm shaft and a 35 × 55 mm head. The microphone ships with a case and suspension mount.
Historical Context
The MC-740 was released in 1985 and built in Germany. Surviving examples are described as early West Germany versions from the 1980s. It was Beyerdynamic's flagship multipattern condenser of the period, and the model that Beyerdynamic's current MC840 descends from. One account suggests the original design may have taken inspiration from the Neumann U89, though the capsule is a different design - a concentric-ring backplate rather than a perforated plate - so the resemblance, if any, is conceptual rather than mechanical.
The documentation trail is almost entirely Beyerdynamic's own: advertising that ran in Studio Sound across 1989 and 1991, and a spec sheet carried in EQ Magazine's product pages in May 1996. Original price was $1,699 including case and suspension mount. Whether production continued past the 1990s is not documented in the archive.
Collectibility & Value
The market for the MC-740 is thin and the pricing is all over the place. No exact listings were live on eBay at the time of research. A used example described as having excellent sound and in good working order was listed at $850. Another source shows a range of $149 - $199.99, but its provenance is unclear enough that it shouldn't be treated as a market signal. A mint example sold through a dealer at a price available on request. There is no reliable consensus value, and buyers should expect to negotiate from scratch rather than consult a price guide.
Accessories matter to the value. Listings note the Beyerdynamic EA 740 shock mount, a mic clip, and a hard case as the pieces to look for. The foam windshield (WS 740) is shared with the MC840, MC834, and M 99. Condition notes on surviving examples mention wear on the mic body from repeated insertion into the shock mount, with the hard case showing scuffs - cosmetic rather than functional. No common failures, repair procedures, or spare-parts availability are documented, so a buyer is largely on their own for service. Given the model's obscurity relative to its original price, it trades well below flagship-condenser money.
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