Topic: The Evolution (or maybe De-evolution) of the Schoeps A20

[H₂O]

Below is a pic of 3 different Schoeps A20 shockmounts.

1st one (on the left) is from the 1960's and has following features:
- an aluminium support ring
- an aluminium collar that secures the elastic to the plastic mic rings (long aluminium tube in the middle)
- elatics are not very sturdy (could be due to age, etc)
- Metal screw threads (the plastic base was molded around a metal one)
- completely disassembleable

2nd one (in the middle) is from the 1970's (possibly earlier as it came with a mic from the 60's)  and is similar to a modern A20 except:
- has metal "rivets" holding the plastic pieces together

3rd one (on the right) is a modern A20

You may note the similarities between the vintage A20 and the AMS22 in the last pic

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

I have nothing to add. I just want to say how much I like posts like this.  I like them alot.

[DSatz]

I can tell you why they changed from the first type to the second. Back when Dr. Schoeps (the co-founder of the company) was still alive and Jerry Bruck was the U.S. representative, Jerry used to visit the Schoeps factory every year. On one of his visits during the 1970s Dr. Schoeps asked him what he thought of the shock mount design, which Dr. Schoeps was apparently rather proud of.

Jerry did a lot of film sound back then, and was used to working in a hectic and sometimes uncontrolled environment unlike the European broadcast and recording studios that were Schoeps' biggest customers at the time. Jerry told Dr. Schoeps, "I'll show you the problem," and to Dr. Schoeps' horror he took the shock mount, put it on the floor and stepped on it. Not very hard--but enough to crush it.

Dr. Schoeps arranged for the new design to be created soon after that.

--best regards

[dennisrtyler]

i like story time

[page]

I have nothing to add. I just want to say how much I like posts like this.  I like them alot.

2X

[SClassical]

Someone should step on a SGC in front of Ulrich Schoeps!!!

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

I'm not impressed with the A20 at all.  Bought one new a year ago and it already has hairline cracks all around it and it wasn't due to my handling at all.  I baby my gear.  Seems like a cheap ass $100 mount if you ask me.

[stevetoney]

I'm not impressed with the A20 at all.  Bought one new a year ago and it already has hairline cracks all around it and it wasn't due to my handling at all.  I baby my gear.  Seems like a cheap ass $100 mount if you ask me.

That might be true, but it's possible, or even probable, that today's A20 design wasn't Mr. Schoeps vision either.  I know alot of people think the Disney company went to the grave with Walt.

[Matt Quinn]

Someone should step on a SGC in front of Ulrich Schoeps!!!

LOLz......+T

[DSatz]

Actually Mr. (Ulrich) Schoeps isn't an engineer; he's a business manager. One thing that we can all thank him for: He's resisted numerous buyout offers over the years and kept the company a small, independent, innovative manufacturer. As the majority stockholder he could have made a lot more money for himself by selling out his ownership share.

About the plastic cracking or breaking, all I can say is that it's happened to me, too. (That didn't quite come out the way I intended; I have in fact undergone a certain amount of cracking and breaking personally, but my point is that some of my Schoeps stand adapters and shock mounts have as well.) I've been glad to see them choose other materials for stand adapter parts in the past several years--semi-soft rubber for the part that actually holds the microphone(s) and metal for the base of the adapter that holds CCMs or Colette capsules on active cables. I think that they should go farther with that.

--best regards

[H₂O]

I have recently acquired another A20 from late 60's or early 70's - will post pics shortly!


 

[H₂O]

Here is the pic


From left to right


- Schoeps stand mount from 1950's
- Schoeps A20 from the 1960's
- Schoeps A20 from the early 1970's
- Schoeps A20 from late 1970's-1980's
- Schoeps A20 from 2002



At top AMS22 from late 90's