Neumman U87 is a good Mic?
Apr 27, 2021 6:19:13 GMT -6
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Ward, Guitar, and 5 more like this
Post by Chad on Apr 27, 2021 6:19:13 GMT -6
Well, thank you for asking!
Yeah, I know... It was nutso, extreme, you name it... But, here's how it started...
I found out in the late 90's/early 2000's that an 87 fits my voice very nicely (probably *most* people who have used a good one feel that way) when I rented one for an album of mine. I didn't buy one at that time. Then... A few years later, I took a break from music production (partially, because I had no understanding of how to make things sound good 'in the box' once I left the ADAT and hardware mixer setup I had before).
By 2017, I decided to really get serious again about building my "dream studio" to support my love of writing and singing. I was tired of my cheapo mics I owned, and I decided to splurge and get a 2017 U87ai. The reason I wanted a brand new one was simple: I wanted an untouched 87 that would become the 'control' for me in any future mic shootouts I might perform.
87 prices were no where near the COVID prices they now have soared to, so I was lucky and found deals on them from all over the globe. I even ended up at one time with a "museum quality" pair from 1970 which had never been used (or so it seemed). Looked as though they had been socked away in a safe for nearly 50 years!
Long story short...
After all of that, I now have very real hands-on experiences to go by with Neumann U87's ranging from the early 1970's all the way up to the 2000's and as recent as 2017. I even can tell you from doing some "head assembly swaps"... 98% of the 'tone' of a particular 87 is in the capsule. For instance, I took my 1977 head and put it on the body of my 1985, and their tonalities were criss-crossed. So, in my limited experience, the circuit doesn't do nearly as much as the particular capsule that sits on top of it.
18 months ago, I *still* had 6 left, and I ended up parting with all but the final 3 which were my "favs".
So, that's my story.
I know... It was a splurge, and it probably never would have occurred to me to do something that drastic, but for some sites like this one and (clears throat) that *other* site where people would share their experiences, and I just grew tired of wondering "is it all myth, or is there really something to this vintage battery compartment U87 vs modern Ai story that I keep hearing??"
Your fing nuts, I mean that as the highest compliment one can give another audio obsessive.
Thank you, Eric! I’ll take that as a badge of honor coming from you, sir!