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Post by cserrano on Nov 27, 2020 16:32:16 GMT -6
Greetings everyone! Serrano Audio is now offering $125 off on the Serrano 87 microphone for the next 10 orders. The coupon code is “Next 10” This means you can purchase the Serrano 87 for $675. Order on www.serranoaudio.comWe have a couple of reviews here www.gearslutz.com/board/reviews/1320708-serrano-audio-87-a.htmlStock is limited as each one is built by hand, one at a time, in North Carolina. They will ship out in 1 week max! Happy and joyful recording! |
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Post by drbill on Nov 28, 2020 10:24:56 GMT -6
Greetings everyone! <snip> Happy and joyful recording! Hey Carlos! Welcome!! Read the reviews, and then listened to the clips. Honestly, they are too close to really tell any difference between the vintage and your mic. Certainly closer than two 40 year old 87's might be as my experience is they are all over the map at this point. You've got a winner there. I've got a late 70's original, and there is no doubt your 87 carries a very very close resemblance to what I'm used to hearing out of an 87. Congrats! If my Black Friday allowance had not already been decimated, I'd be all over this - for a pair. There's a ton of places I like to use 87's. Cheers, and best of luck. Anything you'd like to share about the capsule or the development of the mic beyond what's on your website? |
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Post by cserrano on Nov 29, 2020 15:25:18 GMT -6
DrBill! Thank you! I've ready so many of your posts on GS over the years. It's truly awesome to able to connect with so many interesting people.
In response to your question "Anything you'd like to share about the capsule or the development of the mic beyond what's on your website?"
This mic took me over 2 years to design. There is a lot to learn. I used 3 different vintage Neumann 87's to reference while building the Serrano 87. I was surprised that some of them were brighter and darker than others.
Regarding the capsules. I tried so many - 3U-Audio, Heiserman, Maiku, and had some capsules custom-made using different processes. One of the best capsules I tried was made by an engineer near Nashville using 1 mikron thin mylar with a platinum-sputtered diaphragm. However, these diaphragms were SO thin and delicate and sometimes even my own careful hands damaged them during installation. Also the difference between 3 mikron and 1 mikron is not so much difference audibly. I found the difference between 1 and 6 is much more audible.
One lesson I learned was about machine-made diaphragms that are glued to the backplates, like the ones from 3U Audio (and used in Warm Audio products) is that they really struggle to sound crisp and to my ears have much poorer fidelity compared to hand-made capsules. Hand-made capsules, made the old-fashioned way, CAN (but don't always) have a magically rich sound!
I learned that a big issue with even hand-made capsules, is that many capsule builders are not using good backplate designs. I was originally under the impression, often suggested by mic gurus, that backplates are not nearly as important as the diaphragms. But from my experience in trying so many configurations of backplates and diaphragms, backplates are extremely important to the sound of the capsule and microphone.
Our capsule is 100% hand-made (like Neumann), using 3 mikron gold sputtered mylar (which to our ears is the most accurate sounding compared to Neumman's K87 and achieves the perfect balance between durable but still responsive without compromising sound quality), and the backplates used in the Serrano 87 are to my knowledge closer than other 87 replicas on the market.
Regarding the transformer. I purchased an original BV-13 transformer from Klause Heyne. Also, I've always been impressed with the AMI-T13 transformer from Oliver Archut. I also built prototypes with transformers from Cinemag and Jensen as well. The transformer in the Serrano 87, which is the SER-T13, is custom-made based on the BV-13 and the AMI-T13. the Serrano 87 is the only microphone using the SER-T13 transformer.
Warm regards,
Carlos Serrano
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Post by timcampbell on Nov 29, 2020 19:02:09 GMT -6
Welcome Carlos.
"Our capsule is 100% hand-made (like Neumann), using 3 mikron gold sputtered mylar (which to our ears is the most accurate sounding compared to Neumman's K87 and achieves the perfect balance between durable but still responsive without compromising sound quality), and the backplates used in the Serrano 87 are to my knowledge closer than other 87 replicas on the market."
I have not heard your mic but I am sure it sounds terrific.
I would say My K67 capsule is an exact copy of Neumann's and I believe Eric Heiserman, Haun and many other manufactureres would say the same. It is not difficult to copy such a simple backplate. Only the chinese seem to bother making K87 capsules that differ. Neumann has only ever used 6 micron mylar on their K87 so I am not sure how 3 micron membranes could sound more accurate than Neumann's own choice (though in my experience 3 micron and 6 micron membranes can be dampened to sound the same).
Your website and your answer here go out of the way not to say where your capsules are manufactured and by whom. Do you build them yourself?
Good luck with your microphone. I love 87's. That's a great price you are selling yours for. Maybe I'll have to check one out.
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Post by drbill on Nov 29, 2020 19:25:04 GMT -6
DrBill! Thank you! I've ready so many of your posts on GS over the years. It's truly awesome to able to connect with so many interesting people. In response to your question "Anything you'd like to share about the capsule or the development of the mic beyond what's on your website?" This mic took me over 2 years to design. There is a lot to learn. I used 3 different vintage Neumann 87's to reference while building the Serrano 87. I was surprised that some of them were brighter and darker than others. Regarding the capsules. I tried so many - 3U-Audio, Heiserman, Maiku, and had some capsules custom-made using different processes. One of the best capsules I tried was made by an engineer near Nashville using 1 mikron thin mylar with a platinum-sputtered diaphragm. However, these diaphragms were SO thin and delicate and sometimes even my own careful hands damaged them during installation. Also the difference between 3 mikron and 1 mikron is not so much difference audibly. I found the difference between 3 and 6 is much more audible. One lesson I learned was about machine-made diaphragms that are glued to the backplates, like the ones from 3U Audio (and used in Warm Audio products) is that they really struggle to sound crisp and to my ears have much poorer fidelity compared to hand-made capsules. Hand-made capsules, made the old-fashioned way, CAN (but don't always) have a magically rich sound! I learned that a big issue with even hand-made capsules, is that many capsule builders are not using good backplate designs. I was originally under the impression, often suggested by mic gurus, that backplates are not nearly as important as the diaphragms. But from my experience in trying so many configurations of backplates and diaphragms, backplates are extremely important to the sound of the capsule and microphone. Our capsule is 100% hand-made (like Neumann), using 3 mikron gold sputtered mylar (which to our ears is the most accurate sounding compared to Neumman's K87 and achieves the perfect balance between durable but still responsive without compromising sound quality), and the backplates used in the Serrano 87 are to my knowledge closer than other 87 replicas on the market. Regarding the transformer. I purchased an original BV-13 transformer from Klause Heyne. Also, I've always been impressed with the AMI-T13 transformer from Oliver Archut. I also built prototypes with transformers from Cinemag and Jensen as well. The transformer in the Serrano 87, which is the SER-T13, is custom-made based on the BV-13 and the AMI-T13. the Serrano 87 is the only microphone using the SER-T13 transformer. Warm regards, Carlos Serrano Thanks for the insider view and the kind words Carlos! You'll find this is a place that REALLY likes to dig deep into microphones and their associated parts and circuitry. Again, wish I had not already spent the B Friday budget, but I'm afraid it's quite gone - and then some. LOL. Hopefully in the future I will be able to get a pair as they sound really great to my ears..... Cheers, Bill |
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Nov 29, 2020 20:46:48 GMT -6
Greetings everyone! Starting now, for Black Friday until Cyber Monday (Nov. 30) Serrano Audio is now offering $150 off on the Serrano 87 microphone. The coupon code is “BlackFriday” This means you can purchase the Serrano 87 for $650. Order on www.serranoaudio.comWe have a couple of reviews here www.gearslutz.com/board/reviews/1320708-serrano-audio-87-a.htmlStock is limited as each one is built by hand, one at a time, in North Carolina. They will ship out in 1 week max! Happy and joyful recording! Welcome to RGO, impressive sounding mic, the best Advice I can give is to get a demo in to the hands of JK or Vincent. We all know there voices and Vincent’s wife’s well enough at this point to judge it quickly and frankly both offer a degree of vocal talent that you would be hard to beat. Actually if the mic is as good as your clips getting a Demo in the hands of the majority of the talent here is a no brainer and a great way to sell a bunch of mics. I think back to all of the multi-day mic demos I did 20 years ago at Full Compass and how LDC’s have multipled like bunnies and my head spins. These days it’s hard to establish a new brand of mics. There are just to many options and all the rebranded generic Chinese condensers with pretty paint jobs don’t make it any easier. Best of luck. |
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Post by chessparov on Nov 29, 2020 20:51:31 GMT -6
But they do make it essier!  Good luck Carlos. Chris |
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Post by cserrano on Nov 29, 2020 21:06:09 GMT -6
Welcome Carlos. "Our capsule is 100% hand-made (like Neumann), using 3 mikron gold sputtered mylar (which to our ears is the most accurate sounding compared to Neumman's K87 and achieves the perfect balance between durable but still responsive without compromising sound quality), and the backplates used in the Serrano 87 are to my knowledge closer than other 87 replicas on the market." I have not heard your mic but I am sure it sounds terrific. I would say My K67 capsule is an exact copy of Neumann's and I believe Eric Heiserman, Haun and many other manufactureres would say the same. It is not difficult to copy such a simple backplate. Only the chinese seem to bother making K87 capsules that differ. Neumann has only ever used 6 micron mylar on their K87 so I am not sure how 3 micron membranes could sound more accurate than Neumann's own choice (though in my experience 3 micron and 6 micron membranes can be dampened to sound the same). Your website and your answer here go out of the way not to say where your capsules are manufactured and by whom. Do you build them yourself? Good luck with your microphone. I love 87's. That's a great price you are selling yours for. Maybe I'll have to check one out. Thank you Tim! I have not tried your capsules but, from what I've read online, they are top quality and many people are 100% pleased! And on that note, most of the capsules that I tried sounded very good. I do not make the capsule myself. In the fist batch of Serrano 87s we used a capsule that was made in the USA. I decided on this capsule after so much time spent trying different configurations. However, I had some quality control issues that ultimately were not resolved. So for my next batch I inquired with several other builders, one of them living in China. The first test capsule was sent and to my surprise, this builder was able to achieve the same quality as all the other hand-made capsules I've tried (including my original capsule, Heiserman, etc.) But I was not completely satisfied. We worked on it a little more and a second test capsule was sent. This one sounded just right to me! The origin of capsules is an interesting topic to me, especially now. For some reason the USA is now being known to make the best mic capsules, but I think we might agree that Germany has made the best microphone capsules, not the USA. Also, Maiku makes decent capsules but the builder is in Switzerland, but if I am not mistaken, his ethnicity is Iranian. Also I think Maiku uses backplates built in Asia. I think Tim Campbell is from Denmark, and people testify to the quality of his capsules! All this is to say, I have found that it's not the country where these products are being made, but it is the quality and integrity of process that is adhered to. Apple computers are built in China - I think they are the best made computers - because of the quality and integrity of the process. Japan is known as the country that makes some of the most reliable cars. I've owned small-company Korean and Chinese guitars that have totally blown me away. When I realized that this capsule, made in China, sounded to me just as good as the best capsules out of USA, I honestly hesitated to proceed with them. I thought to myself "having an American made capsule is more marketable" but the more I thought about it, I decided that as long as the quality of this Chinese capsule meets/exceeds the others, then it shouldn't matter and being open about this could help dispel ignorance/prejudice around the ideas that we have about origin of products. So while I have attempted to be prudent and haven't yelled "The Serrano 87 USES A CHINESE CAPSULE!", I have been instead trying to highlight the integrity of process and the quality of this capsule, which I absolutely believe is of the same quality as the best American/non-American capsules. Thank you Tim, for asking this question and for your kind words. Warmly, Carlos |
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Post by ragan on Nov 29, 2020 21:18:07 GMT -6
Welcome Carlos. "Our capsule is 100% hand-made (like Neumann), using 3 mikron gold sputtered mylar (which to our ears is the most accurate sounding compared to Neumman's K87 and achieves the perfect balance between durable but still responsive without compromising sound quality), and the backplates used in the Serrano 87 are to my knowledge closer than other 87 replicas on the market." I have not heard your mic but I am sure it sounds terrific. I would say My K67 capsule is an exact copy of Neumann's and I believe Eric Heiserman, Haun and many other manufactureres would say the same. It is not difficult to copy such a simple backplate. Only the chinese seem to bother making K87 capsules that differ. Neumann has only ever used 6 micron mylar on their K87 so I am not sure how 3 micron membranes could sound more accurate than Neumann's own choice (though in my experience 3 micron and 6 micron membranes can be dampened to sound the same). Your website and your answer here go out of the way not to say where your capsules are manufactured and by whom. Do you build them yourself? Good luck with your microphone. I love 87's. That's a great price you are selling yours for. Maybe I'll have to check one out. Thank you Tim! I have not tried your capsules but, from what I've read online, they are top quality and many people are 100% pleased! And on that note, most of the capsules that I tried sounded very good. I do not make the capsule myself. In the fist batch of Serrano 87s we used a capsule that was made in the USA. I decided on this capsule after so much time spent trying different configurations. However, I had some quality control issues that ultimately were not resolved. So for my next batch I inquired with several other builders, one of them living in China. The first test capsule was sent and to my surprise, this builder was able to achieve the same quality as all the other hand-made capsules I've tried (including my original capsule, Heiserman, etc.) But I was not completely satisfied. We worked on it a little more and a second test capsule was sent. This one sounded just right to me! The origin of capsules is an interesting topic to me, especially now. For some reason the USA is now being known to make the best mic capsules, but I think we might agree that Germany has made the best microphone capsules, not the USA. Also, Maiku makes decent capsules but the builder is in Switzerland, but if I am not mistaken, his ethnicity is Iranian. Also I think Maiku uses backplates built in Asia. I think Tim Campbell is from Denmark, and people testify to the quality of his capsules! All this is to say, I have found that it's not the country where these products are being made, but it is the quality and integrity of process that is adhered to. Apple computers are built in China - I think they are the best made computers - because of the quality and integrity of the process. Japan is known as the country that makes some of the most reliable cars. I've owned small-company Korean and Chinese guitars that have totally blown me away. When I realized that this capsule, made in China, sounded to me just as good as the best capsules out of USA, I honestly hesitated to proceed with them. I thought to myself "having an American made capsule is more marketable" but the more I thought about it, I decided that as long as the quality of this Chinese capsule meets/exceeds the others, then it shouldn't matter and being open about this could help dispel ignorance/prejudice around the ideas that we have about origin of products. So while I have been hesitant to yell "The Serrano 87 USES A CHINESE CAPSULE!", I have been instead trying to highlight the integrity of process and the quality of this capsule, which I absolutely believe is of the same quality as the best American/non-American capsules. Thank you Tim, for asking this question and for your kind words. Warmly, Carlos Hey Carlos. Thanks for contributing here. Just wanted to say that your candor makes me want to try one of your mics. Like you, I care about the physics and sonics of a mic and not its pedigree. Best Ragan |
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Post by timcampbell on Nov 29, 2020 21:32:06 GMT -6
Thanks Carlos. I agree, where the capsule is made doesn't really matter, just the quality. I asked honestly to hear if you were the builder.
As I said, good luck. Like Ragan, I too appreciate your honesty.
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Post by drbill on Nov 29, 2020 22:48:10 GMT -6
Thank you Tim! I have not tried your capsules but, from what I've read online, they are top quality and many people are 100% pleased! And on that note, most of the capsules that I tried sounded very good. I do not make the capsule myself. In the fist batch of Serrano 87s we used a capsule that was made in the USA. I decided on this capsule after so much time spent trying different configurations. However, I had some quality control issues that ultimately were not resolved. So for my next batch I inquired with several other builders, one of them living in China. The first test capsule was sent and to my surprise, this builder was able to achieve the same quality as all the other hand-made capsules I've tried (including my original capsule, Heiserman, etc.) But I was not completely satisfied. We worked on it a little more and a second test capsule was sent. This one sounded just right to me! The origin of capsules is an interesting topic to me, especially now. For some reason the USA is now being known to make the best mic capsules, but I think we might agree that Germany has made the best microphone capsules, not the USA. Also, Maiku makes decent capsules but the builder is in Switzerland, but if I am not mistaken, his ethnicity is Iranian. Also I think Maiku uses backplates built in Asia. I think Tim Campbell is from Denmark, and people testify to the quality of his capsules! All this is to say, I have found that it's not the country where these products are being made, but it is the quality and integrity of process that is adhered to. Apple computers are built in China - I think they are the best made computers - because of the quality and integrity of the process. Japan is known as the country that makes some of the most reliable cars. I've owned small-company Korean and Chinese guitars that have totally blown me away. When I realized that this capsule, made in China, sounded to me just as good as the best capsules out of USA, I honestly hesitated to proceed with them. I thought to myself "having an American made capsule is more marketable" but the more I thought about it, I decided that as long as the quality of this Chinese capsule meets/exceeds the others, then it shouldn't matter and being open about this could help dispel ignorance/prejudice around the ideas that we have about origin of products. So while I have been hesitant to yell "The Serrano 87 USES A CHINESE CAPSULE!", I have been instead trying to highlight the integrity of process and the quality of this capsule, which I absolutely believe is of the same quality as the best American/non-American capsules. Thank you Tim, for asking this question and for your kind words. Warmly, Carlos Hey Carlos. Thanks for contributing here. Just wanted to say that your candor makes me want to try one of your mics. Like you, I care about the physics and sonics of a mic and not its pedigree. Best Ragan Ditto to Ragan's comments. Your up-front honesty and straightforward comments make me want to try the mics even more. Best of luck! |
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Post by the other mark williams on Nov 30, 2020 0:40:09 GMT -6
Greetings everyone! Starting now, for Black Friday until Cyber Monday (Nov. 30) Serrano Audio is now offering $150 off on the Serrano 87 microphone. The coupon code is “BlackFriday” This means you can purchase the Serrano 87 for $650. Order on www.serranoaudio.comWe have a couple of reviews here www.gearslutz.com/board/reviews/1320708-serrano-audio-87-a.htmlStock is limited as each one is built by hand, one at a time, in North Carolina. They will ship out in 1 week max! Happy and joyful recording! Where are you located in NC, Carlos? We've got a few NC folks around here. I'm in Durham myself. Like others have already said, I appreciate and respect your honesty, and it makes me even more interested in your mics.
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Post by hadaja on Nov 30, 2020 1:01:34 GMT -6
Greetings everyone! Starting now, for Black Friday until Cyber Monday (Nov. 30) Serrano Audio is now offering $150 off on the Serrano 87 microphone. The coupon code is “BlackFriday” This means you can purchase the Serrano 87 for $650. Order on www.serranoaudio.comWe have a couple of reviews here www.gearslutz.com/board/reviews/1320708-serrano-audio-87-a.htmlStock is limited as each one is built by hand, one at a time, in North Carolina. They will ship out in 1 week max! Happy and joyful recording! Hey there welcome to the forum. Great first post. I have sent you a PM. Thanks
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Post by drumsound on Nov 30, 2020 2:57:15 GMT -6
The mic looks and sounds great, Carlos. Welcome to the board and thanks for providing such detailed answers. Good Luck. I do wonder, what's the next mic on the list to release? Too soon?  |
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Post by cserrano on Nov 30, 2020 19:59:54 GMT -6
Chessparov, Drumsound and hadaja, thank you all! And at Drumsound, I've been thinking (not 100% sure) about the 67. :-)
Ericn, thank you so much for the good suggestions and kind words.
Ragan, I’ve seen many of your posts on GS! You always contribute value to the threads. Thank you!
Mark Williams, that’s so cool that you’re also in NC! I live in Chapel Hill so we’re neighbors!
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Post by drumsound on Dec 1, 2020 2:20:54 GMT -6
Chessparov, Drumsound and hadaja, thank you all! And at Drumsound, I've been thinking (not 100% sure) about the 67. :-) Ericn, thank you so much for the good suggestions and kind words. Ragan, I’ve seen many of your posts on GS! You always contribute value to the threads. Thank you! Mark Williams, that’s so cool that you’re also in NC! I live in Chapel Hill so we’re neighbors! I look forward to hearing it. Your 87 sounds very similar to my 1977 U87. |
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Post by Guitar on Dec 4, 2020 17:19:32 GMT -6
Very cool microphone. I think it doesn't quite capture the effortless size of the Neumann in the clips, but it gets surprisingly close to the overall sound, a lot closer than some of the other "clones" I've listened to demonstrations of.
Seems like you've got a real winner there, good luck with the mic building.
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Post by seawell on Dec 4, 2020 17:26:18 GMT -6
Very cool to find out these are made in NC! I'm in Brown Summit, just north of Greensboro.
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Post by cserrano on Dec 4, 2020 23:28:59 GMT -6
Very cool microphone. I think it doesn't quite capture the effortless size of the Neumann in the clips, but it gets surprisingly close to the overall sound, a lot closer than some of the other "clones" I've listened to demonstrations of. Seems like you've got a real winner there, good luck with the mic building. Thank you monkeyxx! |
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Post by cserrano on Dec 4, 2020 23:30:16 GMT -6
Very cool to find out these are made in NC! I'm in Brown Summit, just north of Greensboro. Oh awesome! Another neighbor! If you ever end up getting one, feel free to save on shipping by coming to pick it up! |
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Post by cserrano on Dec 4, 2020 23:33:20 GMT -6
The Black Friday sale ended but I want to share that there is still a significant discount for the next few orders. We're doing $125 off on the Serrano 87 microphone for the next 10 orders (but there's already been some purchases.) The coupon code is “Next10” This means you can purchase the Serrano 87 for $675.
Warmly,
Carlos
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Post by cserrano on Dec 16, 2020 21:24:51 GMT -6
Update: We've got 4 more left at the $675 pricing.
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Post by Ward on Dec 17, 2020 7:01:34 GMT -6
Check yer messages
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Post by cserrano on Dec 24, 2020 10:07:38 GMT -6
Update: We have only 1 left at the $675 price.
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Post by drumsound on Dec 24, 2020 17:57:11 GMT -6
Someone jump on this!
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