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Post by kcatthedog on Jan 19, 2022 6:05:44 GMT -6
Yup, new link is working !
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Post by seawell on Jan 20, 2022 12:06:06 GMT -6
Full review here:
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Post by tripalot on Jan 20, 2022 12:29:31 GMT -6
great job !
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Post by notneeson on Jan 20, 2022 13:25:25 GMT -6
Nice, you really articulated how supportive this mic feels/sounds when you're singing into it. Great work! |
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Post by seawell on Jan 20, 2022 16:06:26 GMT -6
Nice, you really articulated how supportive this mic feels/sounds when you're singing into it. Great work! Thank you! It's always so awkward trying to put musical things into words that make sense, so I'm glad it came across this time  |
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Post by seawell on Jan 21, 2022 1:30:46 GMT -6
Thanks for the samples Seawell. The mic sounds nice. Though it doesn't scream U87 at me, I mean I know it's hard to judge online samples but I don't hear that low mid thing that I associate with the U87 and the top definitely sounds brighter than any 87 I've heard, and all the samples I've heard of the Serrano have that same quality. Not to say it's bad sounding at all. This mic actually sounds like it'd work well for modern productions. Thanks for checking them out! I have a U87ai on the way so I'm going to do another video soon with at least the Serrano 87, BeesNeez BU87i C and Neumann U87ai. Hopefully that shootout will bring further clarity. |
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Post by bossanova on Jan 21, 2022 17:35:41 GMT -6
Nice demo! Your Ser87 sounds a lot like mine, especially in the upper mids. Super clear, but not edgy, but not tube-y fat/warm either. My room isn’t great so it’s hard for me to give an accurate impression of the low mids independently of room coloration. (I’ve settled on close micing w/the onboard high-pass filter.)
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Post by gouge on Jan 21, 2022 18:06:34 GMT -6
great review, thx.
sounds very much like my serano mics as well.
whilst i'm not recording everyday i think they are fantastic workhorse mics and capture with clarity what i'm hearing in the room.
I have found that they are easy to place on sources especially guitar. i don't seem to be fussing with them like i am with other mics.
been using mine with the IA qp5 preamp. seems like a great matchup.
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Post by WKG on Jan 22, 2022 10:06:55 GMT -6
These mics sound really nice. Thinking about unloading my pair of Miktek C7's and replacing them with the Serrano's.
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Post by tripalot on Jan 22, 2022 10:22:06 GMT -6
I expected them to be 'darker'
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Post by hadaja on Jan 22, 2022 12:40:25 GMT -6
These mics sound really nice. Thinking about unloading my pair of Miktek C7's and replacing them with the Serrano's. I went through the miktek range of mics a few years back. I was surprised how the C7 really did sit in the u87 sound territory. Bit like the 3 U warbler mic i also have which never gets used. Serrano gets a lot closer though. |
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Post by WKG on Jan 22, 2022 13:02:11 GMT -6
These mics sound really nice. Thinking about unloading my pair of Miktek C7's and replacing them with the Serrano's. I went through the miktek range of mics a few years back. I was surprised how the C7 really did sit in the u87 sound territory. Bit like the 3 U warbler mic i also have which never gets used. Serrano gets a lot closer though. Thanks for the info. The C7's are utility mics but see some vocal use when needed. Thinking it would be worth the change here. |
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Post by cserrano on Jan 22, 2022 16:48:05 GMT -6
Seawell, I am so appreciative that you generously spent some of your time reviewing the Serrano 87. The overall production and quality of the video is excellent! Thank you so much! |
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Post by ragan on Jan 22, 2022 16:57:13 GMT -6
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Post by cserrano on Jan 22, 2022 17:00:10 GMT -6
Thanks for the samples Seawell. The mic sounds nice. Though it doesn't scream U87 at me, I mean I know it's hard to judge online samples but I don't hear that low mid thing that I associate with the U87 and the top definitely sounds brighter than any 87 I've heard, and all the samples I've heard of the Serrano have that same quality. Not to say it's bad sounding at all. This mic actually sounds like it'd work well for modern productions. I thought I would comment in case it is helpful. Darkening a U87 (or brightening it) is a very simple process that I would do for free indefinitely for any customer who wanted this. On the Neumann U87 (and Serrano 87) there is a capacitor at C6 that attenuates the top end. Raising this capacitor value darkens the mic while lowering the value brightens the mic. The Serrano 87 (current version for the past 2 years) is modeled after my vintage 70s Neumann U87 in exceptional condition. I cannot speak for others U87 replicas, but in my experience of recording with at least 5 vintage Neumann U87s, the Serrano 87 is not brighter. If a Serrano 87 is brighter than a particular vintage Neumann U87, it shouldn't be by very much. And as I initially said, I am always happy and willing to darken (or brighten) anyone's Serrano 87. I can certainly make your Serrano 87 as dark as you want! |
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Post by cserrano on Jan 22, 2022 17:08:45 GMT -6
Anyone else experiencing RF interference with their serrano? Trying to troubleshoot this, I'm using Mogami gold mic cables Yes, mine is more susceptible to RF than most of my other mics. Also using Mogami Gold here. I've been meaning to mention it to Carlos for awhile, but have been really busy. Most of the time it's not an issue, but a couple of times I've ended up selecting a different mic for the source as a result. I think it was VO in both cases.
The specific RF I've had the most noticeable issue with is a cell phone. My iPhone, actually.
RF noise and microphones...ugh!! I feel your pain here but I thought I would chime in here in case it's helpful. Like many LDC microphones I have used, the Serrano 87 will pick up RF if you are on a cell-phone call and have it close to the microphone, or if you have it right next to a wireless router. I have a 70s vintage Neumann U87 in exceptional condition and it picks up RF noise the same way the Serrano 87 does. All that is to say, the Serrano 87 should not behave differently with RF than a vintage Neumann U87. |
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Post by seawell on Jan 22, 2022 18:20:45 GMT -6
Seawell, I am so appreciative that you generously spent some of your time reviewing the Serrano 87. The overall production and quality of the video is excellent! Thank you so much! You're very welcome. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I had heard great things but it exceeded my expectations! |
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Post by seawell on Jan 22, 2022 18:33:01 GMT -6
I really appreciate that ragan ! That means a lot! Speaking of reviews... I've been on the lookout for a while and I finally found a late 70s U87! So, I have an extra special review/shootout coming up soon(Vintage 87, 87ai, Serrano 87, BeesNeez BU87 and Warm Audio 87). Stay tuned 😊 PS - Does anyone have a Stam 87 they'd like to rent out for the shootout? Let me know 👍🏼 |
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Post by ragan on Jan 22, 2022 21:18:19 GMT -6
I really appreciate that ragan ! That means a lot! Speaking of reviews... I've been on the lookout for a while and I finally found a late 70s U87! So, I have an extra special review/shootout coming up soon(Vintage 87, 87ai, Serrano 87, BeesNeez BU87 and Warm Audio 87). Stay tuned 😊 PS - Does anyone have a Stam 87 they'd like to rent out for the shootout? Let me know 👍🏼 Ohhh dude, I really wanna hear that! Congrats on the U87, that is awesome. |
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Post by Quint on Jan 22, 2022 21:38:05 GMT -6
I really appreciate that ragan ! That means a lot! Speaking of reviews... I've been on the lookout for a while and I finally found a late 70s U87! So, I have an extra special review/shootout coming up soon(Vintage 87, 87ai, Serrano 87, BeesNeez BU87 and Warm Audio 87). Stay tuned 😊 PS - Does anyone have a Stam 87 they'd like to rent out for the shootout? Let me know 👍🏼 That'll be a cool shootout. |
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Post by WKG on Jan 28, 2022 11:45:11 GMT -6
Impatiently waiting for the Serrano to show up. last night it arrives at the Ft Myers USPS regional center and I'm thinking it'll get here a day early. This morning it's in Memphis TN. Doofuses...  |
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Post by WKG on Feb 2, 2022 14:01:32 GMT -6
Serrano 87 arrived today. Set it up and did a little vocals and acoustic guitar. Lovely sounding microphones with a very familiar sound. Solid construction, switches etc and the shock mount works well. It just fits into the Rycote Universal lite shockmount with the pop filter too. Already put an order for another to make a pair. The Miktek C7's have been great utility mics but these will better suit my needs. The Mikteks will be up in the classifieds if anyone is interested.  |
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Post by christopher on Mar 16, 2022 10:36:48 GMT -6
I’ve been learning this mic over the last week. Right away it says “vocal mic”. I’d say this is direct replacement candidate for SM7 or RE20. It feels like I’m using a dynamic mic, I’m not worried about plosives or sibilance. No pop filter, it has a crispy top and thick low-end proximity that makes me feel like I can do voiceover. I’ve had zero P’s pop, the mic just handles it. S’s kind of smear out like a dynamic mic, unlike most condenser mics that spike and whistle. I’d still expect to use de-esser, I expect to do that with Neumanns too. So it’s similar to dynamic up close, but then you back away and it gets the LDC clarity. Plus it has the Omni and F8 patterns, a big reason I went for this mic, both patterns sound great.
The other thing I notice is what it does for the character of my voice. I’m always fighting my home recordings from sounding like they are recorded in a boxy room. After bringing my mics to a large studio and AB vs a u87i, I discovered much of that boxy sound was from my mics, and decided I’m better off using dynamics at home. This mic doesn’t have the boxy sounding thing, so right away I sound like a more convincing vocalist. At least the boxy, home demo character thing is gone.
Does it capture the sound of a vintage Neumann? Tough to say, it’s very similar. I’ve been trying to decide if it does or doesn’t. After typical vocal EQ and compression it works very well. There are times I feel “the thing”. Mostly I think it’s not really a vintage 87i, and it’s not a 87ai. It’s kind of somewhere between them? It might be described as the u87i reissue that Neumann could make but doesn’t.
Overall a great mic with thick character, need to do more tests
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Post by Ward on Mar 23, 2022 16:48:17 GMT -6
Update to the above: I got the best vocal sound I've ever recorded at home by singing into the S-87 in cardioid just an inch away from my mouth with the high pass engaged and my lips on the pop shield. I saw a video of Simon Le Bon practically eating a U87 during a live session back in 1984, and it sounded alright, so I figured why not give it a shot? I did not realize how much crappy room tone I was getting even just 3-6 inches away. An inch off the mic I got a sound that was practically bone dry and I finally heard the "hug" where the low-mids were all nicely pre-compressed and slotted into place. Many singers grow accustomed to the proximity 'warmth' of being close up on a microphone like an 87, and I believe it's because they learned that sound from 'eating' SM58s playing lives gigs during their formative years. Training on mics that don't have the same 'woof' in the proximity effect, such as EV ndym of Telefunken 80 series models would probably make a singer more accustomed to the sound of a LDC 6 to 12" away. It's easy to fall in love with that proximity hug. Hope I'm making sense to someone! |
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Post by christopher on Jul 23, 2022 12:59:39 GMT -6
I’ve had the SA87 about 4 months, and tried a lot of different things, and I liked it in fig8 rear capsule pretty quickly. This is a mic that you need to use a good EQ, it opens up the character. It smokes a similar price TLM 102, it’s way more in control. But I haven’t felt that connection vocally, until now. It took a lot of trial and error… first: I had to crank the mic preamp (rnd511) to almost full open just below clipping, gave it a life. Then to heritage 73 EQ.
It turns out Omni gets the rear capsule involved and simply kicks ass on this mic, and when I recreate the proximity with a low shelf... Crank that to max, boost some 1k for the mid range thing, slowly bring up the highs to just below enough= done. It’s just right. I can add the more airy highs ITB.
I don’t have any affiliation, just a very happy customer today. This is the best I’ve ever felt recording myself
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