|
|
Post by nicksteinborn on Jun 17, 2024 19:58:31 GMT -6
I know these threads are done to death on the internet, but I’m making one. I have a decent assortment of mics at home, but nothing particularly big dollar. Looking to dip my toes into something decently high end, but I feel like dropping $5k on a true big boy mic would be irresponsible for how often I’m tracking these days. That said, I still want something to leave up on the stand and feel fancy using.
I know I really like my friend’s OG Telefunken U47 and there’s seemingly something about the mid push of a lot of Neumanns I hear online that sounds ‘pro’ to me. I know we have a lot of Beesneez fan boys here. Is that the move? Are Pearlmans as good as the old threads on the other site say, or just that they were really good at the time? I don’t love bright usually so I’m hesitant for a C12 style, but maybe I’m misunderstanding their ‘bright’.
Help push me in a direction please.
I already have the following: KSM32, 441, SM7, SE T2, SE VR2, Slate ML1, Rode NTV with Peluso Capsule, Fathead, and then a bunch of more drum/instrument specific mics and 57s/58s.
|
|
|
|
Post by jeremygillespie on Jun 17, 2024 20:21:38 GMT -6
Soyuz 0-17 FET or whatever they call it these days. Done.
|
|
|
|
Post by bossanova on Jun 17, 2024 20:22:56 GMT -6
I like the TLM67. Great sounding mic, can be found used for under 2k.
Or, if you want the 87 sound without the Neumann cap, check out Carlos's Serrano 87 for way under 2k.
|
|
|
|
Post by doubledog on Jun 17, 2024 20:26:49 GMT -6
I'm going with sub-$800 and recommending the Chandler TG Type L again. Amazing little mic. I've tried it on several people (as well as instruments) and not been disappointed yet.
I also have a Pearlman TM-1 (EF80 tube) and it's everything I hoped it would be (but what do I know).
|
|
|
|
Post by svart on Jun 17, 2024 20:30:09 GMT -6
U87. It's the king of vocal mics for a reason.
|
|
|
|
Post by Johnkenn on Jun 17, 2024 20:56:39 GMT -6
The Soyuz 017Tube is my favorite mic I’ve owned…as evidenced by its long run.
I ordered a Signal Arts U48 that I’m realllllly looking forward to hearing. I’ve not heard any of Chad’s mics, but I heard the Warm 47 and I thought that was a really killer buy for the price…it kinda did the 47 thing convincingly on some voices. Plus, I’ve seen a ton of people vouch for him. So here’s hoping.
|
|
|
|
Post by phdamage on Jun 17, 2024 21:24:11 GMT -6
Stam 47 all the way. Took the spot from my Lawson 47. It’s my first try for most and works with about 90% of singers I work with. Worth noting - I do mostly punk/hardcore/metal - so lots of male voices and many are aggressive sounding. Paired with an Audioscape Opto, it’s a dream. I rarely need to use a de-esser
|
|
|
|
Post by nicksteinborn on Jun 17, 2024 21:34:02 GMT -6
Stam 47 all the way. Took the spot from my Lawson 47. It’s my first try for most and works with about 90% of singers I work with. Worth noting - I do mostly punk/hardcore/metal - so lots of male voices and many are aggressive sounding. Paired with an Audioscape Opto, it’s a dream. I rarely need to use a de-esser I’m mostly in the rock/punk realm myself. Will Yip exclusively uses that Tfunk 47 and Will is generally pretty right so that’s why I’m leaning that way. I know a couple people with Warm 47s and they seem… woolier? than a good 47 should. Not necessarily a bad thing, and I’ve heard them sound good, but nothing that ever seemed to blow me away. |
|
|
|
Post by nicksteinborn on Jun 17, 2024 21:41:11 GMT -6
U87. It's the king of vocal mics for a reason. I’ve been considering for years. It’ll absolutely hold its value which is a good start. Seems like they work but not everyone loves them kinda deal. I should really spend some time in my friend’s room and run through his 87s, Wunder CM7s, and Bock 251s and maybe get an idea of where I want to go. I’ll certainly be using it on myself, but not exclusively or anything. And my voice is a little goofy so I wouldn’t want to focus on matching it to my voice. |
|
|
|
Post by phdamage on Jun 17, 2024 21:44:51 GMT -6
Stam 47 all the way. Took the spot from my Lawson 47. It’s my first try for most and works with about 90% of singers I work with. Worth noting - I do mostly punk/hardcore/metal - so lots of male voices and many are aggressive sounding. Paired with an Audioscape Opto, it’s a dream. I rarely need to use a de-esser I’m mostly in the rock/punk realm myself. Will Yip exclusively uses that Tfunk 47 and Will is generally pretty right so that’s why I’m leaning that way. I know a couple people with Warm 47s and they seem… woolier? than a good 47 should. Not necessarily a bad thing, and I’ve heard them sound good, but nothing that ever seemed to blow me away. Worth noting, my Stam is an MKI but I cannot imagine quality went down with future models. A great FOK mic also! |
|
|
|
Post by ab101 on Jun 17, 2024 21:44:56 GMT -6
The Stam 87t deserves a listen.
|
|
|
|
Post by phdamage on Jun 17, 2024 21:45:43 GMT -6
U87. It's the king of vocal mics for a reason. I’ve been considering for years. It’ll absolutely hold its value which is a good start. Seems like they work but not everyone loves them kinda deal. I should really spend some time in my friend’s room and run through his 87s, Wunder CM7s, and Bock 251s and maybe get an idea of where I want to go. I’ll certainly be using it on myself, but not exclusively or anything. And my voice is a little goofy so I wouldn’t want to focus on matching it to my voice. Def try a Serrano 87. I have a pair and wouldn’t hesitate to put them on literally anything. |
|
|
|
Post by nicksteinborn on Jun 17, 2024 22:01:14 GMT -6
I’ve been considering for years. It’ll absolutely hold its value which is a good start. Seems like they work but not everyone loves them kinda deal. I should really spend some time in my friend’s room and run through his 87s, Wunder CM7s, and Bock 251s and maybe get an idea of where I want to go. I’ll certainly be using it on myself, but not exclusively or anything. And my voice is a little goofy so I wouldn’t want to focus on matching it to my voice. Def try a Serrano 87. I have a pair and wouldn’t hesitate to put them on literally anything. I’ve been hesitant to grab the clones because everyone seems to have a different opinion about them. The grumpy old guys always think they’ll never be good enough and all the dumb young guys on YouTube just seem to be selling shit 100% of the time. BUT, I could probably get a Stam 47/Serrano 87 for the price of one u87 if I’m patient enough. The clone war rabbit holes all drive me nuts but the Serrano does seem to be really good. |
|
|
|
Post by phdamage on Jun 17, 2024 22:13:10 GMT -6
Def try a Serrano 87. I have a pair and wouldn’t hesitate to put them on literally anything. I’ve been hesitant to grab the clones because everyone seems to have a different opinion about them. The grumpy old guys always think they’ll never be good enough and all the dumb young guys on YouTube just seem to be selling shit 100% of the time. BUT, I could probably get a Stam 47/Serrano 87 for the price of one u87 if I’m patient enough. The clone war rabbit holes all drive me nuts but the Serrano does seem to be really good. You’d have a helluva pair if you grabbed em both. Hell, if you’re patient you could prob get a Beesneez 67 also for less than the cost of a vintage 87. You could handle almost anything with that trio |
|
|
|
Post by hadaja on Jun 18, 2024 0:22:23 GMT -6
Beesneez BN67/269 MKii nice mic for a tube Multi pattern mic.
|
|
|
|
Post by thehightenor on Jun 18, 2024 4:20:27 GMT -6
.... Rode NTV with Peluso Capsule .... I have an original Rode NTV (must be about 25 years old) Jenson transformer O/P. I bought a NOS tube for it from forum member "Bowie" and it sounds really good. I didn't know it was possible to replace the original edge terminated capsule in the NTV. Did you replace it with a similar edge terminated capsule from Peluso and did you replace it yourself? Was it a big step up in sonic quality (the NTV is already a nice mic on the right source)? Thanks tht |
|
|
|
Post by kcatthedog on Jun 18, 2024 4:33:23 GMT -6
A buddy has the Stam 800, Sony clone, really nice. I have the Stam 67 mkii, also really nice, think I prefer the 800!  |
|
|
|
Post by Vincent R. on Jun 18, 2024 6:33:47 GMT -6
For your budget, I’d be looking at BeesNeez’ Classic series. His B67/269 is really wonderful. I have that here. Ben also has a 47 style there. I have a Pearlman TM1 that is amazing, but it’s not a stock mic with a Tele EF14 and Neumann K47. So, I can’t speak to the sound of the stock version. I will say that the stock version like mine will have an extended low end in comparison to a real 47 which could be a good thing or bad thing depending on the source. Mine does not love overly loud sources, but most 47s don’t. Most people don’t sing as loudly as I do anyway. A vintage U87 will hold its value well, but will cost you around 5k today. The AI which new is around 4K will be hard to sell for more than $2500 if you decide to sell it. I disagree with svart. I don’t believe the U87 to be the king of vocal mics. It’s the king of workhorse mics. It generally won’t fail you on a vocal, but won’t win most shootouts with the heavier hitters like the U47, C12, etc. A lot depends on the style of music you are making. U87s are great all rounders. I like it on acoustic guitars, rooms, pop vocals through a good preamp, etc. I’m not a fan of it on jazz vocals, classical vocals, some rock vocals. Chad’s SA48 is nice and well built, but I don’t think I was a fan of the D7 capsule he had in the one I tried. Still, if you email Chad and talk with him he’ll build it however you want it built. That’s a nice benefit. |
|
|
|
Post by svart on Jun 18, 2024 6:37:50 GMT -6
U87. It's the king of vocal mics for a reason. I’ve been considering for years. It’ll absolutely hold its value which is a good start. Seems like they work but not everyone loves them kinda deal. I should really spend some time in my friend’s room and run through his 87s, Wunder CM7s, and Bock 251s and maybe get an idea of where I want to go. I’ll certainly be using it on myself, but not exclusively or anything. And my voice is a little goofy so I wouldn’t want to focus on matching it to my voice. All the classics are classics for a reason. I find the U87 works on the most voices with the least amount of work afterwards because of that mid-forwardness. Add some compression and you're 80% of the way there on just about any mix. The U47 (tube, not FET) sounds wonderful on some male voices but others it can be too bottom heavy. Doesn't accentuate female voices much. The 251(and C12 by extension) is a great mic as well but sounds better on females due to the accentuated top end, IMHO. |
|
|
|
Post by nicksteinborn on Jun 18, 2024 8:28:46 GMT -6
.... Rode NTV with Peluso Capsule .... I have an original Rode NTV (must be about 25 years old) Jenson transformer O/P. I bought a NOS tube for it from forum member "Bowie" and it sounds really good. I didn't know it was possible to replace the original edge terminated capsule in the NTV. Did you replace it with a similar edge terminated capsule from Peluso and did you replace it yourself? Was it a big step up in sonic quality (the NTV is already a nice mic on the right source)? Thanks tht Looking at my DMs over there, it appears I got it from our own kcatthedog. I guess it has an NOS tube in it as well. Capsule was already in when I got it, but I do have the original capsule hanging around as well. I can’t really speak to the differences between any of the mods. I have not liked it on my voice(a goofy sounding one) and it didn’t do it for me when I’ve tried it on a couple other singers. Seems a little brighter or more pushed than I want, but it’s been a bit. I’ve wondered if a different capsule would make it more to my liking, but never went through with getting anything for it. I really need to try it on some more stuff, but I don’t track that often over here and usually don’t have a ton of time to mess around when I do so I’ll usually toss the SM7 or SE T2 up and call it a day. |
|
|
|
Post by basspro on Jun 18, 2024 9:10:16 GMT -6
I really love my Pearlman TM47. It's got a vintage Telefunken EF12 tube and I think it sounds every bit as good as most of the clones I've heard in the $2-4k range. I bet you could snag a used one for well under $2k
|
|
|
|
Post by thehightenor on Jun 18, 2024 9:13:41 GMT -6
I have an original Rode NTV (must be about 25 years old) Jenson transformer O/P. I bought a NOS tube for it from forum member "Bowie" and it sounds really good. I didn't know it was possible to replace the original edge terminated capsule in the NTV. Did you replace it with a similar edge terminated capsule from Peluso and did you replace it yourself? Was it a big step up in sonic quality (the NTV is already a nice mic on the right source)? Thanks tht Looking at my DMs over there, it appears I got it from our own kcatthedog . I guess it has an NOS tube in it as well. Capsule was already in when I got it, but I do have the original capsule hanging around as well. I can’t really speak to the differences between any of the mods. I have not liked it on my voice(a goofy sounding one) and it didn’t do it for me when I’ve tried it on a couple other singers. Seems a little brighter or more pushed than I want, but it’s been a bit. I’ve wondered if a different capsule would make it more to my liking, but never went through with getting anything for it. I really need to try it on some more stuff, but I don’t track that often over here and usually don’t have a ton of time to mess around when I do so I’ll usually toss the SM7 or SE T2 up and call it a day. Thanks. I'm not keen on the NTV on my voice either - I like it on acoustic guitar for a big pop 'n'n roll kinda track and for bright breathy BV's too. For my voice, I use a Wunder CM7 (decent 47 clone) but that cost a bit more than $2K. I love the reedy mid forward sound of a 47 and it's a perfect fit for my lyrical tenor voice (well bari-tenor these days!) Have you tired a ribbon mic - the AEA R92 is a fabulous vocal mic and has a dark and bright side you can choice from - it's really great very forgiving and takes EQ really well. I've had good results with SDC like the Schoeps MK4 (great mic) and a Blue KIWI too. I'd keep the Beezneez 67 on your radar - I keep hearing great things about that mic too. Good luck with your search. |
|
|
|
Post by indiehouse on Jun 18, 2024 9:33:10 GMT -6
The Stam 87t deserves a listen. I was going to recommend the same. Nice mic, nice price. Seems to be in stock often. I have a pair. |
|
|
|
Post by kcatthedog on Jun 18, 2024 10:44:30 GMT -6
Yes, nos tube from Bowie: if I remember correctly, a nice Mullard?
|
|
|
|
Post by stratboy on Jun 18, 2024 10:49:15 GMT -6
+1 on all the Serrano 87 endorsements here. Since I got mine this spring, I’m getting the best sound on my vocals ever. There are a couple of factors that may or may not apply in your case:
1. The 87 design seems to be a very good match to my voice. I own a MKU47, an RMS269, SM7B, etc. None fit with my voice as well as my 87.
2. Carlos Serrano’s execution of the 87i design is really good. I’m far from a mic expert, but the mic is beautiful inside and out. It’s not a tube mic, which reduces the cost, and the whole package is excellent. It’s an amazing value no matter what you end up using it for.
3. It takes EQ and compression really well. Depending on what I’m going for (I write for sync, which can sound more like various genres of pop, but also country), I can heavily process my vocal tracks or do just a little EQ carving and light compression. The Serrano doesn’t seem to care.
Give it a try and let us know what you think!
|
|
