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Post by basspro on Jun 18, 2024 10:58:41 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! I got a pair of these last month. Haven't had the chance to check them out on vocals yet, but my friend who convinced me to give them a shot uses them on Vox all the time and he gets great sounding tracks. |
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Post by smashlord on Jun 18, 2024 11:14:30 GMT -6
Are Pearlmans as good as the old threads on the other site say, or just that they were really good at the time? The Pearlman TM-47 is an EXCELLENT mic that stands up to OG 47s and more expensive clones like the Flea. I have used them all regularly, as well as side by side. A singer and I preferred the Flea to a vintage U47 on his voice and later we cut vocals with the Pearlman, with everyone being happy and in no way felt like it was a step down. Other option under $2K is the Soyuz 017 FET. The descriptions of it sounding similar to a U87 are very apt. I've had them side by side and the Soyuz sounds like the U87 without the upper midrange bump that can make some singers sound nasally. In shootouts, the vocalist and I usually prefer the Soyuz. That said, the Pearlman usually beats out the Soyuz on vocals, just because I think most like the slower response of a tube mic. Both are versatile, although I find myself using the Soyuz on a larger variety of sources than the Pearlman. It sounds quite excellent on piano, acoustic guitar, Fender combos, and drum overheads. In regard to support, I've only heard great things about Dave Pearlman. My own experience with Soyuz is mixed. Getting parts can also be a bit of a chore with them. |
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Post by seawell on Jun 18, 2024 11:39:46 GMT -6
In that price range, BeesNeez B67-269, Stam SA-47 and BeesNeez BC12A Tube are all great options 👍🏼
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Post by chessparov on Jun 18, 2024 13:08:58 GMT -6
Should have time tomorrow to "join the Party" (Thread). But... Howz 'bout some actual clips?  Chris |
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Post by Martin John Butler on Jun 18, 2024 15:24:06 GMT -6
I had to sell some gear recently to cover hospital expenses. I loved the Soyuz 0-19 FET, (same as 0-17 FET), it's a first class mic all the way. I had two choose between selling the 0-19 or my Stam SA-47 Mk II.
I kept the Stam. It did the 47 thing perfectly. I like mics with character, like the Chandler REDD or a vintage C-12. The Stam holds up to those classics.
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Post by Ward on Jun 18, 2024 16:18:39 GMT -6
Have you picked up the phone and called, or gone online and emailed cdkelly At Signal Arts microphones? His U48 is absolutely incredible. |
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Post by Ward on Jun 18, 2024 16:19:23 GMT -6
In that price range, BeesNeez B67-269, Stam SA-47 and BeesNeez BC12A Tube are all great options 👍🏼 Well yes, and the Seranno 87, and the Stam 87T as well. |
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Post by phdamage on Jun 18, 2024 17:09:46 GMT -6
I really like the 87T on guitar cabinets but I haven’t yet been wowed on vocals or overheads or anything else I’ve tried it on. Don’t get me wrong - doesn’t sound bad by any stretch but I prefer my other options.
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Post by Ward on Jun 18, 2024 17:55:35 GMT -6
I really like the 87T on guitar cabinets but I haven’t yet been wowed on vocals or overheads or anything else I’ve tried it on. Don’t get me wrong - doesn’t sound bad by any stretch but I prefer my other options. Isn't it great to have options? This Merry group of Music Mayhem Men has certainly increased my wealth of microphones. |
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Post by drumsound on Jun 18, 2024 18:29:48 GMT -6
The Beesneez 67 and you can pocket around $400
OR you could get a Serano 87 AND an Advanced Audio CM67se.
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Post by seawell on Jun 18, 2024 18:40:47 GMT -6
In that price range, BeesNeez B67-269, Stam SA-47 and BeesNeez BC12A Tube are all great options 👍🏼 Well yes, and the Seranno 87, and the Stam 87T as well. Agreed! |
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Post by chessparov on Jun 18, 2024 18:52:21 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. 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. IMHO 251/C12 "case by case" on Male Singers. Always worth trying. Examples? Tommy James' own 251 on his hits. Eric Burdon on "Monterrey". Etc. etc. I love the U67 and C12/251 tonal contrasts. But my wallet doesn't.  LOL! * Chris *Of course, also U47 Tube and FET within condensers. |
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Post by nicksteinborn on Jun 18, 2024 18:59:11 GMT -6
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. IMHO 251/C12 "case by case" on Male Singers. Always worth trying. Examples? Tommy James' own 251 on his hits. Eric Burdon on "Monterrey". Etc. etc. I love the U67 and C12/251 tonal contrasts. But my wallet doesn't. LOL! * Chris *Of course, also U47 Tube and FET within condensers. Those Vanguards are supposed to be C12 flavored, right? Just discovered in a random thread here that one of their guys is based 5 miles from me where I spent most of my childhood. I like that guy being so local if I went that way, but like all of these classic flavored mics, mixed reviews. They do seem on the vibey end though. My old grumpy friend is loving them in overheads. |
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Post by russellcreekps on Jun 18, 2024 19:12:05 GMT -6
Beesneez BN67/269 MKii nice mic for a tube Multi pattern mic. This! Honestly, I’ve owned a fair amount of mic’s in that price range (and still own some), nothing has struck me like this mic, such a steal! I have a Pearlman TM1, might be another to consider, but I don’t think it’s quite in the same league as the B67. Not a BN fanboy in the sense of owning a lot of their mics, but definitely one for this mic, it’s special for sure, one of those rare mics that slays way above its price range (like others have said it’s comparable or better than a 67RI). Can’t see anyone being disappointed with this mic. PS. My next mic will be a Heiserman H47Tube…another option but more than you were looking to spend. |
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Post by russellcreekps on Jun 18, 2024 19:26:48 GMT -6
Damn, the SA-47 MK3 looks really attractive at that price! Wonder how it stacks up to the Heiserman?
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Post by antipodesjosh on Jun 19, 2024 2:21:59 GMT -6
Those Vanguards are supposed to be C12 flavored, right? Just discovered in a random thread here that one of their guys is based 5 miles from me where I spent most of my childhood. I like that guy being so local if I went that way, but like all of these classic flavored mics, mixed reviews. They do seem on the vibey end though. My old grumpy friend is loving them in overheads. I have a Vanguard V13 here, happy user. Definitely a vibey mic, but sounds good on lots of things. Check out the Millsounds review, or any of Joshua Lee Turner's work on Youtube. Jesus Martinez at Decibel Studios has three of them. |
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Post by thehightenor on Jun 19, 2024 4:06:33 GMT -6
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. IMHO 251/C12 "case by case" on Male Singers. Always worth trying. Examples? Tommy James' own 251 on his hits. Eric Burdon on "Monterrey". Etc. etc. I love the U67 and C12/251 tonal contrasts. But my wallet doesn't. LOL! * Chris *Of course, also U47 Tube and FET within condensers. The 251 is a lovely sound when I'm in my baritone range. As soon as I start to get up into those bluesy driven mixed voice sounds the "tip of the flame" so to speak just gets too hot and a 251 is too present. That's where the Wunder CM7 is a more versatile mic for my voice - its great for papery baritone registers but saturates and bends in the wind elegantly when I push up into the bluesy pushed tenor register. Hard to beat a 47 for a male voice ime. |
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Post by chessparov on Jun 19, 2024 8:56:39 GMT -6
I do think of 251's cutting through a Mix more. Versus the U67. ("Arrangement" more critical for the OG 67) Just like all those hits at Motown. BTW just learned "My Way"/Sinatra was done on a 67. (Hotel California is playing above me. Don on U67!) And that Neumann partly developed it with the U47/M7 in mind. Huge Justin Hayward vocal fan here. That 67 was/is Wunder-bar. The tonal lean of Good to Great 67's being slightly darker/mellower than later (post M7) U47's. I still don't "Grok" C12/251 as well as 47/67/87. C12 a little better familiar directly. But am gonna try. LOL! Chris |
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Post by nicksteinborn on Jun 19, 2024 11:53:41 GMT -6
IMHO 251/C12 "case by case" on Male Singers. Always worth trying. Examples? Tommy James' own 251 on his hits. Eric Burdon on "Monterrey". Etc. etc. I love the U67 and C12/251 tonal contrasts. But my wallet doesn't. LOL! * Chris *Of course, also U47 Tube and FET within condensers. That's where the Wunder CM7 is a more versatile mic for my voice - its great for papery baritone registers but saturates and bends in the wind elegantly when I push up into the bluesy pushed tenor register. Hard to beat a 47 for a male voice ime. My friend’s pair of CM7s are definitely up there with my other friend’s Tfunk 47 from how they sounded on my band’s vocalist. I’m really feeling like that’s the move. Between the Stam, Signal Arts, and maybe a Pearlman, those all seem like a good starting place. And then maybe I give in and grab a Serrano(BeesNeez or just going Gefell UM70 seem like passable alternatives too) depending on how much I have left. Currently out on a tour and I’m hoping whatever I get paid for this is enough to cover a new toy. Or two. |
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Post by antipodesjosh on Jun 20, 2024 6:20:03 GMT -6
Where are you all finding CM7s for 2k? 😅
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 16,083 
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Post by ericn on Jun 20, 2024 11:04:23 GMT -6
At 2K there is a Lawson 47 ii and a 251 on reverb at right around 2K each. I would grab the 47 ii personally because I could always add the 251 head and FET electronics. If I knew a 251 would be best I might just go that route.
The other thing to consider here is Gene was willing to sell heads without capsules last time I talked to him so you could always add a head with a favorite 47/ or ck12.
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Post by Dan on Jun 20, 2024 12:35:10 GMT -6
Austrian Audio OC818 has the detail without the pushed mids, low headroom and grossly resonant high end.
Shure KSM44a is a better, more detailed version of what you own.
Audio Technica AT4047 is rock solid and smoother than Neumann type mics in midrange. Just a little boring.
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Post by antipodesjosh on Jun 20, 2024 17:09:45 GMT -6
Austrian Audio OC818 has the detail without the pushed mids, low headroom and grossly resonant high end. Shure KSM44a is a better, more detailed version of what you own. Audio Technica AT4047 is rock solid and smoother than Neumann type mics in midrange. Just a little boring. I’m such a fan of OC818s. They get a killer overhead sound live. Can push them pretty loud in the FOH and they have a nice sheen but never sound harsh. Excellent on guitar cab, lovely transient detail on acoustic guitar, have tracked BVs with them as well and stacks very well on multiple tracks. As a live guy who occasionally records things, it’s the ideal mic. Could easily use more of them. |
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Post by nicksteinborn on Jun 20, 2024 17:21:02 GMT -6
At 2K there is a Lawson 47 ii and a 251 on reverb at right around 2K each. I would grab the 47 ii personally because I could always add the 251 head and FET electronics. If I knew a 251 would be best I might just go that route. The other thing to consider here is Gene was willing to sell heads without capsules last time I talked to him so you could always add a head with a favorite 47/ or ck12. Are the Lawson mics more of a general tube or fet design with different caps to differentiate the types? Austrian Audio OC818 has the detail without the pushed mids, low headroom and grossly resonant high end. Shure KSM44a is a better, more detailed version of what you own. Audio Technica AT4047 is rock solid and smoother than Neumann type mics in midrange. Just a little boring. I feel like I have the 414/clean vibes covered with the T2s. They’ve sounded great for the vocal parts I’ve tracked with them, but I just keep wanting a fancy sorta big boy mic around here. Just want a different option to the SM7/414 thing I usually toss up. If you trick yourself that it’s cooler, it definitely is. |
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Post by chessparov on Jun 20, 2024 18:01:46 GMT -6
BU67 MKII. Variable Pattern. Four Voicings. OG 67 and OG 269. "Modern" style 67/269. Any more questions? |
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