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Post by thehightenor on Aug 19, 2016 2:51:22 GMT -6
I'm hoping these new Virtual mics systems will cause a siginificant drop in the price of physical mics.
I'm saving up in the hope of picking up a bargain Bock 251 or Nuemann U67 .... yeah I know it's probably not going to happen :-)
My long term goal is still a decent mic locker (call me old school if you will)
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Aug 19, 2016 7:28:50 GMT -6
I'm hoping these new Virtual mics systems will cause a siginificant drop in the price of physical mics. I'm saving up in the hope of picking up a bargain Bock 251 or Nuemann U67 .... yeah I know it's probably not going to happen :-) My long term goal is still a decent mic locker (call me old school if you will) Keep dreaming my friend !
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Post by Bob Olhsson on Aug 19, 2016 17:12:32 GMT -6
Good mikes are not cheap to make. You can bet Neumann and AKG would be making their classics again if the cost wasn't out of sight.
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Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 19, 2016 17:47:09 GMT -6
Telefunken sells their new U-47 for $9000. I think Neumann could do the same and would clean up if they got it right.
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Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 20, 2016 8:25:34 GMT -6
I'd rather see a real U67 reissue. There are already enough U47-ish mics around.
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Post by joseph on Aug 20, 2016 10:20:20 GMT -6
I wish Neumann would make a K47/49 or K67 vocal mic in the $3000-5000 range besides the 87AI or the straight-wire no transformer TLM mics (TLM67 sounds pretty good though), aside from the the veiled U47fet, with its overcomplicated circuitry. And not something with a good capsule but sterile fake tube flavor like the M149 or grainy M147, or anything with KK89 capsule.
I don't care if it's tube or FET, just something without boring capsule and with a transformer and a little vibe, that is more open than the U47Fet and something different from the 87AI.
The Brauners are a nice alternative but are a little too clean/sensitive and sometimes sibilant for my taste. The Valvet X is perhaps the closest. And Gefell discountinued the transformer UM70, and I prefer a thicker vocal mic anyway.
Seems they are missing this in the line and they could maybe do a FET + transformer K47 mic alternative to 87 and 47fet cost effectively. In other words, like a Bock iFet, but with proper Neumann capsule and midrange.
*
Josephson makes a beautiful C37 derived design, the C715, at 4 grand, which is one of the best mics in the world, in my opinion. Beautiful and forgiving sounding on any source, and no sibilance to speak of. And his comapny uses top quality machining, transformer, and that patented foam basket. All parts carefully sourced with no compromise, and capsule tuned with the upmost refinement. Meanwhile Neumann probably has an entire warehouse supply of the proven tlm headbaskets and bodies. So I don't see why they can't still turn a profit on a new FET mic with some real texture under 4 grand.
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Post by ragan on Aug 20, 2016 11:15:13 GMT -6
Good points. I don't see why they can't just make U67's again and sell them for what, $6-7k? How could that not be profitable?
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Post by Johnkenn on Aug 20, 2016 11:40:03 GMT -6
I think it has been discussed that they think their new line is better. My guess is that the profit margin is what's better about them.
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Post by joseph on Aug 20, 2016 12:13:24 GMT -6
Maybe part of reason is that people are obsessed with tube mics, but hand selecting tubes is an expensive process. The tubes in M147 and M149 are there for flavor, not primary circuit. M147 sounds opaque for whatever reason. M149 is a good mic, has lots of patterns, dimension but just doesn't have much texture, and is on the bright/detailed side, a good transparent option for classical.
A more expensive FET mic with transformer is a risk, outside of proven designs and name recognition U87 or U89/TLM170R or U47fet, the latter reissue's profit margin will maybe determine their plans for the future.
Just a shame they can't try some of those great non-sibilant and pinching capsules in one more flattering non-grainy new mic design and forget the whole quasi-tube thing.
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Post by Bob Olhsson on Aug 20, 2016 12:44:03 GMT -6
I'm sure they did the math and the price would need to be way higher than just buying a vintage one for it to make any financial sense.
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Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 20, 2016 12:51:33 GMT -6
My guess, I think they're wonks, and they think that the improved measurements means it sounds better.
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Post by Bob Olhsson on Aug 20, 2016 14:19:35 GMT -6
It's Sennheiser and they have always held that Neumann was an over-rated product. They bought it at a bankruptcy auction.
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Aug 20, 2016 15:46:23 GMT -6
I'm sure they did the math and the price would need to be way higher than just buying a vintage one for it to make any financial sense. Yep but, if the 47fet reissue had flown off the shelves we might have seen something. Neumann has always thought the current line is better, but if they saw big money in a mass manufactured reissue they would do it ! Most don't realize how few big dollar clones companies like Flea, Telefunken USA and the others produce. Those are hand built not mass manufactured like Neumann of today and Flea probably makes more doing OEM work for others !
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Post by Bob Olhsson on Aug 20, 2016 15:48:45 GMT -6
I can't imaging the 47 fets and 87s aren't still hand made.
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Post by mrholmes on Aug 20, 2016 16:49:48 GMT -6
Question. You can't live without those old mics?
What is the point about them? I never understood the hype, but that is maybe because I never used one...
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Post by ragan on Aug 20, 2016 17:08:59 GMT -6
Question. You can't live without those old mics? What is the point about them? I never understood the hype, but that is maybe because I never used one... I think the main thing is that they sound really friggin good.
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Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 20, 2016 17:59:15 GMT -6
Easy answer, they're the holy grail, and they're real.
Check out my high end mic shootout thread. The vintage U47 is flawless, nothing sounds better, if you don't sound good through it, you don't sound good. It so happened my voice is more compatible with the U67, but the point was clear. Ever hear great sounding vocal tracks from Mark Knopfler, Lyle Lovette, Ryan Adams, Chris Isaak, Sinatra, and on and on? We;ll, those were 9 out of 10 time what are now vintage Neumann's.
No wonder people would love a working low cost, but viable alternative. I've hear dozens of clones of these mics, and not one really has what they have. I wish they did.
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Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 20, 2016 18:00:36 GMT -6
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Post by mrholmes on Aug 21, 2016 11:36:27 GMT -6
I could live with any of those takes for the song?
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Post by Martin John Butler on Aug 23, 2016 7:50:46 GMT -6
Me too! I think the K67 style capsule suits my voice best, but they were all superb! The U67 and the Soyuz have the K67 capsule. What a joy it was to do that, all thanks to Jeremy Gilespie.
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Post by Johnkenn on Mar 12, 2017 19:53:34 GMT -6
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Post by donr on Mar 13, 2017 3:20:05 GMT -6
Townsend hasn't shipped yet. Getting emails every so often.
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Post by Vincent R. on Mar 13, 2017 5:17:02 GMT -6
I'm really curious about the Sphere mic, and own VMS. I'm not sure how accurate this is, but this video comparing them is interesting. It is a harmonics analysis of the various emulations of each mic.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 13, 2017 5:40:51 GMT -6
Looks interesting. They've got a crowdfunding site too - $351K raised so far so there is a lot of interest. Got a $300 off offer on the page. Sphere crowdfund
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Post by jcoutu1 on Mar 13, 2017 5:46:56 GMT -6
Looks interesting. They've got a crowdfunding site too - $351K raised so far so there is a lot of interest. Got a $300 off offer on the page. Sphere crowdfundYeah, estimated ship date of January 2017 too. Bummer.
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