Is it worth upgrading to WA-87 or SA-87 from NT1A

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Hangoon

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Hello. I own NT1A for my home studio. Mostly for recording my vocals on instrumental track.
Although I am satisfied with Rode, I am planing to upgrade my mic next year.
and I think WA-87 or SA-87, which is clone of U87, might be good choice.
But I doubt about the quality. Yes, they might copy Neuman sound but they mustn't have same quality.

However, if I compare them to Rode NT-1A?
Are they have clearly better quality than NT1A?

In my experience, when I change my gear to 1~2 grade up.
It didn't have quality difference but just a little.
Could you share your experience and opinion about the quality comparing NT1A , WA-87 and SA-87

I tried to find comparing videos for the 3 mics.
By the videos I actually prefer SA-87 rather than WA-87.
It is a bit more expensive though, I feel it more similar to U87.

But I wonder the opinion of owners.
 
From what I've read, very few Neumann clones, especially of the U-87, approach the sound of the original. They might sound ok, even good or better, but they don't sound like an original. (Neither does Neumann's current Ai version, from what I've read.)

I would ask you to think about what you are looking for in a mic. The NT1-A is known for its brighter high end, and in some uses that may not be flattering. (The NT-1 has a flatter response, in fact, and usually gets more recommendations.)

If you really want a *tube* (valve) sound, well there are lots of choices there, and they may add some different sounds. I've only used a couple tube mics, and really like the sound, but, ultimately, decided the extra space/mass/footprint taken up in my small space didn't justify their presence. I liked a Miktek (CV4), and an sE, but if you search at a place like Sweetwater, put in your price range, and sort by ratings, you might get some other ideas. (Some WA models show up, though the -87 is not near the top.) Then, look at reviews (Sound on Sound mag is a good source!).

Good luck.

p.s. I wouldn't get rid of the RODE, but just expand your collection - you might find it's still useful for some things.
 
I just picked up a WA-87, WA-14 (AKG 414 clone) and a Golden Age Ribbon Mic. Haven’t gotten them yet but looking forward to trying them all out! The AKG P220 LDC that i’ve been using is like many new cheap condensers, IMHO, with a really crispy bright high end. I was fortunate enough to use a late 60s model U87 & U47 in 1994 when I worked at a studio. I absolutely loved using the 87 for vocals AND for micing the bottom of a grand piano. The U47 was just all around wonderful. We also used Sennheiser 421 and AKG C414 along with the usual bevy of Shure mics for vocals drums and amps. I didn’t much experience with ribbon mics and since I’ve only got a home project studio, it seemed really dumb for me to waste money on the “real deal” when i’ll likely never really notice the difference from the clones, honestly! I got those three for the price of a Neumann TLM103. Time to test them out and have some fun!
 
When you look at the great microphone manufacturers over the years, we talk about all the really great mics, but forget that they all had models that were either horrible or nobody wanted to buy. The cheap Chinese ones can often surprise. Sure, lots are truly horrid - but some are gems, so the mics flyingace has mentioned might be brilliant! Or not? I hope he gives us an update.
 
I got the Golden Age R1 MKII non-active ribbon mic in today. I tested it briefly just with vocals. Take my quick review with a grain of salt since I have never used many ribbon mics. My only experience was using a pair of RCA 44s(??) for a room mic in front of a drum kit once. This one has a very nice tone, very transparent, good gain, and easy to find the sweet spot. I was able to be about 10” away and get a great sound with a little room reflection from the back side. I’d likely use this with a vocal shield for vocals but I could see this being a great guitar amp mic to get direct from speaker but also a little room since it’s figure 8 only. For $159, it’s a no brainer, but I doubt very much it’s as good as the model it’s cloning and nothing as good as a real Royer. I’m not unhappy with the purchase and plan to use this mic!

P.S. at the end of the day, over the years, I’ve found that my favorite vocal mics for my voice are actually the SM57 and the Shure SM7B. They just work great for my range, super predictable and do the job nicely. But it’s fun to experiment.
 
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flyingace said:
I got the Golden Age R1 MKII non-active condenser in today. I tested it briefly just with vocals. Take my quick review with a grain of salt since I have never used many ribbon mics.
Click to expand...

What is it? A condenser or ribbon mic? Got me confused
 
Sorry, yes, it’s a ribbon mic. As I said, not very familiar with them, used to either condenser or dynamic, honestly. Good to get some experience with the ribbon and maybe i can understand it. I know the MKIII model is “active”, so it requires 48V like a condenser. I have corrected my post above.
 
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flyingace said:
Sorry, yes, it’s a ribbon mic. As I said, not very familiar with them, used to either condenser or dynamic, honestly. Good to get some experience with the ribbon and maybe i can understand it. I know the MKIII model is “active”, so it requires 48V like a condenser. I have corrected my post above.
Click to expand...
Gotcha. Thanks for clarification
 
I figured I'd be able to get the Golden Age ribbon mic from one of my usual Chinese sources, in a different branding - but I can't! I get on quite well with a few of my regular suppliers so I asked why not. The answer was interesting. Aliexpress keep incoming funds in a sort of escrow until businesses build good reputation. Ribbons on Aliexpress are available at MORE than the Golden Age mic sold through well known outlets - typically £180, but people buying direct get 20% VAT added by fedex, UPS etc plus a handling charge. The reason is returns. So many arrive damaged when sent via air freight - small parcels being thrown around by the freight companies. They're priced high to cover the losses. If a customer complains and has evidence - a phone video usually does - Aliexpress refund them, and the supplier loses out. This is built into the pricing. The well known firms buy containers or half containers and on delivery, they're usually fine. They tell me the ribbon module inside is the same as all the Chinese ribbons - just different housings, and the active ones have the Alctron cloudlifter type preamp pcb inside. The upshot is they will sell me a Golden Age type microphone, but only if pay by bank transfer because they won't do a refund for damage. The price to me, excluding UK VAT would be £86, including UPS shipping. I'm thinking it's just too risky. So many mic sized packages are quite beaten about by the time they arrive. I never really thought about the delicacy being the problem. It also explains why the one Chinese ribbon I had was a one-off. Next order was out of stock, and they've vanished everywhere.
 
rob aylestone said:
So many arrive damaged when sent via air freight
Click to expand...

Might not be so much of an issue if they were stowed in a pressurized cabin. Even still the pressure changes that make your ears pop when the altitude changes might stretch out the ribbon. Not an issue with ground or sea shipping.
 
I'd not actually thought about pressure changes, but I really mean thrown about by the handlers, box by box, rather than stuck in a freight container?
 
I dont think a non pressurized cabin is the problem!

iu
 
Ha!

Reminds me of that guy on Youtube singing about how United Airlines broke his Taylor guitar.

Crazy.

But yeah, air freight can be like putting your ribbon inside a kick drum.
 
That I think is why Chinese ribbons are still quite rare!
 
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