U87

  • Thread starter Thread starter DarthFaders
  • Start date Start date
D

DarthFaders

New member
I rented one for the week...and damn is it not the smoothest thing EVER. The top end is WAY TOO warm on the vocals. You can hear my results in the MP3 Mixing Clinic: topic "Incredibly rough mix from the latest Darth session."

I always knew that the U87 kicks ass...but this was my first time using it. After using it, my new stipulation for recording a band is that they HAVE to rent a U87. If they won't rent it, then I won't record them. I'm spoiled!

Darth
 
Darth,
yeah listened to your mix from the vs planet, sounds killer, you should mention the pre amp your using as well
how do you think the u87 sounds compared to C-1 ??

Bostonfan2
 
bostonfan2 said:
how do you think the u87 sounds compared to C-1 ??
Click to expand...

Your compairing a $2300 mic to a $230 mic. There is no compairison.

Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Thanks a lot, Darth! I always thought a U87 was much more than $2300.

Now, you've got the wheels spinning in my devious little mind. I just dropped a grand I couldn't afford on mics, and thought it was over, at least for a while.
Thanks a lot, man. :cool:

BTW - Details! What pre did you use?

I'm betting it's not an Audio Buddy!

Bob
 
Buffalo Bob said:
Thanks a lot, Darth! I always thought a U87 was much more than $2300.
Click to expand...

They're only about $1,600 if you buy direct form Germany. The U87 has achieved such mythic status, I'm not sure people realize that it really isn't all that expensive. IMNSHO, it's a great utitlity mic, super-useful, always sounds at least decent, and is sometimes perfect for a situation, but it is far from the "ultimate" in mic's.
 
Look out, Buffalo Bob! You may be a gearaholic! Remember, when you get that Neumann, you really won't be happy until you have the Avalon, Neve, Great River, DW Fearn, etc. preamp to go with it.-Richie
 
Look out, Buffalo Bob! You may be a gearaholic! Remember, when you get that Neumann, you really won't be happy until you have the Avalon, Neve, Great River, DW Fearn, etc. preamp to go with it. And JSlator- I think there is no ultimate mic, but when all is said and done, U87 has probably been the choice of more vocalists and more engineers for vox over the last 30 years or so than any other mic. And when they didn't put that up, they probably reached for a U47-Richie
 
Darthfaders - that has to be one of the funniest names I've heard in a long time.

Anyway, I love my U87 and right now it's packed up ready to be shipped off in order to get fixed (it's from the 70's and the capsule finally said its had enough). I've had to use substitutes like a Blueberry but the B.L.U.E. falls short. I finally went out and bought an RCA 44BX for vocals and it's amazing. I would be afraid to use it for anything else unless I had a pair of them for overheads (FAR above the set).

I wouldn't get my U87 fixed if it didn't sound so good on a bass cab. Some guitar tones work well for it. A tele through a 50's bassman sounds really good with a U87.

--AdamLazlo
 
Light said:
Your compairing a $2300 mic to a $230 mic. There is no compairison.
Click to expand...

Besides the spelling, I have a problem with this statement. Anyone else?
 
Nope. I would have to agree that the 87 has a darker smoothness to it and that is exactly what you pay more for.
 
I'm pretty sure Darth said he was using aphex pres. And it's one of the best vocal recordings i've heard in the clinic. Really made me think about spending a bunch of money.

I see these mics on ebay all the time for around 1750. Anyone know if these ebay dealers are any good? I mean there's about $500 difference from places like musician's friend and the ebay guys. That's enough to by an aphex to go with it i think.
 
well, i started recording the vocals for a song recently. i additioned three mics -- U87, U47, and the C1. I chose the U87 for this song. But I gotta say, the C1 will definately work on some songs. It depends on the situation. I'm not going to say better or worse. Hell, a 57 is more appropriate sometimes.
 
jslator said:
They're only about $1,600 if you buy direct form Germany.

Really? Got any sources on that? I will be in Frankfurt in May, and would love to save some money on one.

Regarding comparisons to a C1... Yes & no. Is it better than the C1? Yes & no. Can the C1 be better than a U87... Yes & no.
Getting my drift. No mic is "the mic", and yes I've used U87's.
I have passed them up for a 57 when it fit the need. Some voices sound better through a C1 than a U87 - some don't... Although I'd trade my C1 for a 87 in a heart beat. :)
Sure would suck if a $230 mic blew away a $2300 beauty... bet that day is closer than we think.

Sky Pilot
Click to expand...
 
I think the vintage u87 is the second best mic ever made, the best being the u47.
 
Sky Pilot said:
jslator said:
They're only about $1,600 if you buy direct form Germany.

Really? Got any sources on that? I will be in Frankfurt in May, and would love to save some money on one.
Click to expand...

Check out http://www.musiciansgear.com

Don't get me wrong, I think the U87 is a great mic, if for no other reason than its versatility. It's like a '57 in that way. If I had a choice though, I think I'd rather have a U47, U48, U67, C12, ELAM251, ELAM250, or some of the newer Brauners, Soundeluxes, etc.
Click to expand...
 
jslator said:
I think I'd rather have a U47, U48, U67, C12, ELAM251, ELAM250, or some of the newer Brauners, Soundeluxes, etc. [/B]
Click to expand...

yeah, me too...an extra $20k to spend on some mics would be choice.

i've used 57's in all types of situations and u87 rarely (don't own one). liked what i heard though when i used it.
 
"Your compairing a $2300 mic to a $230 mic. There is no compairison. "

I'll take an M500 reissue (177.00 new when i bought it) over my U87 on a large number of vocalists, especially women...

"I think the vintage u87 is the second best mic ever made, the best being the u47."

I'd stick a U67 in between those 2...

In terms of pricing, 5 years ago you couldn't touch a good U87 for less than 2K. Lately I've seen them go for as low as 1.2K for a good working U87...
You really can't say that about too many pieces of quality gear over the past 5 years, can you?...

Bruce
www.bruceharvie.com
 
I'm a mic junky and threads like this make me drool, and now I've even got the shakes, I need a fix, lol.
 
jslator said:
Check out http://www.musiciansgear.com

Don't get me wrong, I think the U87 is a great mic, if for no other reason than its versatility. It's like a '57 in that way. If I had a choice though, I think I'd rather have a U47, U48, U67, C12, ELAM251, ELAM250, or some of the newer Brauners, Soundeluxes, etc.
Click to expand...

I'm with jslator 100%. If anything, I'd go as far as saying that the U87 is over-rated compared to some other mics currently available. Like the Lawson L47mp for instance.

But i can understand that if your only frame of reference was $200 microphones, how the U87 might sound heavenly by comparison.

However, it would behoove anyone who is about to spend $1200+ on a microphone to wait a month or two (if possible) and check out Stephen Paul's new mic when it becomes available.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top