Mic Check: Is the Soyuz 017 FET the Holy Grail of VO microphones? 

Thank you, Sir. You really can’t pick two more legendary mics to desire. And though I haven’t tried the 017 Tube mic, I bet that gets you right there sonically. But for a non-tube mic at a fraction of the cost of all those others, the 017 FET has so much of that same harmonically rich character that it definitely stands shoulder to shoulder with the greats. When yourself in your headphones, the sound is beautiful and inspiring.

Your feelings are correct. I just purchased this mic and I was truthfully awed by the detail. It's one of those investments you know you will not regret.

@@ndavies8 The 017 FET and the Gefell UMT70S are my two sub $2k dream mics and either one I feel could be my last stop high end condenser mic for just about any application. The UMT70S in particular is special because even though it sadly lacks a transformer and thus lacks a good deal of mojo and vibe that the 017 has, it’s using an M7 capsule like what was used in the original U47 and M49 by Neumann; and has a beautiful mid forward sound signature in its own right. Though ultimately I feel I might lean more in the direction of the 017 FET because of those transformer harmonics and beautiful low mids.

@@ndavies8Right? Once you use one, it really is one of those mics that instantly demonstrates why it's worth spending up for.

Oh yeah. The top end on this is just beautiful.

Thank you for your generous and kind comment. Yeah, I'm convinced the Soyuz is proof that magic does exist. It's truly a beautiful, keeper mic that I plan to be buried with someday.

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff One month on, I am still loving this thing!

@@ndavies8 The Soyuz defines the term “modern classic”. I’m stoked to hear it! It’s a true forever mic.

Thank you, Case. Well said!

Hi Qamar, my answer and reasoning were too long to type out so I made a video to address your mic choices. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9mljxw0ivBE.html

Hi Sam. Welcome to the club! So, you've hit upon what I think is the only practical downside with the Soyuz 017 FET. It's built like a tank and weighs 2 pounds! I've had the same issue with both the great stock shockmount and the Rycote I'm currently using. What I'm doing is when I screw the shockmount into the mic stand/boom, that part of the shockmount faces downward, so I'm screwing it down onto the stand. You can still use the mic right side up or inverted, depending upon how you flip the mount, but picture the shockmount so that the screw hole is facing downwards toward the floor either way. This way, the weight of the mic just sits in a way that doesn't require me to torque the tension screw on the shockmount too much. Of course, it doesn't help that the shockmount itself weighs a ton. LOL. The trick of doing it this way is that with a boom, you have to set it so that the little mounting post points upward instead of hanging downward as normal and I have to really tighten that screw at the boom arm end joint, but I also have a velcro cable tie to help hold it in place from falling forward. It's hard to describe. I'll see if I can throw a photo into my feed to better show you what I mean. If you're subscribed, I think you should see it.

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff That makes total sense - I'll give that a try! And I'm just listening through to the first tracking session I recorded with this beauty - good god, it's marvelous. I wasn't prepared for the natural low-end roll-off - it's beautiful and smooth, and without even applying any EQ, my headphones are blushing. Thanks again for the rec - I'm already envisioning many happy hours of recording with the Soyuz!

@@midnightdisease You’re very welcome, Sam! Enjoy the Soyuz. It truly is an exceptional VO mic for those very reasons.

Hi Oleg. I tend to have a sibilant voice due to an untreated overbite, so I'm always conscious of the high end on mics. While the capsule on the Soyuz has a nice detailed top end, I often have to treat it with a de-esser and sometimes rolling off 12khz about a db or two on the UAD SSL to make sure it's not to "bitey". Mics with a little extra presence on the highs tend to have been developed to record a source from a foot away or further so when doing VO about 4 to 6 inches off the mic, it's something to keep in mind.

Hi JM! I have not, but just looking at the circuit board and capsule in this listing I can absolutely say with 100 percent certainty that you do not wan't to buy that mic. tinyurl.com/yyhnzepu That's just a cheap Scheops circuit married to a bad capsule. At those prices, those Viking mics are rebadged generic cheapo mics from AliExpress. So, my take is "avoid".

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff.... whoa! I am so glad I asked you! Thank you so much for your help! 🙏

@@jmhernandez6503 Happy to be of service.

@@jmhernandez6503 I found the same mic on AliExpress. Scroll down and you can see the same circuit and 26mm capsule (same photo). a.aliexpress.com/_mNUjNGy All the Viking people are doing is gluing their badge on them.

If I had to pick one mic and only one mic, it would be the u87, but I love the Soyuz.

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff why specifically would it be the u87? Is it the rightness or the low end the brighter high end?

@@DailyRiot Because it's a VO industry standard, so if I only had one mic, I'd take the 87 to cover everything

Hi Karl, Awesome question. I think the 017 is magic for what I do. So, in your scenario, I’d have to eliminate the 017 Tube because the faster transient attack of a FET mic would be preferable. I’ve never tried the Lauten so I’ll eliminate that just to be practical. The 017 FET is more like a vintage 87, with a warmer low midrange. An 87ai is more sensitive and has a more modern top end. So, given you primarily do music, and rap vocals lend themselves to a brighter top, you may be best served with an 87ai if you are only looking at one mic to cover everything. Of course, this is all theoretical and the best practical advice is to try everything in your own space to find which mic interacts best with your voice, but it sounds like you are about to embark on an exciting mic discovery adventure. Enjoy the hunt!

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff Thank you so much, brother. To tell you the truth, I've been thinking, and I'll probably end up having a whole mic locker lol. Would it be too much asking you to listen to a vocal track of mine and give me an opinion of the mic I need now based on what you hear? If it is too much, I totally understand; if it's not, I can send you a .wav file. Greetings and keep killing it with your videos.

@@BanderaFilmsAndMusic Sure, man. Go to wordsushi dot com and hit the contact page and send me a Dropbox link or something.

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff Sent. Thank you! :)

@@BanderaFilmsAndMusic Karl, can you send it again? I think there's something wrong with the contact page mail plug-in. I didn't get it and I didn't get a test message I just sent either. I put my email address up on the page.

I mention it because it’s a VO industry standard that people in the business understand as a universal reference.

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff Sorry if I sounded err...petulant or something. Yes of course you are right. It’s just something I have never understood. From my experience in AIR studios in the seventies with a Geoff Emerick up to today I always felt the 87’s weren’t all rounders but only great on certain voices. And that mic has always HATED my voice;))))

@@kelvynification No worries, man. 😁 The 87 sound has just kinda evolved as the sonic profile VO producers know best, and understand will drop into a commercial edit for radio or TV and cut through a music bed. It’s really a byproduct of the streamlined production process in VO and clients needing it done yesterday. I too, think the 87 is overrated, which is why I advocate for the Soyuz 017 FET. It gets you into the 87 ballpark that clients listen for, but with a big dollop of butter in the low mids and lows. If my initial response has come off as critical or terse, I blame responding before having my first cup of morning coffee.

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff Hey! All good:) I’m about to purchase the Soyuz 017 so you - and some others - steered me into the right direction. So thanks for that:)

@@kelvynification You’re going to love it. Welcome to the Soyuz 017 club! Please feel free to let me know what you think of it after you’ve had a chance to put it through its paces!