This is by far the best microphone review I have ever watched. The amount of detail you go into and the care you take to make sure your tests are reliable and comprehensive is second to none. You've earned yourself a subscriber.
No, King bee is good for voice over and broadcasting. It is not recommended for singing. Now a latest version King bee II has been launched. It is even better than this king worker bee. STC 20, BLUE BABY BOTTLE SL, ASTON ORIGIN are best budget condenser microphones. They sound well for vocals as well as instruments. Pl. check review. Even KSM 32, 43 have drawbacks. So don't fool yourself.
'I absolutely hate myself for doing this, but let's test the plosive rejection of this thing'. Goes on to show THE FRICKING SMOOTHEST PLOSIVES EVER HEARD BY MANKIND.
Thanks for this Bandrew! It is interesting to hear the "sheen" on the U87ai in the highs/high mids yet it manages to avoid the sibilance overload I hear on so many less expensive large diaphragm condenser microphones. Also interesting how much the foam cover mellows out some of that detail. FYI, help is on the way. We sent Allen Williams on his skateboard. He should be there sometime around July 23rd based on our best estimates. Good luck until then.
Thank YOU very much for all you do Curtis. I look forward to seeing Allen skateboarding down the road through crowds of protestors just dripping sweat. And yeah. It’s got some magic. I think the same magic that the KSM32 has. Did you end up being dissuaded from spending too much money on a mic?
@@Podcastage Yes! You did a fine job and my bank account appreciates this video more than you'll ever know. Also, Allen asked me to tell you that he has some sub $30 microphone with a name I cannot pronounce that he is planning to use to save you. I couldn't totally make out everything he said as the wind on his mobile mic was distorting the signal.
Wow! WOW! What an amazing review. The amount of work put into this! This show will live in INFAMY in the annals of mic review history. No one has , no one will ever dive this deep into a mic review! ( Really happy to see the Allen got the Neewer NW700 in the mix!) Honestly I hear nothing in the line up that compares. There are MANY great sounding mics in the line up indeed but none compare. First review I did not critically listen and thought the TLM 103 was pretty close. On my second review I hear it's not really as close. FWIW the UA X8 sound really good in my head. Again, this is the BEST mic review of all time! Thank you so much. We're not worthy!
There is something about the U87 that differentiates from the rest, itˋs a sensation, something that canˋt be expressed with words. It’s just more pleasant to the ear
Agreed. It's basically a modified K67 capsule too. I bought an NT1 when I started out VO full time and thought it'd be a nice place to start. Never felt the need to "upgrade". It's right for my voice. That mic basically made me a fangirl. And I'm okay with that.
sorry. I heard sharp S's and muddy plosives. nt1 is not as good as they say it is. the only thing going for it is low self noise. plus he was only quietly speaking, if you would put it to the test with singing by different voices I suspect there would be some harshness. spoken word and especially in one voice won't say much. even the 20 bucks mic was comparable, but again it's only one scenario out of many and that's why radio and studios use neumanns, due to it is universal and dependable in all scenarios that other mics aren't. plus neumann can support loads of EQ processing that other cheaper mic don't as the voice falls apart for high fidelity reproduction that u hear only fraction of on youtube
Bandrew: You have become the guru of incredible mic reviews and this was your DaVinci of reviews--- wow!! Loved it. I have the Austrian Audio 818 thanks to you and you helped in getting the TLM103. I love my Senn 416 to death--- I'm impressed with the King Bee and Shure KSM44 --- Mic acquisition is a sickness (need to go to MAA) Mic Acquisition Anonymous ( also have a Soyuz 017Fet,) that I got on Reverb a few months back-- wow, I love that mic, that's now my audiobook mic--- sounds sooooo good. anyway thank you for your service to the MAA community, I will nominate you and the Booth Junkie as honorary President and Vice President! Many thanks Bandrew, Chancellor of Podcastage, holder of the golden SM7B.
Thank you so much Michael. That’s quite the mic locker you have there. I have the Soyuz and have only used it for a little bit but gosh if it’s not a thick low end iirc. I am honored by the nomination. Microphone politics scares me though. =)
Amazing Vid! The sound of the U87 is so classic, our ears are so costumed to it, we love it no matter what. Now, I'm still impressed with the AA OC818, the clarity of it is so amazing, I was on the verge of buying the OC818, but now i will definitely get it, cause sounded amazing in comparison. Thanks for doing this type of reviews, cause we can actually hear the differences among the mics.
The biggest surprise for me personally, when listening in 1080p with my Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro's was how unbelievably close in tone the Shure SM 7B and Rode NT1 were. I mean, for a dynamic mic, the SM7B was so unbelievably close. So was the NT1, with only slight variance in tone. Also surprisingly, the SE x1 was also very close, albeit brighter. And obviously the 103 shares the same capsule, but was more boosted in the highs. This is a great video, because, let's be honest; every mic ever is always being compared to u87. For someone looking to buy a mic, this is like the one stop shop. Getting to see how these things compare to the undisputed industry standard. The one I'm waiting next is the Manley Reference Cardioid. I've seen it lurking there behind you every once in a while :) Manley vs U87 vs 103 vs NT1 vs 7B would probably be the ultimate VO mic test. I've also seen the SE 2200 and JZ BH2 being used to record VO, so those would also be cool to throw in there. Thanks for all of your hard work, Bandrew! :) :) :)
U87 sounds perfect. The NT1 was the closest contender to my ear. But the U87...The combination of detail, air, & warmth (midrange), is just amazing. Then again, for $3,600, it damned well better be.
It's a microphone everyone's heard literally countless times, and yet, here I am having my jaw dropped at how it sounds in isolation. I mean, for the price, it BETTER be that good.
Wow, that was a great review! A lot of work went into this, thank you! The U87 just sounds so good - clean and open. I was pretty surprised at how close the TLM103 was. Definitely worth considering for a whole lot less money (though still not cheap).
Dude, This is your super power...use it wisely. I love your apples-to-apples comparisons and the way you give every mic a fair shot to do their thing. To my ear, there were several of these mics that sounded great on your voice. But of all of them, I felt the U87 was the most neutral, natural, and honest reproduction. If money were no object, that’s definitely where I’d go. Unfortunately, I am not independently wealthy as you appear to be, so money is definitely an object! I’ll have to settle for less. But what I’ve learned from this test is that I won’t be losing that much in performance! Thanks for all your work on this and your other videos!!
My pleasure Ted. Thank you very much for the kind words, and I’m really happy to know the video helped and provided context for how the mic compares to others on the market. It is great, but as you say, there are mics that are 1/3rd the price or less that offer an amazing sound.
@@Podcastage There's always the used market (but your millage may vary). I've seen a few U87 Ai go for $1500 USD with the shockmount and the box in the last year on classified sites.
ksm44a has very similar character with u87. wow.. very impressed. I'm sure you spend a lot of time for making this video and is really helping me. thanks!
Like so much in audio, it's about subtlety and nuance. It seems like many of the other mics are decent sounding but all have some sort of frequency boosted that's annoying when compared to the U87. The U87 is just so well balanced across the entire frequency spectrum. Pretty amazing how they nailed it back in 1967.
Thank you so much for this incredible video, not only did you demonstrate how great this mic is, but also how great many other affordable mics are as well. The tremendous amount of work you put into this video is amazing, like I was expected to watch 10+ videos for comparison and getting the same information. Job well done my friend you earned me to subscribe. From a rockstar to another rockstar, terrific job sir, thank you again!
The Shure KSM44a sounded incredibly close to the U87, which I didn't expect. Very impressive. Otherwise the Neumann TLM103 sounded the best "of the rest." Also, this was one of my favorite videos. It seemed like you were having fun during recording, despite the repeated madness.
99.9% of people wouldn't be able to tell the difference in a long list of mics like this. To the .1% it blows them away. I'd beg to differ, this mic by no means blew the $1000+ mics away. It's expensive because it can be and people who don't need it will buy it.
@@tb1235 I agree it’s a game of inches. But that’s what separates good from elite. Listen for the lack of focus in the mids and shrilly highs of cheaper mics. After time you may not hear it buy you might feel the difference without knowing the reason.
Nathan Willis Yeah, that is correct, but in my experience its still really good in that regard as it is. The U87 is so nice that you start degrading sound quality with pop filters which is bonkers. Sadly I gave mine away as a long-term loaner so I cant confirm right now but really good from memory.
That's what I thought too, especially for the money. Banger deal for $1200, don't think the OC818 will stay around $1000 forever once Austrian Audio makes their name widely known.
It's like butter. If I had the bucks, I would get one. I do own an NT-1 and appreciate hearing it compared to the U87. The NT-1 is great for my voice and it's price is quite reasonable (IMO). Also, please don't put down your voice. I actually enjoy the sound of your voice and there's no need for self-deprecation. Your mic reviews are consistently excellent. Thanks for the service you provide.
I've been here since 60k or 40k subscribers. I really love your channel you made me learn a lot of very useful things about improving my setup audio. I wish the best for you and your channel and wish to see you with 1M subscribers and a very big RU-vidr. Keep going Bandrew you're awesome 😃👍
This is one of your very best reviews--and they're all great! No matter what microphone I type in the search window, your reviews seem to always be there, usually right at the top. Yours are my favorites to watch because you hit all the marks and don't waste any time--just right. Love how in the versus series you go back to the featured mic to keep our ears "active" between comparisons. Just freakin' awesome...every time!
As an NT1 owner, I was really surprised by how bass heavy the NT1 was and how the high end transients were a little more “spitty”. Ugh… now I want a U87 :(
Hey Podcastage ! This comment doesn't concern this video but your whole channel. I'm a French musician who loooves music but doesn't really understand how sound is supposed to work etc. I've found your channel and it's so professional but also so easy-to-understand that you're improving my knowledges ! I've recently bought a Rode NT1 (still waiting...), and many of your videos learnt me how to configure it without issues, and optimise the sound. Sorry if I do some mistakes haha ! But keep going man ! You are the best audio RU-vidr I've ever met ! Thanks for all !
Thank you, especially for the comparison to other mics and preamps. I mix recordings fro THIS mic all day, whcih is ADR dialogue for foreign language dubs. This mic requires creative placement and quite a bit of tweaking for some voices in the mix. Good, but sometimes I wish people took the time to try other mics as well. For me the Austrian Audio appeared to be less prone to sibilance. That would often be my first choice these days. The NT1 on a budget.
When doing that stuff, creative placement is required with *any* mic, so the dubbed line sound as natural and true to the picture. Austrian Audio, more similar with TLM103 and I think that's the segment they're after anyway (home recording, podcasting), and it makes sense since that's were the big sales are at.
It's so wonderful to say that this video is so nostalgic and never gets old. They're contrast, but being constant of how your video was made makes it feel so exceptional. :)
at first , i was not that much impressed, but when the comparision test came in... wow. all the other microphones as a signature, this one seems that it records the REAL voice. it's the first time i hear yout real voice then! amazing. will never throw so much money in a mic but do the job for voice in every situation. you could record a mute guy with this one! i wonder how all the mics sound with big screaming pressure in them. thx for the vidz, keep up the good work
The sound characteristics of both KSM32 and KSM44a are incredibly similar to the U87ai! I absolutely LOVE my KSM32! I have other more expensive microphones and they have their uses but the KSM32 keeps being the most versatile mic I have. My other favorite mics are modded/custom mics. One of them is a very close U87 clone, made with the same schematics.
another bonus is that the shure KSM series is a great mic for live use on pianos and acoustic guitars as it is less prone to feedback than most other condensers I’ve used in that capacity.
hey man im far from getting a u87 but i promise ill use one of ur links just to support all the countless reviews and countless help youve given me over the years. love you bro if im ever famous ill send sum your way
The microphone review to end all microphone reviews and one I've been waiting on for a while. As much as I would love to have a U87 (or any Neumann microphone for that matter) just to say I own it and brag to all my friends about it, that price tag is way too rich for my blood. Great video as always Bandrew. I'm looking forward to that KSM44a review. I thought it stacked up very nicely to the U87 and all the others.
An incredible review, as usual. I loved the comparison between all those mics. It might have been a lot of work, but it’s really worth the effort. The Neumann U87 is very good indeed, but I was also impressed by the AKG (although it may sound a bit clinical, I loved it) and the Rode NT1 (considered its price). Since I’m looking for a better preamp, I found the comparison very informative. I hope you review other preamp in the future. I didn’t like the Warm Audio sound and prefered the stock preamp in this case. To my opinion, it’s better to use a ”transparent" preamp with voices.
I've been watching you gently throw the box for a couple of weeks while I learn things but this time was SO AGGRESSIVE I jumped ahaha. Thank you for the good info yet again though!
A few days ago I watched your review of the Neumann KMS 105 and was amazed by the sound, with that mike you sounded really good! Now, with the U87... wow. It was the first time I consciously listened to the U87. You sound so good! It was also the first time I listened to several Neumanns comparatively. Gosh are they good!!! With that first impression, all the Neumanns made you sound terrifically. From all the compared mikes, the Neumanns were the best. With that said, I hope you'll recover soon and stay around for some more decades!
the C414 sounded pretty amazing compared to the 4k mic (really the closest I thought) ... but for the price, that Rode NT1 is awesome! - long story short in my opinion, you basically get what you pay for with a few exceptions meaning one of them for example, if you are a crappy engineer, it doesn't matter which mic you choose, it will all wind up sounding like crap.
It’s important to understand that if you need an equally effective mic for a single application such as voice over… plenty of other mics can compete with the top shelf mics. The top shelf mics are top shelf because they can be used on everything and everyone, it doesn’t mean a person can’t find a mid priced mic that does a single application just as well.
The best mic shootout on RU-vid! Thank you! I was impressed by nt1 and the king bee, and how they are not so far from u87ai for tuning and for details specially for the rode nt1. It would had been good to include also Aston Spirit and Lewitt 440 or 441, that with nt1 and king bee are in my top 4 of affordable mics. I am going to buy my very first condenser mic, for my tenor fat voice for sing and voice over, now I record all through my shure beta58a that is very limitating. I'd very appreciate a suggest between the 4 mics mentioned, rode nt1, aston spirit, lewitt 440 and neat king bee! Great review!
That's weird, I woke up in a similar situation when I bought up my U87. The last thing I remember is being asked if a rag smelled like chloroform or not.
Excellent review. Something I’d like to see you test in the future are some popular mixers, and put them through their paces. That would be very helpful.
Agreed. I also feel like if you boosted the mids by just 1db and used a de-esser plugin, you'd be in u87 territory 110% woth the tlm if that's what the person was after.
Many years ago I bought a pair of Electro-Voice PL20's (they're actually RE20's but grey in colour - I also bought a pair of their Omni RE55's -FLAT 40Hz-20kH!) I was pleased you put the RE20 in your comparison selection - and more pleased to hear that the RE20 is a fair comparison. There is ONLY one 'down-side' to the RE20 - eventually (and this happened to both of mine) the foam which encapsulates the 'Motors' breaks down and you can use the RE20 as an expensive baby rattle. I did the foam replacement myself, having found a source in the UK for replacement foams - and they are both now it tip-top condition. I do so enjoy your in-depth videos and wish I had enough money to buy the U87Ai - but there we are! Keep on producing you splendidly funny yet serious youtubes!
I thought the KSM 32, KSM 44a, OC 818, and C414 performed pretty well up against the U87. Obviously they don't sound exactly the same, but I didn't find myself longing to go back to the 87 during any of those AB tests. The NT-1 put up a hell of a fight as well for 300 bucks. Great mic, but I just don't think it's worth it unless you've already got a huge mic locker.
I went to the ATM to see if I had enough money to buy this microphone....the ATM followed me home and hasn't stopped laughing at me. Should I be worried by this at all??
Yes. The ATM kink shaming you for your desire for a high end microphone is not acceptable. I would recommend having a stern talking to with the ATM. If they don't stop, call the police and tell them an ATM followed you home and you just want it to leave now.
People in the comments are seriously sleeping on the TLM 103, but I am here to say that it's the closest thing to the U87 for obvious reasons. I can't even tell the difference. So I think the TLM 103 wins hands down. It's an AMAZING mic and industry standard for a reason.
The 102 is not better than 103. The 102 has some nasty sibilance. It’s also harder to get vocals to sit in a mix with the 102. Yes a lot can be fixed in post, I’ve owned the 102, 103, and U87 and I’m my opinion the U87 is worth it. But I could have been ok with the 103 if finances were an issue
@@eargazmmusic Harder to get vocals to sit in the mix with the 102 seems incredibly conditional and doesn't align with my experiences with that mic. I am mostly using it as an instrument mic these days since getting a manley gold and a few ribbons, but I'd still use the 102 in a heartbeat.
Aside from the audio quality itself, I am really impressed by how fine it sounds no matyter what angle you talk into the microphone, the sound doesn't really change which it does on a lot of microphones. The volume just gets lower.
U87 user over here 👈🏻 I think you nailed the review as always Bandrew! The comparisons alone are impressive. Would also add: like any large diaphragm condenser - if you don’t have the room or the preamp to support the mic, you won’t be happy with it.
Brodie Brazil Thanks os much Brodie. I had someone bring you up to me and say that you have the best sound on RU-vid. After I let my bruised ego calm down, I checked out your stuff. Keep it up my dude!
Podcastage haha did my burner account send that to you? 😂🤣 I consider my setup a work in progress for like 2 years straight now. Need to settle in at some point on gear/settings and let it rip! Been a sub on your channel for a while now - keep it growing!
@@Podcastage 100% I like the full range of mics, it shows (Sounds..?) what you pay for. Was shocking at how well some of the mid tier microphones sounded in comparison to the 87. Would love to see/hear a video on some more Sontronics mics.
I was watching your videos when your new one Popped up, I just wanted to say I think your videos are extremely educational and have so much value to them and I really respect that especially to someone like myself that has a hard time comprehending things but always still is willing to learn even if I have to do it twice, I just bought another microphone that I believe will be right for my voice I’m giving up my blue yeti and went with at2005 It does both and that’s my next question I really want to know if I should be looking into an interface? what would be the benefit of it ? I love doing tutorials and reviews but also I dabbled in a couple ASMR short stories which I want to continue , I love talking close to the microphone and I love the warm sounds I hope I said that right again learning....Thank you so much for your input I really appreciate always going to your channel if I ever need any advice or I want to learn about something a little bit more
There is a benefit with an XLR interface with the ATR2005 USB/XLR mic, but it’s slight. You can absolutely continue to use it as USB and get years of use out of it without any issues.
Raven Wednesday just got the scarlett 2i2 it’s quite good and it’s around 130 dollars i think. If you want to get a more expensive interface maybe go for the motu m2 for around 170 dollars
