[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by alohachris

Aloha Friends,

Howzit Kevwind! Thanks for sharing the mic. I know you're just reporting on what's just come out in affordable recording mic's. But....a Chilean U-87 clone? Really? How close can that really be in terms of sound & behavior to an original U87. Doesn't the under $1k price (as in cheap parts) just scream, "B-S?" Without even hearing it?

Note: BTW, which U87 does this clone claim to sound like? The U87 originals from the 60's & 70's - like its 1979 claim? The 87i's from the 80's & 90's? Or the current U87ai's which sound nothing like the vintage 87's. Which capsule does it use/copy? See the problem w/ clones? Modern manufacturer's even use the original's product numbers for their clones, like the Neumann U87 versus this Chilean clone's SA87. It's kinda like Takamine using an exact copy of the Martin headstock logo when they first started up. Building Value, Creating Need - dishonestly.

As someone who once had a major high-end mic addiction for many decades (cured now - sold everything off), I've auditioned thousands of mic's. This includes even owning some of the real standard bearers among the acknowledged "best" vintage mic's of all time. I can honestly say that not one of the clones or copies EVER sounded or behaved "just like the original mic" they tried to copy. Ever!

As you move up the trough, you go through phases of trying out different clones of the classics: KM84's, 87's, 67's, 89's, 47's, 48's, 251's, C10's, R44's etc. etc. Once you listen repeatedly to several of the great classic original mic's, the subtleties are finally revealed. In most cases, the clones are not even close, but are quite different.

Many of the clone manufacturers do make fantastic sounding microphone's - but they have their own sound. And they use different materials than the vintage mic's did. For example, everyone's trying to nail the U47, at least in their advertising literature. Why? To sell very expensive, high quality mic clones. More profit.

Wagner, Telefunken, Soundeluxe, Flea, Bees Nees, Bock, Manley, Peluso, Korby, Horch, Lawson, Pearlman, Wunder - even Neumann all try to make high-end & expensive clone mic's that sound "just like the original Neumann U47." They make Great Sounding Mic's - some are close - but they don't sound exactly like an original U47. The original U47 cannot be cloned. They still can't quite get that U47 "compression" down.

Heck, most modern singers & engineers want a more open sounding mic - like Kevwind's Brauner Phantom V, Doug's Brauner VM1 or my Microtech-Gefell UM-900. Note: Only the Wagner clones come close to a U47 to my ears. And that's because they actually use parts from old cockroached U47's. But as Kev mentioned, The Wunder Audio CM-7 is also a breathtaking LDC. So is the Lawson L-47. And all the mic's of the above custom mic makers.

BTW, Does anyone honestly think that any Chilean mic manufacturer could make anything remotely close to those classic mic's made by those perfectionists in Germany or today's USA modern custom shops ?!?

So friends, don't be fooled by that old, tired, advertising chestnut, "sounds just like....." because it doesn't. Don't get your hopes up because of advertising claims. Put your ears on it first & read between the lines for a given mic's "value." Handle it with your hands. Make tracks/mixes with it in your studio. Note how much easier it is to control & mix using a classic rather than much cheaper clone. The truth be known.

I say to clone manufacturers, let your mic's merits stand on their own. To heck w/ copies & clones - and selling myths & dreams dishonestly while we're at it. It's amazing how many players continue to fall for that tired promotional strategy.

Do your own auditions, friends - yes of this new Chilean U87 clone mic too. Draw your own conclusions & appreciate each mic on it's own merits or limitations.

If you want to see how ridiculous mic clone madness can get, go over to gearlutz "high end" forum & check out the crazy claims of people who think a particular mic "sounds just like..." Ha! Gets pretty emotional.

In terms of just recording a few vocal & acoustic guitar tracks as most players do here, just audition condenser mic's you can afford. When the urge hits ya, try out & buy better mic's. Do your own shoot-out's at home to compare gear. Let your voice make the choice of which LDC it likes. Mic's certainly are a BIG candy store!

alohachris

PS: I don't think you'll be swapping out your nice Brauner Phantom V LDC for this Chilean U87 clone anytime soon, right Kev? -alohachris-

PPS: Joliet Jake: "What happened to the Blues Mobile?" Elwood Blues: "I sold it for a microphone." Joliet Jake: "Oh, I can see that."

Two things, the "Chilean" Mic guy is a very well respected mic builder as he's an active member of the Mic DIY community, and the guy has been building some very well received gear ie SSL and Neve preamps/compressor clones. The capsule is hand made by Eric Heiserman (one of the better capsule makers). As for the price point on the mic he builds in big enough batches to get bulk part discounts, and has a very low margin.


Let me preface this next statement first with, I have used pretty much every vintage mic you mentioned too, so as for the difference between original U87s and U87ai, your experience doesn't mirror mine, you could have just have had an extremely good sounding set of U87s but I've demoed them back to back through some VERY good preamps (I own a Manley Voxbox) and after gain matching, there is very little difference. I almost bought into that hype until I watched this video made by some very well respected engineers.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tKG49pY9c4 and right after that, not being convinced by anyone one else's agenda or crappy youtube video. I rented a well maintained original and bought a U87ai to shoot them out. I ran them both through a few very good preamps and came to the conclusion I could punch the Ai into any track that I recorded with the original and it would ridiculously hard to tell them apart! As a matter of fact I brought up many older recordings that I did at my brothers studio with original 87s and replaced many of the vocal parts with my newer Ai! There have been a few different versions of the Ai which could possibly explain some of the bad rap (one used a bit of surface mount components, and Neumann quickly changed that).

I have bigger issues with the U47 cloners building with anything other than a VF14 tube and claiming the same sound.

Now your statement of buying the mics and testing the mics in your own space on your own voice that is GOSPEL, and anyone spending big money on the word of many of the ridiculous gearslutz statements, or by listening to heavy compressed youtube clips, well that's just more ridiculous. How many people that post there are just defending their purchases, or have some other agenda you don't know about.

I can't count the amount of times I read statements on gearslutz that I have personally found to go 180 with what I found in real testing in my environment! The universally GS Panned Neumann M147 sounds killer on certain sources (female voices, bass guitars, bass drums and toms), the Rode NTK which is bashed repeatedly sounds GREAT through a Drawmer 1960 preamp which is is even panned more. I know a few people that like to keep that combo a secret! The fact is too many people are not using gear experimentally to the point of finding out what it does well and what it doesn't, but instead, rely on opinions of those who have no idea of what they are talking about, or use the equipment in totally different situations!

So I say for the price this mic might be well worth looking into!