[KeithMoonwannabe]

I just don't see how you can say that the U87 is bad. So it's not the right mic for every situation. That doesn't make it a bad mic or sonically inferior/superior. I've heard/used both the AI and a vintage U87 I preferred the vintage, but perhaps that's because I'm used to the sound of the vintage U87 on so many popular recordings over the years. If I only had $3k to spend on a mic would I buy a U87 maybe yes maybe no. Frankly I don't know because I don't have that kind of money to spend at once.

If I have a flathead screw and a really nice phillips screwdriver does that make my screwdriver bad because it won't work with the particular screw?

I've heard a lot of good things about the Bees Neez mics, if I'm ever not a poor college student I would love to invest in one of their mics (maybe of tube flavor).

For now the AT40 series large diaphragms, Blue mics (baby bottle is my favorite, well that is somewhat affordable, remember we are in low end theory), Shure KSM32/44, Groove Tubes GT57/67, Sterling Audio ST77/79 are probably my favorites for "affordable" condenser mics. I wouldn't describe any of em as really being exactly like a U87 (the closest of those mentioned to that sound would be the Baby Bottle and the ST77/79).

I also like the CAD M177/179 (I got a pair of M177 for like $160 a couple months ago, they are great utility mics and awesome on toms makes me wonder if I should try some AE3000 mics on my toms and sell my M177 pair????).