I'm thinking of buying one of these mics...

Any difference between the two aside from the 2 extra polar patterns on the 89 ?

Also, is there a better mic around this price range that compares ?

Thanks for your responses.

out of those two, the u87..what are you using it for?

The capsules are different in the two mics.

Mainly Vocals and acoustic guitar...

What is the difference between them ?

I have & use both of them.
While the U89 can be truly great on acoustic gtr,
the U87 (for me) is my usual standard for vocals.
The mids of the U87 are great for vocals, cello, toms...
The U89 for me, although a good mic, sounds a bit less 'direct' than the U87.

Would you say (or anybody else) that there's no other cheaper mic out there but just as good as the U-87 ?

I can get my hands on one for $2,400 incl. shock mount...

Also, I'm hearing good reviews about the TLM-49 and its about 1k less. Would it be comparable ?

The m930 sounds much better than my u87 as an all arounder...(gefell)

Really...?

2400 with mount is not really a deal!

That's brand new !

Where can you get them cheaper ?

I'm a big U87 fan. I've had my Ai modified by Andreas Grosser in Berlin. This little mod has turned what is already a great (if a bit boring) mic into a world-class vocal mic.

Cheers,

Recky

Hey Recky - any contact/link for this guy doingd the mods?
Thank you.

I've PM'ed you!

Boby, did you get the PM? I may have closed the window a bit prematurely....

Nope.. just checked.

Yes, IMHO of course. I always prefer Gefell over Neumann anyway, but I own u87s and many gefell mics...the u87s get used once in a blue moon..the gefell m930, every time.

+1 on the M930! thumbsup

-O.9

I really liked the m930 on a session about a year ago. Very smooth and nice sounding mic. The other Gefell I tried briefly was the m300 and the same characteristics apply. Of course the m300 is an SDC but I think all the Gefells probably share similar excellent sonic traits.

But remember the m930 is a cardioid only mic. The U87 is therefore much more versatile.

The U87 is a classic for a reason. In my opinion it is far from boring. The only thing that perhaps makes it seem boring is the fact that it has been used so widely in the past. It is a great "go to" mic though. You can be confident that it will be good on pretty much everything. There will be better mics out there for individual tasks but as an all rounder LDC I think you'd find it hard to find a match.

Of course I would love to recommend to you the Brauner mics in that price range (Phantom V and Valvet) but they have a specific flavour that needs to be heard first in order to gauge whether they will suit your application.

Teddy, whats the Gefell multi pattern LDC in that price range? Surely that would be an option?

Mosrite, you've hit the nail on the head. By boring I meant that the U87 is rarely good for a spectacular surprise. Rather, it is simply good on everything. And that's exactly why it is a classic. Hundreds of hit record vocals have been recorded on a U87....

Re. Gefells: I'm a great fan, too, of both the modern and the vintage ones.

Recky

Would you guys say then that if I got the M930 instead of the U-87, I wouldn't be disappointed ? Or are they very different in sonic characteristics ?

Would the M930 be considered an all around mic too ?

T.Ray,

Why do you prefer Gefells over Neumanns ?

And...does anybody use the U89's for anything ?

The U87 and M930 are two different mics. Even the TLM 103 is less siblant than the M930 and probably the closer of the two from a sonic standpoint, assuming you were looking for an inexpensive U87 substitute. I happen to like the M930, but not as a go to vocal mic.

I agree with you that the U87 is a classic for a reason. It may not be an exciting mic, but it has a serious recording history behind it. Neither of which the TLM 103 or M930 have.

So you're saying the M930 is not a great vocal mic ? That's one of the main things I'll be using it for as well as some acoustic work...

So the U-87 is superior for vocals ?

VO's is the only application I see fit for the U89 - I don't care for this mic a whole lot. It has a mediocre low end, and the highs are rolled off.

On a wide variety of vocal sources, I'd have to say, yes. It may not be the flavor of the week, but the U87 is nonetheless, an original flavor

I would have to agree with that. The m930 is not a great vocal mic but is more than passable. However, like all mics, its not to say it wouldnt really suit some voices. But personally I preferred it on instruments and as part of a stereo pair. The U87 is most certainly a great vocal mic and has the pedigree to prove it. I would argue that very few, if any, voices would sound sub-par through it.

Having said all that you might well find a mic more suited to your voice than the U87. But to find a mic that will sound as good on most voices as the U87 and also on most instruments you might find hard.

An alternative approach would be to get a couple of mics instead. For instance an SDC mic would arguably suit acoustic guitar better anyway (although not always). You could therefore get an SDC mic (like the Gefell m300) for your instrument work and a cardioid only LDC for your vocals. There are many world class cardioid only vocal mics around (by the likes of Blue, Brauner and Neumann - like the new tlm49 you mentioned). This would also give you a couple of different flavours instead of just the U87 flavour. Of course with the U87 you also get omni and figure of eight patterns that I would always find useful.

At the end of the day though I would be very suprised if you would ever regret buying a U87. Its a keeper and I think you would always find a use for it. You can always add to your collection later on.

I like it as a vocal mic, but it is one of those things where you have to hear it..I rarely use my u87s, but YMMV. There are plenty of other options out there ...the m990, and umt800 are two more that come to mind..the real Neumann sound.

I might sell my u87s, I use them like once every year and a half...they are positively vanilla milquetoast...the m990 is definitely a winner on vocals and the umt 800 is a multipattern Gefell LD that is great on vocals too(and as an allrounder...same price or less than the u87..).. I

there are better options out there...sure they last forever, and you can make them "work" but that level isnt good enough for me. I want the best.

http://www.mercenary.com/migeumbcomic.html

http://www.mercenary.com/migem9catuco1.html

if you do want Gefells possibly, give me a holler, I deal with them direct and can probably save you some dough..

I just called Mercenary to demo the M990. We'll see how it performs. I need to do a female vocal next week and one pop/country vocal with yours truly on vocals.

I had a Soundelux U195 that was giving me trouble. I also didn't think it was that great on acoustic guitar and not that great on vocals with my MP-2NV, it sounded a bit too colored...it actually sounded quite decent with my 737sp, go figure....

As I said, the main source will be vocals and stereo acoustic micing with maybe a SM81...pretty much an all arounder for vocals...

I still want to get a U-87, I don't think I will be disappointed. I just wonder how close it will sound to the M990. I want to establish a good collection with different flavored mics...

The U89i is considerably less sensitive than the U87ai. I found that my U89 required a lot of gain wound in when recording quiet instruments. I never really liked my U89 because of this and I also found that it had a wooly low end. I flogged it eventually and bought 2 414s instead. I use a U87 or an SE Gemini for vocals and everyone seems happy.
Ronan.
www.lachunky.com

I think it will serve you well. Gefells generally never dissapoint. If you can, check out the umt800 too..different flavor(more clean),but great all the same.