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i m a big fan of all those vintage mics
i had the chance to record with some of the best and most expensive mics in the world< thank you emi> but would not want to spend the money to buy one of them today because they are rather expensive
i m looking for the best or closest copy/clone of a
u87 < the original>
u67
u47 '
and few others from ther brands i can t think of.
now that should be interesting

Comments

atlasproaudio Fri, 03/17/2006 - 18:10

Yep, Soundelux make great mics. The aren't really exact 'clones', they stand on their own right, but are heavily inspired by the classics. They are differentiated based on customer feedback and needs that are sometimes different from the originals, and the firsthand knowledge of their designer David Bock (who was the Ocean Way/Cello tech for years). Also for the money I've been very impressed with the CharterOak tube mics. If you want an exact copy of an original, get an original. If you want an excellent sounding tool that will work well in a professional situation then there are a few great options.

Fruition2k Sun, 03/19/2006 - 08:51

Posted this 4 years ago or so on a different group compairing a few mics talked about. The U87 was an early 80's and had just been back from Neumann so it was up to spec.
Test was done through an Amek Hendrix the U195 had a bit more top and was very close to the 87.

"I strongly agree about U195 already mentioned...I compared one next to a U87 and C12VR, my friend and I liked the top end better on the U195 for the female vocal (soprano) we were working on. The fat switch also adds just the right amount bottom and is probably very close to what
your looking for. "

Hope that helps....

RemyRAD Mon, 03/20/2006 - 15:16

You know, I'm really wondering why none of the tube condenser manufacturers have released any tube microphone with an original EF 86 Pentode tube, like the U67 has? All right, so it has a little more noise than a dual Triode but it has a completely different sound. Now if anybody can enlighten me regarding this, I would certainly welcome it.

No tube tops for me
Ms. Remy Ann David

JoeH Mon, 03/20/2006 - 16:09

Terry; Great website. Loved the pics. (You guys made Cinderella look like wimps! )

Let me know what you think of the M3. It sounded great on everything I tried it with - every kind of vocal did well with it, from screaming, yelling gospel to soulful ballads to very hot sopranos. (Not the HBO Sopranos, of course!)

REmy - I could be wrong, but isn't the issue with the U67 simply GETTING those tubes nowadays? (Or am I thinking of something else?)

Memory isn't all we remember it to be......

anonymous Mon, 03/20/2006 - 16:53

mic

i ll go to guitar center and se if i can try one
lately i have been using a t3 made by studio projects
but i m looking for more mics for aother sounds maybe the m3 will do
i have always loved those old mics 87 67 etc ,etc etc
i used them over and over again but they are so expensive
i m also condering soundelux
or rode
thank you for the compliments :)

Fruition2k Mon, 03/20/2006 - 18:33

RemyRAD wrote: You know, I'm really wondering why none of the tube condenser manufacturers have released any tube microphone with an original EF 86 Pentode tube, like the U67 has? All right, so it has a little more noise than a dual Triode but it has a completely different sound. Now if anybody can enlighten me regarding this, I would certainly welcome it.

No tube tops for me
Ms. Remy Ann David

I remember David Bock saying there arent sufficient quantites
of EF86/806s tubes that are up to microphone spec. Too many rejects as well as prices being higher than they should.
Didnt the original U95 he created have a EF806?

Neumann might have some EF86's in stock, they reissued the U67
in 1992-1993 and used up many of the left over parts to make a few hundred 67's...Audio Techniques in NYC had a batch. My old roommate Mike Fossenkemper went through all the 67's they had and picked the best two....

RemyRAD Mon, 03/20/2006 - 20:19

Hmmm Joe, I think Dean just set me straight. I wasn't sure if that EF 86 tube was still available? I purchased one for my U67s that were made by Sylvania after I first purchased those microphones and even 20 years ago, those did sound like crap! I removed them and put the old ones back in that are still in there. Both are still in rather good condition but one is starting to have power supply problems and so I have even considered liquidating them? I could still get a pretty penny for those and after hearing a Rode tube, which I thought sounded rather good, I would certainly consider getting a pair of those as a replacement?

A wealth of junk
Ms. Remy Ann David

vibrations1951 Tue, 09/07/2021 - 11:41

I'm in the same boat as the OP and looking forward to responses to his thread. I'm also seriously considering something 251ish. My long "short list" seems to fall in the up to 3K range and around the 6K range. I more than likely will be pushing it on the 3K range though.

Perhaps my list can further confuse matters! Sorry about that. Not trying to hijack this thread.

So:

Telefunken: TF 47, TF 51

Pearlman :TM-1, TM 47

Cathedral Pipes: Notra Dame (U47 type) Regensburg Dom (U47-67 ish)

Peluso: TM 1 ,TM 47 

Then perhaps used:

Flea: 47,12

Bock: 251

AKG: c12vr

Gefell: cm5631 m 7s

Wunder: cm12, cm7

And now I need to check out Soundelux U99!

audiokid Tue, 09/07/2021 - 12:26

I have a Soundelux 250 which is very similar to the 251.  With the right preamp, its by far my favourite vocal mic. I also have the new Mojave MA1000 which I've not yet compared it to my 250 but I expect it to be beautiful as well. Note, that I advertise Mojave here but that's not why I suggest this mic. Mojave across the board  are excellent mics at a much better price to vintage comparisons. Again, with the right preamp.

I've done comparisons with a U87ai to the MA 300 and MA 200 and both of those made a better choice to the U87ai. After many comparisons between the Mojave's and U87ai, I sold the U87ai and used that money to buy an LA2A which made a HUGE improvement in the vocal chain.