The U87 is a great mic but its application on voice is very dependent on the qualities of the singer. So it will sound great on some singers and others will sound much "greater" on other singers.

So IMHO I buy a U87 after you have a couple of other more general purpose mics. You should also be checking out the KSM44 (which I think is every bit as good as the TLM103 but with a little quieter and with multi patterns), and the KSM32 which sounds great on many female vocals.

10 years from now, the U87 will be worth a lot more than the AT or the TLM. However, if your just starting out, rental might be a better option, as most 'new' places have to start off with lower rates.

Steve... Thanks for your input; I'll look into the KSM44 a little more.

E-cue... Yeah, this is our first stab at a pro outing, but we've worked at a friends' 16 track analog facility as 2nd engineers, and have been home recording for years... So, this is a big step - but we're ready for it. Our equipment budget is set, and we can afford to buy now, so we're jazzed... Besides, in our area, no one offers such rentals, unfortunately. Thank you for the reply; any other thoughts on comparable mic models? :)

One or two of each. At least.. Fats

If I were you I would buy the AT4050 or the at4060.Here in Brazil we say that AT4050 is the Meuman of the poor guys
hehehe
I have 3 of them.
There is an article fromMix magaine comparing at4050, TLM 103 and AKG C414. in the overall, At beats the competition.
Nice weekend

Easy choice. Audio Technica AT4047.Transformer coupled,warm,and.....very affordable!OK,so they don't have a bunch of patterns,but hey,they are still a studio workhorse. Get two,they work for overheads too!

Originally posted by Alécio Costa - Brazil:
There is an article fromMix magaine comparing at4050, TLM 103 and AKG C414. in the overall, At beats the competition.[/QB]

OK, I really dig the AT4050, but Mix Magizine is written by retarded, tick eating, monkeys (no offense to retarded, tick eating, monkeys). It depends on the application, and the 414. The 414EB's on toms are one of my favs. They kick ass, and the bleed (which you get anyway) sounds great. The 414TLB's on vocals, piano, ac guitar, perc, etc is awesome. It's based on the C12, but much me versitile to my stardards. The 4050 teabags' the 414eb's nutsack on toms. The 4050 is much better on string instruments IMHO.

I'm a big fan of the At 4050 - but at the moment I'm mixing a project with some male vocals which were recorded with a U 87. The interesting thing is, that I don't have to EQ a lot those vocals (unlike the 4050 with this particular singer). I'd say try to get both sooner or later.

Sorry for bad spelling ;) Jo

"Sorry for bad spelling Jo "

Jo, Your spelling is fine, unlike many here for whom English is a first language, furthermore, your advice is quite sound. Both the U87 and the 4050 are on my wish list and, as has been said, will be the perfect selection on one voice and the wrong choice on another.

I searched for the perfect "all use" mic and ended up with a Brauner Valvet. It is perfect for many things, but not all (by any means).

Sister, think of your mic collection as a pallet to choose from. Be ready to buy many mics so you're prepared for any given situation. I won't even start on pre-amps... another part of the equation.

My latest mic is a humble Sure sm7... sometimes I record voice with an sdc or dynamic mic. Any of the mics you mention will be the perfect choice for some applications. Good luck!

Yeah, I think you're all right! There are alot of great mics out there, so the TLM103 and the AT4033SE would be a good start to an ever expanding library... I do have to leave a little for preamps, like you say. At least one good one. Thanks for all the input, gentlemen; it is very appreciated! :)

Hey e-cue,
Ok I gotta know-
"The 4050 teabags' the 414eb's nutsack on toms. "
This must be some sort of exotic miking method I've never heard of (top and bottom skins?).
:D
Cheers, Doc