I agree. It's a mic that needs some finessing to get the most out of it.

It's actually not a ground, but instead the polarization voltage for the backplate, which connects to the BP pad on the PCB.

I’ll put it on the list of ideas for 2025.

You’re very welcome, Dave!

Both mics were normalized to the same level. The Sphere’s lack of the same harmonic content makes it sound less full. The fake proximity effect only makes the low end louder and doesn’t fix the disparity. The Sphere is a total joke.

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff Well, a total joke sounds a bit harsh, no? And didn't you do a couple of other Sphere mic videos that were way less trashing of those mics overall? Why the noticeable shift in attitude? I've done some very beautiful recordings on a Sphere LX... and I also have two 87s, two U47s, three (!) U67s, a Manley Gold Ref and a C800G in our studio locker. And my personal favorite mic I've owned for 30 years is a vintage KM-86. They all sound different and yield different results, as is expected. I don't even particularly rate the U87-especially the 87ai-with some of our others as a go-to choice for my purposes (vocalists, ac gtrs, strings, etc.). It's great for sure, and I've done a lot of years recording with vintage 87s... but they are pronounced in the midrange for sure.

@@robshrock-shirakbari1862 I drank the UA Kool Aid for too long and finally realized the Sphere doesn't cut it as a VO mic, nor does it come close enough to warrant consideration on the job. If you're making money with vintage mic cosplay, then hey, rock on, but I think the Sphere 87 is a total fucking joke and I'd never risk my reputation or my brand using it again on real work.

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff Why the hostility? Did you have a run-in with UA customer service or something? Because that I can imagine... I've had my issues with them in the past. It's just a mic, man. If the Sphere was so terrible I would think you would have noticed that on the first 3 or 4 videos you made praising it. So maybe it's not really all that bad. Some people use Shure SM7Bs professionally, no? I've successfully done some drop-ins on a vocal track recorded on a U47 on two separate occasions... they weren't identical but pretty damn close. I'll bet not a single person can tell in the mix. That's useful to me. Granted, I'm not doing exposed VO like you. Hope you have a Happy 2025. Nothing lasts forever... :^)

Right? Such an incredible combo.

@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff 4sho!

That’s a good point. A larger u47-ish cylindrical headbasket will inherently pick up more room, and then you add the presence of the larger capsule, so these are definitely things to address in my upcoming videos/demos and full review. It essentially has the same headbasket volume as the Clarion which hasn’t been a problem in my small booth so I’m encouraged.

I did demo their DSR over the holidays. I thought it was pretty good but on my voice Weiss De ess edged it out.

Oh wow. I hadn’t seen this video. That guy seems so calm. I’d be white knuckling that like I was on the bomb diffusion team in The Hurt Locker.

🤣🤣

My condolences.

I don’t see why that wouldn’t be a fine solution. Game on.

You're welcome!

YESSS! Let me know what you think of it after you’ve had a chance to really check it out.

It’s such a great mic. Tightening up the reflections in your room will pay big dividends.

Richard, I promise you won’t be waiting long.

I think you accidentally left off 3 "O"'s.

Totally agree

Even with the +10db and Forward setting switches on it was still too dark sounding for you?

@ Ima honestly chop it up to my untrained ears at the moment that was about 2 years ago. I sold it and got a Townsend sphere,Wa-8000, and TLM 103 goin all in at that brightness but never looked back on getting those mics

Rick, exactly! Having great sounding audio on a zoom call is like a secret weapon, especially if you need to impress, convince or otherwise get people to listen.

Just wait until you hear it. Wow.

Glad I could help you pick a mic. Let me know how you like it after you’ve had a chance to use it a couple of times.

@ will do!!

You should be able to.

Thanks for the heads up!

Unfortunately, I don't do rap, nor do I use an Apollo anymore, but I would suggest something with punchy transients like an SSL. You may actually want to check out a channel where they are more specific to music settings like the great @mixlikenix

@ I meen the mic settings lol

@@ruthlessrich4674 LOL. Got it. Set the pad to +10db in cardioid to get that extra forward edge to help cut through a mix better.

That’s a great question! I haven’t tried the 34mm capsule version, but I do like the way the 25mm version sounds.

I wasn’t aware they still sold it. For $300 it’s a good deal.

Yes, it's a 25mm capsule. Thanks for letting me know about the link.

It’s a very popular kit.

I'm not a fan of recommending mics for music because I don't know what you're recording, your rig, your space, and everyone's voice is different, but as far as bang-for-your-buck mics go, you can build an OPA Alice mic with a C-12 or 47 style capsule which wouldn't cost a whole lot and would be better than pretty much everything in the $500 range if that's what you're looking for.

@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff I definitely want to shoot for the Neumann U47 frequency response, and I would also need exceptionally low self noise. I'll check that. Thanks for the recommendation

Standard thread mount size is 5/8 of an inch, and with the European thread adapter, 3/8 of an inch. More specifically, if you're trying to DIY it from a hardware store, the threads would be 5/8-27 (27 threads per inch) or 3/8-16.

LOLOL!

I have and it was fun. What I like about the v57 is that it’s a great kit with great documentation and it’s more customizable than the Alice, but overall, the Alice pre built boards at JLI are a much easier build. The Alice will give you a cleaner sound and less noise, but they are both just different flavors of vanilla.

🤣

I use Twisted Wave on the Mac.

Thank you for lending your ears.

It’s something to consider at some point.

You can find cheaper bodies but so many of them are total trash quality, which is fine if you’re just experimenting or goofing around.

@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff Tbf i don't know the build quality of the Baifeilis, but from the pics it looks good. I still think you can find usable cheaper donors, the thing is around 160€ plus customs fees here, we're already almost on the MXL/Sontronics price range. But it depends on the budget, you can keep an Alice under 100 bucks, working and solid, but going premium is not bad either. And i'm really impressed by the pics of the BFL shock mount, and you got a spare capsule as well. Partially unrelated thing, i wanted to ask, do you have any experience with the V7? Is 130€ a good price for it? Is the Seeninseer store the only seller? And (i swear it's the last question), you think unmodded BFLs (at least the ones you tried) can perform good for light tenor singers and percussions?

@@giacomoneri1782 I don't have any experience with the V7, unfortunately. Overall, I think the V5 needs no mod and is a really good all around mic for pretty much anything.

It’s a small diaphragm capsule mounted in a custom metal pedestal.