How I found the best Neumann U87 Clone for $300

[@DaveSS-xi4pn]

After years of jerking around modding mics, i fianally came to my senses and bought a used rode nt1. Paid 100 bucks for it, and have never looked back!!!

[@kapenhs]

Hello brother, i am thinking to buy the rode nt1 or studio project c1 mk2 what do you recommend?

[@DaveSS-xi4pn]

Haven't tried the studio projects mics. But go on you tube and type in rode nt1 vs u47. It sold me!!!

[@BojanBojovic]

Bravo. People really get too religious about microphones, after working with so many of them to me they all sound the same, and NT1 is just good enough to compete with all of them so no need to invest more money.

[@LotchMuziq]

Great vid .. finally a new one

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Thanks. Yeah more build vids on the way too!

[@telsutton]

I picked a SP C1 up for £50 about five years ago, with the intention of doing the Mic Parts mod (except I had some NOS Wima TFF Gold to stick in). I opened it up and the mod had already been done, just a case of swapping out the caps). Bargain! Great mic, that I've recorded many vocal/acoustic guitar takes on.

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Oh man, so lucky!

[@FreddiMuliantono]

I like it that you don't sugar coat and PG grade your script! subscribed

[@larryleonard3038]

I did do this Upgrade and its a very very Clean Mic..

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yeah it’s definitely a mic I am going to use more regularly since doing the upgrade

[@rexsrb]

I modded a Behringer B1 without buying a kit. Still waiting to buy an original one so I can make a video comparison.

[@ivansandre8340]

Cant wait to hear the comparison with the u87. Definitely would buy this microphone if it sounds great.

[@diyrecordingstudio]

I'll have that video coming really soon. It takes a while to get all the parts recorded for a shootout and keep everything scientific as possible.

[@ivansandre8340]

​@@diyrecordingstudio Yes definitely sir, keep making those great videos. I keep learning a lot from you.

[@Adriano-do-Couto-Illustration]

It does sound great. I've had one for many many years, and don't usually reach for any other mic for my voice.

[@astralaudio101]

Yes there are many clones, i’ve tried the 3U Audio MK1D and it’s multi pattern under $600Au . It’s reminiscent & unique of the 87.

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yeah wow, it looks legit. I wasnt familiar with that company at all, theyre australian! Are you from Oz too?

[@BennSutcliffe]

3U are fantastic. Owned by an Australian but the factory is in China. They make the capsules for other companies, including Warm Audio

[@astralaudio101]

⁠@@diyrecordingstudio Yes, I’m in Australia also and as Ben Sutcliffe mentioned previously the owner is in Au but working from Asia. 3U Audio is very popular on Gear Space. 👌

[@peterforsblad4727]

Studio Projects Audio is swedish brand from a town called Alingsås outside Gothenburg.

[@studioweb-brazilhitradio6713]

I Though Studio Projects is division of the PMI Audio Group. I have a B1, C1 and C3 models from Studio Projects an love then BUT, they are an America Company

[@MarcoPrimeau]

I did the Studio Project C1 mod and also bought the S87 kit. I like the S87 better.. (worth the price difference) ;)

[@diyrecordingstudio]

I was looking at those. I’ve built the s12 already, and have a pair. I’m pretty set on letting the t67 next I think.

[@MarcoPrimeau]

I made one T12 and one T47, the S87 and the C1 mod.. They all get their use in my studio. Love how easy the builds are and how detailed the instructions. The T series has a transformer which gives a bit of harmonic distortion, very musical. :)

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yeah theyre great products for sure. I'm very keen to hear the T67 for sure. Might be a couple of months before I take a swing at it though.

[@jadedsean]

Can you do a DIY video of the next mic too? I have fear to do something like this but i could follow along with a video i reckon.

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Like a step by step instructional video?

[@Tully-Henderson]

yeah I was about to ask for the same thing as you just mentioned@@diyrecordingstudio

[@jadedsean]

@@diyrecordingstudio yeah please man that would be amazing.

[@diyrecordingstudio]

I definitely will do a build video very soon.

[@jadedsean]

@@diyrecordingstudio looking forward to it man. Thanks again.

[@bobbyashrimp]

I just did a build of a line level to mic level board that someone had online, and it worked great, but with this removal of parts business I fear I may end up losing my arse doing this one, so I can't risk it.

[@diyrecordingstudio]

It is tricky. It's not to hard if you have a desoldering pump. and any damage to the board can be repaired in a couple of ways. I've messed a board up before. not too hard to fix!

[@tike2022]

Top notch content, you earned a sub 👍

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Thanks so much. Thanks for leaving a comment

[@jaycranmer2001]

Would you recommend this microphone for livestreaming and what boom arm and shock mount would you use for it?

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yes definitely. If you want that u87 vibe that high quality pro streamers have then yes! This mic comes with its own shock mount. If you find a C1 it should have a shock mount with it.

[@demodeiowa]

I’ve done a few similar mods to the akg 100 n they turned out pretty great

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Oh that's awesome, did you use any particular kit or 100% DIY it?

[@demodeiowa]

no but i bought I sourced out capsules and capacitors and did my own mods that got me the tonal sound i was looking for@@diyrecordingstudio

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Very cool, also very clever to do that on your own.

[@krexilinmixiling]

What do you think about buying a t.bone sct2000 and upgrading the tube for a Golden lion

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Great question. I'm not familiar with the quality of that mic, but it is certainly affordable. What I can tell you is that 1. changing the tube wont do much to the quality of sound and 2. the quality of any condenser mic comes down to it's capsule AND the way it is voiced in the circuitry. Cheap mics tend to sometimes lack here, particularly their capsules. What kind of sound are you chasing? What are your recording?

[@krexilinmixiling]

@diyrecordingstudio i just wanna record vocals im a singer/rapper and i want that crisp warm sound of tubes harmonic distortion

[@krexilinmixiling]

@diyrecordingstudio i mean i dont know much about mics, i know the sct2000 have a 24k gold sputered capsule i ask chat gpt if that was good he said yes hahha, but who knows

[@jamescassidy4045]

So did this Mic come stock with the Wimas? Man, I would have just spent another 30-40 bucks, and upgraded all the components while I was at it, or at least the coupling caps at the very least.

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yeah I could have done that for sure. The only problem is I’m trying to show what this specific upgrade kit does though. So any further upgrades or adjustments might change the results. Would be good to hear what else could be done to push the quality further though.

[@jamescassidy4045]

@@diyrecordingstudio Ohhh right, ya that makes sense for sure. Thanks for the reply! So, I guess thinking about it now, I guess it does come with Wima's stock which is cool to see actually. Do you find yourself actually reaching for this mic much or?

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yup. Love it for vocals, punk rock gtrs, drums, snare bottom, kick out, overheads. Work horse kinda mic.

[@jamescassidy4045]

@@diyrecordingstudio Sick man! Thanks!

[@travisraab]

Very cool ❤

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Cheers man. Congrats on the neve! That’s so awesome. You’ll have to get em to send you a real Neumann u87 next 😂

[@ThaRealDawn]

I wrote that b4 the end... lol its the mic.. wow, its close!

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yeah the C1 clone mod results in a really nice sounding mic. I have a comparison video with a real Neumann u87 coming soon. I have already done some testing and it is very close. Surprisingly.

[@narrator-timothymckean]

@@diyrecordingstudio I can't find the direct comparison video. Did it post?

[@shaft9000]

It isn't a clone of a U87, though. I've had this mic for 10+ years, and the mod indeed helps to mimic the U87's on-axis frequency response better. But creating a frequency chart is not "using the mic" for anything but taking a reading and printing the result. It has nothing to do with how the mic behaves in session use. A U87 is transformer-based w/ multiple pickup patterns. The circuit is something else, and everything about the case and build is different - even the grill is specific to Neumann for how it filters harmonics. Only the K67 capsule was _attempted_ to be cloned for the C1 - and they _still_ subbed a plastic backplate instead of using brass. It's nowhere near a clone; people called it such because they had little else to go on and it was a new segment opening up at the time. It's a good mic, but it is what it is.

[@773Currency]

Tell us you own a u87 without telling us 🤣

[@shaft9000]

@@773Currency I ~ wish ~ I owned a pair of both an i and ai along with 100+ other mics. The most expensive mic I own is a beyer m160.

[@irawardofficial]

Nice review !! The mic doesn't sound like a U87 but it sounds good LOL.👍

[@diyrecordingstudio]

I'll have a video comparison soon of this vs the real thing. You might be shocked how close it actually is. I've tested it in my classes. The only difference in the off axis rejection is much better on the real thing, apart from that, so, so close!

[@irawardofficial]

@@diyrecordingstudio That's awesome man. What about the presence and the sibilance?

[@HowYouMove]

Is it better than the behringer C1 mic ?

[@diyrecordingstudio]

yeah i would say so especially once it's had the mod!

[@QrazyVR30]

Temu ad is crazy lol

[@BeGoodNow5]

Will it work with a Studio Projects B1?

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Unfortunately I dont think so. microphone-parts.com/pages/studio-projects-b1-mods Apart from a capsule change, mic part do not have one.

[@domonkosmiksa2689]

the modded one is just more compressed

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Interesting take. It’s actually a complete re-voicing of the circuit you can see the mods I made here DIY a $300 Neumann U87 "Clone" - Studio Projects C1 u87 Mod kzbin.info/www/bejne/oafHoaCwp8mop5Y

[@GK-vj9dz]

i owned a c10 about 15 years ago. it was fine on its own, but i wasn't expecting it to be a U87 clone. but it's nice that the mod you did makes it come close. i ended up selling it and getting a c-414 instead. maybe i'll look around for one that already has the mod. that's way above my pay grade as far as diy work goes.

[@ThaRealDawn]

What mic are you talking on here. i like sound of it!

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Hey it's the studio projects C1 mic. Theyre discontinued but you can find em 2nd hand online!

[@TransplantHelper]

You bashed Caleb Pike?

[@IliasPanteliasGR]

the link doesn't work... :(

[@diyrecordingstudio]

What link are you referring to there?

[@mittanorath]

haha i love you

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Hahah you too man

[@HarvinderSingh-yy8th]

Mic doest sound like U 87. GTZ U 87 sounds close to Naumann U 87.

[@HarvinderSingh-yy8th]

Mic is lacking some details.

[@ageshero]

Uh, the boxy mid range on most KZbin video speaking and stuff is extremely irritating to me. Lol 😅 bright and clean is great, let the mic breathe

[@kennethgithinji5631]

It's harsh and shrill or is it me

[@HarvinderSingh-yy8th]

Real cms have boxy mid range. This helps in recording clean songs.