Is the Arienne Audio K87 v3 the Best U87 Clone Capsule Available?

[@CoquiAudio]

I put on the headphones and it does sound really detailed and nice friendly ☺

[@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff]

Yeah, I think it totally sounds "in the pocket" for VO. What a capsule!

[@TheRecordist]

Whoa! That sounds so good! I can't believe it!

[@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff]

Right? What an achievement this capsule is. Nothing comes close to the real deal like this k87.

[@RickMolloy]

that sounds just really really great. My k87 came in last week and I'm finally unburied on projects so... :)

[@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff]

Rick!!! Yo man! Dude, let me know what you think of your k87 once you get a chance to mess around with it. I don't think anything comes as close to a Neumann as her K87.

[@RickMolloy]

@ I will for sure

[@theomack8573]

I'm building one of these: I have a couple questions about the one in your video: 1. Did you buy the dual capsule version or the single sided capsule? 2. Which donor body is that? did it come with the polar pattern, pad, and hP filter mini switches?

[@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff]

So far, Arienne only sells double-sides capsules, so that’s what’s in there. The body is an SYT-5 from store.studio939.com and it has all three switches.

[@hackinghifi4247]

Congrats! Sounds great. We need an a/b test 😀

[@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff]

Yes we do.

[@rusj5273]

I wanna learn how to solder so I can build custom mics and outboard gear. I will get that next year while in school, sounds like butter.

[@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff]

Soldering is actually a lot easier to learn than I thought it would be and you can get the hang of it pretty quickly with some practice. But be warned! DIY is vastly addictive and soon you will find yourself surrounded by plans, parts and projects. You're going to love it.

[@rusj5273]

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff Hell Yeah sounds fun!!! I can't wait to get started and make some gear for people who actually appreciate quality gear at a fraction of the price of commercial tools. Thanks for the reply Your Awesome.

[@cristian-marius-albu]

I have seen sometimes on some shops the Neumann k87 orginal capsule. In terms of price it was somewhere between 700-800 € 😢.

[@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff]

Neumann pulled those from the US a few years back so they’re hard to source even at that price. There was a persistent rumor that the individual capsules being sold mostly came from a time when there were lots of reports of their k87’s sounding “bass-light” and lacking the expected fullness. The Ari k87 is a clone of a 60’s era k87 with a really nice bass response, so even if you found a spare Neumann capsule in the box, I always feared it wouldn’t sound as good as I would hope for $800

[@oongback]

Mine is armed with V1 of Arienne's K87. I'm so intruigued by V2...

[@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff]

I love my v1 k87. This is actually v3. It’s evolving so quickly it may gain consciousness and become self-aware by v5.

[@oongback]

Finally microphone capsule will become Skynet…🤣🤣

[@BoydTimothy]

It sounds really great! Hopefully I’m not missing too much being back on the v1 Arienne. :) Have you ever compared/tried the Peluso 87 capsule?

[@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff]

I wouldn't worry. I think what she did after V1 mostly had to do with manufacturing consistency. I have a V1 in "The Dead Ringer" and I have zero complaints about it. I've never tried a Peluso capsule. I knew a guy who claimed Peluso ripped him off so I've avoided all of his products.

[@BoydTimothy]

Well they are definitely pricey. I was at IBMA in September where John was there at his Peluso booth and chatted with him for a little while I was trying to act a tiny bit smart. He explained how the different pickup patterns are implemented and I tried to understand. ;) I was also hoping they would have had a show special for his 87 capsule but it was the same price. Of course they didn’t have one there, but he said to give him a ring. I just moved my Arienne K87 to my Fuchs build and put a JLI TSC-2 in my Bouchard build. For now (other than the lower sensitivity in the Bouchard) I’m pretty pleased with them both.

[@dannylightning-audio-reviews]

That does sound good, can you get a really good ready to go circuit board anywhere.. just add capsule and throw it into a body ??

[@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff]

Unfortunately, I do not know of any pre-built 87 circuits that have been vetted by anyone I'd trust. There are a few on Aliexpress that clain to be 87 circuits, but look nothing like one and none of the listings even seem to have a single review so it appears that nobody has tried one. Now, of course you could buy one of the fake Neumanns like the fake 103 or fake 193, which both have decent versions of the 87 circuit and throw a new capsule on there, but the 103 capsule replacement is a little delicate. Or the Warm Audio WA-87 v2 is a decent implementation of the vintage 87 circuit so there's that option for a capsule mod platform. You'd probably end up with something very comparable to the mic in this video.

[@dannylightning-audio-reviews]

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff Thanks my freind.. i appreciate the info and i hope your doling well

[@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff]

@@dannylightning-audio-reviews You're very welcome! I'm doing great. Thank you, and I hope you're having a great holiday season, Danny!

[@12pope]

2001 mxl mic if you can find one. "Ebay" has some broken mics real cheap sometimes. I got a modded 2001 mojave tube mic for 200 dollars once! only had to change the cap.

[@badmiddens]

uhg. now I'm wondering how this cap would sound with the alice circuit... crap, now I have to, after my current nonsense project.

[@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff]

I had been trying to ignore my brain telling me the same thoughts. LOL.

[@pavelcollee-foley7997]

where do you get your microphone bodies? that doesn't look like a plastic body $20 u87 ebay or aliexpress job!

[@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff]

This is a SYT-5 full brass body that I purchased from studio 939, but unfortunately I don’t think they have any more. Mic and Mod sells them as well when they have stock. www.micandmod.com/microphone-parts/microphone-body/m67-microphone-body/

[@cowabungaw9958]

Site still shows on backorder

[@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff]

I believe she is still fulfilling all of the backorders going back as far as late last year and should be caught up by the end of the month. Mine was backordered from January but Ari had done a total rebuild of her business and the way the capsules are manufactured for greater matching and consistency so it took most of this year. I believe once those back orders are finally shipped she may have some current stock or the next batch will be ready soon, so if you are indeed interested, the best thing would be to contact her or just put in your order and get on the list because that way you're ahead of anyone who is waiting for the indication to be changed to "in stock". These capsules are a hot commodity because they are so good.

[@cowabungaw9958]

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff Got a quick reply - ordered mine

[@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff]

@@cowabungaw9958 Fantastic! You're going to really dig it.

[@badmiddens]

So unrelated... I've decided to cobble together some nonsense I already have. JLI 103 cap, MXL V250 circuit, U87ish body. I'm calling it the "Low Expectations U-Gotta be Kidding Me"

[@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff]

That's when you know you have been bitten by the mic DIY bug badly... you start looking at all the spare parts you have laying around and ask: "What would this sound like?" That's where it gets fun.

[@badmiddens]

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff Yassssss