Mini K87 vs U87 Ai - You decide.

[@CamiloVelandia]

Fantastic comparison, Daniel! A couple things worth noting for viewers watching, The Mini K87's name comes from the capsule it uses (K87), I don't think Roswell designed it to be a U87 clone. I believe the Neumann U87 originally used a K87 capsule from the 70's to the 80's, but now the U87AI's in production actually have a K67 capsule. That said, in my experience, I agree with you, Daniel. I have several mics, way more expensive than the Mini K87, and none sound better. The Mini K87 is a must have, in my opinion. I've used it extensively on acoustic instruments and vocals, and have always had great results. Great video!

[@jtradup]

For years I have been engineering and producing long before I stepped in to the VO world. So, my ears are a bit more fine tuned. I listened while watching the dots and without. Raising my hands for each mic change, like at the audiologist. I can tell a difference. However, sooooo subtle. The Neuman seems to produce a tiny bit more lo-mid response than the K87. But !!! For for almost a $3k difference. I'm grabbing the K87 and throwing in a Les Paul. Thanks for the comp Daniel!

[@BrasilianFury]

Daniel, appreciate the absolute heck out of you for this! (also, I sincerely couldn't even tell the difference unless I was looking at the dots, which is ASTOUNDING!)

[@reallygreatloops]

OMG, thank you for this comparison!! I actually have a Micparts 251 and I'm REALLY happy with it! Will probably buy their Rosswell audio u67 and 87! I'm REALLY impressed with this test! thank you!

[@SuperMiker78]

Sounds great! Love that you did this comparison! And I agree, that K87 sounds excellent Love seeing your success. And great contrast between building a booth vs just buying an expensive mic. That studio is super cool. Again, thanks for sharing! And get that thing in the mail before it's too late 😂

[@andrewwehrlen5606]

Thanks for this...helped pushed me to the Mini K87. I am in love with it.

[@FarrahDaliaEvansVoiceovers]

Thank you for this comprehensive review of these two work horses in VO! I appreciate your input! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@iamcookbook]

thanks for these high quality audio files! when I drop them in Logic and invert phase on one they almost completely cancel out except for a few high frequencies.

[@hohloyumor]

You're the man!

[@EandVEntertainment]

For voice over the differences are so subtle.

[@DapperDanLovesYou]

So, after downloading the files and playing around with them: While the K87 is a good mic, it does not sound exactly like the U87AI. And, from my experience, it doesn't sound like a Vintage U87i either. And that makes sense! Matt at Roswell has said multiple times that the Mini K87 is not intended to be a U87 clone, but gets its namesake from the very popular capsule design it uses! The K87 Capsule was originally created for the Neumann U87, but has, over the decades, been remade and remixed with microphones world-round! So, what _are_ the differences here? To my ears: on basic EQ differences, the K87 has more Bass to it, especially below 100 Hz. And looking at the EQ graphs, that makes sense. The K87 is basically flat all the way down to 20 Hz (actually lifted just a bit), while the U87AI has a roll-off starting around 70 Hz. To my ears, the K87 also sounds a tad brighter and more sibilant, while the U87AI has the classic Neumann "Silk", not too much, just enough! Now, where the differences become much more apparent is with some compression. I noticed that the K87 from Roswell has an almost _buzzing,_ grainy sound on your voice from 4-8k Hz. Nothing awful, but compared to the U87AI, it stands out. Meanwhile, the U87AI has a smoother, airy tone in the same frequency range. And another big difference to my ears is the sensitivity/ dynamic range. When using compression, the K87 sounds tight and squished, as if everything is bunching together. While the U87AI still sounds open and spacious. Looking at the provided figures, Roswell claims a Sensitivity of 14 mV/Pa, while Neumann claims a Sensitivity of 28 mV/Pa (in cardioid). So, once again, this perceived difference is in line with the manufacturer's provided specs. Overall: I think the K87 is a great mic! It's a fantastic value and certainly would be a great choice even in professional studios. However, if you're looking for the U87AI, the K87 is not that. Does that I mean I think the U87AI is the greatest microphone and worth over 8x the price of the K87? No. There are other microphones on the market that cost nearly a quarter of the price and are still just as "good." However, the K87 does not quite meet that mark (to my ears). While I don't think the K87 is in any way "bad," if you're trying to match the sound/ quality of the U87AI, there are better options on the market! Some of those options include: Roswell's own "Delphos II" and "Colares"; The Austrian Audio "OC18" and "OC818"; The Stam Audio "SA-87i"; Neumann's own "TLM 103" (a bit bright, but still good); the Lauten Audio "Atlantis" and "Clarion"; the Lewitt "LCT 540 s" (a tad bright, but still good); the Shure "KSM44a"; and probably a handful of other microphones that I haven't remembered!

[@gabehizer111]

For voiceover, they sound the same. I wish someone would compare this way with a guitar, etc., though.

[@photronic]

Absolutely!

[@TheFragranceNiche]

As someone who owned the U87ai at $3,600…. The K87 sounds BETTER it just doesn’t look better.

[@ivannio8519]

Super duper, Daniel :) Thank you :)

[@storyvisionvideo5688]

The K87 sounds great. And very similar to the Neumann. But the U 87Ai has classic, silky-smooth highs that aren't evident in the K87. I don't have an Ai. Mine is the U 87 produced prior to the Ai. That was the first thing I noticed. There is what I call "silk" in the sound that you can't find elsewhere. I have to be careful that it doesn't get destroyed by a mic pre or other electronics. But the K87 does sound excellent. BTW my U 87 was the steal of a. lifetime. It had been sitting on the shelf for a few years at a radio station I worked at. Some prime time jock came in swinging on his star and just had to have it. But most jocks "eat" their microphones and the U 87 would simply shut down. I asked if I could buy it from them and they said "Yea, but we'd need $300." I mused for a moment and said, "Well, if it works, I can do that." And it still works perfectly. Without it, I'd probably be buying the K87.

[@badmiddens]

With all the differences in booth acoustics, signal chains, etc. I'm sure you could tell every client you are using a U87 and you would never be challenged on that. Roswell magic, right there.

[@Mixmytrackstoday]

Boss I would like to know what’s mic preamp are you using with the k87 please?

[@DanielCaouette]

@@Mixmytrackstoday When recording this video, both mics were connected directly into a Rodecaster Pro 2. They were both using the same Revolution preamps by Rode, no effects applied. Nowadays I run the Mini K87 into an Apollo Twin X running Manley VoxBox in the Unison slot.

[@Only1Science]

The U87 has more of an open sound in the high-mids which can be pretty harsh with nasally voices when eq is applied. THAT'S when you break out the Mini K87 to tame the harshness at the source. It still sounds great by itself. I just think both mics serve different purposes. It would be cool to run a comparison with eq applied in certain frequency intervals: 3db+/- at 2k, 3k, 5k, 7k, 10k, etc.

[@JenTophoneyVO]

While my go to mic for most of my work is the 416, I do have a k87 for audiobooks and other instances where specs call for a condenser mic. With my deeper voice, it sounds nice and warm and still clean. I’ve had more expensive condensers. No need. The k87 is a great little mic.

[@DanielCaouette]

Great combo! That's what I use as well. I use the K87 as my primary and the 416 for VOG work (which is my most common genre). I've actually been using the K87 even more now that I've got the Avalon 747 to add some body to the highs and lows. Thanks for your insight!!

[@ElectExile]

@@DanielCaouette Ohhh, Avalon. Great match. We use a Summit pre with ours and swap out the tubes for NOS Mullard glass. Really compliments Jen's voice. Thanks for this review and the soundfile camparisons.

[@SidisterX]

Super similar in sound and tone, but I hate to say the U87 has a glistening clarity and doesn't have very slight freq boost in a certain area. Though, they are very very similar sounding and most people won't be able to tell any sort of difference, let alone care about the very minute differences.

[@BojanBojovic]

So you think you can hear the difference?

[@ErnestoPossiSpanishVoiceOver]

Great video Daniel! What mic preamp you used for this video? If you used just the preamp in your interface the Neumann will sound just OK but when you use a external preamp sound amazing...

[@DanielCaouette]

That's a good point that I hadn't considered! I run my VO mics through a Rodecaster Pro 2, no external preamp.

[@ErnestoPossiSpanishVoiceOver]

​@@DanielCaouette The first time I used my U87 was with Digidesign 03, the preamps were not good but when I bought an external preamp there was a big difference.(Avalon 737, Manley Voxbox) I can imagen to how it will sound on the Roswell Mini K87 with an external preamp 🤔.. You should try that mic with an external preamp but it sounds great like that too...

[@ProfStephenBWard]

HA! I kept waiting for you to switch between the microphones, and when I got to the end of the video, I realized you'd been switching between the two all along! I hear no difference at all. To be fair, the U87 Ai is a three-pattern microphone, but for most sounds, including voiceovers or lead vocals, you would only be using the cardioid pattern anyway. For 15% of the price of the Neumann, it's a steal.

[@MatthewBarelick]

I listened to both audio samples and have found that the neumann has a higher top end on both spoken word and from other videos musically it's all about the quality of the electronics but if we eq the other microphone I believe it will sound very close but there's also the longevity factor that goes into making the investment in sound! I've seen Neumann mics that are 60 y.o and still being used in studios like London's Abbey Road & Hollywood's Capitol Records yes they've had preventive maintenance but THE PARTS TO MAINTAIN them are still available! So the question is are you looking for now or are you planning for the future, are you recording as a hobby or a profession!

[@emjae7484]

Absolute win for the k87 the u87 have a little low mid push and sounds a hair more compressed but not worth the extra money IMHO

[@dannylightning-audio-reviews]

There's definitely some differences there, it's pretty hard to tell a difference between the two honestly unless you're really listening hard and listening on a good set of monitors or headphones, those people would probably never know the difference, The UFO microphones are very nice lol

[@SuperMiker78]

Ooooo would you compare the Mkh 416 and the K87? I know you have both! 😂

[@DanielCaouette]

I actually did about a year ago! It was a 4 mic comparison for the Joe Zieja's Voice Acting Academy Facebook group to show how mic types affect sound. I recorded the Mini K87, the Sennheiser MKH416, the Shure Beta 87a, and the Shure SM7B. This test includes a bit of talking outside of the booth, talking with the booth door open, then an exaggerated read. It was done in my closet booth, which at the time was completely covered in moving blankets in addition to a wardrobe of clothes and standard drywall > 4" insulation > drywall. drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oz6r457DqBeyNndE4Rj8PohbtVR-lo43 I love how my voice sounds on the 416. It captures a lot of detail and the response curve compliments my voice very well. But the K87 wins for a number of reasons. The polar pattern on an LDC lets me move around without dropping audio off-axis. I've heard from big casting directors in gaming that it's a must to use something like the TLM103 or U87 Ai over the MKH416 for this exact reason. Some auditions I get say any of the 3 is fine, but I switched to the Mini K87 full time to check that box. The Mini K87 is also a more honest sound than the 416, which lets sound engineers do their thing. Granted, the 416 is a very common use case in VO, so sound engineers know how to play with it too. The plot twist? I book more small project sub $250 budget work for direct clients without sound engineers when I audition on the 416. End users who don't toy with audio all day love the air in the 416. For direct client project requests where they want a bespoke audition, I bust out the 416. When I know there's a sound engineer in the mix, I use the K87. As my focus has shifted to mostly national level auditions, the 416 sits in its case rather than on a spare arm ready to get swapped in. The ideal answer to this is to ask J Michael Collins about his grip and run 3 or 4 mics at once like he does.

[@SuperMiker78]

@@DanielCaouette yeah man, I loved that comparison-you should recreate for your KZbin audience now 😀 And great insights into the subtle variations of the two mics

[@scottphillipsvo]

Honestly I cant tell the difference between the two. Honestly I prefer the looks of the Neumann but appearance doesn't equal money in the audio business.

[@virgogreg]

K87 sounds so close I could not tell the difference,

[@keeppushin]

Well lemme tell you something, Roswell need to pay you cause now im getting 3 lol

[@BojanBojovic]

No one could tell the difference in a blind test, and this is all that matters. It is a bit strange that Matt did not include the transformer as it has some to do with how the U87 sounds, but this is basically the same. As for the comparisons made at the same time, people would be surprised how much more similar some different mics are while tested this way. U87 is both, overpriced and overrated.

[@jackkellyKMM]

Why has 'Hello' been replaced by a question whose answer is expected to be unanswered? It makes it sound as if the asker actually has no interest whatsoever in the well-being, or lack thereof, of the person being asked the question. I know it is a rather popular thing, but it sounds idiotic.

[@adambradley3284]

Totally agree. What's up? What's goin' on? Maybe we should start a new greeting; " What's wrong with Hello?" Probably the wrong forum to address this. It sounds more like an Episode of Seinfeld. Anyway, love your comment.