Neumann U67 vs U87

This is the third episode in a series where I will be comparing Neumann classics against each other. Today it's the Legendary U67 against the vintage U87.
Vocal Chain:
Mic** // A Design Pacifica // Rme UFX Gen 1
Link to raw files:
drive.google.com/file/d/1evLX9ECF1RbQoQpDTzUFgvwzHmpz8FGj/view?usp=sharing
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[@raularaujostrw]

The U67's low mids rips shivers through my soul; The U87's velvety high end seems more polished and finished. No idea which imaginary mic to pic for my imaginary mic closet at my imaginary studio.

[@JEBJOSH]

😂😂😂😂😂 this comment made me laugh so much

[@danielc4361]

Ahhh, it's your imagination right? So then all you gotta do is, try not buy so many imaginary plugins and lattes so that maybe you can... maybe scrape together enough imaginary cash to buy them both... some day! ;D

[@noagbogudki7766]

One day bro 😂

[@MrACangusyoungDC]

Tubes always seems to just subtle saturate in a way that highlight dynamics, and highlight what's coming from the close source and what's the room reflections, so you get that depth. Someone explained it to me, and I can never unhear it. It's irresistible. U87 can be more defined in mix, I would guess, but on an important source, very rarely the best choice, in my opinion.

[@brianwhitman3300]

Sheesh. Listened to the downloadable files in my DAW. That 87 is just perfect. Thanks so much for providing these. I'm on the hunt for a U87i now!

[@giugnete]

I own two U67 and 87’s and the difference I hear is mostly in the mid range. The U67 has more depth and a richness to the sound that most people would not notice but to the artists it would inspire a better performance.

[@Christian_svedin]

Yeah, I think I've proven on this channel that most mics are usuable but the feel when you are actually recording is very important and some mics just feel better. The vintage Neumanns are allot closer then what people think especially when you processed them. Thanks for watching ✌️

[@Firetracks]

Facts!

[@melodychest9020]

This is the point! For a singer it could be just that one take off note that sounds so perfect, making the passage that follows to be more perfect. I too can hear the U67 is probably a better singer's mic that could inspire better performances. Yes the U67 is slightly darker but I think getting a better performance will more than compensate for that.

[@ramencurry6672]

U67 is definitely better. But in the old recordings with tape and vinyl records, the U87 ends up sounding smooth too in the finished product. It’s like the handicapped guy can also finish the journey too.

[@alilceestyle5237]

U67 adds a little more warmth or a rounded body to the sound

[@JamesStMichael]

Everytime i click on 1 of your videos, I forget im looking at a screen because its so darn clear and lifelike. Camera game is on point bro!

[@Christian_svedin]

Thanks 🙏

[@Slainbabyyc]

always the best shootouts, i love your voice!

[@Md2802]

The U67 has that beautiful tube "sheen" in the upper mids, which makes it sound like a record. It also seems to push into saturation gradually, which evens out the dynamics in a cool way. It's a classic sound. The U87 didn't do either of these things. Where the U67 pushed into distortion, the U87 just kept taking level like a champ. It also took EQ a lot better (I did a quick bit of knob-twiddling from the KZbin audio feed). Definitely deserves its reputation as a studio work-horse. All-in-all, both excellent mics - although each better suited to different tasks. The U67 wins hands-down with this performance (well-balanced voice, singing early-70s soul, with preamp levels set properly) - but for a recording where clean matters (like late-90s R&B), the singer's extremely loud, or where the vocal needs EQ, then the U87 would be better. But really these mics are both so good they can easily be made to work in almost any situation, and deliver killer results. BTW I love the softened high end on your U87. I'm convinced that a lot of what makes these mics so much more useful than the new-production U87i is the way the older mics have lost some of their top end over time (counter-acting the presence peak - which doesn't need to be as pronounced, now that we're no longer using tape). We had an early 90s U87i that also had this softening, and sounded just as good as the U87s (although with a hotter output).

[@Md2802]

@@jamescharles5907 For lead vocals, the U67 saturates in a very pleasing way that emphasises upper-mids. The added harmonics even-out the formant of the vocal, making it sound both stronger and clearer. Which means you don't need to boost the high-end as much for it to sit at the front of the mix. Meaning you're able to keep more low-mids in the vocal, making it sound thicker. For other elements of a mix (not lead vocals), it's sometimes better to record clean. Not everything should sit at the very front of the mix. If you want depth, you need things to push things back a little bit by narrowing the frequency range they take-up; which is a lot easier to do if you haven't filled-out all the harmonics with saturation. This is why the U87 is a better studio work horse. But there's no hard rules in music. Sometimes it sounds better to keep the lead vox clean, and control the vocal with other processing (like multi-band compression or dynamic eq) - and sometimes it sounds better to have every element of a mix fully-saturated, and use extreme eq to put things in their own places in the frequency spectrum. So you can't make a blanket statement that U67s are good for lead vox, and U87s are better for everything else. It all depends on what sound you're going for. Besides, you can always add saturation to the U87 after the fact to achieve a similar sound to the U67. Which can actually sound better sometimes. If you have a sound that needs a lot of corrective eq, it usually sounds more natural to do that on the clean signal, and then add saturation later.

[@HarvinderSingh-yy8th]

Mind blowing comparison videos.

[@INeedsMoneys]

Lätt en av de bästa kanalerna på tuben. Det osar av kvalitet! Easy Subscribe 🔥

[@Christian_svedin]

Tack 🤗

[@AlexeySolovievMusic]

Great video my friend, to my ears U67 sounds brighter so i like it more

[@therichieconway]

Wow, in the mix that 67 is insanely smooth compared to the 87. It's bigger, and smoother, like putting a sparkly sheen over it all, but somehow also adding thickness and clarity, not in a bad distortion kind of way.

[@peterchoe]

yeah the 67 is in a class of its own. No other mic sounds like it, even if it has the same frequency response and overload characteristics.

[@joseluiz9495]

Excelent video. Thanks. Filo.

[@LosFicosMusic]

GREAT VIDEO!

[@andigisler]

This is probably THE best mic shootout I've come across regarding Neumann mics, thank you! I own a basically NOS U87 from the 80s and I really like it. I also been thinking about buying the U67 reissue (and selling the U87) but I had doubts. This test here is like the final confirmation for me to keep the U87. The U67 surely sounds very nice but also a bit dark - I think the U47 has much more mojo but is also cleaner sounding in a way- of course prices are sky-high these days. I also bought a U89 (also NOS from the 80s) a while ago - about 1500 Euros (much less than a new one and unlike the U87 the design of the U89 has not changed) and it became a favorite on all kinds of things but vocals especially. If it's a reedier voice like my own, I go for the U89. If I need more detail and 'growl', I use the U87. Again, thanks for doing this!

[@Christian_svedin]

What About the u87 tube mod? I have an episode with that one As well. Really transformed the u87 Into something nice :)

[@realtalkroscoeg]

This is why I’m glad I moved up to the U67 reissue!! U87 comes to life with EQ, U67 sounds even better and smooth then the U87 when you EQ. No other microphone can do with the re-issue does

[@maximesavard-beaudoin560]

@@Christian_svedin wow thats so interesting! im gonna check that out i was wondering if its possible to make the u87 i sounds more like the u67 since u87 is cheaper

[@navansizzle]

To me Vocal sounds clearer on u87 and warmer on u67

[@manugonzalez9222]

Definitely they sound like cousins. I found the u87 darker than the u67 (I was waiting the oposite). Thank you for your time and talent!

[@Christian_svedin]

Yeah, they're definitely all related and sound more alike then people usually think. Thanks for watching!

[@andivax]

as always AWESOME voice, Christian! Unfortunatelly vintage U87 in good condition is rare these days (and U67 too). 67 reissue is not bad, U87 modern is "other league" mic. But if you have good vocalist it's not a problem to use any mic or book a good studio )

[@Christian_svedin]

Thanks! Yes most mics will work but if you have the chance to try out a few good mics you'll know what you'd prefer :)

[@andivax]

@@Christian_svedin and I have returned again, Christian! )) U67 wins hands down in your test! I have vintage U87 on test, built by Georg Neumann himself. It's sound reminds me your U67. Sweeet.

[@Christian_svedin]

@@andivax nice! A u87 is fine they're just not worth what They're going for these days!

[@DjBydLo]

To me, the U67 sounds bigger, probably because it has more low mids saturation. I couldnt tell you really why. The U-87 sounds more realistic to me, but definitively thinner and less saturated. Nothing that a good post process can compensate perfectly. Thanks for the video.

[@ramencurry6672]

Depending on the song, the microphone will be more suited

[@iamjuandemarcus]

Both sound amazing,but your vocals sounds a little bit better with the u67,fits well

[@ingoodmusic]

All I can say, you have a very good 87 copy over there, keep it.

[@milanklco]

u67 just goes straight to hearth :) coming as singer, it`s inspiring feeling a lot right there :) wow amazing

[@SevenSinsChoppers]

U67 sounds more grounded or fuller. 67 wins for me. 67 also sounds more transparent to me. Damn I need a 67! 😱

[@MurnerJoel]

That u87 vintage is amazing. Any idea where to get one? For How much approximatively

[@virgogreg]

The 87 has smoother mids with your voice, both are great mics

[@sassas7128]

67 sounds more finished.87 I want to EQ it.

[@hottrakz]

Happy to be a U87 owner would love to own a U 67 also though and a U47 while you're at it

[@jerrybarnesbass1]

hi there is there a video of the 269 compared to something ? thanks

[@Christian_svedin]

In this test? No more then it's the same song. I did compare it go the Upton 251 though! Thanks for listening

[@nightmusic1974]

The U67 track is the most pleasing to my ears, but also I would be curious to know which tube sits inside you U67. I have tested a few different tube models in my own U67, and the difference appeared to be very important one from another....Now that I chose the perfect tube for my U67 (depending on what I record), the sonic differences between my U67 and my U87's are HUGE.

[@user-hz8eg3wl2l]

Telefunken?

[@nightmusic1974]

@@user-hz8eg3wl2l could be, but Amperex or even Mullard tubes sound better than Telefunken Ef86’s to my ears…That’s why i was curious for that particular test.

[@user-hz8eg3wl2l]

@@nightmusic1974 Mullard!!! Yes!!

[@heythere6983]

You remember how you eqed the mics in the mix? Iv been looking into these aswell. And I wonder how they take eq. I know the 87 is known for taking eq well. I feel like I’d maybe put the low mids on the u67 a little bit Or if I had the u87 I’d give them a high end air boost . I wonder if basically tho the u87 will always be thicker no matter what and the u67 will always sound airier.

[@Christian_svedin]

Usually just clean up the lowmids a little bit. You can download the raw files and try for yourself 👍

[@stfesteirasstfesteiras7377]

Record in tape?

[@jeffreyduncan989]

Listening to both their are more similarities than differences but the 87 has something in the high mids that make it cut through a little more… I wouldn’t say one is better than the other… at this level it is just presence

[@osomdovictor7917]

Why did you eq them differently? Shouldn we compare them raw?

[@peterchoe]

the u67 does something magical to sibilants that no other mic approaches. you could put a snake in front of it and it would sound like silk. This is due to the deemphasis circuit.

[@dieudodmg]

U67 🥇

[@gunluv96]

Greetings, great video. I am torn!!! In the mix the u87 was king during this example, but when you played audio only the u67 was king! I think this is a perfect example of what eq does to the mic sound during mix. I think I would've mixed everything differently, not saying you have a bad mix, but rather it is amazing what each set of ears hear!!! God I love recording and mixing!!! What's your thoughts?

[@johnbowman3630]

Yeah don't EQ them differently, defeats the whole point of an A/B :)

[@milkpossumsound8935]

U67 is smoother but U87 cuts through the mix better, albeit with a midrange honk. This also reflects my experience using them in a studio setting. Mixing a U87 with a vocalist that has some nasally qualities to begin with can be a not so fun experience.

[@youngbanker1066]

Test the Telefunken t51

[@john_air]

what i can definitely tell is that you are one el of vocalist yeah that's for sure

[@vedranc6546]

Reading all that comments, and lot of based on what they heard about specific mic over time mixed with what they "hear" now.. I know one thing for sure, that "soft" U47 some will call "less open" . Put mic tests without name, I guarantee one one will recognize any of mics with bunch of different comments about each

[@ivantynnauer568]

When you consider how many hits have already been produced with the Neumann u 87 AI, why should I take a U 67 just because it costs more. I listened to the A/B comparisons and whenever I hear the rapid change between the two, i.e. the transition from the U 67 to the U 87, I immediately notice how the U 87 sits better in the mix. The U 67 is without a doubt a great microphone. Compared to the U 87, it sounds a lot better, but as soon as you pack the two elements full, you can hear this mid-range, forward-facing sound of the U 87 immediately. Yes, the U 87 or the U 87 AI gets a lot of hits from all sides, but it is not without reason that it is a legendary microphone with which countless successful hits have been produced and there is a reason why it is used for almost every vocal or voice recording. I keep reading reports where people write how much better your U 67 performs in terms of sound compared to the U 87 or the U 87 AI, but I have rarely seen videos or studios where the U 67 was used to record. I think the U 67 is great as I wrote and it really is a special mic and no clone can copy it but in my eyes it's not worth $6000 or more and it doesn't sound $3000 better than the U 87 just my 2nd mic Cent. Thank you for the A/B comparison, I really appreciate it.

[@GabrielTobing]

For asmr I guess U67 is the better one as you'd need to catch the soft voices at a warmer level, high activity signing U87

[@TimMilliken]

67 sounds more natural and better for actual better singers. 87 sounds a bit more hyped. Not in a bad way though.

[@GabrielTobing]

I would get both but damn, my wallet would be gone XD

[@marioadams1005]

The u67 Sounds MORE FULLER and WARMER........ Wow Big Difference!

[@soundtracksforliving9497]

The U67 wins this comparsion by far. Emotionally comes much more trough and arrives in my awareness. And the frequences are far more balanced just by itself. But it sounds to me as if the U87 is dirty. I guess it's old and should be cleaned and repaired. Maybe thats the reason why it falls so short.

[@StudioFanThess]

U87= 0 noise floor and more natural sound U67= more mid high end and more noise floor For me the U87 is the King for anything

[@Bragko]

I like the U87 more

[@MidnightMiik]

The U87 seems slightly lower. The U67 is still the clear winner regardless. The upper mids and high end are silky smooth and detailed in a way the U87 is incapable of. The U87 is still an excellent microphone. Just about everything sounds good on that mic. It's just the U67 is a better microphone. At 2 to 3 times the price it better be.

[@adieuparis33]

U67 THE KING

[@scott7521]

The U87 is cheaper while the U67 is more expensive.

[@Slyze33]

I barely see the difference. I think unless you're a top tier artist a u87 should be sufficient enough in my opinion

[@noahchasinguitar5831]

In the mix I can’t hear a difference

[@whyseproductions2043]

I wish I bought the u67 instead of the u87 😅 damn it.

[@milanklco]

I bought u87ai instead of tlm103 & barelly survived to explain to my family :D :D :D it was not cheap & I`m silent & happy to have this level as I know I`m pretty temperament, that u87ai will get many extra feelings & better singing from my soul :D it`ll arrive in 2 days I canot barelly wait, wow ! I totally appreciate u67 but in level of u87ai I feel pretty wowed already :) payed for new with 3years warranty with shockmount 2,4k euro so it was cheaper as it`s normal & still for 2,4k euro I believe worth double the tlm 103 price , never look back mic u87ai, for me end game equipment :)

[@hellopsp180]

i like the 67 more XD ?

[@esco.letsgo]

IS THE NEUMANN U67 (ORIGINAL/VINTAGE) THE KING OF ALL MICS, YES OR NO? FORGET ABOUT THE PRICE!

[@Christian_svedin]

It's my least favourite vintage Neumann 😎✌️

[@esco.letsgo]

@@Christian_svedin thanks for the reply. So, what is your favourite vintage. Also, what would you class as the Ultimate Neumann microphone then?

[@Christian_svedin]

@@esco.letsgo m269 and u47. Haven't tried the m49 though. Otherwise I've owned the other classics, u87, U67, u47 etc

[@esco.letsgo]

@@Christian_svedin oh I see, which Neumann are you referring to… the U47 or the U47Fet? And is that mic good for both singing vocals and rap/rock or do you have an ultimate best for singing vocals and then another ultimate for rap vocals sir?

[@Christian_svedin]

@@esco.letsgo u47 (tube) I would think the m269 would be good for both rap and vocals it sounds quite like a Ela m251. But it's always best to try out for yourself in your own studio

[@BloemanStudio]

Seem you are better singer with the 67 ✅

[@user-hz8eg3wl2l]

U67 best

[@MxxRie]

The u67 makes you a better singer.

[@tkavook]

I think U87 sounds better on this guy's voice

[@Yossiamos]

u67 sound better (for me) but on the verses, but in chorus and loud part i like the 87 - because its like in the mix it compressing catch \ staible the vox i like it, so i dont know who is the best i think u67 is more dynamics & FR is better but in loud part its out from the mix but with processors it will be winner .