Neumann U87ai vs Neumann TLM 102 (Feat. the Neve Portico 2 and RME UFX)

I did a shoot out between the Neumann U87ai and the Neumann TLM 102

[@lorraineming4590]

The 102 sounds like a Neumann while the U87 sounds like a Rode NT1A, interesting.

[@Not-Only-Reaper-Tutorials]

Both they sound great! The 87ai has a more detail into the middle, while the 102 is more round. I find the 102 more adapted for Voice Over, while the 87ai for vocal recordings to cut the mix. IMHO

[@cosmicjazzer1]

Why on earth use different processing on each mic?! No one listening can glean anything useful at all because of that!

[@voa23]

Why so angry Cosmic?

[@jarrydee2799]

I like the 102 better. The 87 sounds thinner. I think it would be easy to match the 2 up with a little EQ. So either would work IMO

[@Mcsteveberry]

dude, the u87 IS absolutley clearer. That is the perfect clarity needed to mix with

[@ThaexakaMavro]

@@Mcsteveberry the 102 has a built in popfilter that can be remove and you gain a lot of clarity back

[@guitartricky]

Holy crap! What a difference, way more than I was expecting. Just listen to the "If you" It becomes boomy and muddy on the TLM and stays tamed and crystal clear on the 87. I guess it's a standard for a reason!

[@michaell.8938]

U87 for $2,000? Try $3,500.

[@CDA43]

Yea, no. The shitty u87ai goes for as low as 1700 on Reverb. Lowest re-sell value of any mic. I know this was three years ago, but people quickly figured out the $3599 price tag was bullshit.

[@fartouille]

Stupid test ! if they are processed differently how can you compare them ??

[@michaelandreyev5029]

U87 seems to capture more high frequences and it sounds as if the vocalist is closer to the mic.

[@tomtude]

i felt the same way u said . the 102 sound sleepy ,too much bass. 87 more clear.

[@mixey01]

How come the TLM 102 sounds much fuller to me, the U87i seems thin. Am I the only one having that opinion?

[@konradbott350]

No and Yes at the same time :D The 87 isn`t "thinner" the 102 is just more boomy. The 102 is a very good microphone and it`s slightly more flattering for nonprofessional voices, because it tends to boom a little bit more. The 87 is just crystal clear. It has no tendencies to color your voice whatsoever. :)

[@D40Oz1]

Daamn the tlm 102 sounds REALLY good even tho it has alot of muddyness which most people wouldint think its as good..but if you think about it...the more mid mud the smoother your doubles woukd be for rap specially after knocking off 200 on eq

[@New1Message]

The 102 seems bassy-er than the u87 BUT I AM AMAZED how close the 102 is to the 87 its soo good for the 600 dollar price

[@dirtyharry1881]

Very different, but given you altered the equailisation, no conclusion can be made out of this...

[@danieleshapiro]

Clearly the U87 is brighter and airier

[@bentyreman5769]

the U87ai is far clearer, the tlm102 sounds a little muddy in comparison, there's a big reason for the price difference, I love my tlm103 here, it gets a lot of hate but it's a really great mic.

[@shanesean7006]

the flater sound is most of the time better because vocals always will get brighter in mixing and mastering process so if you hve a already treble mic you will be so sorry. 102 is notmuddy its flat and bright enogh but u87ai is not always good because vocals et harsh with it specialy brighter voices

[@Geotubest]

Would be interesting to do a double blind test of these mics... or add another one (say a AKG 414) to the mix. I bet a lot of people would be picking a surprise as their favourite mic.

[@brendancarruthers5729]

My two cents, the U87 had a much more layered and complete sound. I agree that it is a bit pointless if the processing is different per mic.

[@Newny3karrotz]

VERY NICE VIDEO! thank you, basically, cut muddy freq's and you got your self a nice vocal to sum it up.

[@briguyhackins]

It stunning how different these mics sound. In a mix the 87 would punch through but on its own the 102 sits very well.

[@UnravelsSlowly]

102 sounds less throaty/nasal in a good way for spoken word. The u87 has a nice smokyness and sheen in the highs that I'm familiar with. I feel like the 102 is better for spoken voice in this case though.

[@meldmagic]

🤠 This video is pretty old. I was just wondering if you have ever tried recording with the TLM102 with the foam removed. How is the clarity then?

[@v1o]

The 102 sounds warmer. The U87 has more air. Both sound good but the 102 is a pleasant surprise.

[@user-cq9my5ju6k]

If you don't have a voice talent, the U87ai will reveal all the defaults... Like in this test. That's why, here, some peoples prefers the Tlm102

[@JSGilbert]

Really? Really! You set up your pre's to get the best sound out of each microphone. You need another set of ears, because on my worst day I can get my U87 to sound better than that. The 102 (and before it, the 103) were simply designed so that people who can't afford a u87 would still be able to buy a Neumann. There is nothing about the 102 that deserves having the Neumann name. It's so that somebody thinking about buying an MXL might throwin another couple hundred bucks to get a Neumann.

[@DuroSamples]

Hey would have been good to sing and drive the Portico pre-amp for a musical A/B of both mics.. Your speech voice on the U87ai sounded like the same stuff I hear on film dubs! and a more metallic sound to it.. that boost on the mids, which I hammer down with the EQ LOL We all love the Classic sound that we get with the U87 but the TLM was very sweet sounding...

[@estudiomonteverdi]

hands down 87

[@berkburk8598]

No way : U87ai wins. TLM 102 sounds much less presence. Try both microphones with a soprano voice!

[@RecTec77]

then it is probably not adequate for a soprano singer. nah, you are right the uzi just sounds a pound more brilliant.

[@austinsummersofficial631]

And more sibilant and sensitive . Not only more present.

[@RDYC]

I've owned both and I never like the transformerless Neumanns. The U87 is industry standard and nothing else compares in real life (which KZbin is not).

[@user-cq9my5ju6k]

@@austinsummersofficial631 I would say true to the source !

[@tomtude]

i have avalon 737 and mackei1202 mixer .can this 2 set up together with this neumannu u87 if yes .how it start? which one that the mic hook up first? or only one of this mixer is good enough . thanks.

[@NinjaTrackProductions]

We could have done without the passage reading. It would have been nice to see how you compared the two mics. What was your conclusion based upon?

[@KennaOkoye]

Hmmmm... I think all of you are missing the point! I just listened to which mike I would have to do LESS equing to, and the winner was the U87... Yes the 102, was rounder and fuller, but the highs, were so weak, when you did any equing to that, the results would be lame, and I really don't think it would cut through. The U87 has no lows, but when you record vocals on a record, I am doing a highpass anyways. Just saying.. The highs sounded a little bright, but That will cut thru

[@boderrickshorter]

they both sound great i got the tlm 103 and i think to get the better sound u need a nice preamp i run the avalon with mine and yeah it needs more eq after the fact as this u 87 is brighter to me so im buying it i really record music on the daily and to no the BIG difference you gotta own the product and your ears would adjust to the overall sound and trust me youll b surprised 102/103 are great beginner mics but u 87 is on the pro level people like i said you gotta own it to no it

[@guitartricky]

@mixey01 I'm hearing problematic mud coming from the 102. I think that's what you hearing as sounding "fuller." Listen to when he says "If you" for a reference. That kinda stuff becomes a pain to deal with later in a mix.

[@bryanusinger2272]

I have a tlm102, it can sound bassy due to a heavy proximity effect. For vocals, its best to stay at least 6" away. The u87ai has more presence. Both are great mics, and have their uses. For example..a very whiny, sibilant voice may benefit from the tlm102's natural smoothness..also it has a super high SPL rating, making it great for drum overheads. The U87ai, will sound great too..but the 102 is definitely more suited for that application. Every mic has its place. Even many budget mics.

[@TreyFiveO]

I agree the 87 Is indeed more open more midrange. But cant really tell cause the audio quality of utube is kinda sad... but still you can here that the 102 has more body.. It really depends on what purpose ull use it for...

[@drakewatkins2624]

tlm sounded more rounded, the u87 for some reason was clear but it sounded thinner

[@EsoteriKOfficial]

believe it or not its the opposite... u87 has more presence but its not boosting any clarity internally.. its just that good and it still has its full sound... tlm 102 is boosted at 6khz but you can clearly hear it was boosted... its real harsh around the 2 to 3000 khz range... fuck it id eat out anybitch with herpes to give me that microphone.

[@drakewatkins2624]

ArmyVtrN yeah you quit possibly have much more of an ear for those things then me i think there both great and with the right tools u can make either or sound like any mic in the world really but it takes the skills to do so the u87 is nice it has just never impressed me enough to have me convinced that its worth almost 4 thousand dollars

[@EsoteriKOfficial]

DTG DRAKE i hear you man

[@shanesean7006]

you dont know any thing about mics u87 is much harsher than 102 i have both but 102 is far flater u87 ai make my voice too harsh that force me to cut alot of high mids

[@genesisnkaidence8519]

DTG DRAKE it wasn’t thinner it was just hitting all the frequencies you would hear in the mix.. with the tlm you would have to do way more eq to bring the higher frequencies up

[@CombatLegsVIDS]

102 is a full spectrum podcast mic, u87ai is a vocal mix mic that fits vocals into a song

[@ShadowPoet]

Gear sounds great! Love the RND portico series. Not sure about the voice talent though :P

[@ikennafunken9306]

You've just wasted your time. Why would you Alter the sounds. It defeats the whole purpose of your test

[@kardoplay]

Neumann U87ai sounds shit is hard to understand why anyone would want this sound and TLM102 does not sound good because it's much too dark.

[@VoyageOne1]

It is incredibly hard to get a bad sound out of either mic to be truthful. As for your performance, I found it a bit wooden and dull.

[@TheNextlevelboyz]

I like the neumann but i hear to mutch bass. Mabye it are you settings u used. The U87ai sound nice but i miss a little bit bass

[@austinsummersofficial631]

It's funny, the u87 sounded more sibilant and had issues on the esses compared to the tlm102. So glad I'm buying a tlm on Monday next week. I can't believe I ever considered a u87. I've already got a Manley reference.. But.. Meh, that's only good for specific vocalists so it has its place. Others it's WAY too sibilant. Especially if the singer is singing loud. I'm running it through a neve portico preamp too so this is a great test

[@kebc100]

ELECTRO RE20,WORKHORSE OF BROADCAST INDUSTRY...JUST AS EQUAL....AND ONLY $800.00....BOUGHT MINE FOR $400.OO NEW...

[@VelvetProductions]

After listen to this test in my treated room with a pair of ns-10/Bryston 4b. I have to say that the U87 Ai is more push forward and more detail compare to the 102. That's all I can say, Which one better? you decide.

[@TheShiftingSounds]

is it breathing? but... wasn't this a robot speaking? goddamn the monotone voice...

[@brain96969]

@mixey01 TLM 102 sounds much fuller to me, the U87i more transparent

[@jessegimbel]

Thanks so much for doing this, it's very helpful! Great voiceover too! The 102 seems like it'd be really great as a counterpart to the 87 as the seem to do somewhat opposite things in the upper mids. The 102 mellows and has an almost dynamic mic quality, while the 87 has more of the presence boost that helps when you need things to cut through a dense mix. The most helpful thing to me here is hearing that the 102 indeed does have a Neumann character and isn't overly clean. Thanks!

[@mordokch]

well the u87 clearly wins this one - in fact I didn't think the 102 sounded very good at all. Does any one know what the 'AI' is all about ?

[@nak110390]

u87ai better then the original u87 ?? i dont kno what 1 to get . plz help

[@ThatKiddKL]

Your processing didn't make this a good demonstration..

[@apostolicbible1]

LOL! A $2000 and $700 KZbin microphone...try the Neumann TLM 101 for $275.00 aka the Sennheiser MK4, which has a capsule made in the same lab as the Neumanns. Also why spend loads of money on a digitizer when for the same amount or less you can buy a MacMini with line level in and go straight into an i7 CPU with a dbx286 preamp?

[@DanielOrtegoUSA]

Wow, I see I'm not the only guy that was interested in his sound equipment versus the microphone themselves. Either way it was an excellent demo and I could definitely tell the difference between the two microphones. On that note I preferred the 102,

[@TheAerovons]

With EQ the TLM102 could have easily sounded as clear as the 87, which I thought sounded too thin.

[@jarrydee2799]

+oceantracks exactly what i heard. The 87 sounded a lot thinner. And I also agree, with a little EQ, it would not matter what one you were using.

[@waawaaweewaa2045]

To be candid, the u87 sounds overly thin and too high end happy on my genelec monitors, this is why im assuming that the mic preamp stage has way too much eq on it.

[@putmeinthemovies]

What is and who wrote the poem?

[@ghsb]

Figure 8 is so that 2 people can speak into either side of the microphone? errrr.......?

[@chuckh5491]

102 sounded better.

[@bigdap100]

the 87 sounds a lot more open in mid range and top end. Less low end response.

[@DanielOrtegoUSA]

While the difference was night and day I like them both. Since my use of microphones is limited to online webcasts I can't really see myself purchasing neither one. However, I do know of a popular podcaster that is using the TM103 with outstanding results.

[@guitartricky]

I wish the U87 was $2k!

[@guitartricky]

I wish the U87 was $2k!

[@IAMSESTAK]

Great review. You didn't waste any time getting to the important points. Thanks! For the price, I think I'll go for the 102.

[@instrumentenfreak]

U87 sounds more natural to me. But I think the tlm102 is very decent for the money.

[@MarleyCares]

U87 is much clearer.

[@evex77]

big difference. u87 captures all the mids and highs missing from the tlm 102.

[@decemberswitch]

Thanks for the amazingly useful shootout. I have a u87ai which sounds just like yours :) I am considering a 102. It seems that the 102 is much warmer which would cause mud on certain types of male voices in a music mix. But I think it would be great as is on voiceovers and solo work. The trusty u87 is transparent and not as hyped. However with modern pop music people are often looking for hyped. How do you like the two mics on different voices and instruments?

@LennyBoyDK You have to be kidding...?

[@robertvoice]

Yeah! It depends upon what type of speakers You use, maybe the most of people who saw this video lack of Professional Studio Equipment. You need one of this: Good headphones or Good Studio Monitors.

[@lucianoluggren]

Hello. What's the mic you use in minute 1:16? Greetings from Argentina.

[@ProToolsAvidSchool]

your right,, but if you want a reall screaming vocalist on your mic you will want to have the TLM 102

[@guitartricky]

@decemberswitch Don't know what preamp you are using with the 87 but I use a Universal Audio 2-610 and if I want warmth I just turn up the gain on my preamp. It works like a charm!

[@pirateradio808]

I noticed the U87ai picked up a lot more room (even with the reflexion filter).

[@bartvuijk5645]

How can you decide with this monotone dull voice. Plz do some serious singing or music for testing

[@nhojcam]

i wouldn't characterize the difference as 'glass' on the U87ai, rather simply more air and openness. with his eq, he could have simply bumped 100hz and got the 87ai to sound identical to the 102. 'glass' bespeaks of a sound which could be considered by the hearer to verge on harsh and shrill. certainly the U87ai was not this! also, keep in mind that this is a simple speaking vocal. other reviews and demos on vocals show the true character and purpose of the U87ai. i am looking at the TLM103.

[@JBr33zyMusic]

I thought the Neumann U87 were $2,000, I looked it up and now they go for $4,000.

[@zirokiller00]

i dont know if it's me, but the 87 has a boost in the mid high Between 4khz - 8khz and has a high pass filter to 85Hz. TLM 102 sound fat has bass everything in it.

[@NeilPundick]

I noticed a big difference just on my macbook pro speakers. They had roughly the same body, but the U87ai had a bit of a tighter/ sparkly presence from about 3k up. tlm 102 would do the trick for me, but the u87 would keep me satisfied

[@PolymerJones]

try yelling into the mic, that will show us the difference

[@drastic209562]

My eyes went from asian to caucasian once i heard the U87ai.

[@Jamminn555]

Great video and comparison! Thanks so much for posting!

[@AlexisKasperavicius]

Thank you so much for doing this, really, really helpful! To me the TLM 102 sounds a bit muddy in the top range and kills the natural sibilance of the speaker which I think is extremely important. It's that high end which is the first to go as you build your mix and starting with that natural crisp sound is what you're paying for. I'm convinced.

[@bryanusinger2272]

the U87ai is just the newer model, same capsule..minor electronics change. The u87 is the older, discontinued model.

[@waawaaweewaa2045]

Sounds like you went a little too eq happy on the portico (please confirm whether this is accurate); I'd like to hear what the mics sound like going through the portico with flat eq and just a little compression.

[@VelvetProductions]

It's depend on what version of the 414 that you're talking about.

[@bearatonemedia]

i thought the 102 sounded mor natural. the 87 had a lot more spit. based on this vid I'd buy a stereo pair of tlm 102 and a focusrite forte with the change ;-)

[@bryanusinger2272]

the u87, older model goes for that much. You can definitely find the newer u87ai on ebay for 2k ..Ive even seen some for about $1500

[@DreTheNomad]

Hi! I saw a Sebatron Thorax in your rack. How do you like it with U87 mic? I'm looking into buying Sebatron AXIS

[@BANGERS68]

87 every day.. each mic for diferent tricks tho..

[@shawshank73]

@ewupawly This is true. The sound of the TLM 102 will "thin-out". The U87 will keep the dynamic range.

[@muffinproo]

i vote u87

[@ChrisParisiMusic]

Is this Jeremy from Peep Show?

[@theeltea]

Well, I actually think the opposite. :) And yes, I've heard and worked with both for a long time...

[@Robangledorf]

It's a compression artifact. Learn audio.

[@cesarcalderon9394]

yea deff Nueman TLM 102 has more body

[@rcarrillo7]

Great poem.

[@ProToolsAvidSchool]

i agree

[@vaporettos]

HAL's voice

[@wilgates9]

@jsgilbert1 Lol well put

[@gerudobombshell]

@TheNaziKiller1 Reaper

[@pravdarecords9089]

So cool!