Neumann vocal mics. 2 in mind.

[ahtuks]

Considering to buy all new studiogear.
Like RME fireface 800 for sure replacing my old Creamware Pulsar2 with TDAT16(not ultra)
UAD X2 Nevana with a bunch of kickass plugs (can't live with soft vst anymore cause most of them sound like a flat shit).

Finally a Neumann, these came in to final selection:
M 147 (Tubecondenser) €1.975,- tryed this one in other studio
U87 Ai €2.444,-
so i'm a total noob to prostudio mics , everything i have is a shure 57,58 and some other cheapshit.
so your wise advises is needed guys
which Neumann you would grab?

 

[Wolfeman]

Christ those things are expensive

 

[Metaltastic]

Yeah, seriously - Neumann LDC's are so far beyond anything I'd even remotely consider, and given all the amazing stuff I've heard on this forum from cheap gear, my dream condenser for the next, oh, decade is a $600 Audio Technica AT4050!

As for the Fireface, I'm planning on getting the 400 as soon as a fucking credit card company will approve me, cuz the extra two preamps and analog in's on the 800 are NOT worth an extra $500 to me.

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Neumann LDC mics are really awesome though. Studio where I am interning has a U87 and a U47.

Man they sound great.

 

[egan.]

That is a pretty big step. Do you have any other LDC's? You might do well to buy a pair of something like 4050's, bock 195's, or tlm49's instead.
Actually for the price of the u87 you could buy a pair of 4050's and a pair of 195's and one sm7.
You certainly won't regret owning a u87, but you might wish for more options.

 

[Machinated]

for the price of the u87 you could buy a pair of 4050's and a pair of 195's and one sm7.

That puts things into perspective.....

 

[egan.]

That puts things into perspective.....

Yeah, really depends on what the street prices are where you are of course...I just used his price figures for the u87.

 

[Machinated]

Yeah. I have never heard of those Bock mics before....I take it you have used them before? what do you think of them? and also roughly how much do they go for?

 

[Metaltastic]

$1100 USD on sweetwater, compared to $600 for an AT4050

 

[colonel kurtz]

if you spring for a U87, get an old used one - fuck the ai version

and i'd also agree that there's a LOT of condensers that will give you more quality for less money...shit, even the telefunken M16/AK47's are 1/2 the price of a U87

 

[ahtuks]

thanks for response guys !
well i heard AT4050 ran in to firepod in other studio, BUT the sound was not really acceptable to me. wenn i sung in to neumann m147 that was like .. you know ..whoaaa. sounded really natural and clear what else to say. yeah , fuck, they so expensive.
so in this pricerange 500 eur more are ok.
still dont know which one, m147 or u87. main use will be vocal tracking of course i will try to pick some cab ambience with them too
so , i dont want to frak anybody
still ... had a chance to hear/compare those ?

 

[greyskull]

if you spring for a U87, get an old used one - fuck the ai version

and i'd also agree that there's a LOT of condensers that will give you more quality for less money...shit, even the telefunken M16/AK47's are 1/2 the price of a U87

the ai means it has an xlr connector.. nothing more

 

[Metaltastic]

the ai means it has an xlr connector

As opposed to...?

 

[greyskull]

Whatever the fuck they used to use, tuchel, din, amphenol... etc

 

[egan.]

I've use both. It depends on the source which is 'better.' The u87 is certainly more versatile b/c of the polar paterns and also more ubiquitous. For that amount of $ you should really be auditioning these side by side. I would definitely take a look at the tlm49 as well.
I'll also mention that IME the difference between the the 4050 and the m147 has not been "unacceptable" vs. "whoaaa." Certainly there are differences but if you were comparing 4050--->firepod vs. m147-->1073-->apogee (for example) you aren't really conducting a fair test. I only this bring this up b/c the difference you describe just seems too extreme. The 4050 is not a 'mojo' mic, but it certainly is useful IMHO.

 

[Metaltastic]

Whatever the fuck they used to use, tuchel, din, amphenol... etc

Haha, wow, I have no idea what any of those words mean - I'm such a pro audio n00b (in that I don't know dick about super-expensive or super-vintage gear)

 

[colonel kurtz]

the ai means it has an xlr connector.. nothing more

i'm almost positive that other changes were made with ai edition...i don't remember if it was the capsule or electronics, but nuemann themselves have explained what the changes were - which, BTW, were made after neumann was bought out by sennheiser

also, i'm almost positive that at least some of the older models used XLR's...my rec. arts teacher had a mid-80's U87 that he kept around along with the school's 4 ai editions, and i'm pretty sure they all used XLR's

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Yeah. I have never heard of those Bock mics before....I take it you have used them before? what do you think of them? and also roughly how much do they go for?

Bock used to be soundelux.

Great mics though.

 

[~BURNY~]

Tried the not so well regarded TLM 170 recently.
It's still 100x better than most low to mid priced LDC imho.
Just saying.

 

[ahtuks]

Certainly there are differences but if you were comparing 4050--->firepod vs. m147-->1073-->apogee (for example) you aren't really conducting a fair test. I only this bring this up b/c the difference you describe just seems too extreme. The 4050 is not a 'mojo' mic, but it certainly is useful IMHO.

I totally agree. And this brings me to the next dilema.
I need a good pre/comp for this mic. because when i plug this thing in to my mackie32/8 pre, it will sound like ass.
here i have slow down in pricerange.
i looked at this one : Drawmer TS-1 Tube-Station 1 Stereo Pre/Comp 555,- eur
this have to be better then mackie pre
opinions ?