Argh! What do I do?!

[reddred]

"J. Roberts" > wrote in message
om...
> I already have a couple of small diaphragm condensors and a bunch of
> good dynamic mics, and now I'm looking for a good all-purpose
> large-diaphragm condensor. I've found a deal locally on a U87Ai that
> was bought and never used. So, it's second hand, but basically new.
> I can get it for $1,450, which seems like a great deal. But then I
> think to myself that I could get a Shure KSM-44 for less than half
> that price, or an Audio Technica 4050 for less than a third of that
> price. Is the U87 worth it or would I just be paying money for the
> Neumann name? Argh! Somebody please help talk me through this!

I think it depends on whether it will pay for itself or not, as an
investment.

Let me illustrate: a friend of mine, a very hard working general contractor,
does a lot of 'yard work' for some rather large 'estates'. He just spent
seven thousand bucks on a lawnmower that can cut through rocks. It's a
really useful thing to have. He says it pays for itself in three weeks and
may last thirty years.

If I went out and bought one, it would just be a 7000 dollar toy for my
yard. Which makes no sense.

jb

[J. Roberts]

I already have a couple of small diaphragm condensors and a bunch of
good dynamic mics, and now I'm looking for a good all-purpose
large-diaphragm condensor. I've found a deal locally on a U87Ai that
was bought and never used. So, it's second hand, but basically new.
I can get it for $1,450, which seems like a great deal. But then I
think to myself that I could get a Shure KSM-44 for less than half
that price, or an Audio Technica 4050 for less than a third of that
price. Is the U87 worth it or would I just be paying money for the
Neumann name? Argh! Somebody please help talk me through this!

[Scott Dorsey]

In article >,
J. Roberts > wrote:
>I already have a couple of small diaphragm condensors and a bunch of
>good dynamic mics, and now I'm looking for a good all-purpose
>large-diaphragm condensor. I've found a deal locally on a U87Ai that
>was bought and never used. So, it's second hand, but basically new.
>I can get it for $1,450, which seems like a great deal. But then I
>think to myself that I could get a Shure KSM-44 for less than half
>that price, or an Audio Technica 4050 for less than a third of that
>price. Is the U87 worth it or would I just be paying money for the
>Neumann name? Argh! Somebody please help talk me through this!

Get it and listen to it. If you like the way it sounds, buy it. If
you don't like the way it sounds, don't buy it. If you change your
mind a few years later, you can sell it on Ebay at a profit. Good equipment
keeps value, poor equipment loses it. I don't much like the U87 but it's
still a good investment, and lots of people do like it.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Ron Charles]

I agree with Scott, if it sounds good grab the 87, you will never regret
it!!!!!!!.
RON CHARLES

"J. Roberts" > wrote in message
om...
> I already have a couple of small diaphragm condensors and a bunch of
> good dynamic mics, and now I'm looking for a good all-purpose
> large-diaphragm condensor. I've found a deal locally on a U87Ai that
> was bought and never used. So, it's second hand, but basically new.
> I can get it for $1,450, which seems like a great deal. But then I
> think to myself that I could get a Shure KSM-44 for less than half
> that price, or an Audio Technica 4050 for less than a third of that
> price. Is the U87 worth it or would I just be paying money for the
> Neumann name? Argh! Somebody please help talk me through this!

[philicorda]

"J. Roberts" > wrote in message
om...
> I already have a couple of small diaphragm condensors and a bunch of
> good dynamic mics, and now I'm looking for a good all-purpose
> large-diaphragm condensor. I've found a deal locally on a U87Ai that
> was bought and never used. So, it's second hand, but basically new.
> I can get it for $1,450, which seems like a great deal. But then I
> think to myself that I could get a Shure KSM-44 for less than half
> that price, or an Audio Technica 4050 for less than a third of that
> price. Is the U87 worth it or would I just be paying money for the
> Neumann name? Argh! Somebody please help talk me through this!

Just one small point.... A/B the U87 against most cheaper modern condensers,
and it won't sound very impressive, and you'll probably prefer an NTK or
something. About a year later though, the brightness and lack of low mid
solidness (for want of a better description) of many cheaper mics starts to
grate, and the U87 starts to sound better and better. That's how it worked
for me anyway. Glad I bought mine, but it took me a while to appreciate it.

The AT 4050 is a nice mic though... and you could get a stereo pair for less
than $1450...

[Justin Ulysses Morse]

J. Roberts > wrote:

> I already have a couple of small diaphragm condensors and a bunch of
> good dynamic mics, and now I'm looking for a good all-purpose
> large-diaphragm condensor. I've found a deal locally on a U87Ai that
> was bought and never used. So, it's second hand, but basically new.
> I can get it for $1,450, which seems like a great deal. But then I
> think to myself that I could get a Shure KSM-44 for less than half
> that price, or an Audio Technica 4050 for less than a third of that
> price. Is the U87 worth it or would I just be paying money for the
> Neumann name? Argh! Somebody please help talk me through this!

In the long run, the U87 will be more useful and more satisfying. So
you have to ask yourself: Are you in it for the long run? If not,
then buy the cheaper mic. If so, then buy the U87 now because if you
go the cheap route, trust me you WILL end up shopping again later.

Somebody suggested that you should only spend the big money if you'll
recoup your investment. I don't think you have to be making money with
the microphone to justify owning it, but you do have to use it.

Honestly, my suggestion is this: Buy the U87. Also buy a $69 Shanghai
mike. Use them both for a while, until you get an idea of what the
difference is. That will give you a pretty good idea of the range of
quality out there (not that these represent the extremes, but they're
representative specimens). Maybe you'll find the $69 mike meets all
your needs and you can sell the U87. Maybe you'll find they're both
flavors you can use in various recipes. Maybe you'll get interested in
online gaming and never record anything. Who knows.

ulysses

[WillStG]

<< (J. Roberts) >>
<< I already have a couple of small diaphragm condensors and a bunch of good
dynamic mics, and now I'm looking for a good all-purpose large-diaphragm
condensor. I've found a deal locally on a U87Ai that was bought and never
used. So, it's second hand, but basically new. I can get it for $1,450, which
seems like a great deal >>

SNIP

<< Is the U87 worth it or would I just be paying money for the
Neumann name? Argh! Somebody please help talk me through this! >>

If you have one good quality mic and 10 cheap ones, which one will get
used the most? If you have the money, I'd say get the Neumann. IMO you
should have at least one really good mic for the "heavy lifting" in your
project studio, and later as you can budget for it add complementary mics to
fill in for the small percentage of cases where you have good reason to want to
use something else.

Yeah the 4050 is a pretty good inexpensive mic (look for them around
$500), and a pair is a decent choise for stereo micing of instruments1. But if
on a day to day basis the choice were between the U87 and a 4050 for cutting a
vocal track, you would probably end up using the U87 all the time.


Will Miho
NY Music & TV Audio Guy
Fox And Friends/Fox News
"The large print giveth and the small print taketh away..." Tom Waits

[Scott Dorsey]

Justin Ulysses Morse > wrote:
>In the long run, the U87 will be more useful and more satisfying. So
>you have to ask yourself: Are you in it for the long run? If not,
>then buy the cheaper mic. If so, then buy the U87 now because if you
>go the cheap route, trust me you WILL end up shopping again later.
>
>Somebody suggested that you should only spend the big money if you'll
>recoup your investment. I don't think you have to be making money with
>the microphone to justify owning it, but you do have to use it.

You should only spend ANY money if you'll recoup your investment. There
is gear out there that will appreciate in value, so even if you don't get
any use out of it, you'll still make money when you sell it. There is also
gear out there that will depreciate considerably the minute you leave the
store with it, but which will bring you business and you'll make money with
it. Then there's equipment that won't do either. That's the kind to avoid.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Buster Mudd]

(Ty Ford) wrote in message >...

>
> It's a no brainer.
>


For someone who has spent limited time with either mic, perhaps. For
anyone who has spent no time at all with them (i.e., the original
poster) it obviously isn't a no-brainer. For someone who has spent
extensive time with all three mics, it's also not a no-brainer,
because any one of those mics will kick the **** out of the other two
in some situations, and likewise have their own **** kicked out in
some other situations. The U-87ai, AT-4050, & KSM-44 are all versatile
& useful mics, but each can be described equally well by reductionists
as having both desireably and undesireably traits. At that level of
quality there are no universal truths.