R/E/P Community

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Pages: [1] 2  All   Go Down

Author Topic: Mystery 'U87'  (Read 1833 times)

RuudNL

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 122
  • Real Full Name: Ruud van Steenis
  • There is a solution for every problem!
Mystery 'U87'
« on: April 20, 2023, 09:33:45 AM »

Today I received a microphone for repair.
It was announced as a 'Vintage U87'. Neumann badge has a black color, this suggests a tube microphone.
But the inside looks different than any U87 I have seen before!
There is a small transformer inside the battery compartment and the PCB doesn't look like any U87 I have seen before.
The PCB looks 'Neumannesque'. Is this a kind of 'Frankenstein U87' or what could it be?
Logged

soapfoot

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 285
  • brad allen williams
Re: Mystery 'U87'
« Reply #1 on: April 20, 2023, 11:37:10 AM »

It looks quite a bit like a U77 inside.

Could this be a U77 to which someone has added a transformer (perhaps as part of a conversion from T power to P48?)

Our U77 has a black badge also. Does this mic not have a model number listed on the ring at the bottom, near the connector?
Logged

RuudNL

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 122
  • Real Full Name: Ruud van Steenis
  • There is a solution for every problem!
Re: Mystery 'U87'
« Reply #2 on: April 20, 2023, 12:07:08 PM »

Thank you!
On the bottom ring it says: 'Neumann Microphone Type U87 Made in Western Germany'.
But IMHO it isn't!
It looks indeed like a U77 with an extra transformer!
The owner will be surprised, because he thought he bought a 'vintage U87'!  :D
Logged

soapfoot

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 285
  • brad allen williams
Re: Mystery 'U87'
« Reply #3 on: April 20, 2023, 12:37:53 PM »

On a positive note, the U77 (if that indeed is what we're looking at) is a fantastic microphone
Logged

RuudNL

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 122
  • Real Full Name: Ruud van Steenis
  • There is a solution for every problem!
Re: Mystery 'U87'
« Reply #4 on: April 20, 2023, 12:54:14 PM »

But who wants 'Tonader Speisung' nowadays?
Logged

Kai

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 436
Re: Mystery 'U87'
« Reply #5 on: April 21, 2023, 11:26:49 AM »

The added transformer points to, someone might already have modded the mic to P48 / 48 V Phantom Power.
Logged

soapfoot

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 285
  • brad allen williams
Re: Mystery 'U87'
« Reply #6 on: April 21, 2023, 12:38:20 PM »

But who wants 'Tonader Speisung' nowadays?

Not ideal, but we just treat ours the same as we treat our U67s... we have an external T-Power supply, and we connect it whenever using the U77. Not as convenient as P48, but not the greatest burden either, all things considered!
Logged

RuudNL

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 122
  • Real Full Name: Ruud van Steenis
  • There is a solution for every problem!
Re: Mystery 'U87'
« Reply #7 on: April 21, 2023, 01:21:17 PM »

All well and good, but the owner feels cheated because he thought he bought a 'vintage' U87 and not a converted U77...
Logged

David Satz

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Online Online
  • Posts: 179
Re: Mystery 'U87'
« Reply #8 on: April 21, 2023, 02:00:04 PM »

> But who wants 'Tonader Speisung' nowadays?

In general almost no one, but if the microphone is really a U 77 and were restored to its original condition, I'm sure there would be a market for it. Plenty of battery power supplies for T12 are on the used equipment market for cheap, left behind by film and video sound people who switched over to phantom powering.
Logged

Kai

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 436
Re: Mystery 'U87'
« Reply #9 on: April 22, 2023, 09:44:01 AM »

Not to forget, it can be powered by an internal standard 9V battery, even a rechargeable one.
This might be attractive for some situations.
Logged

RuudNL

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 122
  • Real Full Name: Ruud van Steenis
  • There is a solution for every problem!
Re: Mystery 'U87'
« Reply #10 on: April 22, 2023, 09:59:52 AM »

No, not this one. Because they placed a transformer in the (partly removed) battery compartment!
Logged

Kai

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 436
Re: Mystery 'U87'
« Reply #11 on: April 22, 2023, 10:47:05 AM »

No, not this one. Because they placed a transformer in the (partly removed) battery compartment!
”...if the microphone is really a U 77 and were restored to its original condition...”.

I already suspected that it’s converted to P48.
Logged

radiovinhet

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 70
  • Real Full Name: Luis Fernando
Re: Mystery 'U87'
« Reply #12 on: May 03, 2023, 12:38:20 PM »

I don't own a U77 (yet), but how does it sound versus a U87A? I think that U77 are transformerless... or not?
Logged

David Satz

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Online Online
  • Posts: 179
Re: Mystery 'U87'
« Reply #13 on: May 04, 2023, 11:03:17 PM »

Right, the "fet 70" microphones (KM 73/74/75/76 and U 77) had transformerless, balanced output circuits.
Logged

soapfoot

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 285
  • brad allen williams
Re: Mystery 'U87'
« Reply #14 on: May 05, 2023, 01:07:02 PM »

I don't own a U77 (yet), but how does it sound versus a U87A? I think that U77 are transformerless... or not?

Subjectively, I'd say it compares favorably. I think you'd have to hear one to gauge whether you agree, and what you feel any distinctions may be. I'm not sure how useful sommelier terms would be from me.
Logged
Pages: [1] 2  All   Go Up
 



Site Hosted By Ashdown Technologies, Inc.

Page created in 0.087 seconds with 19 queries.