Neumann U87 vs Rode NT1-A
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- Опубліковано 27 чер 2016
- This is a pure blind test over the renowned Neumann U87 vs the Rode NT1-A.
Both microphones were plugged with equal cables to the pres of a Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56. All setting were the same and the performance was captured simultaneously.
Katie Hunt beautifully sang "My Way" on her own way over Rui Santos piano version of the song played in "B".
Please comment and we'll reveal which microphones A and B correspond to Neumann U87 and Rode NT1-A.
Original album available under band name BITE THE BLUE LEMON:
open.spotify.com/album/2lsNm3...
/ bite-the-blue-lemon
music.amazon.com/albums/B08R2...
Download the files here:
drive.google.com/drive/folder...
It's hard to tell because her singing is incredible. B sounds a bit warmer and shinier I suppose, but I don't know. She has great vocal control. She probably could sing into a biscuit and still sound amazing.
dante williams, Mic A is the Rode NT1a and Mic B is the Neumann U87ai.
Thank you.
dante williams Lol
😂😂😂
u sure?because the description says the opposite
I forgot I was listening to a comparison I was just enjoying her song so much
Hi Nicole, you can download the Wave files here:
drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B4P9zi8x07uxU1FHd2dvTUt3OUE?usp=sharing
SAME 😱
My Way -Frank Sinatra. Frank Sinatra is a GOAT.
I don’t like her vibrato
It's by Frank Sinatra originally if you're wondrin
B was definitely the better mic, but the two are closer in quality than I expected. Only problem is, that extra difference always counts
she really sang so beautifully that I got tears in my eyes. Awesome performance Katie Quinton!
Listen to the album just released with the same duo ua-cam.com/video/Hx0pnDiWaj4/v-deo.html
I too. Her pranounciation and redition is incredible.
the winner is the girl! :)
Les éditions libres, agreed ✌
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
Right? I feel like she could make a logitech mic sound good, haha
Really love her voice
@Boris Sladakovic i do believe the issue is not the microphone :-)
OMG, I am sound engineer and I have almost no emotional connection with music...after all these years of mixing. Katie, your performance when piano come in, your singing caused goose bumps on my body ! That was FANTASTIC !
Thanks for all the effort that you guys put in to doing this.
It's a pleasure. Thanks and happy new year 🎉
Thank you so much for this well executed comparison! :-) It really shows the law of diminishing returns and that singing, recording and post processing skills are more important than having a Neumann U87 or a Rode NT1-A. Wonderful :)
HJD, thanks for the feedback 😆
There is a difference, but not a $3,000 difference.
When you multiply vocals by stacking - the difference becomes drastically more apparent.
if you mix records you will know how shitty the nt1 is... you'll have to de-ess a ton because of the overly bright and cheap sound you get. plus yeah, the stacking now the shittyness times 50 tracks
What a croc .
AJ Afterparty I actually just mixed a song with a lot of vocal tracks all recorded with my NT1A. Do some careful EQ, throw on a tape machine emulation, de-ess a little on the lead and a lot on the background vocals, sounds perfect to me. Thanks to being a member of Nail The Mix I can hear what vocal tracks recorded through multi thousand dollar mics sound like, and mine sound the exact same, even though I didn't spend $3,000. Being a student and working retail part time and mixing part time, that's a waste of money right now. Not in the future however.
+Peyton Bryan Helm I can hear cheap mics a mile away... They sound thin and unpleasant. A mic well built with attention to detail sounds creamy and lush. And that's just the mic, throw in an A class preamp, a tube compressor and clock it with an outboard clock such as the black lion micro clock and add AD conversion... You'll wet your pants. Check out a company called microphone-parts.com, they build a very close u87 replica among others. For a couple hundred bucks. ;)
I've been using a Rode NT1-A since I recorded my first song in High School for a rap group I was in and it was the only mic I used for a long time until I graduated and bought my own as the Rode belonged to my high school teacher who built a basic studio in his class where we recorded. I bought the mic from him because to me it was the greatest mic I ever used and because of the sentimental value of that specific one being the first I ever recorded on. I had recorded on various mics leading up to the point I bought it. Like a Beyerdynamic MC840, ART M-One, Samson C01 and various other mics but to my ear and for my vocal they never sounded quite as good as the NT1-A so I had to have it especially since I had gone away from being a recording artist and started engineering, I needed a mic that I knew very well.
I find it weird that many people can't hear the difference between this and the Neumann. I hear it instantly. The Rode has quite an exaggerated top end boost (one of the reasons I love it) while the Neumann is a lot flatter and smoother. And both worked really well for this performance, well for my taste anyway. Might just be that I love the sound of the Rode and always will. The low to mid range of both mics sound almost identical as well. The standard NT1 might be a lot closer to the Neumann because it doesn't have that top end boost.
Great video!
Check our the new release from the same duo ua-cam.com/video/Hx0pnDiWaj4/v-deo.html
Was looking for mic reviews, but commenting on your lovely voice! My God!!! Absolutely stunning!
Check our the new release from the same duo ua-cam.com/video/Hx0pnDiWaj4/v-deo.html
A friend of mine is a recording engineer. He said Neumann's U47 and U87 will most likely always be the "Rolls Royce" of condenser studio microphones. There are other condenser mics that are cheaper, and they sound fantastic. He said that some engineers and vocalists just love the "rich,fat sound" that the Neumann captures. Frank Sinatra used to insist on the Neumann U47 to record all his vocals. But today you can choose from a very wide spectrum of affordable condenser mics.
No doubt naumann U47, U87AI are best condenser MICROPHONEs on the earth. But affordable RODE NTIA, NTI, ASTON SPIRIT, SENHEISER MK 4, 8, BLUE BABY BOTTLE SL, MXL 770 are Naumanns of poor people.
What is the best microphone in your opinion?
@@LimePieMusic U47 &U87
Finally! A test that goes the distance. Thanks for doing such a great job. I am laughing so hard. When the Freq analyzers came up, I was loving it!
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I came here to listen the comparison between the NT1-A which I own, against the legendary U87. But what I found was an incredible singer, I'm amazed by the control that Katie has, what a wonderful singer.
Check our the new release from the same duo ua-cam.com/video/Hx0pnDiWaj4/v-deo.html
And, what’s your conclusion about the mics? (I own nt1a as well)
thank you for posting the instrumental. awesome voice and work..!
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Perfect! I like who you show the processing in the split screen!
Incredible performance. I don't even care about the mics anymore, haha.
You should hear her song called fly ➡www.beatport.com/artist/katie-quinton/630481
Fuck the mics😂😂😂
Well, that's how it goes. Good performer sounds good basically through everything! BUT add a perfect mic for her/his voice. BOOM! There you have something REALLY special :)
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Hi there! During the session I concluded that the A-mic was Rode NT1 and the B-mic was the Neuman U87. The Rode had less distortion in the louder parts which is amazing. Apart from that the differences are not very big. Thanks a lot for making this test. Best wishes...and very well sung Kaitie! / D
Wow, that voice!! Katie Quinton, Great singer!
Thanks for this beautiful sound, and superb comparison!
Frenchy Bunny, many thanks for the warm feedback
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Excellent work.
thank you ! It confirms what I thought before: except a bit more crisp for the NT1, they sound pretty similar!
Didn't realise that was such an awesome song!!!!! What a great video, thanks for your great work!
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Wow, what a performance. Big round of applause and lets have more!
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Just got a Rode NT 1A. I wasnt really big on it, only used it once so far, but I'm glad i have it in my collection now after hearing this shootout... Thanks!! Beautiful voice!!!!!
tenisha ann, hope for nice recordings. If you need any tips please do not hesitate in asking.
now need to $2500 speaker ??? cause i feel no difference.
I hear the Neumann U87 is much clearer than the Rode, but we don't have to spend $2500 more if we don't make money out of it :)
I heard you can just get some really good open back headphones for $300 that sound really close to studio monitors.
@@egegulkaya2525 Sorry I’m 3 weeks late, they belong to beyerdynamic but I forgot which one was open back, they’re really popular in the music industry, Even you tubers use them.
I suppose u need a studio quality speakers to notice the difference, anyway u need it in professional matter for professional mastering, otherwise it's hudge overkill.
@@egegulkaya2525 dt 990
A = NT1A , B = U87
Beatchild & The Slakadeliqs, you got it right 😉
Thus what I guessed through laptop speakers.
yes, but i listened on iMac speakers, and the difference on this recording is quite small. I have both mics, and on mid sized Quested and small EMES coaxial studio Monitors you can hear it clearly... I would not say the Neumann is always "better", but my experience is that you can take it down in the mix without losing transparency and presence, while the Rode loses richness and gets thin. And, i think the Rode is quite good on female voices, while the Neumann is better on male voices.
I think this song with this amazing female singer, Mic A is more suitable for her :)
Mic B sounds like that sometimes her vocal voice will be slightly eaten by background music.
well no shit you can tell the neumann from the rode by the way they look...
Beautiful singing, thank you!
Check our the new release from the same duo ua-cam.com/video/Hx0pnDiWaj4/v-deo.html
Great work guys..
Thanks... check this one then from the same artists ua-cam.com/video/PC2yPdd7MWM/v-deo.html
Great job on the vocals. Mic B was definitely fuller, richer, smoother, more pleasing to listen to.
Michael Ashe just a hundred or two difference
We cannot compare mics when they are in different position to the source. Phase makes all the differences. All the mic tests are absolutely useless and have no sence. Change the position and you will love the mic.
@@CyrilleBoucanogh They are at the same distance from the source = the same phase. Of course the slightly different positions create very subtle changes in the sound, but the differences between mic models are clearly a lot more pronounced in this case.
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@@CyrilleBoucanogh With a singular source, phase makes zero difference. The mics are at the same distance and angle from the singer. Can we just accept that Rodes manufacturing is so nailed that they don't have to charge much for practically the same quality.
I honest to God preferred the first one.
I just knew it'd be the Neumann, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Fantastic, fantastic and fantastic!
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This is the only mic comparison I've ever listened to where, in the end, it not only didn't matter which mic won, but I ONLY wanted to know more about the incredible performer facilitating the test! If I ever have the money, I want that voice on one of my songs!
Did not expect to get chills from watching a microphone test
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The vocals are just incredible. Such beautiful voice will sound perfect on almost any mic. So delightful to listen
Listen to the album just released with the same duo ua-cam.com/video/Hx0pnDiWaj4/v-deo.html
Very good review and comparison, extremely helpful. Finally somebody thought to compare them dry, processed and in context within the mix. Very useful thank you! B is the Neumann (will be staggered if its not!) pretty significant difference especially when processed and in context.
Matthew Pennington, many thanks for your very kind worlds. You're right. Mic A is the Rode NT1a and Mic B is the Neumann U87ai.
@@BoxerstudiosPortugal yes the Rode got beaten very easily in this comparison
Interesting rewiev! Started out listening carefully, and im suprised by the little differense between the two actually! But when she got to the chorus in the master, my eyes started to cry. And i forgot about the mic's. Lol. Watched this over and over again because of her. Sometimes you just need to hear a good performance! Great singer!
After listening carefully to both mics on a nice pair of headphones I've come to the conclusion that the singer would sound amazing even if she was singing into a potato. It's difficult to evaluate a mic when you are fighting through chills and goosebumps.
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Hahahaha
u r funny and 100% precise too
Conclusion: stop to buy new microphones and start to learn how to sing :)
😄
😭
😂😂😂 Faact
Lol you right! better save the time and money for later
Priceless advice👍🇩🇪
i was looking for a compare video like this. i really like the way you transitioned everything thanks 🙄
leticia gant, thanks. glad you enjoyed it 😉
Wow so nice!
The Neumann has slightly more papery top end, but for a casual listener these two sound exactly the same. Pretty incredible.
Exactly my thoughts, they sound the same! I didn’t hear any differences on my samsung earbuds.
heard the difference right away , the Neumann sounded much better right off the bat not knowing which was which
@@mekdzilan see what u did there lol
I now listened to this again. I can't believe I thought these sounded the same. The Neumann sounds more full, more airy, with tamed resonanses. Way better. I don't know what I was thinking the first time. Maybe my ears had a bad day. @@kenturnbull5450
I couldn't really hear a difference by watching this UA-cam video so I downloaded the raw WAVs and A/B'd in my DAW (I selected a few parts that I RMS volume matched). The highs of the Rode sound a bit more harsh than the Neumann. As a consequence the Rode has slightly more artificial presence and the Neumann is more natural sounding. I would say I slightly prefer the Neumann sound. But honestly, this is only noticeable when taking the time and effort to properly A/B this. As soon as the voice is mixed in the song and mastered, both sound exactly the same. So if you're looking for a mike and you're not a full-time pro the Rode NT1-A is a no-brainer really. Even a pro can do with the Rode if he wanted to.
Not true lol
I found this video 4 years ago to listen to rode, finally since then I listened to this song over 500 times, for me Katie is the best in the world and she has to give us other songs, thanks Katie !!!! !!
Thanks so much... Good Job
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Was lookin for the mics, now just just caring for the voice. She is so amazing...
Listen to the album just released with the same duo ua-cam.com/video/Hx0pnDiWaj4/v-deo.html
i've cried, amazing voice.
Listen to the album just released with the same duo ua-cam.com/video/Hx0pnDiWaj4/v-deo.html
wow! amazing performance!! Bravo!
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Holy SHIT!!! Wow! You thoroughly kicked my ass, Katie Quinton! That kind of talent just can't be denied. Bravo!
Listen to the album just released with the same duo ua-cam.com/video/Hx0pnDiWaj4/v-deo.html
B is just pure velvet ... Smooth, timeless
Just U87 just 2-3% velvet.
Your voice is beautiful!
thank you :)
you're awesome, rock on
thanks! :)
I love you @katiequintonsings )))
KQsings -what mic did you like best for you past albums? i checked out some songs on beat port....
Absolutely beautiful voice. Just stunning Katie 💖💖 can’t see much difference in the mics but who cares your voice would sound amazing on any mic !
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What a voice... so sharp so brilliant. Je vous aime madame.
I'm bidding - A = Rode, B= Neumann. There's kind of shouty stuff coming off A in the top and the lo mid is kind of distant and unfocussed. B just gives the kind of clean, homogeneous slab of sound that's much easier to work with. If I'm wrong I'm going straight out to buy a couple of Rodes. Actually even if the Rode's A I'm going to get a couple anyway - great useful sound and incredible price for the sound.
the u87 gave me goosebumps totally worth the cost. i hope to find a used one
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Amazing. Great Voice. Perfect recording man.
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Awesome singing!
There are both great microphones. The reason is they have a great setup.
1. A well treated room ideal for singing
2. A good interface and a pop filter.
3. A fantastic singer
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Truuee.
Amazing Voice!!!!!
LAI's Records 賴暐哲 -check out her song called fly
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congratulations, great voice and feeling!!
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FELICITACIONES ES UNA GRAN COMPARACION!!!!
A - Rode: tuned make up sound. B - Neuman: rich and full. Your Voice: Great emojis. The Plug Ins: Painfull.
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when you get goosebumps listening to a mic test. 👏👏👏
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tears... wonderful singing...
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stunning review with an excellent singer!
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it's like.. A is an mp3
B is a wave
I know I'm about 4 years too late to comment on this but Katie Quinton's breath-taking voice could make a $5 mic sound like a million bucks! Her vocal blows Frank's version away. If the song was sung by her originally, I'd have paid it more attention to it years ago.
At the beginning I could tell the difference after the EQ was added, it was more difficult, You can do a great job with the Rode N t- 1A , Excellent video , thanks
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Bloody hell, I didnt expect such an astounding vocal performance, wow.
Thanks... check this one from the same duo ua-cam.com/video/Hx0pnDiWaj4/v-deo.html
I'm here for the Rode NT1-A but her voice omg 😍🙌🏽
Listen to the album just released with the same duo ua-cam.com/video/Hx0pnDiWaj4/v-deo.html
The U87 has a more detailed sound in the upper mids and highs, more air. Both sound very good. The NT1-A holds its own surprisingly well against the U87. "Punches above its weight" would be an appropriate description of the NT1-A.
Wow! EXCELLENT mic control - an engineer's dream vocalist!
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Wow what a beautiful voice this really makes me change my mind about what mic i want i didn't think NO MIC could ever compete wit the u87 let alone at that price
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good
lol
A = Røde: I immediately recognized the "magic touch" it lends to the sound (I love it, and the new NT1 doesn't have it).
B = Neumann: Not a bad microphone either. (As long as you don't count value versus price).
Great performance by the way :))
I just wanted to say that I wish for all gear comparisons to be as beautiful as this.
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The nt1 is a lot brighter generally, but just eq it. Now you don't need to spend 3k
get the nt1 without an A, the nt1 isnt as bright
@@marcusstrymon693 correct NTI isn't brighter as NT1a. NT1a has 137 dB and NTI has lesser dB.
I'm listening on some $10 headphones i picked up at a local store, and i can definitely tell Mic B. is the Neumann. It's a little darker and very smooth.
Brennon Causey Whatever one is the Neumann, point I think they are trying to make is that all of those overpriced mics by companies like Neumann are overrated. I've BEEN saying this for years though...
No one is the Neumann.
lol
Be sounded a little more breathy and crispy but they were both really close. Curious as to which one is which.
Wow! amazing voice
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Beautiful voice !
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Amazing voice!!!
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i'm shivering. what an amazing voice :(
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WONDERFUL VOICE!!!! I think she has a fantastic voice even on the phone!!
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This is Incredible
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I wish I preferred A, but I didn't ... one thing is for sure, while you get what you pay for, above a certain point there are definite diminishing returns on the investment. I'd still buy the U87. :-)
Just bought an NT1a on the basis of this, until I can afford the U87 ;-)
I agree that the U87 sounds more beautiful and has a more rich sound. But... the real question is: is it worth 10x the price compared to the NT1-A? My answer: no. Simple because it is not 10x better than the NT1-A.
The things the NT1-A lacks can easily be fixed in post, to my humble opinion. All you need is a good DAW and pair of ears ;-) I am not considering buying a mic whatsoever at this moment, but i would definitely go for the NT1-A if i had to choose between these two mics.
NT1a doesn't lag behind as to the sound engineers think.
Beautiful voice. Great comparison. U87 has that crisp smoothed out silk compression.
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Beautiful voice
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Oh wow! What a voice!!!!
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The Neumann sounds really great and i now understand why its the king among vocal mics.. The extra highend in the Rode is a bit too much and annoying for the ear.. but it might be a good thing when using it for recording other things then vocals. And they both have great self noise specs. So i think i will get myself a matched pair of Rodes for recording all kinds of fun stuff :)
awesome
Simply breathtaking voice!!!!..
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Of course U87 is B. The Rode has that cheaper harshness to it. Although I have a couple of NT1000's which are pretty decent for the price and don't regret buying them. But I don't use them on vocals and upfront elements of a mix.
The funny thing is I don't use U87's because they are also harsh, or maybe too present for my ears. But in a more expensive way of course than the Rodes. Good comparison.
The legend is true, the difference appears after processing.
With this amazing singer, all microphones sound like angels....
It was a point I didnt care which one was which. Beautiful singing my God 🌹
holy shit, this girl... Love her voice, I'm obsessed
Listen to the album just released with the same duo ua-cam.com/video/Hx0pnDiWaj4/v-deo.html
As always, the more expensive mic sounds more rounded and uniform along the whole spectre, especially the lower end and mid-lows. But I was surprised by how well NT1-A performed, at first I thought that Mic-A was the u87 and mic B was a bit more dark and dull, and only when I heard it in the mix I was certain that the Mic-B was much more rounded and found its place in the mix better and with no occasional frequency peaks! Wow.
I too thought that mic A is U87. But the things were reverse.
Such an incredible vocalist.
amazing voice ! wow
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