thanks so much for the kind words! we worked really hard on this one, and spent many years on it! About 5 years, off and on. There were 6 prototypes... the first was just a straightforward 1:1 repro of the classic circuit with an NOS transistor and a custom Cinemag. It was fine, but had no bells and whistles. Our global distributor asked us to add the sound option of the 'AI' since that was what most people today are experienced with, and we made new prototypes that added this feature. They suggested just a simple EQ circuit. We were able to just alter one stage of feedback that gave the mic a slightly hotter and more crisp sound, and made 2 prototypes of this... which worked great and that would have been OK; but it felt too 'gimmicky' to me. I asked for more time to get it right, and that turned into an additional 2+ years to fully dissect and tease out the differences between the 2 classic mics, and figure out how to represent all that. It required starting almost over from scratch, and a whole additional board, custom made switches, and more. It's surreal to finally be at the end of that 5 year journey... we've been working on this since almost the beginning, before the FET was released. We really 'geeked out' over this process, and I hope people get to really 'geek out' with using these options.
Chad!! Yo man! Ok, so here's the thing I really like and deeply respect about you. You are a guy committed to doing a great job and always going above and beyond. I could tell from the first time we ever communicated was years ago when I sent a tech support email to that other company on a Saturday, expecting a response the following week. You emailed me back 10 minutes later and traded emails with me for an hour to help me troubleshoot an issue. Again, on a Saturday. You really impressed me. And that exact feeling has been my overall impression of you through our other communications and through watching from afar with awe as you grow your brand and your company. I 100 percent believe in this product sight unseen because I believe in you and the quality of your work and the incredible ethic you bring to it. You are one of my mic heroes, man. And it is really an absolute mic geek-gasm to hear a bit about the design process you described above. I think you're going to have trouble keeping these in stock.
This is amazing! Glad that you commented. I've been following the 47 but never pulled the trigger. Was waiting on the "new news" from you guys today and I woke up to the email! Lol. Spotted a couple of videos real quick and I went rt to your manual to read up more in depth. Been holding out on some sort of used u87, TLM103 (which I don't love), TLM 49, or even Mojave 201FET. This came in the nic of time. I have high hopes for it. Wishing you guys and MYSELF :-) the best of luck with it!!! Looks like you guys put A LOT into it! Mine has already shipped. Keep you posted! Thanks.
@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff I suspect all the clone manufacturers will now be looking at ways to copy this, even if it doesn't deliver on its promise. Why do you think this didn't happen long ago?
@@RobKristjansson That's a great question. It just doesn't seem like too many mic companies try to innovate, and instead just copy what's already been done because it's easy, but I can't wrap my head around why nobody has done this before.
Alright..... I received my mic yesterday. I had about an hour and a half to play with it and do some spoken-word mic comparisons. I'm not lying when I say this, but the mic is absolutely amazing! It had me smiling all day. The build quality is excellent. The sound is INSANE! Do I have a Neumann u87 to compare it to?... No I do not. However, I do have a decent mic collection to compare it to. None of my other mics compared to it (in favor of). The UT Twin87 totally offers a vibe and tone that none of my other mics have. And from what I can tell, it definitely brings that 87 tone. I compared it to my Austrian Audio OC818, my original early 2000's USA made Blue Mouse, and my Peluso P414 (clone of AKG C414 EB model). These are all mics costing between $1000 to $1300. I EASILY preferred the sound of the UT over all of these specific mics. Boy does it stand above all of these mics (especially in bringing out that mid tone and slight "growl" from back in the throat). It's an insane mic for the price. It easily could cost double the price. The versatility of using it in either Vintage or Modern mode, and even engaging the RF filter on either one of those modes.... It's crazy. And I can totally hear the slight difference and "sweetening" when engaging that RF filter. This mic is more like having 3 flavors, rather than 2. Putting the mic into Vintage mode and engaging the RF filter brings the mic somewhere in between Vintage and Modern mode (it's the Vintage vibe with just a hair more articulation). It's for sure a Go-To mic. And to be honest... The Austrian Audio OC818 can almost go in the garbage compared to this thing! I know I know... They're not the same mic. Bottom line is, if you need a mic.... GET THIS!!!!!! I can't imagine anyone being dissatisfied. DISCLAIMER.... It will pick up all of your room and background noises, if your room is untreated. Then again, so does the u87. Just an FYI....
@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff I LOVE IT!!!! Insane for the price. I've been eyeing a real Neumann u87 (new and used) for the last couple of years. I've almost pulled the trigger on a TLM 103 (becuase I really couldn't justify spending over 3 G's on a u87). I even recently ALMOST just went for a TLM49 (being that it's right in the middle). Whether this thing sounds exactly like u87 or not, I don't know. NOR DO I CARE ANYMORE! It almost doesn't matter. It sounds great and offers what I've been looking for in those Neumann mics (and what none of my other mics offer in tone ). Personally, I can't imagine spending $3000+ on a u87 when you can get about 4 of these instead. I mean, it's REAL GOOD for the money. It can go for $2000 and still be justified. So many options to tweak it how you need it (for whoever). Nevermind the fact that it can be used as a weapon if needed! It's a monster!
Had I not already spent over $1k on my Gefell (which I'm loving btw), this would absolutely be on my radar of mics to pick up in the near future. It's really great to see cool mics like this with forward looking cool features and at pretty insane prices.
excellent tests with expensive microphones...there in the usa you have the option to try the Shure ksm 42.get one please...there are many reviews of sound engineers and voice over from your country that put it above the u87 ai and the tlm 103... it would be very good to hear it with the tone of you that you have
It sure will. I just heard from Chad Kelly that this is something he's been wanting to do for years, so you just know a ton of thought and design has gone into it.
here is what I think... the U87, whether modern or vintage, has an unmistakable sound, only to be rivaled by products from Neumann themselves. The fact that all these clones have come out, was to take a bite out of Neumanns market. I´ve always thought, that owning a U87 was the holy grail but over the years I have found out that my sound....my style if you want, is not so much defined by the mic I want to be able to afford, but by how each mic I tested an owned over the years, have helped me shape the sound of my voice... and then finding a mic that suits it the best. I own a BCM 104, an AT4040, an AKG C414 to name but a few, and I have also used and rented several U87´s when clients called for it, but never wanted to get close to the U87 sound per se, but rather use different styles of mics for the different styles my voice needs to be for any given client. The UT twin 87 may be a good mic, but really, when I need a U87... I just rent one,. because I don´t see it a must have or something to aspire to and neither do I need something that sounds like a U87, just for that purpose. Tweaking my soud in Post now.....that´s a whole different box of froggies. What do you think Mark? Best wishes , Freddy
Hi Freddy. Yeah man, I truly believe you use the right brush for the right brush stroke and no single mic should define your style. Now, that being said, the onus on today's voice actor is not so much about fulfilling the client's expectations as it is more about first positioning oneself to be able to compete and land the gig. Whether or not that final recording happens in your space or someone else's studio, or with your mic or a rented mic fit for the client's expectations, I truly feel that if your audition doesn't have the right sonic characteristics, or at least close enough, the producer who is listening to dozens of auditions will stop listening to your recording within a couple of seconds. Experienced clients, especially those who produce lots of projects, recognize the sound characteristics of an 87 or a 416 because that, more often than not, is the sound they're looking for. So, my opinion is that having a u87 style mic, at least one to audition on, is crucial to survive in today's VO world. And now these days, the divide between the originals and the clones is shrinking.
@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff agreed...audition jobs are somewhat different. I don´t work like that anymore. I kind of have an agent, cause I don´t audition. My friend knows the business and gets me the kind of work that suits my me. So... I did not see the U87 "clone" thing from that perspective. So yeah...you have a point. Early in my "career" I would have thought so myself, but now, that I just do certain jobs for clients I can work with, I just don´t think along these lines. I do mostly audiobooks and documentary films now. The money ain´t great but I´d rather live a little than work too much ;) Thanx Mark... you do an excellent job. Keep creating.
Yeah, I now have both (OC818 and now this UT Twin87). Just compared them. The Austrian Audio mic sounds like you're listening to a speaker with a blown tweeter compared to this! On the UT Twin87, the upper mid detail, articulation and controlled (but robust) lowend is on another level compared to the OC18 or OC818 (they're the same mics in cardioid pattern). Just keeping it real... :-/
thanks so much for the kind words! we worked really hard on this one, and spent many years on it! About 5 years, off and on. There were 6 prototypes... the first was just a straightforward 1:1 repro of the classic circuit with an NOS transistor and a custom Cinemag. It was fine, but had no bells and whistles. Our global distributor asked us to add the sound option of the 'AI' since that was what most people today are experienced with, and we made new prototypes that added this feature. They suggested just a simple EQ circuit. We were able to just alter one stage of feedback that gave the mic a slightly hotter and more crisp sound, and made 2 prototypes of this... which worked great and that would have been OK; but it felt too 'gimmicky' to me. I asked for more time to get it right, and that turned into an additional 2+ years to fully dissect and tease out the differences between the 2 classic mics, and figure out how to represent all that. It required starting almost over from scratch, and a whole additional board, custom made switches, and more. It's surreal to finally be at the end of that 5 year journey... we've been working on this since almost the beginning, before the FET was released. We really 'geeked out' over this process, and I hope people get to really 'geek out' with using these options.
Chad!! Yo man! Ok, so here's the thing I really like and deeply respect about you. You are a guy committed to doing a great job and always going above and beyond. I could tell from the first time we ever communicated was years ago when I sent a tech support email to that other company on a Saturday, expecting a response the following week. You emailed me back 10 minutes later and traded emails with me for an hour to help me troubleshoot an issue. Again, on a Saturday. You really impressed me. And that exact feeling has been my overall impression of you through our other communications and through watching from afar with awe as you grow your brand and your company. I 100 percent believe in this product sight unseen because I believe in you and the quality of your work and the incredible ethic you bring to it. You are one of my mic heroes, man. And it is really an absolute mic geek-gasm to hear a bit about the design process you described above. I think you're going to have trouble keeping these in stock.
@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff thank you so much!
This is amazing! Glad that you commented. I've been following the 47 but never pulled the trigger. Was waiting on the "new news" from you guys today and I woke up to the email! Lol. Spotted a couple of videos real quick and I went rt to your manual to read up more in depth. Been holding out on some sort of used u87, TLM103 (which I don't love), TLM 49, or even Mojave 201FET. This came in the nic of time. I have high hopes for it. Wishing you guys and MYSELF :-) the best of luck with it!!! Looks like you guys put A LOT into it! Mine has already shipped. Keep you posted! Thanks.
Bro, put this on Amazon!!!
"Chad Kelly, you're a genius"
Very intriguing! People on the Voice Acting Club discord were just discussing it. I'm anxious to hear samples when it's available.
Yeah, I have a feeling this mic will end up on a lot of VO wish lists this year. Warm Audio should be shitting their britches.
@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff I suspect all the clone manufacturers will now be looking at ways to copy this, even if it doesn't deliver on its promise.
Why do you think this didn't happen long ago?
@@RobKristjansson That's a great question. It just doesn't seem like too many mic companies try to innovate, and instead just copy what's already been done because it's easy, but I can't wrap my head around why nobody has done this before.
Alright..... I received my mic yesterday. I had about an hour and a half to play with it and do some spoken-word mic comparisons. I'm not lying when I say this, but the mic is absolutely amazing! It had me smiling all day. The build quality is excellent. The sound is INSANE! Do I have a Neumann u87 to compare it to?... No I do not. However, I do have a decent mic collection to compare it to. None of my other mics compared to it (in favor of). The UT Twin87 totally offers a vibe and tone that none of my other mics have. And from what I can tell, it definitely brings that 87 tone. I compared it to my Austrian Audio OC818, my original early 2000's USA made Blue Mouse, and my Peluso P414 (clone of AKG C414 EB model). These are all mics costing between $1000 to $1300. I EASILY preferred the sound of the UT over all of these specific mics. Boy does it stand above all of these mics (especially in bringing out that mid tone and slight "growl" from back in the throat). It's an insane mic for the price. It easily could cost double the price. The versatility of using it in either Vintage or Modern mode, and even engaging the RF filter on either one of those modes.... It's crazy. And I can totally hear the slight difference and "sweetening" when engaging that RF filter. This mic is more like having 3 flavors, rather than 2. Putting the mic into Vintage mode and engaging the RF filter brings the mic somewhere in between Vintage and Modern mode (it's the Vintage vibe with just a hair more articulation). It's for sure a Go-To mic. And to be honest... The Austrian Audio OC818 can almost go in the garbage compared to this thing! I know I know... They're not the same mic. Bottom line is, if you need a mic.... GET THIS!!!!!! I can't imagine anyone being dissatisfied.
DISCLAIMER.... It will pick up all of your room and background noises, if your room is untreated. Then again, so does the u87. Just an FYI....
So, wait, you're saying you like it?
@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff I LOVE IT!!!! Insane for the price. I've been eyeing a real Neumann u87 (new and used) for the last couple of years. I've almost pulled the trigger on a TLM 103 (becuase I really couldn't justify spending over 3 G's on a u87). I even recently ALMOST just went for a TLM49 (being that it's right in the middle). Whether this thing sounds exactly like u87 or not, I don't know. NOR DO I CARE ANYMORE! It almost doesn't matter. It sounds great and offers what I've been looking for in those Neumann mics (and what none of my other mics offer in tone ). Personally, I can't imagine spending $3000+ on a u87 when you can get about 4 of these instead. I mean, it's REAL GOOD for the money. It can go for $2000 and still be justified. So many options to tweak it how you need it (for whoever). Nevermind the fact that it can be used as a weapon if needed! It's a monster!
@@deanmasi6684 So, you’re saying it’s good?
@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff Haha. Okay I'm DONE!!!!
@@deanmasi6684 So, you’re saying you’re done?
Had I not already spent over $1k on my Gefell (which I'm loving btw), this would absolutely be on my radar of mics to pick up in the near future. It's really great to see cool mics like this with forward looking cool features and at pretty insane prices.
You keep tempting me with that Gefell.
@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff Give in.
excellent tests with expensive microphones...there in the usa you have the option to try the Shure ksm 42.get one please...there are many reviews of sound engineers and voice over from your country that put it above the u87 ai and the tlm 103... it would be very good to hear it with the tone of you that you have
Thanks Raúl. If a KSM 42 somehow makes itself available to me in some way to try out, I'll see what I can do.
I sometimes use the UT 87 FET and rejoice to hear samples for the real difference for this 2nd circuit consenser... It will be interesting ! 🤗
It sure will. I just heard from Chad Kelly that this is something he's been wanting to do for years, so you just know a ton of thought and design has gone into it.
here is what I think... the U87, whether modern or vintage, has an unmistakable sound, only to be rivaled by products from Neumann themselves. The fact that all these clones have come out, was to take a bite out of Neumanns market. I´ve always thought, that owning a U87 was the holy grail but over the years I have found out that my sound....my style if you want, is not so much defined by the mic I want to be able to afford, but by how each mic I tested an owned over the years, have helped me shape the sound of my voice... and then finding a mic that suits it the best. I own a BCM 104, an AT4040, an AKG C414 to name but a few, and I have also used and rented several U87´s when clients called for it, but never wanted to get close to the U87 sound per se, but rather use different styles of mics for the different styles my voice needs to be for any given client. The UT twin 87 may be a good mic, but really, when I need a U87... I just rent one,. because I don´t see it a must have or something to aspire to and neither do I need something that sounds like a U87, just for that purpose. Tweaking my soud in Post now.....that´s a whole different box of froggies. What do you think Mark? Best wishes , Freddy
Hi Freddy. Yeah man, I truly believe you use the right brush for the right brush stroke and no single mic should define your style. Now, that being said, the onus on today's voice actor is not so much about fulfilling the client's expectations as it is more about first positioning oneself to be able to compete and land the gig. Whether or not that final recording happens in your space or someone else's studio, or with your mic or a rented mic fit for the client's expectations, I truly feel that if your audition doesn't have the right sonic characteristics, or at least close enough, the producer who is listening to dozens of auditions will stop listening to your recording within a couple of seconds. Experienced clients, especially those who produce lots of projects, recognize the sound characteristics of an 87 or a 416 because that, more often than not, is the sound they're looking for. So, my opinion is that having a u87 style mic, at least one to audition on, is crucial to survive in today's VO world. And now these days, the divide between the originals and the clones is shrinking.
@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff agreed...audition jobs are somewhat different. I don´t work like that anymore. I kind of have an agent, cause I don´t audition. My friend knows the business and gets me the kind of work that suits my me. So... I did not see the U87 "clone" thing from that perspective.
So yeah...you have a point. Early in my "career" I would have thought so myself, but now, that I just do certain jobs for clients I can work with, I just don´t think along these lines. I do mostly audiobooks and documentary films now. The money ain´t great but I´d rather live a little than work too much ;)
Thanx Mark... you do an excellent job. Keep creating.
@@knorke3642 That's the life, man. :) Thanks Freddy!
Just ordered mine! ;-) We shall see...
Nice! Report back when you get a chance to give it a whirl.
WOW, and I just bought the OC18, errr am I going to have to buy another mic now...? lol
I mean, you do realize you’ll eventually have to buy all the mics, right? Every single one. Or you’ll always wonder, what if?…
@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff I wish I was addicted to cheaper things.
@@CryptoFreaks 🤣🤣🤣
Yeah, I now have both (OC818 and now this UT Twin87). Just compared them. The Austrian Audio mic sounds like you're listening to a speaker with a blown tweeter compared to this! On the UT Twin87, the upper mid detail, articulation and controlled (but robust) lowend is on another level compared to the OC18 or OC818 (they're the same mics in cardioid pattern). Just keeping it real... :-/
@@deanmasi6684 So to be clear the UT is better?