Vintage Neumann U87 vs Avantone CV12 - $4,000 vs $500 Mic Shootout
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- čas přidán 14. 08. 2024
- *1 YEAR UPDATE DEC 13, 2023*
I now own this Vintage U87! It was just serviced and is now my main workhorse mic. Unboxing and vocal test video here: • Vintage Neumann U87 Un...
Here is a shootout between a $500 tube mic and a $3,600 vintage classic mic. This is in no way attempting to directly compare the CV12 to the U87 (the CV12 is not attempting to be a U87 clone). This is more about mics in the $500-$1,500 range and how well they can stand up to higher end mics in terms of sound quality.
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0:00 Cardoid Pattern
1:31 Figure 8 Pattern
2:13 Omni Pattern
2:45 Dry Vocal Solo
3:32 Dry Vocal Full
4:24 Mixed Vocal Full
5:15 Mic Reveal
5:36 Bonus Round Intro
6:33 Blind Test - Hudba
i'm surprised at how similar the mics sounded. The differences were very subtle. Nice to know the avantone sounds as good as a 3-5,000 dollar mic considering I've been wanting to get one for a while now.
Nice man! I'm glad you found my video helpful. The CV12 is definitely a great mic!
Well knowing the u87 only cost about 45 dollars to build for the company at high production building.
Honestly, I like that the Cv-12 is a little different from the Neuman. It added a lush mid character that the Neumann subdued a bit. More tools in the locker is my thing.
Im definitely a fan of different voiced tools in the mic locker! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the best comparison on CZcams! As a singer, I find microphones are like guitars, they all sound different and you never know which one will fit the song you're working on until you try several different ones. Therefor you can never have too many.
I have dynamic, condenser and ribbon microphones, but didn't have a tube microphone but I've thought about getting one for a long time.
In most of the comparisons and reviews I've seen and heard, the CV-12 actually does sound pretty close to the U87 to my old and abused ears. Your blind test at the end was science at its best! Bravo! Well done!
(Yes I did buy a CV-12)
It's nice to have mic in my quiver that sounds like a classic vintage tube mic without breaking the bank!
And congratulations on your U87! It's gorgeous and sounds as good as it looks!
Thank you very much for your kind words and support. I really appreciate you! You are right, mics are kind of like guitars in that regard. I definitely want to own a ribbon as that is one texture I do not have in my mic locker. I am just not sure which one I would want. And thank you very much! I was borrowing the U87 when I filmed this. Never thought I would own it a year later. I love it!
good job dude.. i couldn't tell at the end.
Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed the video!
Hardware will always bring out the best in your mic. I’m not surprised by the results at all. A friend of mine and I did a shootout between his U87 AI vs my UT twin 87 on an Avalon T 737 and we had a hard time telling them apart from the other. Appreciate this video cause as a producer/engineer no matter what level u are it’s easy to get caught up in feeling like u want the best or u don’t have enough to compete when in reality it’s about preference and skill. It’s always great to have multiple tools in ur arsenal but it’s what u can do with what u have that is the 🔑
Yup I definitely agree. Both about the hardware bringing out the best in a mic and about the users skill. Having great and expensive gear is cool, but it doesn't matter if the recording and mixing skills are not there. Thanks for watching! ✌🏾
The Avatone sounded more airy the u87 was abit more rounded and full sounding they both are remarkable you seriously can’t tell 🔥
Thanks for watching!!
I just upgraded my cv-12 to a telefunken. The avantone is good, but same as I found in your vid, the mids are just way more pleasing on more higher end mics. I find that true for most mics in the sub $1k range. Cv12 is really great if you don't have the budget to make the jump into something higher end. Also having a better mic really made me realize the details I was missing before that I just didn't perceive.
Nice man!! Which Telefunken mic did you upgrade to? At the time I recorded this video (6 months ago), the CV-12 was my primary mic. Now the TLM 103 is my primary mic and I have noticed the difference in detail. Thanks for watching and commenting!! ✌🏾
@@subtonic24 I got the tf51. As I'm a big fan of the 251 sound. It is for sure on a whole different level. But I did a whole ep with cv12 and it suited me well!
@@OmgItsAlexOfficial would u suggest me to buy the cv12 for vocals or really the tf51? Cause it’s way more expensive…
@@timuryesa well it depends on your goals I suppose. For me, I plan on making music for life, and I obsess over quality. The cv-12 was great for me, I still have it, it's just the tf51 is objectively better. That doesn't make the cv-12 bad (at all) it's a great mic that punches above its price range. If the tf51 is way out of budget I'd say, perhaps invest in a nice preamp before a new mic. Something like the heritage audio 73 elite + cv12 can both be had for less than the tf51 alone. A good preamp should really make the cv12 even nicer. I just ordered a heritage audio HA81A + an 1176 compressor to put with my tf51. Ik that's very expensive gear, but it's definitely not "needed" for a good record but it's definitely there for a reason!
@@OmgItsAlexOfficial thank you for your honest opinion!!! Could u send me some links where I can listening to some vocals of the TF51? That would be so nice. Cause this mic doesn’t have so many reviews. It’s crazy underrated
A - the Neumann U87 all the way. I'm listening back with the video set at the highest resolution, through a pair of Genelec's, and the A/D is a Lynx Hilo, so I'm pretty confident I'm hearing as much as possible. The Neumann has more dimension, nicer, fuller chest resonance, and sweeter, clearer top end. To my ears the 87 is the clear winner, with it's distinct character. I appreciated the comparison - thanks for posting this.
Yup you are correct! Nice setup man. This U87 was really nice to use. I definitely wanna try to get more high end mics on my channel. Thanks for watching and commenting. I appreciate it!
A comparison between Telefunken TF29 coperhead vs Avantone CV12 would be great!
Awesome video btw!!! U87 projects those mids like waves so smoothly 👌 🔥
But avantone does NOT disappoint!
If only I had access to a TF29! Thanks man! Yea the CV12 is a solid option, but the U87 is a amazing!
The difference was very clear. U87 its so amazing...
Avantone is a great mic too...
Yup that U87 is an amazing mic! CV12 is a great mic as well and can definitely get the job done.
I knew from the start the u87 was mic a, however at the end I don’t know which is which, but I think I heard more of the Avantone at the very end of her singing. The cv 12 will need to be gain staged a little lower in the mix and you would never know what mic it was recorded with. You’ll just love the sound.
Just got me a used cv12 for 250
Ayyee nice man! Hope you like your CV12! Thanks for watching!
Taylor use one with different tubes I doubt it’s same one. U87 is original I like it will be standard for future comparison so couldn’t go wrong with u87. The airy sound is the tube but u will need to switch it out for better ones.
so happy I liked the less expensive microphone.
Ayyee your bank account is happy too I bet haha. Thanks for watching!
Is room sound good!
I had an Avantone at one time and was disappointed. It sounded very mid range compared to my top shelf mice and even some good sounding budget mics. It sucked on upright bass and I was expecting good deep tube warmth and punch.
I think that is a mistake everyone makes about tube mics. They assume tubes mean full, rich sound and that's not the case. 90% of the sound is the capsule, and this mic is tuned to be a mid forward sound with less lows and low mids. It uses a transparent tube as well so it's not really going to add much to the sound at quieter volumes. That's probably why you didn't like it.
At first it was easy to hear the u87, much harder to tell at the end. Hardware must have really made a difference!
I agree with that. Hardware definitely makes a difference depending on what is in your chain. Thanks for your comment man!
sound is almost same but not same I feeled in in start of video, in cheaper mic low freq is not smooth. Mic give some additional vibrations and sound in this case in not same natural as from neuman.
They sound very similar, but microphone B has more ear-piercing sibilance. I hoped that A would be the cheaper one, but it wasn't :D
Haha yeaaa. Something I'm realizing the more I use this U87 is that vintage mics handle sibilance a lot better than a lot of modern mics. Thanks for watching!
Great review, and she has a great voice!
Thank you very much, I really appreciate it! I'll tell her you said that 😊
I guessed correctly and liked the U87 a bit better, but the difference was really subtle. Yeah, YT compression, but I don't have 4 grand to blow on a vintage mic so ...
That's a lot of money for a subtle difference in sound. Thanks for watching!
I preferred B 💯 cuts through and sounds wetter
I can see that. Maybe sounds more "mix ready" than mic A. Thanks for watching and commenting, I appreciate you . ✌🏾
yep exactly. B has that nice mid cut in the mix
Now I’m looking Mic A
Taylor Swift use CV-12 to record one of her album.
Yup that is true, though I heard it was a modded CV-12, not a stock CV-12. Idk if that is true or not.
Is that CV12 BLA or the old CV12 ??
This is the regular CV12
I don’t really think anyone listening as an end user would ever care about the differences. However the vintage U87 really does sound albeit subtlety better in truly hd and pleasing ways that you won’t get out of the Avantone. Still the Avantone is one of my all time favorite mics I’ve owned.
It’s the lower mid clarity the 87 offers and for a lot of mixes many will cut those frequencies out to compete less with other instruments.
That is true about the end users not caring about the differences. They just want a good song. And I have always had that thought too. Having a nice full saturated low mids sounding mic is cool and all, but if I'm gonna end up reducing it everytime I mix vocals, then I'm better off choosing another mic that requires less work if I want to save time. Thanks for watching!
Taylor used a different power supply
Neumann is more colored. Cv12 is more neutral. I own a u87ai but I wouldn’t be afraid to use the cv12
Yea compared to a U87, the CV12 does sound more neutral. I still believe it has a colored sound though from my experience. A combination of mid forward and bright modern sound. I liked it when I used it for a hip hop song I worked on when I needed that crispy modern sound, but not as much when I used it for a more acoustic/ambient song. Thanks for watching!
@@subtonic24you have a link to the song?
@@waves7300 Gonna assume you want the hip hop song. Search "Jazy Aura Boo Love"
I’m leaning towards Mic B
Thanks for watching!!
@@subtonic24 No problem, I appreciate the effort you put into creating such an amazing video for us
My tip:
Save your money on mic and invest to a good sound chain.....500 bucks mic is awesome...
My humble opinion as a pro 🙂
For the average home studio owner, I 100% agree with this. Using a great mic between $500-$2,000 range that you like, and investing in a high quality recording chain will give the best bang for your buck results. And of course, acoustically treat the room.
Thank you for watching and commenting!
@@subtonic24 With this 500 bucks mic, I can easily have a pro result..... I've to mention that I own already the Neumann 149 and AKG 414 XLII amongst others (pro studio).... for average home studio is a luxury 🙂
@@panayotiscanellopoulos8696 What does high quality recording chain mean? can your refer to some product? 'I was thinking to get uad sphere dlx or one of the neuman tlm series. Cheers
@@ainnelrosirrosias3338 Chain is to have a compressor and an FX (Lexicon for example).... I have an 80's Neve compressor (used 400 euros lucky me) and an Eventide H3000..... For mic, this 500 bucks is just fine.... the chain is more critical to the final result.... save your money to invest to the chain :)
@@ainnelrosirrosias3338 I would recommend staying away from any mic modeling system if you are investing in a high end chain. From my experience, the mic models are essentially just changing the EQ curve of your recording which you can easily do with any stock EQ in your DAW. The modeling mics also do not capture the behavior and vibe of the mics they are emulating, especially tube mics. You would get better results with a great quality mic between $500-$2k, and a good hardware chain. Neve, Stam (I have reviews of their 1176 compressor which is amazing), Warm Audio, BAE, API are a few companies to look at.
You're so cooool!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank youuuu ❤❤❤
That Avantone sounds really gritty. The U87 has far more detail. The Mojave MA200 is a great mic and far less than the U87.
B took it to me
I’m surprised, I barely heard a difference
We were surprised too, especially towards the end with the blind test. Goes to show mics have gotten better! And vintage mics (or super expensive mics in general) are nice to have but maybe not "necessary." Thanks for watching!
"B" to me presented more sibilence that I can hear . Still a clean mic , but I prefer MIC "A". Both mics sound very close to me
Yup I agree. Very close in sound with a slightly different sound profile. B being brighter/ more airy with a bit more sibilance. Thanks for watching!
I'm using my favorite word today for this mic shootout (SNAKE OIL). I own the CV12, and I love that mic because I love my MOJAVE MA 300, which sounds just as good as both of these mics mentioned, if not better! This becomes not apples & Oranges but (PRICE) both mics do the same thing; the only thing that is better with the expensive U87 (You get the bragging rights) that's it the Avantone will take you down the same audio vocal road with professional results as the U87!
Yup! This was the conclusion I can came up with after filming this. I believe any good mic from $500-$2,000 range plus a good recording chain will give professional results. No need for super expensive mics, especially vintage mics unless you want the bragging rights. I've personally heard bad vocals from a U87 and U47 and great vocals from a TLM103 haha. Thanks for watching!
I'm watching on a TV, so it's not ideal, but... I literally can't tell when you switch. I'll grant the speakers on my TV aren't the best, but most people won't listen to your music on much better
You are right. Most people are listening to music on subpar speakers and won't hear the differences very well. Thanks for watching!
is this mic good for rapping?
Both mics are great for rap vocals! Thanks for watching!
@@subtonic24 thanks
I'm a trumpet player/recording engineer. I heard no difference. I guess I'm effed.
Nooo you're not haha you're fine 😅👌🏾
Miley Cyrus bought the Avanton cv 12 too
She did? I didn't know that.
U87 sounds better.
Thanks for watching!
if you suck it doesn't matter, you are still gonna suck, if you can sing like Taylor Swift it doesn't matter, still gonna sound like Taylor Swift. Splitting hairs, worry about your music and technique, not the price of your mic