Just for fun- eBay u87 clones, anyone modded?

[tronnyjenkins]

These are dirt cheap, so I'm assuming the capsules are not great at best.
Just curious what the circuit is like or if they're worth the asking price.
I'd prefer to get closer to an "i" vs an "ai". We have a real AI and it's kinda "meh" to our team. We just have it for when people ask for a Neumann (or Newman).

eBay u87 clones

 

[Khron]

They look a bit pricey for what one can assume they are.

That being said, i've yet to comprehend what exactly is so "wow" about the "i" vs. "ai". Has anyone tried to reduce the capsule bias voltage a tad (from the 60V of the "ai" to 40-45V of the "i"), and see if that changes anything (meaningful)?

 

[tronnyjenkins]

The last time I used an “I” I was very young in my career, so honestly I’m just going off of what I’ve read. I remember it sounding great, but it could’ve been the glamour of getting to use a “nice” mic.
Mostly just want to tinker with something. And I have always liked the aesthetics of Neumann mics.

 

[Winston OBoogie]

I don't honestly see what all the fuss is about wrt needing an "I" over an "AI".
I've owned about half a dozen "I's" in the past, now I have just an "AI".

Whichever version you own, it'll rarely ever get absolute best in show award (depending on source). But it'll always do a good job regardless. And if it doesn't work for you, it's probably not the mic's fault.

Either version has probably been used for more hit album vocal recordings than just about any other mic in the last 30 years.

My humble £0.02

 

[Khron]

... And that's even before we get into the discussion of what shape the capsule is in (dirt, dust, spittle etc), in the case of the older "i" ones... Same with just about any "vintage" condensers, really.

 

[abbey road d enfer]

Seen from a purely technical POV, the "A" version makes more sense. Now, as Khron said, can the bias voltage difference result in a significant change in sound?
I've never experimented myself, but comments from people who have seem to indicate a lack of sonic difference after the sensitivity differences have been matched.

 

[rogs]

I've taken one of my 34mm edge 3 micron terminated capsules and fitted it into a 'standard' type Schoeps circuit.
It doesn't like more than around 50V of DC bias (it collapses at c.60V).
Taking the same capsule and applying only about 3 or 4V of RF AC bias instead and I think it sounds a little different? -- although everything seems to measure pretty much the same (frequency response, THD etc).

I would be surprised if simply reducing a DC bias from say 60V to c.45V would affect anything other than a small difference in sensitivity?
I think there may well be a tendency for folk to want there to be a difference - although maybe it is - in reality - just a change in the 'mojo'!