New u87 Body

[Silas]

Yes, the fake switches on the back and the fake pattern switch and pattern icon up front are all part of a single ring of white plastic with stickers on it that easily slips in and out from under the headbasket when the body tube is removed, so it would be theoretically possible to somehow finesse accessible switches to fit on the underside of the capsule deck.

If you look at either of the pics in the above post, you can spot that white plastic ring around the lip of the rear of the headbasket.

Thanks wordsushi, I can see that now you’ve said - just switch holes with a plastic cover effectively.

 

[Wordsushi]

Thanks wordsushi, I can see that now you’ve said - just switch holes with a plastic cover effectively.

One consideration that just occurred to me is that this plastic "fake switch" ring also holds the body tube in place. The fake pattern switch which sits just below the headbasket fits into a notch cut into the top rim of the body tube. If you remove the plastic ring entirely, it's not so much that the body tube could rotate in place, but also that you'd make this notch visible.

If you cut out the back half of the ring where the two fake rear switches are, the ring won't remain in situ because there would be no tension holding it in position. I suppose to prevent that, you could glue the front half in place inside the headbasket lower rim. Or maybe there's even way to add switches where you keep the entire plastic ring and just drill holes in it where the rear fake swtich pins are, preserving most of the ring, and it's function holding the. body tube in place.

 

[Wordsushi]

View attachment HL-95-test.wav
I decided to "trial by fire" this mic and throw it on a couple of VO jobs this morning, and I have to say I'm extremely pleased with the results compared to these guts and capsule in a smaller 87-style body.
The upper midrange projects better.
The lows and low mids present with more detail.
Especially with this 3u k87 capsule. Before, I wasn't getting the kind of 87-ish reedy midrange I wanted, and I thought it was the capsule, but now it sounds right to me after the transplant into the 95.
Couldn't be happier with the 95.

 

[Wordsushi]

One more thing while I'm being granular about it. I took a couple of closeups through a jewelers loupe of the mesh in the TLM-67 headbasket (top pic) vs the mesh in the HL-95 headbasket (bottom pic).

 

[kingkorg]

One more thing while I'm being granular about it. I took a couple of closeups through a jewelers loupe of the mesh in the TLM-67 headbasket (top pic) vs the mesh in the HL-95 headbasket (bottom pic).
View attachment 121933View attachment 121934

Straight from the mind of....
I applaud you sir!!!

 

[micolas]

One more thing while I'm being granular about it. I took a couple of closeups through a jewelers loupe of the mesh in the TLM-67 headbasket (top pic) vs the mesh in the HL-95 headbasket (bottom pic).
View attachment 121933View attachment 121934

The model with meshes rotated at 45° primarily offers better mechanical resistance and rigidity, and reduced vibrations (in mechanical engineering, the model is called 'lattice beams')
As an active surface, how much area is uncovered, if the meshes have the same wire thickness, then it remains constant.

If it sounds good then it's good.

 

[micolas]

View attachment 121922
I decided to "trial by fire" this mic and throw it on a couple of VO jobs this morning, and I have to say I'm extremely pleased with the results compared to these guts and capsule in a smaller 87-style body.
The upper midrange projects better.
The lows and low mids present with more detail.
Especially with this 3u k87 capsule. Before, I wasn't getting the kind of 87-ish reedy midrange I wanted, and I thought it was the capsule, but now it sounds right to me after the transplant into the 95.
Couldn't be happier with the 95.

Wow, Wordsushi!
The new mic sounds awesome!!!
It would be possible to do a simultaneous vocal test comparing the U87i clone 1979 (Danny PCB, Neumann K87genuine, HL-77) and the new U87ai clone (Fuchs PCB, 3u K87, 3u GZT-87, HL-95), possibly a recording test with pink noise.
Maybe I'm too insistent, could you post pictures of the mounts, the heights of the capsules in the two microphones, (perhaps through the grills we can see the position of the capsule in the headbasket cage, a few mm make a big difference)
Thank you!

 

[Wordsushi]

Wow, Wordsushi!
The new mic sounds awesome!!!
It would be possible to do a simultaneous vocal test comparing the U87i clone 1979 (Danny PCB, Neumann K87genuine, HL-77) and the new U87ai clone (Fuchs PCB, 3u K87, 3u GZT-87, HL-95), possibly a recording test with pink noise.
Maybe I'm too insistent, could you post pictures of the mounts, the heights of the capsules in the two microphones, (perhaps through the grills we can see the position of the capsule in the headbasket cage, a few mm make a big difference)
Thank you!

Thank you! Here's a quick comparison of the two mics. I have begun referring to this new mic as the "Holy Fuchs".
View attachment Holy Fuchs vs 1979.wav
And here is a shot showing the capsule height in both. The Holy Fuchs is to the right.

 

[micolas]

Thank you! Here's a quick comparison of the two mics. I have begun referring to this new mic as the "Holy Fuchs".
View attachment 121982
And here is a shot showing the capsule height in both. The Holy Fuchs is to the right. View attachment 121986

Hey man!
Both sound great!
Holy Fuchs has a more open character, in the face, like a modern U87ai, and Custom'79 Wordsushi really sounds like a vintage U87i, warmer, rounder, mellow, velvety
Mission accomplished!
Each excels in certain situations.
Although I have dozens of microphones, most of them modded to my taste, it seems that these two have something extra magical (dare I say mojo). I'm going to build myself using the same components, although the 3u gzt-87 (which I'm starting to like more and more) is hard to find in Europe.
Thanks for all the info!

 

[Wordsushi]

Thank you again Micolas! Great assessment. The Fuchs circuit and the Bouchard circuit are very capable of getting to those signature 87 sonics of the AI and I, and I am very grateful for this thread KingKorg started for allowing me to discover these bodies that finally help me get what I've been looking for with my DIY mics.

 

[rockinrob86]

Agggghhh! I feel like we’re so close to really accurate bodies, I wish these had working switches.

Maybe I’ll have to be the one to figure this out. I wonder if something could be 3d printed and use magnets to activate a reed switch…

 

[Wordsushi]

Agggghhh! I feel like we’re so close to really accurate bodies, I wish these had working switches.

Maybe I’ll have to be the one to figure this out. I wonder if something could be 3d printed and use magnets to activate a reed switch…

I think it could be done. The 95's capsule deck is drilled to accommodate two types of capsule mounts. There's a pair of mount holes straight down the middle of the front-to-back meridian, and another separate rectangular set for a standard 4 screw mount.
Since those holes are threaded, you could consider hanging a switch deck from the bottom of the capsule deck with some 2.5mm screws and 10mm or larger spacers.

 

[Buttercup1]

I bought one and I'm thinking of similar ideas. Also thinking of making a 269 and keeping it on remote pattern but there's still the rear switch question which might be resolved easier than the pattern switch with the 'key' for the body. Mulling endlessly as usual..

 

[Buttercup1]

Also tested a collar for an old Tuchel which screws in perfectly and sits roughly where a 269/67 connector sits so, at some point I'll make a swivel but modify it for XLR 7 pin as in the later U87 swivels. Currently knee deep in U47 swivel mounts though... I did ask as well if anyone knows where in UK to buy singles of Binder 691 If anyone knows....

 

[Silas]

Also tested a collar for an old Tuchel which screws in perfectly and sits roughly where a 269/67 connector sits so, at some point I'll make a swivel but modify it for XLR 7 pin as in the later U87 swivels. Currently knee deep in U47 swivel mounts though... I did ask as well if anyone knows where in UK to buy singles of Binder 691 If anyone knows....

I bought my last ones from a French company but can’t remember off the top of my head, think designer cable do them now: https://www.designacable.com/binder...002-alternative-neumann-emt-plate-reverb.html

 

[joulupukki]

Where’s a good place in the US to get the Styro caps? It looks like from the BOM that I’d need:

1x 160pF 500V 5%
1x 270pF 300V 5%
2x 470pF 100V 2.5%

 

[micolas]

Where’s a good place in the US to get the Styro caps? It looks like from the BOM that I’d need:

1x 160pF 500V 5%
1x 270pF 300V 5%
2x 470pF 100V 2.5%

If you want for U87 then you have to buy more values, even lower than 160pF. You will have to try different values for the capacitor in the de-emphasis network, the most practical being gradually adding small values in parallel. It is possible that you can get your favorite sound from 2-3 capacitors in parallel, without being a standardized value.
So buy values below 100pF, and between 100..560pF.
There were cases when even Neumann used 680pF (someone even encountered 820pF), for brighter capsules.
Or if you're looking to get a U67 style sound. The voltage can be even lower than 300...500v.

 

[joulupukki]

Ah, interesting. Yeah, I guess I should have been more specific. I was thinking of the U87a Fuchs circuit and he lists those specific values in the BOM.

 

[micolas]

Ah, interesting. Yeah, I guess I should have been more specific. I was thinking of the U87a Fuchs circuit and he lists those specific values in the BOM.

The more capacitor values, the better.
Being in Europe, I buy from Mouser. USA.
These are only for tests in microphones.(these are only part with selected values)

 

[joulupukki]

That's quite the collection.