The truth is I have the utmost respect for Mr. Banks. He puts up with less B.S. than even me. And he writes so….danged “English.” His prose is fortified with observations and emotions. He evokes questions about how you feel about a particular subject. Most importantly, he makes you think, and think deeply.Probably the biggest issue we have with each other is he won’t try Grits…and I won’t try Haggis. (The truth is grits and haggis are made to accompany each other.)
But know this, when Mr. Banks speaks, folks best pay attention. As a matter of fact, that is why he is paid amply and often—to speak so folks will listen.
We are quite honored that Philip Banks has shared his beloved Neumann U87ai with us. Have you noticed that the higher the price of the mic (and voice) the smoother it gets?
Check out Philip Banks on his U87ai here.
UPDATE ON “CHINA BLUES”
Hey Willie,
I called BLUE yesterday just to confirm the Bluebird USA/China manufacturing. According to the woman that answered the phone at BLUE, they stopped US manufacturing of the Bluebird about a year ago. I think most of their mics are still made in the US, but my assumption is that the lower end ones, the Bluebird for sure, are now made in China. After manufacturing, she told me that they are inspected at the US BLUE factory. Actually, each Bluebird comes with a dated quality control certificate that certifies that the frequency response, noise specification and fit/finish are up to snuff. Best,
Josh
Josh Mahler
Vocalvoodoo Productions
314-401-6485
www.Vocalvoodoo.com
1 comment:
The U87AI gets a lot of grief from people on various recording forums. There is some truth to it, but mostly it's chatter.
While the U87AI doesn't sound like it's progenitors, the bump it receives in the mid-level frequencies, allows it to be an awesome microphone for VO, since it stand out of the mix so nicely, as well as taking to EQ and compression like a champ.
The one downside, which really isn't a downside, is that it has a much lower noise floor compared to earlier versions of the U87. It caused the mic to be far more accurate, which was not always desirable by folks in the studio.
For a home VO, I don't recommend it due to this fact. Unless the actor in question is very good, and has the appropriate recording environment, the mic will pick up everything.
However, if you've taken care of the aforementioned concerns, then this microphone is a powerful choice to add to one's microphone cabinet.
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