UNITED UT Twin87 Twin-Circuit Large-Diaphragm Condenser Microphone Owner’s Manual
- June 5, 2024
- UNITED
Table of Contents
- UNITED UT Twin87 Twin-Circuit Large-Diaphragm Condenser Microphone
- PRODUCT SERVICE
- CHAPTER 1: NOW LET’S GET STARTED!
- CHAPTER 2: ABOUT THE UT TWIN87
- TO FILTER OR NOT TO FILTER
- CHAPTER 3: WAXING PHILOSOPHICAL
- CHAPTER 4: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
- Download This Manual (PDF format)
UNITED UT Twin87 Twin-Circuit Large-Diaphragm Condenser Microphone
PRODUCT SERVICE
REGISTER YOUR PRODUCT
Before we begin, please take the time to visit www.unitedstudiotech.com to register your product. To ensure you receive proper and uninterrupted warranty support for your product, please register your unit within 14 days from purchase.
UPDATES TO THIS MANUAL
Occasionally, we may have updates to this man-ual. All current manuals can be downloaded at www.unitedstudiotech.com. For your convenience, every page of this manual displays the version number at the bottom of the page.
SAFETY
Warning: To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not open the device as there are no user-serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified personnel!
- Read and keep these instructions; heed all warnings, and follow all instructions.
- Do not expose this device to rain and moisture.
- Clean only with a dry cloth.
- Servicing is required when the device has been damaged in any way.
- Always connect with a standard 3 pin XLR (male XLR to female XLR) cable that is in good working order.
- Always fully connect microphone cable on both ends before engaging +48v Phantom Power.
- Always disengage +48v Phantom Power and give the microphone a few moments to fully discharge before disconnecting the microphone cable.
- DO NOT pass this microphone signal directly through a TT (tiny telephone, tip-ring-sleeve) or TRS (¼ inch, tip-ring-sleeve) patch bay! A preamp, of course, can be followed by a patch bay; just not a microphone signal.
- This microphone ships with a silica gel packet. Do not discard it; this ensures that moisture/humidity does not accumulate on the mic capsule diaphragm and that no part of the device begins to oxidize. If the silica package becomes lost or discolored, replace it with a new, good quality silica gel packet.
WARRANTY SERVICE
United warranties this product to be free from defect in materials and
workmanship for one year from date of purchase, for the original purchaser to
whom this equipment is registered. This warranty is non-transferrable. This
warranty is void in the event of damage incurred from unauthorized service to
this unit, or from electrical or mechanical modification to this unit. This
warranty does not cover damage resulting from abuse, accidental damage,
misuse, improper electrical conditions such as mis-wiring, incorrect voltage
or frequency, unstable power, disconnection from earth ground (for products
requiring a 3 pin, grounded power cable), or from exposure to hostile
environmental conditions such as moisture, humidity, smoke, fire, sand and
other debris, and extreme temperatures. United will, at it’s sole discretion,
repair or replace this product in a timely manner. This limited warranty
extends only to products determined to be defective and does not cover
incidental costs such as equipment rental, loss of revenue, etc. Please visit
us at www.unitedstudiotech.com for more
information on your warranty, or to request warranty service.
This warranty applies to products sold in the United States of America. For
warranty information in any other country, please refer to your local
distributor for United Studio Technologies. This warranty provides specific
legal rights, which may vary from state to state. Depending on the state in
which you live, you may have rights in addition to those covered in this
statement. Please refer to your state laws or see your local retailer for more
information.
NON-WARRANTY SERVICE
If you have a defective unit that is outside of our warranty period or conditions; we are still here for you and can get your unit working again for a modest service fee. Please visit us at www.unitedstudiotech.com to contact us about setting up a repair or for more information. With the proper care, your United gear should last a lifetime and provide a lifetime of enjoyment. We believe the best advertisement we can have is a properly working unit being put to great use. Let’s work together to make it happen.
CHAPTER 1: NOW LET’S GET STARTED!
CONNECTIONS AND POWER
The UT Twin87 requires 2 things in order to properly function: a 3 pin XLR
cable, and 48V phantom power.
The first is simple; plug the XLR cable to the output jack on the bottom of
the UT FET47. Then connect the cable to your recording de-vice, preamp, or
mixing console. Ensure that the cable is properly working… Sorry, we had to
spell that out. Engage 48V phantom power on your device. If your device does
not provide 48V phantom power, an external, dedicated power supply will be
required for operation.
HARDWARE CONTROLS
Pattern select – omnidirectional, cardioid, and figure of eight.
In cardioid mode, the UT Twin87 takes the microphone out of the pattern select
circuitry all together and decouples the rear diaphragm, a mod or setting
sometimes referred to as ‘true cardioid’. This has some performance advantages
over normal ‘switched’, or active cardioid which still goes through the
pattern select circuitry. Signal level and signal to noise ratio are slightly
enhanced.
Modern/Vintage – This setting allows the user to choose between the earliest
87-style microphone circuit and the more modern re-productions.
HPF – gradual slope rumble filter tuned for voice broadcast, 12 dB down at
80hZ 10dB pad – attenuates amplifier section by 10dB to provide greater
headroom for loud sources.
The UT Twin87 is a multi-pattern, large diaphragm, transformer-balanced
condenser microphone designed for a very wide range of re-cording studio
applications. Its operation is fairly straightforward. As with any microphone;
the more attention given to setup and placement, the better the results will
be. The UT Twin87 fea-tures a high pass filter for eliminating subsonic
information such as floor vibration and rumble, and a -10 pad for use in very
loud sound pressure situations such as kick drum, guitar amplifiers, and
especially loud vocalists.
HOW TO KNOW IF YOU NEED THE PAD ENGAGED?
It is good practice, unless you are certain you will need it, to start without
the pad engaged. You will know you need the pad if the signal is distorted,
clipping, or ‘flatlined’ even after properly spacing the microphone from its
source. The pad will allow for an additional 10dB of headroom in the amplifier
circuit for these situations.
WHEN TO ENGAGE THE HIGH PASS FILTER?
In studio recording, we feel it is usually good practice to record an audio
source at ‘full bandwidth’ and to precisely tailor any band limiting in the
modern workstation. This provides much more accuracy than a single switch on a
microphone can provide; and the switch at this point is more a carryover from
an earlier time. There are a number of sound sources, however, where one can
be fairly sure that frequencies below the switch cutoff frequency are not
going to play a major part in the makeup of the audio source, or at least not
in the finished (edited/processed) form that the audio track will take. This
includes voice, guitar, drum overhead, and possibly some acoustic instruments.
This is particularly true of live voice broadcast (podcast, radio broadcast)
and narration (books on tape, etc). Because low frequencies have very large
waveforms, a high pass filter on the micro-phone can sometimes reduce the
chances of clipping or allow a slightly hotter signal to be captured, without
the damage from moving microphone stands, doors, and rumble from nearby
traffic, etc. As a general rule, if engaging the HPF causes no audible loss to
the ‘body’ of the source signal; it is safe to engage. If it does feel that it
takes something away, and if the application is professional recording, then
best to not engage the switch and tailor the signal at a later point in the
process.
WHEN TO USE A POP FILTER?
It is generally good advice to use a pop filter any time you are recording a
vocalist. You should always get the best pop filter you can, one that is as
sonically neutral as possible. Once you have found the proper distance for
spacing a vocalist from the microphone; the pop filter can be set in place to
properly maintain that spacing.
Fig. 1: Front
of the UT Twin87. Left side controls are for Pattern Select. Right side
controls are for Modern/Vintage.
Fig. 2: Rear of the UT Twin87. Left side controls are HPF. Right side controls
are Pad.
USING THE VINTAGE/MODERN MODES
To protect the capsule and circuitry, the UT Twin87 gently raises and lowers
capsule polarization voltages; therefore please allow about ten seconds to
fully stabilize when switching to Modern or Vintage modes.
The Modern/Vintage switch allows selection between the circuit design and
sound of the earliest version of the 87 style microphone and the much later
reproductions. This feature works by changing both the circuitry for the
high-Z and de-emphasis components, as well as adjusting how the capsule is
polarized. In Vintage mode, the capsule is polarized directly with phantom
power voltages (48v), while in modern mode, an FET boost circuit is employed
to raise capsule polarization to 63v. The modern setting yields a slightly
hotter, brighter, more articulate sound, while the vintage setting offers a
slightly warmer, softer, and smoother tone.
When Vintage/Modern modes are changed, the UT Twin87 will require roughly 10
seconds to morph between sounds. This is nor-mal in all operations, as the
circuitry makes significant configuration changes in order to replicate both
variations in extreme detail.
The modern setting yields a slightly hotter, brighter, more articulate sound,
while the vintage setting offers a slightly warmer, softer, and smoother tone.
MITIGATING “REAL WORLD” PROBLEMS
While your UT Twin87 should provide clean, trouble-free operation in just
about any given situation; we’d like to take a moment to go over some real-
world problems we’ve encountered in our combined years of experience, and how
best to navigate through them. AND RADIO
Though rare, we’ve encountered this issue with other microphones in the past.
Usually the result of operating near a radio broadcast station or other large
antennae. Though sometimes these situations cannot be 100% resolved; they can
usually be reduced down to an acceptable level by reducing the amount of
exposure the signal path has to the source of interference. This means using
the shortest length of microphone cable possible, avoiding the use of audio
snakes or in-wall connections; especially if unsure of the length or quality
of that wiring. Sometimes re-positioning a mic or cable can be of great
benefit. Snake cables (both in-wall and free-standing) with a shared foil
shield are the worst of all in this situation; as the foil shields on
individual channels can branch out to act as an antenna to pick up signals
from the air. Not all microphone cables are created equal; and if there were
ever a case for a very well constructed microphone cable with really low noise
and good CMR (common mode rejection), this is one. It’s also crucial to ensure
the mic cable has a proper and dense enough shield, with 100% shield coverage,
and is terminated properly to pin 1 on both ends. While we don’t recommend
specific brands here, some general advice is that a braid shield will have
small gaps in the shield due to the braid geometry which, though usually OK,
in high R-FI (radio frequency interference) environments, are not ideal. A
thick woven shield is better, and a shield that is coupled with a layer of
foil or conductive plastic is better yet; ensuring total shield protection.
Double-shielded microphone cable is the best of all, for high-RFI
environments. BUZZ, HUM, AND GROUND LOOPS Though rare, microphones along with
all electronics can misbehave when not properly grounded. Like most phantom-
powered condenser microphones, the UT Twin87’s XLR pin 1 grounds the
microphone chassis and circuit. This pin mates to the pin 1 XLR input of your
preamp, console, or recording interface, and from there to the earth ground on
the IEC power connector for that device. Things become tricky if this device
itself does not have a 3-pin standard IEC power cable, but instead uses a 2
pin ‘wall-wart’ or ‘line-lump’ supply. In some cases, you may have a small
interface which has no power supply, relying on bus power from a computer’s
USB, firewire, or Thunderbolt connector. This situation is some-times referred
to as ‘vicarious grounding’, where a ground connection is passed through
several devices through various analog and digital cables before finally
connecting to the ‘house grounding’. Computers, unfortunately, can be a source
of significant EMI (electro-magnetic interference). While these situations
cannot always be fully remedied, especially with field recording; at least
being aware of these potential is-sues when setting up and selecting equipment
can spare you from the worst of these effects. For instance, if your
interface, laptop, preamp, etc. all have no earth ground, which is entirely
possible with laptop recording; you may intentionally select a device to
connect in the chain that the microphone can ground to. An example of this
would be connecting an outboard preamp or other processor to the interface, so
long as it has a 3 pin IEC power cable that is plugged in and an audio
connection such as XLR or TRS that can connect to the interface. This will
‘ground’ the interface, even if the piece of outboard gear is not being used
in the signal chain. Additionally, well constructed and shielded digital
cables, particularly with robust ferrite rings clamped on one or both ends,
can help reduce any noise contamination from a digital device into the
microphone. In any case, for safety and good operation, it cannot be
recommended that the UT Twin87 be operated in a situation where there is no
access to earth ground to ground the microphone’s pin 1 connector.
BUZZ, HUM, AND GROUND LOOPS
Though rare, microphones along with all electronics can misbehave when not
properly grounded. Like most phantom-powered con-denser microphones, the UT
Twin87’s XLR pin 1 grounds the microphone chassis and circuit. This pin mates
to the pin 1 XLR input of your pre-amp, console, or recording interface, and
from there to the earth ground on the IEC power connector for that device.
Things become tricky if this device itself does not have a 3-pin standard IEC
power cable, but instead uses a 2 pin ‘wall-wart’ or ‘line-lump’ sup-ply. In
some cases, you may have a small interface which has no power supply, relying
on bus power from a computer’s USB, firewire, or Thunderbolt connector. This
situation is sometimes referred to as ‘vicarious grounding’, where a ground
connection is passed through several devices through various analog and
digital cables be-fore finally connecting to the ‘house grounding’. Computers,
unfortunately, can be a source of significant EMI (electro-magnetic
interference). While these situations cannot always be fully remedied,
especially with field recording; at least being aware of these potential is-
sues when setting up and selecting equipment can spare you from the worst of
these effects.
For instance, if your inter-face, laptop, preamp, etc. all have no earth
ground, which is entirely possible with lap-top recording; you may
intentionally select a device to connect in the chain that the microphone can
ground to. An example of this would be connecting an outboard preamp or other
processor to the interface, so long as it has a 3 pin IEC power cable that is
plugged in and an audio connection such as XLR or TRS that can connect to the
interface. This will ‘ground’ the interface, even if the piece of outboard
gear is not being used in the signal chain. Additionally, well constructed and
shielded digital cables, particularly with robust ferrite rings clamped on one
or both ends, can help reduce any noise contamination from a digital device
into the microphone.
In any case, for safety and good operation, it cannot be recommended that the
UT Twin87 be operated in a situation where there is no access to earth ground
to ground the microphone’s pin 1 connector.
ENGAGING THE RF FILTER
To access filter dip switch, un-screw bottom bell counter-clockwise from base
of micro-phone, then gently slide out brass body tube.
The RF filter should be en-gaged when used in radio broadcasting, or when
radio interference is an issue. The UT Twin87 ships with the RF filter
disengaged by default. To engage the filter, lower switch positions 1 and 5,
and raise switch positions 2, 3, and 4 (see Fig. 1). To bypass the RF filter,
raise switch positions 1 and 5, while lowering positions 2, 3, and 4 (see Fig.
2). Switch position 6 should always be lowered.
The RF filter present on later incarnations of the 87-type design is a source
of much controversy, with some claiming it to be a useful problem solver,
while others claim it detracts from the sound. The UT Twin87’s filter section
has been ever slightly ‘sweetened’ by our choice of higher grade components,
and selectable for use in both Modern and Vintage modes. While exceptionally
subtle, a trained ear will detect a slight focus of the upper top end when the
filter is engaged, with wide but definite ‘book-ends’ placed on the sound
field. With the filter disengaged, the top end may ap-pear more natural, open,
and extended.
Fig. 1: RF
Filter Engaged
Fig. 2: RF Filter Bypassed
CHAPTER 2: ABOUT THE UT TWIN87
RECREATING TWO CLASSICS
1967. Solid-state transistors are changing the world with their reliability,
portable de-sign, heat dispersion, power meant for yet another discontinued
tube model; the classic FET microphone became a classic unto itself and has
remained a work-horse of commercial studios since its release. Known for its
cutting edge, focused sound and tight voicing; it became a new standard for
lead vocal capture. In a new era of electrified instrumentation, it became
known as a “must-have” microphone that was used on countless recordings. It’s
popularity lead to a production that ran from 1967 to 1986. Most highly
regarded were specimens of this microphone produced in the first production
runs, in the late 1960’s. It was a ‘golden reference’ unit from this vintage
that served as the basis for the UT Twin87 design, when set to Vintage mode.
The updated ‘Modern’ version of this design was introduced in 1986, and
featured many design updates which were simply not practical to implement in
the original version. One such update was the inclusion of an RF filter to
help the mic perform in-side of broadcast facilities or in locations with a
high amount of RF activity. Another feature added was the inclusion of a
voltage boost circuit to provide a constant and higher polarization voltage to
the capsule, making up for any shortcomings caused by direct polarization from
phantom power. A ‘golden reference’ specimen of this design was also studied
as a basis for the UT Twin87, when set to Modern mode.
Both the vintage and later editions of this microphone have become a modern
classic and a go-to for creating clear, articulate, punchy vocal tracks that
cut through a mix, across many different styles of music.
GETTING THOSE SUBTLE DIFFERENCES RIGHT!
The circuit design of the UT Twin87 is no gimmick or mere emulation of the attributes of a classic microphone – it is a faithful and meticulous recreation of two distinct circuit paths, which took several years of research and prototyping to get just right. We meticulously analyzed both circuits, teasing out the subtle differences between the two. Those differences were subtle; yet real and quantifiable. They mainly related to the two different methods and voltage levels by which the capsule was polarized, as well as subtle differences in component values and tolerances within the de-emphasis and High-Z sections. We implemented both of these distinct layouts faithfully, onto their own boards, and selectable by switch. From there, we follow that se-lection with a faithful reproduction of the amplifier section from the classic design, followed by an output trans-former section of our own design, but inspired by the larger incarnations of the ‘87 output transformer. We developed our output transformer specifically to be large enough and wound in such a way as to provide a silky output without any real restriction of the low end or dynamic range.
TO FILTER OR NOT TO FILTER
There has definitely been much discussion over the RF filter utilized in the later ‘AI’ versions of the classic circuit. While the need to have such a filter in high-RF environments is not disputed, some have claimed that the mic will sound more open and natural without this filter, all other things being equal. Others have claimed that the difference is in-audible. We do agree that if you do not NEED the filter engaged, then it is probably best to go through the least amount of circuitry;, hence the RF filter on the UT Twin87 ships from the factory in the ‘off’ position. We wanted to do more than provide this filter if you need it; however, we also wanted to make it sound good. We ever so slightly played with the filter curves and used much nicer components than are often found on such filters (WIMA audio grade film caps and wire wound inductors opposed to cheaper ceramic caps and more generic components), so that this filter, when engaged, would, with luck, provide a sweetening effect rather than be detrimental. We believe we have accomplished this, and the filter, when engaged, will provide just the ever slightest top end emphasis and sweetening, while putting subtle ‘bookends’ around the audible frequency range. Keep in mind that this filter technically operates FAR outside of human hearing, and thus its ‘secondary effects’ on the sound you do here are going to be extraordinarily subtle. In the end though, this still makes for a very interesting sonic experiment.
ONE MORE MOD FOR GOOD MEASUER
In our research into this design, we learned of a certain modification done to the circuit which ‘shorts’ the mic into a permanent, cardioid-on-ly mode by disabling the pattern circuitry and decoupling the rear diaphragm. This results in a slight improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio and output of the microphone, and can be worth it for studios which are wholly devoted to vocal production and voice-over work, where the other pattern options will simply never be needed. After some experimentation, we determined that we could implement this mod into the UT Twin87 without interfering with the other two polar patterns. When the UT Twin87 is set to cardioid, it disables the rear diaphragm and pat- tern circuitry, improving the signal by simplifying the circuit path. Essential-ly, the microphone becomes a more simplified cardioid design. As with the Modern/Vintage switch, it like-wise takes a few moments to stabilize when enabling and disabling the pattern circuitry. This is just one more under-the-hood mod for the enthusiast, included free of charge.
MESH MATERIAL
While the UT Twin87 employs a new handbasket design aimed at minimizing the sonic influence of the microphone body on the sound, one critical step we took was to identify and locate the exact original mesh gauges of the classic design. We have recreated the 3 layer mesh makeup of the original handbasket exactly: same mesh gauges, laid down in the same order. This ensures that, while the overall effect of the handbasket-capsule interaction has been reduced, whatever filtering effect the handbasket had on the original microphone has been exactly reproduced in terms of sonic profile. This is one step often overlooked on more budget conscious mic reproductions.
THE UT SERIES CAPSULE AND IMPLEMENTATION
The UT Twin87 uses our own repro-duction of the classic K87 capsule found in the earliest incarnations of the ‘87 style microphone. Our capsule is an insulated, dual backplate design, skinned with 24k gold sputtered, 6 micron NOS PET film (Japanese Mylar). The UT Series capsule is terminated with a very fine-strand, silver-plated Teflon wire, and the microphone was engineered so that the wire terminations for the capsule are kept at the shortest possible length. This, in con-junction with very good insulation of the capsule mount, reduces any induced loss or interference to the lowest possible levels.
MAKING THE RIGHT TRANSFORMER
We prototyped several transformers during the development of the UT Twin87,
opting for a part that is some-what larger than that found in most specimens,
with excellent band-width, good shielding, and a mostly neutral but just
slightly softer/silkier finish to it. Our UT Series transformer matches the
turns ratio, impedance, and inductance of the earlier specimens we measured;
but is a design of its own and delivers a very smooth, polished sound.
Having determined that the lamination size and stacking of the trans-former
can have a restricting effect on low frequencies, we made ours somewhat
larger than most found in this type of circuit.
Our UT Series Twin87 transformers are made to our exact specifications in the
US, and made from mostly US-sourced raw materials .
A HOLISTIC DESIGN APPROACH
The UT Twin87 represents several years of research and development, to attempt to capture the essence of not just one; but two of the most be-loved condenser microphones, and recreate them in a single package for the modern recordist. We went through several iterations of PCB de-sign, mechanical designs, capsule de-sign, transformer options, and so on. We worked with the best microphone circuit engineers, capsule engineers, mechanical engineers, and trans-former designers — ensuring every step of the way that we maintained direct and personal control over everything that went into our product. It’s a common approach these days to emphasize specific, critical components where a manufacturer placed most of their investment and attention; and not to spend much time on the rest of a circuit. From the onset, we didn’t want this approach. Every component in a design affects quality, and a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. We looked at every resistor, capacitor, transistor, connector and switch. We labored over picking the right thin film resistor here or tantalum and polystyrene capacitor there. Everything matters. This is our approach to gear design.
CHAPTER 3: WAXING PHILOSOPHICAL
ROOM ACOUSTICS
Probably no factor in recording is as import-ant as room acoustics. No matter
how good a microphone and other equipment may be; recording in an untreated
room is usually a recipe for disappointment. Drums will sound brash and cheap,
vocals hollow and cavernous. Reflections from untreated and parallel walls of
ordinary homes and commercial spaces create a comb filtering effect that can
wreak havoc on audio fidelity, and almost never work in favor of the
recordist. Fortunately, these issues can be remedied sufficiently on a home
budget and do not require booking time in a professional studio.
The first solution is to treat the room. There are a number of affordable
acoustic panel and foam solutions on the market which do a satisfactory job.
It is not necessary to over-treat a room; but the needs of every room are
different. It is worth taking the time to research, understand the problems of
your room, and decide how lively or deadened you want your room to be.
Typically, it is more than sufficient to treat a room with just the minimal
needed to make the room sonically neutral. If you can do this, then you will
have a room that is acceptable for tracking, editing, and mixing.
The second solution is more localized. If you only plan to record voice,
perhaps you don’t need to treat the room. Any of various brands of ‘vocal
shield’ or portable vocal baffle will sufficiently decouple the microphone
from its rear wall reflections and deliver an amazing improvement to the
sounds you are able to capture. This one investment can often make the
difference between a recording that sound professional and one that does not;
regardless of the quality of microphone, preamp, or interface. The importance
of taking a bit of time to isolate the mic from its room reflections cannot be
overstated.
MICROPHONE CHOICES AS AN ARTIST’S PALETTE
One of the joys for those who get to some-times work or record in a big studio
is the great microphone selection that professional facilities often have
available. These impressive collections are usually amassed over a long period
of time, and often include fine specimens of tube, solid state, transformer-
coupled, transformer less, large diaphragm, medium diaphragm, and small
diaphragm condensers, as well as dynamic and ribbon microphones. They will
usually have both vintage specimens as well as new designs.
For all the expense and grandeur, what this truly boils down to is merely a
studio’s ability to pick the right microphone for the right application;
pulling from a palette of options that range from very dark to very bright,
with many many shades in between. Micro-phones with different pickup
configurations
and amounts of off-axis rejection, and microphones with unique textures that
may complement a given situation, such as smooth-ness or warmth. Every voice
has a slightly different sibilance range, and sometimes one can find a mic
whose presence peak does not emphasize those sibilant frequencies. Some
microphones are better for male vocals, some for female. As a general rule,
professional producers and engineers tend to pair a microphone to an artist
that brings out qualities lacking in the source, or de-emphasizes qualities
the source has too much of. For instance, a brighter and thinner voice
benefits from a darker microphone which has more girth and body. A deep,
powerful voice can call for the opposite kind of selection to help bring out
top end and articulation. A microphone with some degree of neutrality usual-ly
guarantees that it will work on the widest possible range of sit-uations with
good results. These are not hard and fast rules, but generally hold true.
Any great mic locker begins with one mic, and the UT Twin87 is an excellent
first choice as well as a welcome addition to a more es-tablished studio’s
collection. With its big, fairly neutral sound and slightly forward midrange
pres-ence; the UT Twin87 is the perfect studio ‘workhorse’ microphone to use
in a variety of ways through-out a session.
CHAPTER 4: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Type Condenser Microphone
- Diaphragm Dual-diaphragm, 6 micron, 24k gold sputtered Mylar (PET film)
- Capsule UT Series, 34mm brass, insulated dual backplate K87
- Power Supply +48v Phantom Power (via XLR)
- Ground Pin 1 XLR (required)
- Frequency Response 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- SPL 117dB (no pad), 127dB (with pad) @ .5% THD
- Polar Pattern Cardioid, Figure 8, Omni
- Output Impedance 27 Ω
- Amplifier Type Field Effect Transistor
- Self Noise <10dB (cardioid setting, no pad, no HPF)
- Output Custom-wound UT Series transformer, made in USA
- Body Nickel electroplated, solid milled brass
- High Pass Filter 80hZ (12dB down point)
- Pad -10dB
- Connector 24k gold plated XLR, pin 2 HOT, pin 1 GND
- Mount Suspension type shock mount (included)
- Dimensions Height: 220mm / 8.6″
- Diameter: 55mm / 2.2″
- Shockmount Depth: 190mm / 7.5″
CARDIOID PLOTS
OMNI PLOTS
FIGURE 8 PLOTS
OUR STORY IS YOUR STORY.
Every musician and audio engineer has to start somewhere. We start with the
entry-level gear we can afford, and work our way up to using the best of the
best gear. In today’s age, we all have the luxury of simulating all of the
best classic gear directly in a DAW — but is a simulation as good as the real
thing? Sure, we think plenty of it is great, but it never settles our need for
the original gear. With the rise of software-variants of classic gear, quite a
few companies have taken to selling the “original’’ as a hardware recreation —
but very sadly, many of us have seen we’re not being sold the real thing by
these companies. And to top it all off, the best
classic gear is getting older, less reliable, and more expensive — even
finding truly great technicians to work on them has gotten to be very
difficult. We at United are working hard to make sure everyone can finally
access gear built like the original classics, with zero compromise. We have
put everything we have into our products — from conception, custom parts, New
Old Stock parts, and in many cases final assembly and testing that is done by
hand in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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