United Studio Technologies UT Twin 87 Twin-Circuit Large-Diaphragm Microphone

Rather than having to choose between the original U87 circuit and the more modern revisions, United chose to incorporate both into their design. A switch allows selection between these two circuits. Vintage mode produces a signal path that is identical to the original "87-style" microphones, yielding a smoother, warmer sound. Modern mode gently polarizes the capsule at a higher voltage (63v) using an FET oscillator circuit, resulting in a higher sensitivity and a hotter signal for the amplifier. This yields a louder, brighter, and more coherent sound with an enhanced top end.

United custom-designed their own take on the classic K87 style capsule. This dual-diaphragm, dual-backplate design is milled from brass and skinned with 6 micron Japanese PET film (Mylar), and has a 24k gold sputtered membrane. The UT-Series capsule is terminated with a very fine strand of silver-plated Teflon wire which, in conjunction with thorough insulation, reduces any interference or induced loss. Even the metal mesh was given careful consideration, using the exact mesh gauge and three layer mesh makeup of the original headbasket.

After carefully considering numerous German designs for the original U87 transformers, United opted to build their own design which contains nearly four times the metal mass found in any "87-style" microphone. This transformer is custom-wound, with large, all nickel laminations. This results in an open, clear, three dimensional sound with high headroom and plenty of signal strength for long cable runs.

Like most modern "87-style" microphones, the UT Twin87 features an output filter designed to block RF and EM interference, a particularly useful feature for broadcast applications. Over the years however, some engineers have debated the sonic impact of this filter and its potential to negatively affect the quality of the output signal. United have solved this problem by adhering to the same design philosophy driving the UT Twin87s overall concept; to include both. Thus, the RF blocking filter can be switched on or off in either vintage or modern mode.

When set to cardioid pattern mode the UT Twin87 engages a boutique modification called "true-cardioid mod". Rather than the standard switching design used in most multi-pattern mics, the UT Twin87 disengages the pattern selection circuitry altogether and decouples from the rear diaphragm. This produces a slightly hotter signal and a better signal-to-noise ratio.

The UT Twin87 includes plenty of onboard control for excelling in a variety of scenarios. A switch on the front allows selection of multiple polar patterns including an exceptionally hot and directional cardioid mode, a useful bidirectional figure-8 pattern, and a classic omnidirectional mode for minimal sound coloring and room ambiance. A convenient high-pass filter set at 80 Hz makes it easy to setup the UT Twin87 for vocals, guitar, drum overheads, or to eliminate rumble during broadcast or podcast use. And the -10 dB pad switch increases maximum SPL resiliency making the UT Twin87 more viable as a mic for loud sound sources such as kick drums and amplified cabs.

Entirely handmade in the US and rigorously tested before shipment, the UT Twin87 is built to exacting standards. Electroplated nickel and solid milled brass are used for the durable body, while the US-made UT transformer is custom-wound and large-cored. NOS (new old stock) parts and high-end components such as polystyrene, tantalum, multilayer ceramic, WIMA film capacitors, metal and carbon film resistors, and hand-selected transistors ensure an authentic U87-style sound quality that engineers around the world have c