S3-87 Microphone
$ 699.00
Features
- 34mm (large diaphragm) dual-sided, dual-backplate, K67-style condenser capsule
- 3 way pattern switch: Cardioid, Omni, Figure-8
- Switchable 10dB pad
- Tapered, 2-layer brass mesh grille
- 60mm elastic shockmount
- Plastic storage case
Description
The S3-87 is a large-diaphragm condenser microphone built by hand in the US (using the best components we can find from all around the world). It uses a K67/K87 style capsule and expertly optimized transformerless electronics.
The microphone has high sensitivity, very low distortion, and low self-noise. It has a neutral, unhyped, uncolored tone that works well on a wide variety of sources -- from voiceover to foley to drums and guitars.
If you intend to record very high-SPL applications (such as kick drum), we can build a high-SPL version of this mic upon request -- with lower sensitivity, and a 20dB pad.
The S3-87 ships with a an elastic shockmount and a hard plastic storage case.
Specifications
| Acoustic Operating Principle | Pressure-gradient transducer |
| Capsule | K67-style true condenser, 34mm O.D. |
| Diaphragms | 3-micron Mylar, center-terminated |
| Directional pattern | Cardioid, Omni, Figure-8 switchable |
| Frequency range | 10 - 15,000 Hz |
| Sensitivity | 30 mV/Pa |
| Impedance | < 200 Ohm |
| Signal-to-Noise ratio | 84dB (A) |
| Self-noise | 10-12dBA |
| Supply voltage | 48±4 VDC |
| Output connector | XLR3M |
Origins and Components
The circuit is our highly optimized version of the transformerless design pioneered by Schoeps. We manufacture and populate the circuit boards in the US, using the finest components available: 1% Vishay Dale resistors, long-life Panasonic and Wima capacitors, vintage ("NOS") transistors from Siliconix and Toshiba.
The capsule is our RK-87, our specially tuned K67/K87 style capsule. This is a 34mm O.D., dual-backplate capsule modeled after Neumann's famous K67 (found in the U67 and U87ai microphones). We use 3-micron Japanese Mylar for the diaphragms, which are metallized with pure gold.
The headbasket is a tapered design that we modeled after the Neumann M49/M50 grille. We make it with 2 layers of mesh, as that gives the best compromise between sonic transparency and blast/EMI/RFI protection.
All these great parts come together to create a slick-looking, very sensitive (~30mV/Pa), very low-noise (~10dBA) studio microphone with wide bandwidth and neutral tonality.
In the Box
The S3-87 ships with a metal-frame elastic shockmount and a padded plastic suitcase. The mic is warrantied against defects for 90 days.
Availability
We build these microphones to order, in our northern California shop. Allow 3-4 business days for build, burn-in, and QC. We sweep-test every microphone as well as perform critical listening tests, before shipping.
