The Neumann U 87 is one of the world’s most recognizable and ubiquitous microphones. Designed as a replacement for the tube driven U 67, the U 87 has the same capsule and head basket design but uses phantom powered (48V) FET circuitry. First released in 1967, it features three polar patterns (cardioid, omni-directional, and figure eight) along with a -10dB pad and a rather aggressive low cut filter. It’s midrange forward sound makes it a popular choice for vocals, and when used in figure eight the null rejection rivals that of a ribbon microphone, which is incredibly useful to help alleviate bleed if the musician is playing an instrument while singing.