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United Studio Technologies to release UT Twin87

United Studio Technologies unleashes UT Twin87 to capably capture the essence of both the original classic and modern incarnations of the “87-style” microphone design - duly creating a microphone that duplicates both circuits, capable of being reconfigured on the fly for the first time ever.

UT Twin87 features United Studio Technologies’ UT-K87 capsule, a custom-made K87-style, dual-diaphragm/dual-backplate, skinned with 6 µm (micron) Japanese Mylar - a polyester film made from stretched PET (polyethylene terephthalate) - in a laboratory-clean room environment, and has a 24k gold-sputtered membrane.

The twin circuit topology involved offers Vintage and Modern modes, respectively. In Vintage mode, UT Twin87 polarizes its capsule directly by normal (+48 V, optimal) phantom power voltages, taking advantage of an insulated dual-backplate design -  as was the case with the earliest “87-style” microphones. Meanwhile, the Hi-Z (high impedance) and de-emphasis circuitry use all of the same component choices as the original, yielding a slightly warmer, softer, and forgiving sound.

Switching UT Twin87 into Modern mode polarizes its capsule at a higher voltage using a FET (FieldEffect Transistor) oscillator circuit - as found on later revisions of the classic mic, making for higher sensitivity that feeds a hotter signal into the amplifier circuitry. And, again, the Hi-Z and de-emphasis circuitry use all the same component choices as much later “87-style” designs, delivering a louder, slightly brighter, and more articulate response, with an extended top-end reach and more “up-front” character.

Custom capsule capabilities notwithstanding, many iterations of the original German output transformer used in this type of microphone were also assessed with some of the older, larger frame designs. Since the size of a transformer can sometimes be a limiting factor, United Studio Technologies then developed its own custom-wound transformer built with large, all-nickel laminations resulting in almost four times the metal mass found in any existing “87-style” microphone. There are no bottlenecks or weak links in the design, so nothing is lost in translation as the signal is passed out of the microphone and down long cable runs.

Most modern “87-style” microphones incorporate an output filter designed to block RF (Radio Frequency) and FM (Frequency Modulation) interference, influencing much debate over the years as to whether this filter enhances or harms the sonics of the microphone concerned. United Studio Technologies’ HPF (High-Pass Filter) can be engaged/disengaged at any time, whether working in Vintage or Modern mode.

Another modification, the so-called “true-cardioid mod”, is quietly engaged when switching UT Twin87’s polar pattern to cardioid, whereby it will disengage the pattern select circuitry altogether and decouple from the rear diaphragm of the capsule to provide a cardioid function that is slightly hotter, more pure, and boasts a better signal-to-noise ratio, rather than operating in an active (switched) cardioid mode as per the standard design.

An assortment of components - such as polystyrene, tantalum, multilayer ceramic, WIMA film capacitors, metal and carbon fit resistors, and hand-selected transistors - play a significant part in making UT Twin87’s specification what it is, with some notable numbers on offer: 20 Hz - 20 kHz (frequency response); 117 dB - no pad, 127 dB - with pad (SPL @ 5% THD); 27 O (output impedance);

Distributed worldwide by RAD Distribution, UT Twin87 is expected to ship before the end of May 2022.

(Photos: United Studio Technologies L.L.C.)

www.unitedstudiotech.com

www.raddist.com

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