United Studio Technologies have just introduced a new microphone that delivers a packed-down version of their U87-inspired UT Twin87. The UT Vintage87 is said to deliver the same vintage tone as its sibling, but comes with a fixed cardioid pattern and at a more affordable cost.
The UT Vintage87 is built around United Studio Technologies’ custom K87-style dual-diaphragm capsule, the UT-K87, which is milled from brass, skinned with six-micron Japanese PET film, and finished with a 24k gold-sputtered membrane. UST are meticulous in its construction, with each capsule is assembled in a strict clean-room environment.
The capsule is joined by a large-core, custom-wound, US-made output transformer that’s been developed exclusively by United themselves. Inspired by early German transformer designs, but rebuilt without any of the size or mass limitations, the UT transformer uses all-nickel laminations and boasts nearly four times the metal mass of typical 87-style mic transformers. The result is significant headroom, an open and three-dimensional sound, and a low frequency response that remains fully intact on even the longest cable runs.
The no-compromise philosophy continues with a selection of premium components rarely found at the price: polystyrene, tantalum, multilayer ceramic and WIMA film capacitors; tight-tolerance metal and carbon film resistors; and individually selected transistors throughout the circuit.
Of course, the reduction in cost compared to the original has to be found somewhere, but rather than compromise on performance, United Studio Technologies have chosen instead to offer a single, fixed voicing option and omit the pattern-select circuitry found in the UT Twin87. The new offering instead features a cardioid-only response, and delivers a hotter output and a ‘cleaner’ cardioid pattern, as well as benefitting from lower self-noise.
Key Features
- Faithful reproduction of a vintage Neumann U87.
- Custom United 24k gold-sputtered dual-diaphragm/dual-backplate K87-style capsule.
- Switchable RF filter — first time on a vintage-style, 87-inspired microphone.
- True-cardioid pattern — slightly hotter, more pure, and boasts a better signal-to-noise ratio than the classic original.
- Custom-wound, American-made United transformer with four times the metal mass of other 87s.
- Absolute workhorse — desert-island microphone for professional studios and voiceover.
- Clean, clear, articulate, open sound.
- Low noise, high headroom and dynamic range.
“Sometimes people assume that because you make a less expensive version of a product that you have cut some corners in terms of quality of ingredients. With The UT Vintage87, we have cut no corners whatsoever. It’s built from the same components as the UT Twin87 inside and out; we just eliminated features some users may not need. We made no compromises at all; it has all the warmth, balance and consistency of the classic, while removing the barriers that usually keep microphones like this out of reach.” - Chad Kelly, Co-Founder, United Studio Technologies
Pricing & Availability
The UT Vintage87 will be shipping in Q1 2026, priced at $399€529.
