EN
1. Introduction
This manual contains essential information for the
operation and care of the product you have pur-
chased. Please read the instructions carefully and
completely before using the equipment. Please
keep this manual where it will be accessible at all
times to all current and future users.
Additional information, in particular concern-
ing available accessories and Neumann service
partners, can always be found on our website:
www.neumann.com. Information about service
partners can also be obtained by telephone:
+49 (0) 0 / 41 77 4 - 0.
The following related files are available in PDF
format in the Downloads section of our website
www.neumann.com:
Operation with Unbalanced or Center Tap
Grounded Inputs
Some Remarks on Microphone Maintenance
The Neumann online forum on our website en-
ables Neumann users worldwide to share their
experiences. Through its integrated archive func-
tion, the forum has developed into an extensive
knowledge pool.
2. Safety instructions
The microphone has the intended purpose of con-
verting acoustic signals into electrical signals.
Connect the microphone only to microphone in-
puts and devices which supply 48 V of phantom
power in accordance with IEC 6198.
Repairs and servicing are to be carried out only
by experienced, authorized service personnel.
Unauthorized opening or modification of the
equipment shall void the warranty.
Use the equipment only under the conditions
specified in the “Technical data” section. Allow
the equipment to adjust to the ambient tempera-
ture before switching it on. Do not operate the
equipment if it has been damaged during trans-
port.
Always run cables in such a way that there is no
risk of tripping over them.
Unless required for operation, ensure that liquids
and electrically conductive objects are kept at a
safe distance from the equipment and its connec-
tions.
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EN
Do not use solvents or aggressive cleansers for
cleaning purposes.
Dispose of the equipment in accordance with the
regulations applicable to the respective country.
3. Brief description
The U 87 Ai is a condenser studio microphone
with a transformer output and the directional
characteristics omnidirectional, cardioid and
figure-8.
The microphone features exceptionally clean
sound transmission which is free of coloration.
A switchable high-pass filter increases the lower
cutoff frequency, thus reducing the influence of
the proximity effect and structure-borne sound.
The pre-attenuation switch reduces the micro-
phone sensitivity by 10 dB, thus allowing the pro-
cessing of very high sound pressure levels.
Typical applications of the U 87 Ai include dub-
bing, broadcasting and the recording of solo
voices and choirs. In the field of instrumental re-
cording, the U 87 Ai has proven itself with winds,
percussion, piano and strings, particularly cello
and double bass.
4. Scope of delivery
U 87 Ai (mt):
U 87 Ai (mt) microphone
Operating manual
Wooden box
U 87 Ai (mt) Set:
U 87 Ai (mt) microphone
EA 87 (mt) elastic suspension
Operating manual
Wooden box
U 87 Ai (mt) Stereo Set:
x U 87 Ai (mt) microphones
x EA 87 (mt) elastic suspensions
Operating manual
x Dust cover
Aluminum case
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5. Setup
Mounting the microphone
Attach the microphone to a stable, sturdy stand.
Use an elastic suspension, if necessary, for the
mechanical suppression of structure-borne noise.
For this purpose set the microphone into the inner
cage from above, and secure it to the inner cage
with the threaded nut. If required, use a wind-
screen or popscreen from our range of accesso-
ries in order to suppress wind or pop noise.
Connecting the microphone
Caution: An incorrect supply voltage can dam-
age the microphone!
Attach the microphone only to a power supply
unit, a microphone preamplifier, a mixing console
or other equipment which has phantom power
with 48 V (P 48), in accordance with IEC 6198.
Any P 48 power supply equipment can be used
which supplies at least 0.8 mA per channel.
Caution: Very loud noise can damage loud-
speakers or your hearing!
Minimize the volume of connected playback
and recording equipment before connecting the
microphone.
Using a suitable cable, connect the microphone
to the microphone input of the audio equipment
to be used for subsequent processing, or to the
designated P 48 power supply equipment. Infor-
mation concerning connector assignment can be
found in the “Technical data” section.
Cable lengths of up to approximately 00 m be-
tween the microphone and the subsequent am-
plifier input have no effect on the frequency re-
sponse of the microphone.
When connecting the cables, ensure that the con-
nectors are locked correctly. Run the cables in
such a way that there is no risk of tripping over
them.
The microphone is to be addressed primarily from
the side on which the Neumann logo is located.
Gradually increase the volume of the connected
equipment
Set the gain of the connected equipment so that
no distortion occurs at the highest sound pres-
sure level.
Selecting the directional characteristic
There are three selectable directional character-
istics, which allow the microphone to be adapted
to individual recording situations: omnidirection-
al, cardioid and figure-8. The rotary switch for the
directional characteristics is located on the front
of the microphone, below the headgrille.
When the directional characteristic is changed,
an increased noise level may occur for a period of
approximately 0 seconds. This does not indicate
a malfunction, but arises due to the electrical
recharging of the microphone capsule to the ap-
propriate bias. As a precaution, reduce the signal
level of connected equipment when changing the
directional characteristic.
Setting the pre-attenuation
The switchable pre-attenuation increases the
maximum signal level by 10 dB, in order to avoid
overloading when transmitting signals at ex-
tremely high sound pressure levels.
Pre-attenuation is activated by means of a switch
on the back of the microphone.
Setting the high-pass filter
The switchable high-pass filter can be used to
suppress low-frequency interference (e.g. caused
by impact sound or wind noise) or to compensate
for the proximity effect.
When the high-pass filter is switched on and the
microphone is set to “cardioid”, the microphone
should be addressed from a distance of 0 cm
to 40 cm; for “figure-8”, the distance is 15 cm to
0 cm.
The high-pass filter is activated by means of a
switch on the back of the microphone.
Suppressing noise interference
The frequency response of the U 87 Ai extends
below 0 Hz. The microphone is of course corre-
spondingly sensitive to low-frequency interfer-
ence such as structure-borne noise and wind or
pop noise. Depending upon the situation, the use
of an elastic suspension, a windscreen and/or a
popscreen is therefore recommended.
Sound test
Simply speak into the microphone. Do not blow
into the microphone or subject it to pop noise,
since this can easily result in hazardous sound
pressure levels.
