With the 40th anniversary of the Neumann U 87, Neumann's Dan Radin took some time to answer some questions about the Neumann U 87 microphone and its history.

In the last 40 years, unimaginable leaps have been taken in audio technology - what changes has the U 87 gone through in that time?

Amazingly, there has been just ONE update to the original 1967 design! The letter "A" in the name indicates a more recent generation, as compared to the U 87 i microphones that were built from 1967 to 1986. Modifications were made only to the electronic components of the microphone; the capsule remained unchanged. Today's circuitry increases the operational headroom by supplying the capsule biasing voltages through reduced resistance. The result is 10 dB greater sensitivity for identical sound pressure levels and 3 dB better S/N ratio. The "i" suffix simply refers to the international version with 3-pin XLR connector, as opposed to microphones with Tuchel or other historical connectors.

What keeps the U 87 (and Neumann in general) so continually strong in terms of outperforming other microphones?

I think the U 87 is chosen so frequently and continues to be a perennial go-to mic because it rarely sounds bad on any source. You can generally put a U 87 on any voice, instrument, amplifier, group or room ... and it's likely to sound pretty good. While it may not be the optimal choice for EVERY application, it's pretty hard to make a U 87 sound bad. It has the fet 80 series signal path which combines a quiet, reliable solid state amplification stage and a classic transformer-balanced output that adds that little textural detail that sets it apart from many modern microphones -- this, combined with the legendary K 67 capsule creates an undeniable sonic signature of personality.

The winner of the Neumann U 87 and You contest will win a trip to Neumann Berlin - what are some of the most interesting things to see at Neumann Berlin?

Berlin is an amazing city, and like many European cities, it's not only filled with culture and personality, but it's also a city with amazing history. The architecture and juxtaposition of the different areas within the city are worth seeing alone -- but you also get to go to Neumann Headquarters! You'll see the engineering department, where new designs for microphones, mounting hardware and capsules are brought to life and tested. For example, in capsule engineering, new designs for microphone capsules are tested through a surprisingly wide array of conditions from desert-like heat to arctic frost. Last time I visited, I saw the service department, where technicians were busy cleaning and testing a pile of classic Neumanns from the Rolling Stones' collection! Also worth seeing is the spare parts department, where Neumann catalogs parts for nearly every microphone made since World War II... and even some earlier than that! Truly a unique and amazing experience for any mic junky.

If you were eligible to enter the contest, what do you associate with the U 87?

As a drummer, I always first think of all those classic recordings from the 60s and 70s with U 87s on toms. Check out the footage of John Bonham on Led Zeppelin's "The Song Remains the Same"... you'll see U 87s on his drums! I also think of a lot of the brass recordings from the 70s like Chicago with the trumpets overdriving the transformer, creating an unmistakable sonic color. I think of mic shootouts I've done in studios with modern and vintage mic classics. You put a great singer or voice-over artist in the booth... or even me... and in a blindfold test, the U 87 is almost always the winner. I can generally pick the U 87 out of the crowd because of its big, bold sound that's equal parts vintage warmth and balanced cut-through. It translates extremely well through any recording medium, analog or digital, and on any playback system from earbuds to studio monitors, PA systems to car stereos, even to the built-in speakers on my laptop. Just a remarkable microphone that's stood the test of time and continues to be favored by people with discriminating ears.