# Sound Recipe - UT Twin87 Vocal Recording

## Target

A clean, expensive, "finished-sounding" lead vocal captured with the United Studio Technologies UT Twin87 (a twin-circuit U87-style condenser) into the UAD Apollo Twin. The goal is a detailed, present, but never harsh vocal that drops into a mix and sits like a record.

The capture should feel:

- Detailed and airy (condenser clarity)
- Present and intimate, not boxy
- Controlled in the sibilance and lows
- Big enough to need almost no "fixing" later

Follows the house method: **intention → source (mic + room + preamp) → capture settings → plugin start → routing → settings → automation → taste checks.**

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## The Mic: UT Twin87 Modes and Patterns

The Twin87 reconfigures its circuit on the fly. Pick deliberately:

| Setting | Use | Going For |
|---|---|---|
| **Vintage mode** | Brighter/sharper voices, sibilant singers | Softer top, rounder U87-classic warmth |
| **Modern mode** | Dark/dull voices, when you want air | Extra shine, articulation, "expensive" sheen |
| **Cardioid (true cardioid)** | Close lead vocals | Best rejection + signal-to-noise; the default |
| **Omni** | Treated room, doubling the room as part of the sound | Natural, open, less proximity |
| **Figure-8** | Two singers face-to-face, or creative null-pointing at a noise source | Stereo/duet tricks, killing a reflection |
| **-10 dB pad** | Loud belting | Avoid front-end overload |
| **80 Hz HPF** | Close singing with heavy proximity/rumble | Tame boom without an EQ later |

Start: **Cardioid + Modern mode** for most pop vocals; switch to **Vintage** if the voice is harsh.

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## Setup and Capture

1. **Placement:** mic at mouth height or slightly above, angled down at the mouth (reduces plosives and nasal honk). Distance **6–9 inches** for a controlled, pro lead; closer = warmer + more proximity bass; further = more room.
2. **Pop filter:** always, ~3–4 inches off the grille. The Twin87 has no built-in windscreen.
3. **Off-axis trick:** have the singer aim *just past* the mic (sing slightly across it) to soften plosives and sibilance.
4. **Room:** condensers hear everything. If the room is untreated, get closer, use cardioid, and put something absorbent behind the singer (or face them into a closet of soft clothes). If the room is nice, try Omni 12–18 inches back.
5. **Gain (Apollo Twin):** set Unison preamp so peaks land around **-12 to -6 dBFS**. Use the mic's pad before pulling preamp gain too low.

### Apollo Twin advantage

- Load a **UAD Unison preamp** (e.g., **UA 610**, **Neve 1073**, or **API Vision**) on the input — it tracks the analog-modeled preamp into the recording.
- Optionally print **light** compression on the way in (UAD 1176 ~2–3 dB GR) for a committed, finished feel. When unsure, track clean and add it later.
- Use **low-latency monitoring** with reverb on the singer's headphone cue (a plate they like) so they perform better — but record dry.

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## Fast Path (capture + quick mix)

1. Twin87 Cardioid + Modern, 7 inches, pop filter, HPF on
2. Apollo Unison: UA 610 preamp, peaks ~-9 dBFS
3. Insert: Pro-Q 4 (HPF 80–100 Hz, gentle 3–5 kHz presence), UAD 1176 (4:1, 4–6 dB GR)
4. Send to a plate (Eventide SP2016) and a 1/4-note delay
5. One pass of automation to ride the level

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## Produced Path (the full chain)

Capture clean, then build the channel:

1. **iZotope RX 12** (offline) — De-plosive, Mouth De-click, Breath Control, De-ess if needed, light De-noise for room
2. **Antares Auto-Tune Pro** — transparent (fast retune only on problem notes) or hard-tuned as an effect
3. **FabFilter Pro-Q 4** — HPF 80–100 Hz; subtractive dips (boxiness 300–500 Hz, harsh 2–4 kHz); gentle air shelf above 10 kHz if Vintage mode is too soft
4. **UAD 1176** — fast FET catch: 4:1, fast attack, fast release, 3–6 dB GR (attitude/presence)
5. **UAD Teletronix LA-2A** — in series after the 1176 for smooth leveling, 2–4 dB GR (the classic 1176→LA-2A vocal stack)
6. **RX De-ess / FabFilter Pro-DS-style move** or **Logic DeEsser 2** — only if sibilance remains
7. **Sends:** plate (Eventide SP2016 / UAD Capitol Chambers), room/hall (Lexicon PCM), and a tempo delay (Eventide H3000 / UltraTap). Filter returns darker than instinct.

**Expensive one-box alternative:** track/mix through **UAD Manley VOXBOX** or **Avalon VT-737** (pre + EQ + comp + de-ess) instead of steps 3–6.

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## Routing

- Vocal → insert chain (EQ → comp → comp → de-ess) → **Vocal Bus**
- Vocal Bus → mix bus; sends to shared reverb/delay returns (never insert big reverb)
- Keep a parallel "smash" duplicate (1176 all-buttons) blended low for density when needed

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## Automation

- Ride the fader (or use sonible pureLevel) so every word reads
- Open reverb/delay sends into the chorus; pull them back under busy verses
- Brighten/De-ess dynamically rather than statically when only a few words are harsh

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## Adjustment Rules

**Too harsh/sibilant:** switch to Vintage mode, back off distance, sing more across the mic, then de-ess.

**Too dull:** Modern mode, add air shelf, get a touch closer.

**Too boomy:** HPF on the mic, more distance, less proximity, high-pass in Pro-Q.

**Too roomy/boxy:** get closer, cardioid, treat behind the singer; the room — not the mic — is usually the problem.

**Sounds amateur:** committed gain staging, the 1176→LA-2A stack, one shared reverb world, and disciplined de-essing fix 90% of it.

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## Common Mistakes

- No pop filter (condensers are plosive-prone)
- Recording in an untreated, reflective room far from the mic
- Tracking too hot (clipping the Apollo front end)
- Static de-essing that lisps the whole vocal
- Inserting big reverb instead of using sends
- Forgetting to pick a mode/pattern on purpose

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## Closest Tools I Own

Mic/pre: UT Twin87, UAD Apollo Twin (Unison: UA 610 / Neve 1073 / API Vision)
Repair/tune: iZotope RX 12, Antares Auto-Tune Pro
Dynamics: UAD 1176, Teletronix LA-2A, Manley VOXBOX, Avalon VT-737
EQ/de-ess: FabFilter Pro-Q 4, Logic DeEsser 2
Space: Eventide SP2016 / UAD Capitol Chambers, Lexicon PCM, Eventide SP2016 / H3000 / UltraTap
Level: sonible pureLevel

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## Practical Summary

Pick the Twin87's mode and pattern on purpose (Cardioid + Modern to start, Vintage to tame harshness), record 6–9 inches back with a pop filter through an Apollo Unison preamp at sane levels, and capture clean. Then build the channel with RX cleanup, transparent tuning, the 1176→LA-2A stack, surgical de-essing, and one shared reverb world. The mic is excellent — most of "expensive" comes from placement, the room, and disciplined gain staging.

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## Related Pages

- [Vocals](../../instruments/06-vocals.md)
- [Plugin Inventory — Microphones](../../reference/15-plugin-inventory.md)
- [Sound Recipe - Dave Gahan / Depeche Mode Vocal](dave-gahan-depeche-mode-vocal.md)
- [Sound Recipe - Vocoder & Pitched Vocal Textures](vocoder-pitched-vocal-textures.md)
- [Sound Recipe - Dynamic Mic Vocals (SM57 / SM58)](dynamic-mic-vocals-sm57-sm58.md)