Donner DC-87 — a dual-diaphragm studio condenser microphone
Donner is an Asian manufacturer with its own development department and production in China. The company entered the market in 2012 with miniature guitar pedals. Since then, its range has expanded significantly, from musical instruments to studio equipment. Products are sold under the Donner, Eastar, Moukey, and Reditmo brands and aim to help beginner musicians develop their creative ideas.
We had the opportunity to explore Donner's products by testing the DC-87 microphone.
The Donner DC-87 is a large-diaphragm studio condenser microphone. Its dual-diaphragm capsule provides three polar patterns. A shock mount, pop filter, and connection cable are included, allowing recording to begin after purchase.
Donner DC-87 specifications
| Capsule | 34 mm condenser |
| Polar pattern | Cardioid, figure-eight, omnidirectional |
| Maximum SPL | 142 dB (cardioid), 148 dB (figure-eight, omnidirectional) |
| Frequency range | 20 Hz–20 kHz |
| Sensitivity | -34 dB (cardioid), -40 dB (figure-eight, omnidirectional) |
| Signal-to-noise ratio | 81 dB (cardioid); 77 dB (omnidirectional, figure-eight) |
| Equivalent noise level | -13 dBA (cardioid); -17 dBA (omnidirectional, figure-eight) |
| Dynamic range | 129 dB (cardioid); 131 dB (omnidirectional, figure-eight) |
| Nominal impedance | 200 ohms |
| Required power supply | 48 V |
| Controls | Polar pattern selection, low-cut filter, -10 dB pad |
| Connections | XLR |
| Dimensions | 221 × 56 mm |
| Weight | 520 g |
| Package contents | Shock mount with pop filter, storage pouch, XLR microphone cable |
There is no doubt that the legendary Neumann U87 inspired Donner's microphone. The model number and some visual similarities confirm this.
The DC-87 has an elongated cast-metal housing, wider at the top, and a tapered protective grille. It slightly resembles microphones from the German manufacturer. We see nothing wrong with this. A design based on a legendary model is preferable to one that looks overly decorative or awkward.
A switch on the front selects the polar pattern. The two diaphragms provide three fixed options: figure-eight, cardioid, and omnidirectional.
The rear has a pad switch that reduces sensitivity by 10 dB and a low-cut filter. According to the specifications, the filter is first-order, with a slope of 6 dB per octave and a cutoff frequency of 80 Hz. The manufacturer's frequency response graph helps show the microphone's low-frequency behavior.
The graph shows almost no low-frequency roll-off. It is therefore best to enable the low-cut filter when recording voice. Its relatively low cutoff should not affect the wanted signal. It will, however, noticeably reduce close-miking boominess and remove low-frequency background noise if present.
The photo clearly shows a conventional large-diaphragm capsule with a center contact. The Donner DC-87 has a stated maximum SPL of 142 dB in cardioid mode and 148 dB in figure-eight and omnidirectional modes. Sensitivity is -34 dB.
The microphone specification does not state the diaphragm diameter, and different sources give different figures. We measured it ourselves and can confirm that the Donner DC-87 uses a 34 mm capsule.
Inside is a full discrete circuit using modern surface-mount (SMD) components. The microphone is a low-noise design, with self-noise of only 13 dBA.
The supplied stand shock mount is entirely plastic but looks reliable. A threaded connection holds the microphone very firmly, allowing any angle and orientation. The mount has an unusual shape, but its operating principle is familiar. Elastic cords suspend the microphone basket and isolate it from vibration and mechanical noise coming through the stand or boom arm.
For voice recording, the mount has a hole for the supplied pop filter. Its coarse metal mesh looks unusual. The filter reduces plosives effectively, but for critical work we would recommend a more traditional fabric-screen filter.
The Donner DC-87 also comes with a zippered leather pouch and a connection cable. The XLR microphone cable is 3 meters long.
Recording quality
We tried the microphone on vocals and wind instruments. Recording quality was good and fully met our expectations for a large-diaphragm studio microphone. Compared with electret-capsule microphones, the DC-87 captures the full frequency range while keeping subtle detail. Voice and instrument tone is complete and fairly neutral, without strong coloration or an obvious frequency imbalance. For its low price, the microphone's capabilities are very good. We see no reason to question its suitability for professional work.
Our video shows the main features and an example recording. It was made in 4K, so we recommend watching full-screen:
Compared with studio models known to be more expensive and better, the Donner DC-87 has more aggressive treble and less detailed low frequencies. However, these differences are not large, which is an excellent result in itself.
The microphone gives its best and fullest recordings in cardioid mode. In figure-eight mode, there are slight tonal differences between the two sides. The front diaphragm records more neutrally. Keep this in mind when positioning the microphone in this mode.
Conclusions
Overall, the Donner DC-87 performed very well. It is one of the few affordable large-diaphragm microphones on the market with three polar patterns. Compared with simpler electret-capsule models, it has a significant advantage in its more natural, complete sound. By our demanding standards, the supplied metal pop filter is its only weak point. Buying an inexpensive fabric pop filter is easy, however.
Note. This is an adapted machine translation into English. It follows the “In simple terms” approach. Read the original article at https://prosound.ixbt.com/microphones/donner-dc87.shtml.