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Since many years, I have had an eye on different Neumann microphones, especially old types, where the prices are sometimes beyond reachable levels... Using Schoeps and also some RODE types and also Russian Oktave for special purposes, I do think, that the big membran microphones add somehow a "coloration" to the recording and I would dislike it personally, where I do pay great attention to make clean and uncolored recordings with my analog equipment, having since mid of 1970'ies. The purchase of the new type TLM-103, which is pricewise very attractive and having still all know-how of well known Neumann technologie did try to change my mind, where the sound is really clean with a little presense which can be perhaps needed for some recording sessions of ladies, where the soprans for examplke tends to have a little more sound-energy available on the high frequency side of the spectrum. In short, I will add, that TLM103 is a really nice microphone and I am positively impressed after roughly 30 years of standing against this companies production, where my personal feeling was, that the price (of several thpusand USD's...) is exxagerated, but I see, that the company has now achieved an acceptable level of the price around 1000.-USD, which obvioulsy has pushed me to buy this microphone and test it personally.Read full review
The TLM 103 is a great mic if your on a budget. It will definitely deliver a great result specially when recording male vocalists. It is not a U87 on cardioid mode. The U87 is mellower and not as harsh as the 103. As you overdub vocals you will find yourself looking for a de-esser or reaching for EQ, so be careful with that boost on the 3.5k. It makes it nice on a couple tracks, but it will make you unhappy as you stack more tracks along the session. Great mic for project studios specially if paired with a tube preamp. Still not as versatile as the AKG 414... The lack of multi-pattern figure is something you should consider before buying a TLM 103. It is a great mic but I would not depend exclusively on it to work with. My suggestion: If this is your first mic, go with the 414 and save money to get a TLM 103 later on. You will not regret. You will have versatility with the AKG and some extra character with the Neumann. Remember, any major recording studio(and I have worked in some) will have 414s and U87s... I still have not found ONE that uses the TLM 103. Still, a relatively decent deal for $700(used) Ohhh... one more thing, please do not settle for a cheaper copy of the Neumann Shockmount... When planning to buy a TLM 103, have the EA1 Elastic Suspension Shockmount included in your budget. It is worth every penny. LPRead full review
This beats every other copy of a "Neuman" that I've ever come across. Spend a little bit more and have the real deal. If nothing else, get the TLM 102. The TLM 102 isn't as full and warm as the TLM 103, but, it beats all of the Chines copies I've tried.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
sounds great on electric guitar, vocals, drums. high spl, handles a snare. i like to use a little eq n tame around 10k on vocals. its a little sensitive to placement so play with it til you find the sweet spot.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
First, I'd better clarify how limited my opinion is. I am just a rookie building a hobby home studio, so my opinion is relatively uninformed. However, I like things that work, - and the better they work, the better I like them. Before purchasing, I read a lot of reviews. I found quite a range of opinions, but there seemed to be a pattern hidden among the skeptics (buying based upon name rather than useful value) and glowing enthusiasts (so good everything else is crap). There were a handful of reviewers that spoke of quality that showed up in how a track "sat in a mix" rather than in hearing something particular in A/B ing mics. This seemed to have the ring of truth to me. I may not know much, but I do know how much each part of a signal path is vital to the end result. For example, you can do anything you like with the treble knob on an amp, & it won't do much if you've already rolled off the treble at the instrument. I also know that I haven't been happy with the results of using the inappropriate gear I have. It's been too much work trying to remove irritants and keep enough of what I want to get a strong and balanced mix. Assuming that nearly any studio mic would be better than what I had, I ordered both a Neumann TLM 103 and a Rode nt2a. Impressions after 1st experiments: The set up: I lined up the Neumann and Rode alongside a Sennheiser MD 421-U-5, a Neumann KMS 105, and a Shure 87A. I believe the Sennheiser is intended for both stage and recording use, but is a dynamic mic. The Sennheiser is pretty nice in its own way, but has some of the bite to the treble that lovers of 57s and 58s seem to think is normal. To me, the sort of "presence" that "cuts through a mix" is what you do on stage to hold the attention of a bar crowd. The thing that the 105 taught me is that the point of a good condenser mic is to track the transients so accurately that you don't need crunchy treble to understand the lyrics. Dynamics seem to use a shotgun style response to high frequencies that gets to be a habit. Both the Shure & the KMS 105 are stage mics. Results: As would be expected, both the 103 and the Rode blew the others away for recording. The stage mics both had very noticable self noise and much tighter patterns. re sensitivity: The needles for both the 103 and the Rode started bouncing to sounds that none of the other mics even detected. The Neumann bounced higher. I was looking for an uncolored sound. If anything, the Rode seemed even more transparent than the Neumann, (I had the Rode switches set to be in the same mode as the 103. i.e., cardoid, no pad, no high-pass filter) but the Neumann just seemed rounder. Recording was effortless. With no eq, a vocal track was easy to lay down, sounded completely natural, and yes, - it sat really well in the mix. I could do anything I wanted with it. The bottom line: My extremely limited experience says that the 103 appears to do what it is supposed to do, and my intuition says that I won't be disappointed as time goes on. I do trust that tools do best what they do best, and there are a whole lot of other mics out there. What I can't say is whether this is the best "value," or how long it will take before I feel like I have urgent need for something else too. I like the Rode too. Danged if I know if the difference in quality (or personality) is actually worth the money. All I know is that I am happy and have no regrets.Read full review
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