Neumann TLM 103-MT Large Diaphragm Cardioid Microphone, Black, XLR

Product Information

Price Match: ESV will not be beaten on price and to ensure this they offer a Price Match Guarantee*. We're in a world where Behringer and SSL are making everything in China nowadays. Apple's famous "Designed in..." strategy might hide the fact that their products are mass-produced, but that's not the case with Neumann. Which is great!

The TLM 103 came out in 1997 as a cheaper alternative to the legendary U87. The sound is considered a modern update to the classic ’60s and ’70s vibe of the earliest 87s, and like the 102, the TLM 103 has its own thing going on. Its capsule is based on the K67/87 design found in the U87, but the 103 does not sound anything like the dark, vintage character you’d get out of a classic 87. Bought this mic in 1998 and it came in a nice wooden box with the Neuman Logo and a adapter for the stands. I love these nice details, nothing like a wooden box to impale a sense of greatness to a mic Next up the line is the infamous TLM 103, one of Neumann’s best selling microphones. It’s slightly larger than the 102, and comes in at 13cm with a 6cm diameter, and tips the scales at 450g (over twice the weight of the TLM 102). The TLM 103 uses the K103 large diaphragm capsule from the legendary U67 & U87 microphones, so has very posh parents! Again this is a pressure gradient (cardioid only) single diaphragm capsule. It uses a transformer-less circuit and again, along with its smaller TLM 102 brother, to reduce cost, it has no pad or filter switches available.

Reviews

It is a piece of perfect equipment for vocal, and instrumental recording with extremely low self-noise levels with 7db-A/17.5db CCIR is so reduced that even the smallest signals are reproduced noise-free. The TLM103 is supplied in a wooden case, with a shaped hard foam insert, which should afford a good degree of protection for the mic in storage and transit. A cable is not included, but Neumann claim that the mic is insensitive to capacitive loading and long cable lengths, and you should be able to use any decent cable without problems. As we all know the U87 has been resulting in sublime excellence for years to date and surely will for years to come.

Point and shoot! This cardioid mic is a wonderful addition to any radio station or voice over studio's setup! It is great because of it's sweet proximity effect and is as easy to use as any cardioid only solid state mic should be, all you do is add phantom power and turn up the gain!

Neumann TLM 103 Condenser Microphone, Black Overview

Much like transformers, the electronic circuit ensures a high level of purity within the audio signal, reducing electromagnetic interference that can degrade the signal. The transformerless design of the TLM 103 also helps result in highly accurate low frequencies and spares this microphone from the core saturation that the transformer based microphones experience. It's also worth noting that this kind of condenser microphone requires to have a nice room, or at least a reflection filter of some kind. I doubt the TLM-103 would sound good in a poorly treated bedroom. By all accounts this is a really incredible mic... if you happen to have one of the early units. I dont have any experience in the newer ones but I have seen several reports about vocals sounding thin and harsh.

As a member of Neumann’s TLM series, the TLM 103 works with a transformerless output stage, which minimizes transmission losses and ensures a very immediate, uncolored sound, true to the original, as well as a clear, powerful bass response, even at highest signal levels. Applications

When it comes to the mid and high frequencies, the TLM 103 has a wider and brighter curve than the 102. But the 102 has a cool bump around 6 kHz, so it's got more presence. Self noise is 15/12/14 dB-A for Omni/Cardioid/Figure of Eight, not quite as good as its more modern designed brethren. Sensitivity at 1kHz into 1kohm is 20/28/22 mV/Pa for Omni/Cardioid/Figure of Eight – very healthy indeed.