Howdy everyone!! Here are the affiliate links in case this review helped you out :) Amazon: TLM 102 - amzn.to/3puCa19 TLM 103 - amzn.to/2Umei4i Sweetwater: TLM 102 - imp.i114863.net/yRxQED TLM 103 - imp.i114863.net/7mBkL3
@@jonathansellers793 Why? Brandon is mainly focussed on voice over with a little bit of recording guitars and vocals. But that doesn´t represent the needs of musicians and so Phil chooses a more practically relevant approach to mics. At least IMHO.
When I had my 102 - it seemed to pick up absolutely everything in monitoring, but when i recorded, there was significantly less background noise in the recording, next to nill even. I'm looking to get a U87ai and I'm hoping it's not OD sensitive, but I've heard otherwise. Also sibilance isn't in the high end, it's in the upper mids 2-4k usually, which is before the shelf. The 102 is way more sibilant - i'm guessing it's because of the size of the diaphram, but I don't know.
Thanks Phil. In the shootout I seem to like the 102 sound more, especially in the voice over and singing segments. A little warmer and smoother to my ears.
I just bought a Neumann TLM 103 and stumbled across this channel in the process. For me a 103 is better because i have a deep raspy voice. I upgraded from a Rode Nt-1 and the difference is like night and day. Solid channel and work my G!
I'm in the same situations as you were. Right now I got the Rode NT-1 and looking to upgrade to a better mic and i'm considering between 102 and 103 but don't know what should i choose. Can you tell me how is the tlm 103 working for you so far these past 9 months it would mean a lot to me to get some more info. Thanks!!
Thanks Phil. Help me out guys I am a vocalist. I own a 102 and as I live in a heavy traffic area and my room is not treated there is a lot of sensitivity. The 102 even picks horns from miles away So my question is should i buy a 103 ? or do you have better alternatives? Audio Interface: RME Babyface Pro Fs Thanks !!
I absolutely love my Neumann TLM102 kit with the shock mount for my home recording studio. Of course I understood that my space would need to be treated properly.
@@AudioHaze Why not make a video showing people how to get the best out of their TLM 102 in a home recording studio? Show them what they need to do to enjoy its benefits and mitigate the problems outside of a full studio?
I have a 102 and recently borrowed the 103 from a friend to compare. 103 sounds much smoother on my voice, but 102 cuts through much better in a crowded mix especially with distorted rock guitars. 102 also has a less harsh top end to my ears. 102 sounds a bit narrower and focused, while the 103 sounds open but less punchy. Great comparison video 🤘🏻 By the way, what’s the song being sung at the end of the comparison? Incredible, I would like to add it to my favorites!
How come the tlm 103 is less sensitive? tlm 102 sensitivity is 11 mV/Pa, while the tlm 103 is 23 mV/Pa. Considering this, I don't understand how the tlm 103 would take less ambient noise than the tlm 102. Help me out here please.
As a voice actor I see other voice actors using the 103 more, but my preference listening to your review, was the 102. I have been planning to get the 103 for a while, but now I'm leaning more toward the 102. Great review...thanks!
Thanks Phil. Ricky, where did you get this idea that if a mic needs more gain, it is more sensitive to the environment ? If so, the SM7b should be super sensitive to all kinds of noise. The NT1 is also very sensitive to room noise, it's not gain hungry though. It is the overall design of the mic that makes it more or less prone to catching unwanted sounds. By the way, the sound difference for guitar is stunning. Was it really the same position ?
Two different kinds of microphones. Sm7b is a dynamic mic while the Neumann is a condenser. Big difference. Dynamics are more directional and can take more spl. Condensers are more sensitive and omnidirectional. Dynamic mics need more gain to bring them up to the record level. You don’t gain a condenser the same as a dynamic mic.
Thanks Phil! With your feedback in mind, I correctly identified both blind tests, but honestly really enjoyed both sounds. Because I very much have a “home studio” I do think I will go with the 103 due to the slight advantages in an untreated space. I appreciate the honest and useful review!
Gotta say, I agree with you that, at least in this video, I prefer the 102. To my ears, the proximity effect in the recordings you did here, make the 102 sound warmer than the 103. Wasn't expecting that. I'm curious, if I would've bought the 102 instead of the 103, if I still would've sent it back? Probably? After all is said and done, both the 102 and 103 are beautiful mics. But, I think I'll stick with the 440 Pure for now. If you pair the 440 with some analog emulating plugins and saturation, it really is a beautiful combination of detail and warmth. Another great vid! Thanks Phil!
Yeah the 440 is killer! I haven't made a chain specific for it yet but I would be curious to see how easy it would be to pull off a Neumann-like sound on mine :)
Thanks for the video. As far as I know, gain has nothing to do with how sensitive a mic is to environmental noise or noise rejection. Sensitivity is determined by the construction/design of the mic and, particularly, its capsule and polar pattern. Gain is just how loud the mic is, and can be an issue if you have a mic with above average self noise or a less than great preamp. Forgive me if I have misunderstood what you were saying. Cheers.
Sensitivity is the lowest SPL the mic is capable of converting into an electric voltage. Gain is the ratio between input voltage and output voltage on the preamp. Dynamic range is the difference in SPL between the lowest electrical voltage above the self noise floor of the microphone and the voltage at which the level of distortion generated internal to the microphone (potentially caused by a number of different factors) becomes unacceptable. Nirvana is a noise floor of 0dB and a completely flat frequency curve between 8Hz - 50Hz. Let me know if you ever find a microphone like that.
To me the 102 sounds so good and almost rivals u67. Bar the high frequency bump on the 102. If you can flatten that high end bump it would be as flat as the u67
Great work, Ricky! Really enjoying your videos! Another $100 shockmount you can get for the 102 is the MKS4 (works with the Sennheiser MK4 and TLM 103 as well.) Also the $300 EA1 shockmount isn't just expensive, it's a pain to use, too!
I got the103 and my voice sounded crystal clear but I was shocked at how much noise it picked up, I was hearing everything going on downstairs in my headphones, I felt like a superwoman with a heightened sense. I remembered your video about it's sensitivity. But for some reason, as soon as I started singing and recording into logic, I literally didn't do anything but it somehow cut out all the background noise and literally just collected my pure vocal CLEAN. My room isn't sound treated and I sang into a quality insulator, bought it with it's shock mount and I am more than pleased with it and very glad I didn't have to worry about the background noise. I also used a cheap presonus interface. So if anyone is concerned about its high sensitivity, it seems to sort itself out as you adjust the gains on your interface and it adapts. God bless you in Jesus name.
This was an awesome video. I happened to need it because I've stumbled between a used TLM 103 and a brand new TLM 102, which are $100 apart. Is it worth the difference to get the TLM 103 in your opinion?
In 0:32 it seems that you want to say that a more sensitive mic does record a bigger part of unwanted noise. This is not true because the relation between "wanted signal" and "unwanted signal" stays the same. How high the unwanted noise is will be definied by polar sensitivity / directional characteristik and technology (condenser, dynamic, dampening ...) and of course by filtering. Besides of that, I agree. Also I would like to state that microfones are not rocket science, not even hig tech, but since decades well known low tech and ridiculously overpriced. With technologies like MatchEQ or FIR fiiltering, you can - concerning the equing - simulate/model different mics very precisely (Townsend Labs e.g. does this). Marketing people are lying the most time of their life.
I'm really confused now! Is it possible the 102 sounds better? Oh, woe is me... However my pocketbook is responding much better! From astonishingly windy and sorta weirdly back to normal Ireland! ☘☮🤘🏽🤠👍🏽☮☘
That singer is DAMN awesome. Also, whoever wrote the tune is skilled. Creative man. Great writing and performance. I'm an old guy who has run a studio for 30+ years. You guys did that song justice. As far as the mics? Eh...Either mic will work though. I own both, and a U87. And maybe 150 more. Literally. If forced to use any of them, you can make it work. All about what's IN FRONT OF THE MIC. And..ahem...having something actually WORTH recording. Thanks for the cool video. Sub'ing. Keep up the good work. P.S. I think I watched your sm7b vid...totally agree. Just get a 57 ;-) Unless you're in a radio station. Near an airport. With spinal tap levels of RFI. Then you might actually need the humbucking transformer in an sm7b. Sheesh...great mic, but the hype a while back...damn.
I’ve owned two TLM103’s at different times and I never cared for it. I much prefer the TLM193. I also wanted to like the compact design of the 102, but I also found it pretty harsh in any environment I’ve tried it in. In a way they both sound forced or pre-processed. I’d recommend the SE T1 for a similar sound at a big discount (still not my favorite sound).
cool video. The truth for me is the price. The problem with mics for me is this: mics of a certain price and up tend to sound so similar, with slight nuanced differences that I feel one can make them work easily no matter which one you choose. And mic placement goes a long way to compensate for slight differences. I bought the 102 over the 103 years ago because it was signifificantly cheaper and it sounds great. Besides recording myself and recording theater plays I use it in my home office for voip on a mic arm without any shock mount and have never noticed any weird noise from typing, stomping or similar. To me, it's a nonissue
And so moral of the story here. Do not tap on your microphone stand. When using the TLM-102 without a shock mount. Yeah so don't be tapping your foot. Tapping your fingers on the desktop. No don't do that. When the microphone is on. Because that's not being very Professional. So don't do that. It doesn't sound good when you do that. You shouldn't be doing that. Okey-doke? Now you can also put on your microphone stand feet. Cut, tennis balls. Or you might want to use an Atlas BS-36, is it? It's got a nice heavy iron base. And a very solid pole. And it's not a lightweight piece of crap. That resonates like a Gong. And you know. There are other, rubber mounted microphone clips. That you can get. I have those also. It is a shock mount. Without the size of a shock mount. Because the microphone is still mounted rigidly but with rubber. That flexes. It's like a thick rubber band. I mean give me a break already, kid? Yes that TLM-102 is a perfect, home studio microphone. And of course there are other microphones at a much lower cost. And they all have, THINNER DIAPHRAGMS! And if you want that crispy crunchy, high-end strident goodness? With a 3 mil thickness, diaphragm? Instead of a 6 mil, thickness, Neumann, Diaphragm? Then go for it, dude. And you'll love it's crispy high-end. It's over exaggerated high-frequency strident boost. Sure it'll sound better to you! And ensure your recordings stay, amateur, sounding at their best.. Sure! How about a nice Hawaiian Punch? I mean really? Are you being serious? Or just seriously funny looking? Right. I should've known. You are being very comical. I didn't realize you were being sarcastic? You know it's also perfectly fine to use a, SM-57. With a really big oversized gargantuan gray foam pop filter on it. As that was essentially good enough for, Michael Jackson's lead vocals. It should be good enough for you. If you know what knobs and dials to turn? And what else to patch in? Then there's no problem. But there's problem. When you think it's all about one microphone. It's not. And hate to break this to you. But there's a good chance. The SM-57 will actually sound better. For similar reasons, you described earlier about the 102. You see, response of the SM-57 is rated between, 50 hertz and 17,000 Hz. So immediately, it's filtering out, sub low-frequency rumble. It's filtering out some of the hissing from the air conditioning in the background. And it's far less sensitive. So mostly impervious to a lot of other low-level noises you will never hear. And a very tight, polar pattern. But doesn't pick up all sorts of other trash like a condenser microphone! I think you need a, PZM microphone or two. I have about 10. They are incredible! Nothing else works like them or sounds like them. And very funny considering they have, $0.98, Taiwanese made capsules. And they sound incredible! I haven't been able to live without them since, 1984! And they don't fit on a microphone stand. They need no desk stand. They merely need a desktop. You can also tape them to the walls or to the ceiling, on the floor, on someone's chest. They are extremely versatile. They sound incredible. They are very funny. They are just too strange. To have caught on better. But I know it sounds great. Recently I sold my, elitist, microphone collection. I was able to live on for over a year. Because all I really need are, SM-57's & 58's. A few old, Radio Shaft & Crown, PZM's. And a couple of old Sony and Sennheiser, lavalier microphones. They come in handy in so many ways. They sound great. No Problem'o! It's a bunch of razzmatazz! And… Cha-cha-cha! And you can plug it into, anything. From, $2.50 US, single integrated circuit chip, microphone preamp. Up to your favorite flavored, Neve and API, rotten choices. They made all of those rotten hit records! And it really does not matter the preamp you use. So you did an okay review. With massive amounts of misinformation. You've got screwed into your head wrong. Very wrong. And I was aghast. That you are misinformed pursuits down the wrong pathway. Of coming up with some pretty wacky conceptions of how you think things are working? I mean really son? The best part about the 102 is? It has the same name tag as the, much more costly, U-87's. RemyRAD
But Breaux. Instead of sitting there babbling about the, 102 versus the 103. You should've had both set up! You should have been switching between the two. While talking about this! What the hell Breaux? You are babbling. On the 103. Which is said to have a U-87 front capsule. The Industry Standard for Narrative Recordings. Yes. And what's in that 102? It sounds to me like it's Not a, U-87 front capsule? Which then begs the question. Is it a Neumann capsule or a Sennheiser capsule? How different is the, electronics? I don't have the schematic. I can't tell? Can you read a schematic? No you cannot. It should also be noted. The presence rise. Is, really about the same for the 2. The mesh screen grill has something to do with that. And the 102 is smaller. So it's not going to exhibit exactly the same response. But they are fundamentally the same. It's the way they make their capsules. Tasty. And so I'm not quite sure what you think the 102 wouldn't be good on? As compared to, what it would be good on? You don't need to worry about that. It'll be good on everything. It certainly won't be bad. It's got a thicker diaphragm than other microphones have. So it doesn't sound, cheap. You are paying for part of that sound. So even though other condenser microphones that look similar and have similar specifications. Will all have a hyped fizzy high-end. Because they have thinner, diaphragms. And so, Punk. You have to ask yourself. Are you feeling lucky today? Do you want a thin diaphragm or a nice juicy thick diaphragm? And what's it worth to you? Are you going to make the right decision? It's so easy not to. To be fooled by an exaggerated high-end. Thinking that sounds better! It actually does not. It sounds trashy. Beginner like. Entry-level, like. Because it is. Those are toys microphones. Mass produced in Taiwan. And you get what you pay for. So, any microphones will work. But they all have a different sound about them. And it's learning what sounds good on what? Only you can tell. Nobody else can tell you, actually. Though many of us do make suggestions and recommendations. Because we've been in the business a long time. We are not beginners. I design and build studios. I fix Radio ever set TV Stations. I'm a real engineer. I'm not a beginner, wannabe. Nope. I am the highly educated and well seasoned, professional. Now retired at 68. And it's been a fun ride. I really never wanted it to be over. But I've got some retirement to get to. Time to sell off and/or leave my gear with my young, Engineering Associates. Because I've never had Assistant Engineers. I deem my guys. To be full-blown engineers. And so they are my, Associates. Not my Assistant's. I don't work at that, Monarchal, level. Yet my young guys love, learning from, me.. Because they know I'm the real deal. That's why they seek me out. And want to learn what I know. The old-fashioned way. Not in a class but by doing. And doing it on the fly. In real time. Not boring sessions in the studio. But Exciting Sessions on Location. Where we may or, may not be interfacing with a, Satellite Uplink Truck. It might only be for a local Radio Station. Via, digital ISDN, phone lines. Over the Internet. Via real-time streams. And it's all got to sound and work, perfectly. With no excuses. And I really love a challenge. Especially when I get no, sound checks or microphone checks. Until the band starts playing. Then I get about 60 seconds. To push up a, hit sounding mix. And then I tell the radio station they can switch to me. About one minute into the first song of the set. When you get no sound or microphone, checks. And that's very exciting to do. You have to like a challenge. Especially when all the conditions are wrong. And you know. A decent Mix is, Impossible. Oh well? I have to make it possible. You just do it. You make it work. You make it fun. You make it exciting. Technical accuracy does not come into play. But of course it does. But we don't think about that. We don't dwell on that. We just do it. And you are On the Air. There's no going back now. And it might come out like this? soundcloud.com/user-135130368/sets/live-at-electric-church-fm-sessions-vol-1 Just some cuts. Out of 500 bands in 11 months. This was the first test run of the first 6 weeks. And huge compromises were made. It only got better after this batch. And there were No, microphone or sound checks. It was all cheap microphones. Including between 4 and 6, RadioShack, 1984, $30 each, requiring AA battery, PZM, microphones. Which is very funny. As 2 are overtop the drum set. And the other 2. Are the room microphones. And sometimes extra 2 on stage. Possibly to cover guitar amplifiers or a floor tom-tom. So easy to use. And sounds great. It's very funny. As I also have the expensive versions by Crown of the USA. Those cost, 10 times more each. And they really sound no different. As they are both using identical, Taiwanese maid, capsules from the same company. It's really funny. Because the capsules are identical. One is just handpicked and tested. The other not. So you could get a good one? You might get a bad one? An out of 10 that I purchased. In 1984. 2 did not sound like the other 8. And because I had already modified them. With an, XLR output connector. They could no longer be returned to RadioShack. So I just gave them to a friend. He loved them. And still uses them to this day. 40 years later. I think it's extremely funny. They cost me $30 each. They went up to 40 later. Before they were eventually discontinued. When their contract with Crown, ran out. And they were obviously not big sellers. Because nobody knew what to do with them? You can't put them on a microphone stand. And you have to come up with more imaginative ways to use them. In other words you have to think about it. The important thing is to record. With whatever gear you have. Because even cheap stuff. Can sound, Fabulous. If you do it right. I know because I've done it on the cheap stuff also. I show other folks how to do that with their own gear. They invite me over. They must have plenty of pot and beer and pizza. And I will show them how to do it. With a Professional Flare. And we will, avoid, setting the equipment on fire with the Flare. As that is not the desired outcome. It's a different kind of Flare. The fancy kind. That is hot but does not burn. Except eardrums. Now, it does not matter. Whether I use my vintage 36 input 1972, Neve Audio Console. Or whether I am using a Behringer. Or a, 40+-year-old, Yamaha PA board. All of my recordings come out sounding like a, Network Television Special. Because I can't help it! You just have to move the knobs and dials in the right way. It's really that simple. And not, Overthink, everything. As you'll never get anything done or good, that way. You just have to plug stuff in turn stuff up and do it. And do it. Without repositioning or changing microphones out. Leave them where they are. The band has started playing. You're not going to move anything now. You're going to roll with it. And you are going to make it sound, Fabulous! EVEN IF IT KILLS YOU! But it won't. It'll just feel good. You only needed to sound good. And to know when good is, good enough. Because it won't be perfect, ever. And you have to learn how to live with that. Without beating yourself up. Without using your equipment as an excuse. It's a tall order to fill, I know. But you have no choice! At that will make you real good, real fast. When people throw you those kinds of curves. And then you just turn up the volume controls. And you get this. It's fun. It's not really like work. While it is. It really isn't. If you follow? I mean how much work can it be? Recording or broadcasting rock 'n' roll? Or any pop music, jazz, gospel, etc.? It's why we are alive. Because somebody has to do it.. And I, Elected, Me! Starting when I was a little kid of 7 years old. 61 years ago. Yes I knew what I was going to do for the rest of my life as a career. And I remember chuckling to myself about it. While looking at this, Audio Console. At a cabin hit Recording Studio in Detroit. In the mid-1960s. Guess which ones? Yeah those. The musicians, engineer and producer were on a break. And they left the 7-year-old. Sitting in the dark corner of the control room. When I found myself all alone. In the control room. (More Left Microphones in following post)
And so the 103 is a center, Polarized Diaphragm. I think you might find the 102. To be an edge, Polarized Diaphragm? And so yeah. Then they would definitely sound more different. But I'm not certain about that? It may not be that? It might be, center diaphragm polarized, also? I have not yet looked into that. I would generally call the, customer support line for that info. And they will present you with that info. If it's not in the written datasheet? And since I'm not looking at the written datasheet for the 102. I cannot say? Since they are both of the, TLM variety. Signifying they are both Transformer less, outputs. They may have simply created a slightly different, output circuit? And since you have detected a difference in level output between the 103 and 102. Then yeah, probably? Why? When it's all surface mount components today. Who the hell knows? It's 2 companies now. Merged into one. So the 102 has circuitry from Sennheiser? And the 103 has circuitry from Neumann. And their concepts are slightly different? Oh well? Can you live with that? I could. It wouldn't bother me. It's just another tool to use. You can never have too many microphones. But you can have too few. And that's where a, 50-year-old, telephone pickup coil. Can save your ass. Because if you run out of microphones. You can use the telephone pickup coil. Into a cheap DI box. And playset telephone pickup coil. Around the backside of the, guitar amplifier cabinet, speaker. And you'll pick up that speaker. With the guitar. Without a microphone. It's truly funny but it works. I've done it of course. And so I always keep one of those Andy. Connected to a 1/4 inch TS plug. And any old, DI boxes. Or RadioShack, XLR, in-line, impedance converters. They used to cost about $10 each. Back in the day. And well? They worked. They actually worked, quite well. With a $0.98, Taiwanese audio transformer. That fits inside a, XLR barrel. And I know how to get everything. Without, buzzes, pops, clicks, errors. And the sound is a homerun. Because I know how to avoid and eliminate, Ground Loops. I've had to. For years, now. Actually many decades. Because I don't want to hear any buzzing and stupid stuff. And I make certain I don't. When you know what you're doing. And you may or may not pack a, power isolation transformer? Sometimes I did sometimes I didn't. Things were always easier if I did. But sometimes I didn't. At that didn't matter. It would just get a little trickier. Actually when you're trying to plug a microphone mixer. Into your computer to record. You will frequently get buzzing. This is due to a ground loop. Between your computer. And everything else. Because. Your computer uses an active, Direct Coupled, digital, switching, power supply. And you are not, decoupled. From House Ground. Because the computer is grounded. So? If you are careful. You will get a, 3 into 2, AC plug cheater. You will plug the computer into that. Which lifts the ground. On the computer. Your computer will then be grounded. Through your audio mixer. Which you should have grounded. And then, you will have no ground loop buzzing. But you will have to be a little more cautious. Because there will be risk of electric shock. From the computer. So don't have people playing around the computer. And don't be sitting in a wet puddle. Even with your sneakers on. As you could still get whacked. So things should be dry. And no snow should be falling. Much less, rain. Yes the 102 is a marvelous home recording microphone. When coupled with a 10-$20 Taiwanese general-purpose shock mount. If you have a rumbly wooden floor? And people are dancing while you're trying to record. You might want to shock mount? Otherwise? Not needed. High pass filter your microphone. That's what you should do. And then no real problems. And because you are close to the microphone. It will have gobs of Proximity Effect. That will sound like mud through loudspeakers. It might sound cool to headphones, yes. But it will be muddy and nondescript through speakers. You will learn. You have just been, Learned. So for the amateurs at home. I recommend a bag full of SM-57's. And a bunch of foam pop filters. Always use the pop filters for recording vocals. Never without. It will ensure greater success. You will not lose anything. I mean let's get real here. Pop filters are an important part of microphones for vocals. Not stupid little embroidery loops with pantyhose stretched across them. Those are bullshit! Those were a stopgap homebrew thing by the guys at EMI! You are not, EMI. And foam is the way to go. Because it also protects the microphone itself. In fact. Warning! A lot of people. Leave their large diaphragm condenser microphones. Uncovered by any foam and on. All of the time. You don't want to do that. You want to always have, foam,, pop filters. On your LDC microphones. Because those little electrostatic elements. Are also what we call, Electrostatic Air Cleaners. And they attract. All of the airborne dirt in the air. To the diaphragm of the microphone. Where in a couple of years. The surface of the diaphragm of the microphone. Resembles that of an, Everything Pizza. And looks unbelievably Gross! As it all adheres itself. Like glue. To the surface of the Gold Sputtering on the Diaphragm. That is only about one or two molecules thick. And all that junk. Has now all but shorted out. Your large diaphragm condenser microphone, cartridge, capsule, element. Yuck! And if you attempt to clean that off. You will destroy the capsule.. You will take off, that Gold Sputtering. And whoops! Dead microphone! Huzzah! You now have a Renaissance Microphone. Complete with turkey leg parts and bits on your diaphragm. It's very funny. For people that want the Ultimate In Sound Clarity! The joke is on you. You didn't cover up your LDC microphone. As your microphone now sounds like Dog Shit. Because you needed ultimate sound quality! So funny. So stupid. So amateur. So don't make that mistake. The pop filters for those big condenser microphones. They are available in an array of wonderful colors. I like purple and red and blue, best! But yellow, green and white are good also. Along with orange when you can find it. And please be assured. They all sound the same. The colors don't change the sound any. I've made certain. I had all the colors except white, orange and green. Gray sounds great. You can't go wrong with, gray. Though you could also put a sheet of toilet paper. In front of your microphone grill. Just make sure it is clean toilet paper. Fresh off the roll. Do not recycle used toilet paper. And that can also prevent pops. It really can. Because it creates a boundary layer. It's not mesh screening. Use a little duct tape to hold it in place. Gaffer's tape is better. And may not leave behind as much sticky residue. But it will cost more. Because it's not duct tape. It's Gaffer's Tape.. It kind of looks the same. Does not have a shiny exterior. It's a mat cloth exterior. Either works well. And hold your toilet paper on in place. In a hurricane outdoors. You can cover your microphone with a latex condom. To keep it dry. And still be heard well. But don't do that in your home studio. I mean you can if you want to? It can tailor the sound of your microphone, differently. And soften it a bit. Just don't use the lubricated type. I mean you can. But you could then drop your microphone easily. It can slip right out of your hand. So please be careful. And use the non-lubricated types. You'll be glad you did. Well that's about it kids. Time for you to get to bed. Time for me to play with myself. Some more. RemyRAD
Honey. I've listened through your video here. Your Voiceover at the end. Yeah, amateur hour again. Here's why. This is why we have, Equalizers and Limiters followed by Downward Expanders. This is what a voiceover requires. Nothing more. Nothing less. Other than your microphone. Any microphone. And one must, high pass the microphone. Frequently there is a switch on those Neumann microphones to do just that. On many others also. But not on all. Then. You tweak in a little boost. At the same frequencies the microphone is already boosted at between 3 kHz and 5 kHz. And then perhaps a little extra shine. With a boost of, 10 kHz. By a few DB. And it will get really bright, sibilant and crispy. This is where we then. Insert a, Limiter a.k.a. Compressor. And so there are numerous types that are popular. In the hardware realm. Vacuum tubes, transistors and integrated circuit chips. Some will have Peak Detectors. Others will have, RMS Detectors. All are good. All are fine. All work certain ways differently from each other. But all are good. And all are important. And so for spoken word narrative recording. I generally prefer. A hardware device. Called and FET,, peak detecting limiter. With ratios of 4:1, 8:1, 12:1 and 20:1. But instructions how to get, 50:1. By pressing in all 4 buttons at once. Then. You set the attack time. To a relatively slow attack. Which is counterclockwise. Then you set the release time. To something fairly quick. But not the fastest. Then as you speak. You turn up the threshold control. Until the Gain Reduction and preset VU Meter. Starts to deflect to the left. And deflect substantially, to the left. As you get louder. But when you speak softly. The meter should barely be moving. And now you'll start to sound good. But there is yet another problem you have heard. It's the background. It's too much background garbage. So I then plug in another device. It's the inverse of a Limiter. It turns things down. Below a set threshold level. And it is called a KEPEX or a Downward Expander. This like the Limiter also includes a threshold control. And unlike the pushbuttons. It has a continuous control. To set it. How far you want it to turn the microphone down. To a preset level which you choose. I generally choose about, minus 10. To, minus 15 DB's. And then I adjust the release time. To be fast but not too fast. And then I set the Threshold. On your breath. And when you take your breath. It turns your microphone down by 10 or 15 DB. So you are not gasping for air. And with that. It takes the background noise right away. It's gone! And you are tubby sounding room is gone! You now sound like the voice of God! It'll blow your mind. You won't believe your ears. And use are doing none of that. Now it can also get a bit sibilant. And for that. Some Limiters. But not all. Include a high frequency control. You turn that up. The sibilance goes away. Or? Another device I have is called a De-esser. An eyepatch that in after the limiter. And before the Downward Expander. And all the sibilance is taken care of. No more wispy splattering of words with, S's, in them. And something Hollywood used to do all of the time. All of those Hollywood dialogue tracks have gone through a de-esser. Because optical soundtracks didn't like sibilance. And so they have been used for many decades. And they mitigate that problem. I just put a recommended modification into my limiters. That does the same thing. But you have to be good with the soldering iron, a drill. To install that. And it's a really valuable and worthy device to have. Called a high-frequency limiter or high frequency de-esser. It's the same thing. One intended for music. The other intended for spoken word narrative tracks. And so you need to use more of that Sonny boy. You're not using any of that. Or you're not using anywhere near enough of that. And you don't have a downward expander that you need. They can be confused with a Gate. Which they can also do. But a Gate. Cannot be a Downward Expander. They are the same but different. A gate turns the sound right off. Like a door being slammed in your face. And a downward expander. Merely lowers the volume to a preset level. That's not too low. And not too high. We find the pocket. Of where your voice sounds great and present. And doesn't matter whether you are speaking softly or modulating louder. It keeps you in the same place. It keeps you, well controlled. And sounds oh so, natural. And there is nothing natural about it. That's the Mark of Real Audio Engineering. We fool your ears. Into making you think. Something sounds wonderfully natural. Because there is nothing Natural. About playback through an electronic reproduction system. Nothing natural about that. We are merely interpreters and translators. To squeeze the sound. Out from little speakers. And to make it sound like something you can listen to. Without getting pissed-off. From bad sound. Like your voiceover. It's not cutting it. It's not making it. It is not, Professional. It doesn't matter what kind of microphone you're using! You've got to add the additional proper processing. You're not. And it's more than obvious. So given another whack. Do some processing to your narrative again. Push in on the limiter. Knock down your dynamic range. What people fail to understand is? They think they want Dynamic Range. No you do not. Certainly not for spoken word narrative. Because. The human voice modulates a wider dynamic range. Than, any musical instrument. And therefore. It needs some Stringent Control. Without sounding, Stringent. And that's what the Downward Expander does for you. And gets rid of all that background noise. At the same time. It's a Miracle Device! I haven't been able to live without them since, 1978. They are an intrinsic tool of my productions. As important as limiters. As important as microphone preamps and equalizers. As important as the microphone. And doing nothing to your microphone just indicates, Amateur Our. RemyRAD
And as I looked at that audio console. I chuckled to myself. And wondered? What other 7-year-old kids. Had just made their lifelong career decision? Because I just had. Right then and there. On my first visit my father took me to. When he was playing, violin overdubs. For that R&B music. He didn't much care for. I thought it sounded really cool. As a 7-year-old. But what did I know? It only became a hit record.. In sessions I was, sitting in on. While daddy played his violin in the studio. And he is on countless, R&B records. I wouldn't know which ones? The ones with strings. Out of Detroit. Were frequently him and the other guys from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. That dad also played in. Though he was not the Concertmaster. Gordon Staples was. Who would come over to our house from time to time as I recall. I always mused over the fact. He also looked a lot like my dad. Or my dad looked a lot like him? A lot of the guys in the Symphony Orchestra. Mostly all guys. Kind of all looked like that. But dad and Gordon came pretty close to one another. And both violinists. Yes so I grew up in places like, Motown Studios and United Sound System Studios. When I was a kid up until 15. When my folks got divorced. And we all moved away from Detroit. And that was that. I thought I was going to go to work for Motown. At least that was my plan. Until mom changed that plan. And destroyed my career before it got started. But I shall overcome. So then we called Baltimore, home. And it was a great move for me. As I went right to work. For a college FM NPR affiliate radio station. With a 2 day per week show of my own. And I would be the only person. In the radio station on those hours.. And for a 15-year-old. To get handed the keys. Was pretty damned thrilling. But a bigger thrill was yet in store. As 2 years later. I got hired on. At the biggest recording studio. South of New York City. And assigned my own control room out of three. I was in hog heaven! I was only 17! At I get handed the keys. To this multimillion dollar facility. That was brand-new. What a thrill! I'm a full-blown production engineer at 17. Using the best equipment money could buy. I continued on that upward trajectory. Leaving there and, Building my own. A short time later. And that was wild! I did that for only about 1 1/2 years. Before I got an offer at a hit studio in New York City. It just would not stop. It was great. I had fun therefore not quite one year. When I got an offer from NBC-TV News in Washington DC.. Where I then stayed for the next 20 years. As they only hire the best engineers. And they needed a really good Audio Engineer. And they only hire the best. They hired me. In 1981. And in 2 of the control rooms I regularly worked in. Were, 2, Studio Tape recorders. With my, Managerial, QC, rubberstamp inside. As I had worked for that manufacturing firm. A year and 1/2 earlier. And here were a couple of my machines. In control rooms I would be using at NBC-TV. I thought that was pretty cool. I felt a great sense of accomplishment. And really not bad. For a bona fide, high school dropout with only a GED. Because I was too smart for school and ADD. So one has to do it themselves. If they choose to. Because I didn't want to be just any old high school dropout. And so I got to work with Ronnie Reagan and George HW Bush. Throughout their terms. As I went down to the White House many times. And/or they would come out to NBC. To be interviewed. And I end up putting microphones on people. And then in the control room. And you've got to be the best at what you're doing. I miss those broadcast days. And nights. And overnights. And holidays. As we were one big family. It was a fabulous experience. I worked with only the best people in the world. It was thrilling. I never expected to be doing what I did. I was all about the music. I was yanked out of FM rock 'n' roll music entertainment division. Stuck into doing news and political shows. And found I was one of the best at it in the world. Because I know what to do with, spoken word narrative, talking heads. Without David Byrne. I wish it was with David Byrne. But? We take what we can get. And without a paycheck. To that next piece of gear you had your eyes on. As this is a sickness as well as a career and profession. It's also a sickness. A sickness we all love. A sickness that will break your bank. A never ending sickness to upgrade. It can get complicated. But a lot of fun in the process. It's all about the process. And then all about the processing. That's like having, 2 orgasms simultaneously! Yes. You just have to experience it for yourselves. Do not do that in public. Do it in your studio! Where you can better amuse your clients. And not get arrested. Hopefully? What is the best Hydrophone to purchase for home recording? Wet or dry? RemyRAD
some one from swizz said to me ' there are professional microphones out there they have their own noise ' and this must be so ' why should we reduce background noise ?! Make an Box or Buy one around the Mic ' : )
Not a fan of the 103. The boost starting at around 3.5kHz seems unnecessary; it's a bit too nasally. The 102 by comparison has a nice presence (the lift starts close to 6kHz) but is a bit less strident to my ears.
Tip: get whichever mic you can afford, and learn to love it. A tonal change means little. They both have the dynamic range Neumann is famous for and can be placed differently, EQd, etc to get a sound.
This is a great comparison, the most helpful one I’ve found comparing the 102 and 103. I’m liking how your video style is evolving, it feels high quality, fun to watch, and it’s got plenty of uniqueness that make your videos always worth watching even with all the other quality reviewers I like to watch 👍
Thanks! Yeah I'm trying to continually improve, I think I'm starting to land on something semi-professional, but I still need to keep tweaking. Regardless, appreciate you saying all this :)
yup I didn't know why I didn't like my voice through my tlm 102 until I got some better sound treatment. as a bonus, it has given me a great appreciation for everything my sm7b does! edit: just removed the foam from inside the 102 and it's brighter
I heard all tests with Neumann 30 headphones. My conclusion is: - Guitar: Neumann 102: I liked more all notes expect bass on . Recording is more close to SDC, but the bass strings are boomy to me. - Guitar: Neumann 103: its more full and open, probably just need to find another position to get a part of 102 sound. Really liked the way how bass strings sounding. - Vocal: I just liked overall 103 better to my ears. It seems like it has more dynamic range, and its significantly less noisy, I mentioned how envinroment affects the 102 recording after switching from 103. Well, guitra recording is very questionable. Low freqs win for 103, all others for 102. Vocal - clear winner 103. dont care about talking, but 102 seems more bass boosted voice, like on podcast with tons of EQ and effects. 103 hears more natural and pleasant
I would pick tlm103 the 102 is kinda meh for there are better mic for $700. I kinda pick up this $400 mic I am gonna use it until I have money for the tlm103. This $400 mic does have a CKR6 capsule suppose to be a akg 414 copy. Handmade by Austrian Audio u can say not quite same but for the price u can’t go wrong.
Probably my 3rd or 4th time watching this within a year. Thanks for the in-depth analysis. You really do give your viewers more to think about, and that’s a good thing.
I have the tlm 102 and have used it for many years. Honestly I did notice sensitivity to background noises but didn't really understand why until your video on it. I am a machinist and I decided to fabricate a sleeve that allows me to use my tlm 102 with my audio technicas at4050's shock mount. I'm excited to see how this works for me. Made it out of a hard plastic called lexan.
@@AudioHaze If you ever would like for me to attempt to make something for you I'm sure we could figure it out. We have stubs of this material that don't get used. Only thing is that it does require precise dimensions. Obviously I could get the tlm dimensions no problem but the fit on the shock mount would depend on what shockmount you have that u want to adapt to. Either way I'd be happy to help out for fairly cheap. Keep up the good work ☺️
i like the mic 1 more bassy, what about alternatives to this 2 mics? i think the vanguard is better than tlm 103 and blue bird and bottle cheaper and better alternatives.
I don't quite understand the criticism - Neumann markets the microphone with the term "Home Studio". One certainly don't interpret that as just any normal room in a noisy apartment. Home Studio implies non-professional applications - and for that, this thing is excellently suited at a fantastic price point if you want that Neumann sound (as the Sony C-80 is for the Sony sound - for a private individual who isn't earning any money from it, hardly willing to pay thousands of dollars)
have you ever tried removing the foam inside the tlm 102 capsule? it would be great to hear some comparisons with and without the foam since it is a very popular mod
Seen quite a few comparison vids of these two mics. I have always liked the 102 better for vocals and acoustic guitar. Now I reach the same conclusion in both blind tests. The 102 is my preferred.
Although the 103 has a wider high-frequency boost, It sounds crispier on voice, probably because of the higher gain setting you have to set It with? It also sounds more natural than the 102 to my ears.
