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[Markus Aalto]

It seems at the Neumann they are more focused to amateur and home studio users and high volume sales rather than top end microphones...

  http://www.neumann.com/TLM102/SmartSweetPowerful_final_E.htm l

It is in the same price category than Audio-Technica and many other asian microphones. It's eaven cheaper than AKG 414. Hopefully it is not made in China.

[Kassonica]

Hopefully it sounds better than the 103 but I doubt it

[Schallfeldnebel]

Klaus, may I speculate one time on your forum? I think this microphone is a close match to the BCM 104. The 0.5% distortion point is about 6 dB higher. So 144 dB instead of 138dB with the BCM 104. Resulting in a bit more noise, 12dB instead of 7dB with the 104, and 6 dB lower output level, 11mV for the 102 instead of 22 mV for the BCM 104. Probably the special pop filter from the 104 is also built in this microphone, at least they mention that a pop filter is built in. The BCM 104 has a perimeter connected capsule, alike the TLM 170 famliy, but there is no backmembrane. Although Neumann writes on their site this capsule is a new design, I expect it to be very close relative to the capsule in the BCM104, and probably also perimeter connected.

[Mike Cleaver]

My feelings about the BCM104 are well-known but broadcast clients who want a Neumann but don't want to pay the price for a U87 want them anyway.
Many are replacing perfectly good SM7's and RE20's with these mics
which I do not consider an upgrade.
I still prefer the sound of a good U87 to the U89 as well.
I don't think Neumann (Sennheiser) has produced any good condensers (at least that match the sound of the older models) in recent years.
(Witness the amazing success of the TLM49 and TLM67. *Sarcasm*)
I'm not referencing the small diaphragm mics as I have no experience with these but I'm certain others will chime in.
If the TLM102 has any of it's parts made in China, I am pretty certain that will be a first for the brand.

[J.J. Blair]

I was at the shootout they did at Avatar against a ... wait for it ... TLM49!

The Sennheiser rep couldn't even tell me what capsule was in the mic.  It had much more low end than the TLM49, which was not surprising.  It wasn't horrible sounding, like an SE or something, but it still wasn't anything I would ever use by choice.  

[Schallfeldnebel]

 J.J., could you imagine you were listening to a small diaphragm capsule? Martin Schneider made a remark on the Neumann forum, that the capsule was smaller than used in the BCM104, and perimeter connected.

[compasspnt]

From the Neumann site:

The harmonious proportions and gleaming grille ring ensure that even at first glance, the TLM 102 attracts attention.

The TLM 102 is impressive in terms of sound: In the interior is a newly developed large-diaphragm capsule (cardioid) with a maximum sound pressure level of 144 dB...

[Mike Cleaver]

Has anyone here actually seen or heard or opened up one of these?

[Schallfeldnebel]

From the Neumann forum:

similar to the U89 capsule, I'd call it a medium sized capsule. It reflects in the noise value, higher than TLM103 / BCM104, but lower than the small mics.


Looks promising.

[studiochap]

Markus Aalto wrote on Sat, 17 October 2009 12:22

It seems at the Neumann they are more focused to amateur and home studio users and high volume sales rather than top end microphones...   http://www.neumann.com/TLM102/SmartSweetPowerful_final_E.htm l It is in the same price category than Audio-Technica and many other asian microphones. It's eaven cheaper than AKG 414. Hopefully it is not made in China.

IMHO there are only two possible choices for a manufacturer of highend gear seeking profitable turnover,  and faced with competition from downmarket manufacturers.

Either you dive down into the pond and attempt to be competitive with them from a pricing perspective...at the tradeoff of build quality and design....or you maintain the highend quality and then  the price  has to be what the price has to be..

There are automotive parallels...

Do we see Ferrari or Lamborghini attempting to compete with the Mazda RX5?

I don't believe so.  ( Please nobody pick me up on my reference to the MX5 - I know there will be more appropriate parallels...)

I was  going to mention that the CEO of Porsche was once asked " Why don't you make an entry-level Porsche?"  and replied  " An entry-level  Porsche is a second-user one" . I googled to  check his name, only to find a stream of results indicating that Porsche is now considering an entry-level model...doh!

Regards,

Gwyn

[Schallfeldnebel]

If the TLM102 is alike KK89, what Martin Schneider mentioned on the Neumann board, I would not call the new TLM102 a cheap piece of gear designed for the hobby-market. The TLM102 is not derived from the BCM104 as I speculated before, but both have non-middle connected capsule.  


23-10-2003 I wrote on the Neumann Pinboard.

Dear Mr. Peus,
As a fan of non middle connected capsules (perimeter?)the TLM 170, TLM 193 and U 89 always were my favourites. When I started to look at the diagrams of the BC 104 I must conclude the capsule has one menbrane, and it has no middle connection, and belongs to the group K89 of 'not too large diaphragma' microphones. Is the BC 104 capsule derived from the good old K89 capsule? I expect the BC 104 to be a very interesting microphone,not only for broadcast.

From Stephan Peus I received this reply.

Dear Mr.Sikkema, The K89 capsule (U89, TLM170, TLM193)is connected inside at the insulated back electrode, i.e.not at the membrane's perimeter. The membrane is connected to the capsule housing. That means the complete ouside of the capsule is ground. Therefore the capsule is totally shielded and insensitive to any kind of dirt and pollution. The same is right for the 'K104' we are using for our latest baby BCM104 broadcast microphone. This capsule has not been 'derived from the good old K89' but from 'the good new D-01' !
With best regards Georg Neumann GmbH, Berlin Stephan Peus  

If the TLM102 is a medium seized membrane a la KK89, without backmembrane, I must say I am looking forward hearing this microphone.

SFN

[Jim Williams]

Mike Cleaver wrote on Sat, 17 October 2009 09:58

If the TLM102 has any of it's parts made in China, I am pretty certain that will be a first for the brand.

Lots of electronic components now come from China. Many of the monolythic ceramic caps are made there. There is a good chance Chinese electronic components have been used in Neumann mics for a few years now.

That means nothing. What's the difference if a capacitor machine is operated in China or Indonesia? Electronic components come from all over the world. It's not a problem unless you are excessivly nationalistic.

I expect the new mic to be made with all surface mount components, the cheaper stuff like ceramic caps and metal oxide resistors. That will not help.

[Mike Cleaver]

Exactly.
The quality of the parts was my point, not where they come from.
So much of what we buy and use is made in China, some of it good quality, a lot of it not.

[Klaus Heyne]

Mike Cleaver wrote on Wed, 28 October 2009 13:40

So much of what we buy and use is made in China, some of it good quality....

Can you cite an example or two from the world of microphones, where a specific mic or part for a mic is at last as good in its quality as the comparable product that is manufactured in Europe or the U.S. or Japan?

[Mike Cleaver]

No.
Not microphones.
I meant some other stuff.
A lot of pro audio gear is being made in China.
Some of it is sold under brand names here in North America.
For example, no name lcd tv's sold at Wal-mart are half the price per size of the brand name sets and they're made in China.
We've had one for about four years and it's had no problems and the picture looks as good as the brand name sets.
The only tv that I had that ever caught fire was an American made RCA set back in the late '60's.
Just take a look through any store these days and see how much of the merchandise is made in China or Malaysia or any other country in what we used to call the far east.
Some of it is good quality but there is a lot of junk.