maarvold wrote on Mon, 30 June 2008 16:03 |
Tomas Danko wrote on Mon, 30 June 2008 05:17 | So far I find the TLM49 to be the least useful microphone among the TLM models, it's disappointed me in several ways everytime I've used the one here in our studio. One should not even compare it to, say, the TLM193 or TLM170 etc.
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The TLM170/193 represent the misunderstood part of the Neumann line. These mics are designed to be 'reality' microphones, not 'color' microphones. Neumann doesn't even bother to display the 170 at trade shows any more--at least not the last 2 I went to (the most recent being NAB/Las Vegas earlier this year). As one of the people staffing the booth told me, "people don't want reality, people want a microphone with 'tits and ass'." IMO, the place you're more likely to find the next classic microphone is from a boutique mic maker, not from a company that has balance sheets, monthly sales goals, marketing strategies, etc.
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I agree. They are not trying to be anything they aren't, and we've recorded a lot of material with those. They don't seem to hold up very well though, we've had lots of problems with a bunch of them.
FWIW, they were being used for the VO in the computer game Battlefield: Bad Company released last week. (It's scored the best computer game audio ever, so far)
For a current project that had more up-close and intimate VO they lost out to the Rode K2 however.
That would be my two cents regarding the question "what less expensive microphones are better than the TLM49?", then.
Again,
TLM193 and TLM170 = good and very useable.
TLM103 = boring and overpriced but useable.
TLM49 = unpleasant surprises after the recording sessions and even more overpriced.
And yes, I have been using these microphones a lot and I'm not a "Neumann Hater".
But when I record music I'd take even a new U87ai over the TLM's any day.