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Author Topic: Can you hear the transformer in some of these mics?  (Read 19116 times)

David Bock

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Re: Can you hear the transformer in some of these mics?
« Reply #30 on: July 01, 2010, 12:10:56 PM »

I almost can't believe this thread.
Quote:

Mike Cleaver wrote on Sat, 13 June 2009 19:21
Ditto.Listen to the classic Neumann mics WITH transformers and the newer TLM (transformerless) models.None has what Klaus calls the "sex appeal" of the originals.Examples, TLM 49 and TLM 67.There is no comparison.
That assumes the rest of the circuitry is identical, it is not.
The TLM series use surface mount passive parts including metal oxide resistors instead of metal film and monolythic ceramic capacitors instead of polystyrene film.


I've got a TLM170 (transformerless) right here chock full of leaded parts and Wima caps. It sounds little different to the tlm149 (again transformerless) board I've got full of smd's. Sometimes topology trumps component selection, this is definitely the case here.

Jim Williams

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Re: Can you hear the transformer in some of these mics?
« Reply #31 on: July 02, 2010, 10:44:41 AM »

Sonic differences from through hole metal film resistors and film caps compared to mono ceramic caps and metal oxide resistors are easily heard here. All one needs to do is build an identical circuit and swap the passives.

There are excellent surface mount passives available. The Vishay bulk foil resistors are the best in the world, but you will pay over $10 for just one. Low cost metal film surface mount resistors are also available but rairly used in audio, Michal at Mytek uses them. Ask him why.

Unfortunately, you won't find those parts in modern microphones.
Even with multi-thousand dollar price tags, you still get the cheaper stuff insides from manufacturers like Sennheiser.
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Jim Williams
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David Bock

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Re: Can you hear the transformer in some of these mics?
« Reply #32 on: July 03, 2010, 03:31:16 PM »

sorry I meant tlm147, not 149. 149 has a tube & a chip, 147 just xistr & chip. All those new tlm neumann pcb's kind of look the same to me.

Schallfeldnebel

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Re: Can you hear the transformer in some of these mics?
« Reply #33 on: July 04, 2010, 07:40:12 AM »

Bringing in sex appeal into a recording is not Neumann's task, but the recording engineer's. Nowadays if you read on the internet it is the microphone bringing in the sound. My customers are not interested in the sound of Neumann's or other microphones, but in their own sound, translated the best way for them, and they don't care at all how I am doing that. As long as it sounds convincing.

Erik Sikkema
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Bill Mueller:"Only very recently, has the availability of cheap consumer based gear popularized the concept of a rank amateur as an audio engineer. Unfortunately, this has also degraded the reputation of the audio engineer to the lowest level in its history. A sad thing indeed for those of us professionals."
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