Why are so many getting rid of their TLM-103 microphones?
Are they poor mics?

GermanDeathTickle wrote:

Why are so many getting rid of their TLM-103 microphones?
Are they poor mics?

I'll posit that as they were offered at an extremely attractive price
for quite a while, lots of inexperienced people bought them. When their
recordings haven't turned out to be magical using the Neumann, they've
blame the mic. Then they'll buy one mic after another and keep getting
unstaisfactory results until they wake up and point the finger of blame
at themselves. At that point their recordings will begin to improve
steadily.

In the meantime, there could be some fine deals on good as new TLM103's.

--
ha

Why are so many getting rid of their TLM-103 microphones? Are they poor
mics?
--------------------

No, they are great mics. I'll never sell mine. Maybe fans of the TLM103
are "upgrading" to the new TLM127 which is supposed to be somewhat similar
in terms of overall performance and offers a few extra pick-up patterns.
But if you don't need the extra patterns, the 103 is excellent. If everyone
is selling TLM103's now, it might be a good time to snag a few cheap. Take
advantage!

WideGlide wrote:
Why are so many getting rid of their TLM-103 microphones? Are they poor
mics?
--------------------



There's a lot of them out there. Anytime there's a lot
of a particular product out there, there will be a lot
of them available for sale. This question came up on
this NG last year in regards to the RNC.

Stuff happens. People close their studios, they upgrade,
the need to buy a house, they have a kid, they owe tax
money, etc.

I sold a U99 here recently. It wasn't because it's not a
good mic, it's just that I bought something else and
needed to finance it. I bought a very nice L47MP from
someone on this NG a few years ago. He bought a U47 and
needed to help finance that. Gear comes in. Gear goes out.
--
--
John Noll
Retromedia Sound Studios
Red Bank, NJ 07701

Phone: 732-842-3853 Fax: 732-842-5631

http://www.retromedia.net

No, they are great mics. I'll never sell mine.

I agree. I love mine. You can hear some vocals I used it on he


www.danlavoie.com


In the media section, it is the 3rd song entitled "Relief". I used
the 103 through a Vintech 1272. I was quite pleased with the results.
I also used it to track the harp guitar's bass section along with a
blend of the two pickups and Oktava mc012's on the guitar section. I
used this mic/ pickup combination on the rest of the album as well, so
you can hear it on the other tracks, although it is not just this mic,
and there are no vocals on the other two tracks on the website.

I've only had mine about six months or so, but I've loved it on the
things it has worked well on. There have been a few cases where it
was the first mic I put up, but then I opted for something else. But
when it has worked, it has worked well.

Search this newsgroup, and you'll find a number of people who use and
like this mic.


Dan O'Dea

Nice!
Max Arwood

"Dan O'Dea" wrote in message
om...
No, they are great mics. I'll never sell mine.

I agree. I love mine. You can hear some vocals I used it on he


www.danlavoie.com


In the media section, it is the 3rd song entitled "Relief". I used
the 103 through a Vintech 1272. I was quite pleased with the results.
I also used it to track the harp guitar's bass section along with a
blend of the two pickups and Oktava mc012's on the guitar section. I
used this mic/ pickup combination on the rest of the album as well, so
you can hear it on the other tracks, although it is not just this mic,
and there are no vocals on the other two tracks on the website.

I've only had mine about six months or so, but I've loved it on the
things it has worked well on. There have been a few cases where it
was the first mic I put up, but then I opted for something else. But
when it has worked, it has worked well.

Search this newsgroup, and you'll find a number of people who use and
like this mic.


Dan O'Dea

It's a great mic and Neumann sold a heck of a lot of them. The price point was
just in the reach of amateurs, so it isn't surprising that a lot of them on the
used market now.

It does its own thing - like any good mic. It suits some applications better
than others. But overall, it's a quality item.


--
Dr. Nuketopia
Sorry, no e-Mail.
Spam forgeries have resulted in thousands of faked bounces to my address.

In Article ,
(hank alrich) wrote:
GermanDeathTickle wrote:

Why are so many getting rid of their TLM-103 microphones?
Are they poor mics?

I'll posit that as they were offered at an extremely attractive price
for quite a while, lots of inexperienced people bought them. When their
recordings haven't turned out to be magical using the Neumann, they've
blame the mic. Then they'll buy one mic after another and keep getting
unstaisfactory results until they wake up and point the finger of blame
at themselves. At that point their recordings will begin to improve
steadily.

In the meantime, there could be some fine deals on good as new TLM103's.

--
ha


Ty Ford's Neumann TLM 103 Hint #1: When recording acoustic guitar, for best
results, don't put the mic directly in front of the sound hole.


Regards,

Ty Ford

For Ty Ford V/O demos, audio services and equipment reviews,
click on http://www.jagunet.com/~tford

I dunno, Ty. If you own a small Honda with three 18" woofers in the back
just ready to THUMP, but you still like listening to your own solo acoustic
guitar, that's a good way to capture every nuance of low-end power your
guitar may have.

Imagine sitting at the stoplight with the stereo cranked...

George Reiswig
Song of the River Music

"Ty Ford" wrote in message
...
In Article ,
(hank alrich) wrote:
GermanDeathTickle wrote:

Why are so many getting rid of their TLM-103 microphones?
Are they poor mics?

I'll posit that as they were offered at an extremely attractive price
for quite a while, lots of inexperienced people bought them. When their
recordings haven't turned out to be magical using the Neumann, they've
blame the mic. Then they'll buy one mic after another and keep getting
unstaisfactory results until they wake up and point the finger of blame
at themselves. At that point their recordings will begin to improve
steadily.

In the meantime, there could be some fine deals on good as new TLM103's.

--
ha


Ty Ford's Neumann TLM 103 Hint #1: When recording acoustic guitar, for
best
results, don't put the mic directly in front of the sound hole.


Regards,

Ty Ford

For Ty Ford V/O demos, audio services and equipment reviews,
click on http://www.jagunet.com/~tford

they are completely professional mics. it's because neumann sold so
many of them, that there are now many for sale. honda sells a ton of
cars, and there are many used hondas.

it was a real price breakthrough for neumann to go under $1000 for a
large diaphragm condenser. so a lot of people bought them.

people's needs evolve. i personally turn 15-30% of my equipment over
each year on average.

the only thing that bites ass about the tlm-103 is that they want $150
for the shockmount.

(Ty Ford)

Ty Ford's Neumann TLM 103 Hint #1: When recording acoustic guitar, for best
results, don't put the mic directly in front of the sound hole.

That hint would apply to any mic that isn't an omni, would it not? G


Will Miho
NY Music & TV Audio Guy
Off the Morning Show! & sleepin' In... / Fox News
"The large print giveth and the small print taketh away..." Tom Waits

(GermanDeathTickle) wrote in message om...
Why are so many getting rid of their TLM-103 microphones?
Are they poor mics?


Yes. I too had one. It sounded lame on anything. Especially when you
have U87 next to it. This mic is a small shame for Neumann

Ivo wrote:
(GermanDeathTickle) wrote in message om...
Why are so many getting rid of their TLM-103 microphones?
Are they poor mics?

Yes. I too had one. It sounded lame on anything. Especially when you
have U87 next to it. This mic is a small shame for Neumann

I rather liked it more than the U87, actually. Then again, I am not
a big U87 fan. Your mileage may vary.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

"Ivo" wrote in message
om...
(GermanDeathTickle) wrote in message
om...
Why are so many getting rid of their TLM-103 microphones?
Are they poor mics?


Yes. I too had one. It sounded lame on anything. Especially when you
have U87 next to it. This mic is a small shame for Neumann

I don't care for U87's but I like my TLM103. Music is in the ear of the
beholder.

people's needs evolve. i personally turn 15-30% of my equipment over
each year on average. BRBR


There's a good reason to save up for really good stuff. As you amass more and
more good gear, you'll find yourself dumping your Marshall mics and ART
compressors. You won't grow out of your 1176s and 550As though.


Joe Egan
EMP
Colchester, VT
www.eganmedia.com

i'm with ivo on this one. i owned a pair of tlm103s and never liked
them much on anything. however, it can work okay if matched with the
right preamp for it - i agree the vintech 1272 would be a good pre for
the 103. and again, ivo and i mostly do acoustic applications where
SD mics just seem to work so much better. i sold my tlm103s after
using a rode NTK, though i have since sold the rodes also. after a
couple of vocalists i was working with chose a stupid km184 over the
tlm103, the rode NTK, and an AT4050, i sold all of them, and i dont
even own any large diaprhagm condensers any more. the last vocals i
did were with a schoeps cmc64 with pop screen - very very nice and
smooth and warm. i suppose if i worked with more studio vocals, i
would not bother with any "affordable" mics - i would just break the
bank for a good u47, or one of the KHE brauners or soundelux mics.

Ivo wrote:

(GermanDeathTickle) wrote...

Why are so many getting rid of their TLM-103 microphones?
Are they poor mics?

Yes. I too had one. It sounded lame on anything. Especially when you
have U87 next to it. This mic is a small shame for Neumann

I have heard so many fine tracks cut with TLM103's that I must consider
your comment peculiar. And I owned a pair of U87's for over 25 years.
The TLM103 can do wonderful work.

--
ha

In Article ,
(Ivo) wrote:
(GermanDeathTickle) wrote in message
om...
Why are so many getting rid of their TLM-103 microphones?
Are they poor mics?


Yes. I too had one. It sounded lame on anything. Especially when you
have U87 next to it. This mic is a small shame for Neumann


Hahahahahah! That's really funny!

Regards,

Ty Ford

For Ty Ford V/O demos, audio services and equipment reviews,
click on http://www.jagunet.com/~tford

I have a TLM-103 and didn't like it at first... I was running it through a
Grace101 and thought that the mic came across with a nice, clean quality,
but lacked character. Someone here suggested I try running it through a
more colored pre, so I did, and now I like it... A LOT, in fact.

I'm working an a project right now where we're using my TLM103 & an RE-20
to mic a bass cab, using mostly the -103 channel, and it's one of the best
rock bass sounds I've ever recorded. It's so good I almost don't wanna tell
anyone about it, but there, I've done it. lol

Yeah, so if anyone's got a TLM103 you want to sell for cheap, lemme know,
I'm sure I could always find use for another.
--

Neil Henderson
Progressive Rock
http://www.saqqararecords.com


"Ty Ford" wrote in message
...
In Article ,

(Ivo) wrote:
(GermanDeathTickle) wrote in message
om...
Why are so many getting rid of their TLM-103 microphones?
Are they poor mics?


Yes. I too had one. It sounded lame on anything. Especially when you
have U87 next to it. This mic is a small shame for Neumann


Hahahahahah! That's really funny!

Regards,

Ty Ford

For Ty Ford V/O demos, audio services and equipment reviews,
click on http://www.jagunet.com/~tford

Actually the Vintech 1272 and my TLM-103 were a horrible match. Upper
mids were screechy. I sold the 103 and my NTK and bought a U195.
Much better for my needs. I've heard the 103 sounds pretty good with
the Peavey tube preamp, and it was passable for me on a couple of
occasions with a Joe Meek VC1Q.