« I wasnt too impressed »

The Neumann TLM 193 is more or less an entry level Neumann that would probably be purchased by someone who doesn't have a huge budget or a degree in physics, but wants that classic Neumann sound. So, I'll give it to you in layman terminology - straight up. I've owned one of these mics for about 4 years now, and have used it on just about every instrument under the sun (vocals too, of course) with great results. NO - you're not going to get a U87 sound from it, NO - you're not going to get a shock mount or pop filter with it (though you'll definitely need them ), YES - you're gonna have to fiddle with EQ and preamplification to get an acceptable signal out of it. You're also going to need phantom power to fire it up. The mic is extremely sensitive, like all Neumanns, and will pick up background noise with ease, so having a quiet, closed off area to record in is imperative. There are no pads or switches on the mic itself, so all of your adjustments will have to come from your preamps, EQs and recording consoles. I mention this because I can't recall ever setting the mic up and getting a great sound out of it without having to push buttons and twist knobs.


OVERALL OPINION

Not to worry though, the TLM-193 is capable of some awesome copy once you've got it tweaked properly. It's a bit lacking in airiness, but that's easily remedied with the right equalization. I've actually heard it described as "dull sounding" - to me, dull is better than over-colored or frequency heavy - you could always touch it up to your taste with your signal processors. It's always better to have to add flavor rather than having to take it away as far as I'm concerned.