Neumann Microphones

This is of course the legendary U87. Many would argue that this is the industry standard for recording great vocals. It is a large diaphragm condenser with a switchable polar pattern (cardioid, omni, and figure 8), an attenuation pad, and a high pass-filter (both switchable). OVERALL OPINION I have owned one for about 2 years. It is very hard to beat this mic on vocals. Recordings sound wonderfully accurate, clear, and open, with very sweet highs. In addition to being great on vocals, it really does sound good on almost anything you stick in front of it. I use it frequently for acoustic guitar and solo violins, and sometimes on electric guitar cabs. I only have one and haven't tried it, but many people use these as high-end drum overheads or room mics. They are also quite popular for use in recording classical music, when very accurate response is demanded. The switchable polar pattern is a great feature on this mic, as it makes it almost 3 mics in one. If you have a couple of these, putting one in figure 8 and one in cardioid lets use the M/S stereo technique, which is great for adding variable width to recorded sources. I have used a wide variety of large diaphragm condensers, and this one really does live up to its reputation. Singers who have never used one are often wowed when they hear their voice back by just how accurate and lifelike their voice sounds when recorded by a U87. They are built to a very high standard, so you can count on them not to junk out on you as well - they're built to last. At nearly $3,000, they are certainly not cheap. But for anyone who wants to get some truly great sounding vocal recordings, this is the thing to save up for. You won't regret it. I would absolutely buy it again - I'm almost never disappointed with the results I get with the U87.

The Neumann K 184 is a small-diaphragm condenser microphone. I am a student, musician, writer, and pretty good line dancer residing in beautiful Nashville, TN. I've been a drummer and guitar player for the past 10 years of my life and have began engineering and producing in the past 4. I currently play drums for the band Brookline and you can see me rockin' an Orange County Drum and Percussion or Mapex kit decked out with Zildjian K Hybrids. Our studio bought a pair of these microphones about 4 years back form around $850 a piece from Sweetwater. This was when we first built our studio and all of us had used 184's before and knew it was a must-have pair in the studio. The KM 184 offers un-paralleled clarity and direction in such a small package. It sounds great on just about everything, and with a max SPL rating of 138 dB, you really can put it on anything - including 6 inches off your uncles jet powered ski boat. This microphone is unstoppable as a matched pair and is my go to set for close-up overheads, acoustic guitar, hi-hats, stand up bass neck, and so many more. My only negative comment about these mics are the clips that they come with. They will most certainly break within a few months if you are a daily user. They are small and wimpy and I would greatly recommend hittin' up your local music shop to find a stronger replacement clip. Imagine if you had a miniature 6 inch cops nightstick with a microphone in it. These are extremely solid microphones and include only the best circuitry. Very durable and ready to handle years of daily use. This microphone is durable, clean, responsive, and makes an unbeatable matched pair. It's a must have for all serious studios and the home studio's best tool - and c'mon, it's a Neumann! This review was originally published on https://www.musicgearreview.com

Got this mic (TLM 103) from my local Guitar Center store. The price was high but the name says it all. It does just what I wanted it to do. It sounds like "nothing". VOC recorded in my home digital studio sound natural, open, as if I was there live doing it. It sits in the mix like nothing else I have. I can turn the channel way down and the vocals are still very much a part of the mix. I got Mogami cables for the full signal path and I'm sure that helps a little....if you crank the preamp you must have the iso mount. And no mine didn't come free with the mic. Here is the low down, you get what you pay for and this quality is the best that I have had from recording at home. Its not cheap at all, its pretty expensive and it took me a while to save for it. But once I heard it I knew I had to start saving because this was the mic that really made me sound the best. It will do the same for you as well. OVERALL OPINION This microphone has really made a name for itself and for a good reason. It has a nice natural sound to it and works well in many situations. I have used it on drums and vocals and have been very pleased with the results every time. The only down side is the shock mount doesn't always come with it, but other than that, it is hard to lose with this fantastic piece of gear. I haven’t had a single complaint with this mic or even seen or heard anyone else complain about it when they come record at my house. They all love it, but when I tell them how much it cost they all say they wont be getting it. But if you want cheap quality then go to radio shack and get a mic. If you want great quality invest in your career and yourself and get the TLM 103.

The Neumann TLM 102 is a very small in size, large diaphragm condenser microphone. It has pretty standard features for a Neumann, as it has a cardioid pick up pattern and will pick up the full frequency spectrum of human hearing (20 Hz to 20 KHz). The mic looks a lot like the TLM 103, but is indeed smaller. The mic comes with a clip and a hard wood case. OVERALL OPINION I don't own a Neumann TLM 102 myself, but have used one recently a few times in a professional studio for recording vocals. This is probably the least expensive Neumann condenser microphone on the market, so if you're looking to get that Neumann sound without spending a ton of cash, the TLM 102 is a nice option. While it doesn't sound as full and thick as a higher Neumann does, it does have a very clean sound quality suitable for applications of all types. It definitely has the precision that you would expect from a Neumann microphone. It is a little bit strange how small the mic is, but is just means that you have a to be a little more careful, which should be the case when handling any microphone, especially a Neumann! Since I've yet to have the chance to use the TLM 102 for recording anything other than male vocals, I can't say how well it would fare exactly, but I'm fairly sure that it would sound good on most acoustic instruments. Judging by the fact that it has a similar make up and design to the TLM 103, the TLM 102 should be just as versatile and an overall great choice to be an all purpose microphone for your home studio, or as part of the collection in a professional studio. For those looking for a great microphone at a great price, made by the best microphone manufacturer in the world, look no further than the Neumann TLM 102.

The Neumann KM 84s are a pair of small diaphragm condenser microphones. They are designed for use in the recording studio and since they are expensive and fragile they aren't meant for live recording or use outside of the studio. OVERALL OPINION I've been using the Neumann KM 84s for about a year and they are definitely some of the best small diaphragm condenser microphones that I've used. While they are very similar to the modern KM 184s, these are the microphones that they made before these newer models and in some ways they sound better. While most wouldn't be able to tell the difference and it doesn't really matter because both the KM 84s and the KM 184s are incredible mics, but these seem to have a slightly warmer sound. I've used the Neumann KM 84s mostly as drum overheads and they really give you an awesome sound for this. I've also used these mics for recording violin, mandolin and for picking up the high end on an acoustic guitar. They will work great for pretty much any application where you want a crisp high end sound. Since these mics have the Neumann stamp you know that you are getting a great mic as I've truly never used a Neumann microphone that I didn't enjoy using. However, because these are no longer made they are pretty hard to find and will cost you a bit more money than the newer KM 184s. For this reason unless you stumble upon a good deal on these, it is probably best just to pick up a pair of KM 184s because they are easier to access and have a very comparable sound quality. All in all, the Neumann KM 84s are an incredible set of microphones that I wouldn't highly recommend to any professional or home studio owner who can afford them.