Is the Neumann TLM 103 still worth buying in 2024?

This video is focused on the Neumann TLM 103, and whether or not it's still worth buying in 2024.
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[@mohamedsaad4738]

TLM 103 is a great microphone, as are the AKG C414 XLII and Austrian Audio OC18. I don't think anyone would go wrong with any of these at that price point.

[@NURREDIN]

Ask Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas! I talked to the people at Neumann and they told me the TLM103 is a U-87ai in cardioid only mode! It's an excellent choice for vocals because most engineers only use cardioid mode regardless of the mic they're using for vocals. So if you're just recording vocals in your home studio, you can't go wrong with this mic.

[@officialdiomer]

Where/how did they tell you this? Would love to read more if they sent you a message

[@NURREDIN]

@@officialdiomer P.S. There are very few mics that are as quiet as the TLM 103.

[@officialdiomer]

@@NURREDIN didn’t answer my question. i know it has a low self noise. So do other mics. Anything below 12 is great

[@NURREDIN]

@@officialdiomer My reply was removed. I guess because I included the Neumann website page that has the TLM103 .If you go to the website, it will tell you everything.

[@creativegreatsvisuals]

@@officialdiomerwhat other mics have low self noise ?

[@itsovoro]

I just got mine 2 days ago! I was going to buy the slate ml-1 but saw the build quality was inconsistent so I didnt want to risk it. Found a second hand tlm103 for the same price and decided to pull the trigger. Upgraded from a nt2a that ive had for about 10 years and so far I love it! Alot more depth and body.

[@akg.69]

Alot more body and depth in TLM 103 or NT2A?

[@itsovoro]

@@akg.69 in the tlm103!

[@alexmacias3837]

You dodged a bullet. I hated my slate mic. It sounded so artificial. I even used their preamp for it. Everyone that came to my home studio thought it sounded flat no matter which model I used. I could never it get to sit right in a mix. I now have a TLM 103 going through a WA73. There hasn’t been one person that didn’t think the 103 sounds infinitely better.

[@akg.69]

@@alexmacias3837 are you praising tlm 103 or blaming it?

[@alexmacias3837]

Praising. The slate mic is what I was saying I didn’t like

[@tanx0r]

I took the plunge and ordered myself the anniversary edition of this mic after watching some of your videos countless times a while ago. The 103 seems to glue vocals to the mix, it has some magic going on in the midrange that a lot of other mics I have tried do not. Its overall pristine, detailed sound is also more full bodied, which makes it not need the extra warmth a tube can add (and besides that one can always add tube warmth later on during mixing). I really love this mic. It's AWESOME on acoustic guitars as well.

[@vannmensa]

Dope content as usual

[@EdwardSmithMusic]

Appreciate that!!

[@TJF1GH]

I have used a lot of different setups and my opinion is: The Tlm103 is fire use the Tlm103 with a Manley Core Also for more budget friendly I love the Blue BlueBerry with a RND Newton

[@tomashcroft7024]

A lot of engineers or Reddit are saying that they hate the TLM 103 because it's so harsh and the effort of cleaning up the tracks in post is not worth it. Anyone have an opinion on this?

[@alikazaki]

Forget the microphone for a minute, what a beautiful voice you have ♥

[@EdwardSmithMusic]

Thank you!! 🙏🏻

[@Tamafork]

@@EdwardSmithMusic okay bro don't forget to view my vibes also the you can share

[@Tamafork]

i do like this smith

[@ItzrealMusic]

I’m now a owner and I must say it’s definitely worth the price payed

[@Yogeshbairaagi]

clean recording

[@akg.69]

Edward, between TLM 103 and Lewitt Pure Tube, which one would you buy for yourself?

[@KROWNCHAKRATV]

Daucman da87i got me right

[@gabrielthesingingpilot]

Nice song and voice 👌 a Audio Technica At4040 will also work just fine and under $400 I believe

[@EdwardSmithMusic]

The AT4040 is such a beast for the $300 price tag!!

[@donkeyhead68]

For me...the Lewitt Pure Tube!

[@Dahak6666]

Is this good for voiceover?

[@killa7367]

gotta definitely upload them to a drop box or mega or something so we can hear without youtube compression

[@EdwardSmithMusic]

I will definitely look into doing this for future videos. Thanks!

[@mzonemusicful]

Well I cant speak to the 103 but the 102 is an amazing mic with some of the same qualities. An amazing mic

[@armin386]

Tnx

[@Styrant]

Im a fan of a oc18 over the tlm103

[@REALEXIT]

i wanna buy the tlm 103 but i can't afford the Price so i was thinkin about avantone cv12 and Warm Audio wa87 R2 which one do you recommend The avantone cv12 or The Warm Audio wa87 R2

[@mzonemusicful]

Cv 12 all day

[@REALEXIT]

@@mzonemusicful thanks

[@jadonwashington8090]

cv12 is really nice

[@Onlyonesanta]

I’ve had the CV12 and now use the 103. They are not that far off, the 103 is just alot brighter, while the CV12 sounds more natural and less bright. If you like a bright crispy sound, save for the 103, its worth it. If you like soft and natural, go CV12.

[@REALEXIT]

@@Onlyonesanta great thanks i think i will go with CV-12

[@yaboykam7374]

I’ve been torn between a Telefunken TF51 and a TLM 103. Went down a rabbit hole of watching review videos and right now I’m leaning towards the 103. I think paired with an Apollo Twin w/ a nice preamp it will get me the sound I’m looking for

[@EdwardSmithMusic]

Both these microphones are great. I would make the deciding factor the circuitry of the microphone. Between the tube circuit of the TF51 and the FET circuit of the TLM 103, the main difference is warmth and tone. If you want a warmer sounding vocal, go for the TF51, otherwise the 103 is a better investment.

[@yaboykam7374]

@@EdwardSmithMusic that’s what I was thinking as well. I feel like either one should be a good choice overall but I will say it’s a tough call to make mainly because there aren’t nearly as many review videos and demos with the TF51 compared to the 103

[@Onlyonesanta]

I was deciding between these two as well and chose the 103 for the portability (no separate tube power supply), low self noise, and just because there’s so many artists I love that use it, and it did not disappoint. I use a Neve 1073 pre but any good pre would do better than the Apollo, the mic sounded a bit more muddied when I tried it straight into the apollo. Not bad, just needs more eq to get the clarity back. Any tube preamp or neve style preamp should do wonders

[@yaboykam7374]

@@Onlyonesanta those are some of my reasonings as well that has me leaning more towards the 103 at the moment. Do you have any thing recorded with the 103 that I could check out?

[@Onlyonesanta]

@@yaboykam7374 nothing finished but i could send snippets whats ya email

[@CKMP002]

Send more about home studio

[@mrvoiceofyuvan]

Witch best Rode nt1 signature series vs akg p420 please tell me

[@Animetrix-WAV]

buy a twin87 from united. knocks the hell out of the tlm103

[@VERSUXH]

Which mic should i get in the $185-275 range AKG P420 ($185) AT2050 ($200), LCT 440 ($250) AT4040 ($275) I'm a standard - low tenor voice. Using ONLY for vocals to make music, not for instruments.

[@folfiik]

akg or at4040

[@dryos2499]

yo have this guy a music channel? i really like the way he sings

[@EdwardSmithMusic]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@yssnfilms]

edward been here since 2019 got focusrite and at2020 to a rode nt1(black) and evo4 to now a focusrite 4th gen wondering if i should go small step up to 440 pure for my taste or the tlm 103

[@MCAlvesPortugal]

I think for that price , there is better options

[@Kenneth-F]

Okej so what are those options?

[@akg.69]

Kindly suggest some options

[@officialdiomer]

@@Kenneth-FVanguard V13, Stam SA-87T, Austrian Audio OC818, Shure KSM44A, maybe a used Lauten 387 to name a few

[@Kenneth-F]

@@officialdiomer nope, im not with you on this. 🙂

[@officialdiomer]

@@Kenneth-F ok

[@user-qq3hb5ju4r]

i have nt1a and its too harsh with my voice even that i have low male voice rap and trap is the genre i have home studio room treated but not for recording no hardware preamps all digital and audient id14 audient id14, now i saw alot of comparisons and i love the sound of tlm49 and shure ksm32 bescause they are warm on the highs does i need to put the exstra money and buy the tlm49 or shure ksm32 will be enough for the job, choosing between tlm103, tlm107, tlm49, shure ksm32, shure ksm42 and Shure KSM44

[@bigfoodkevi8986]

Is the Fluid Audio is better to use than the scarlett audiointerface 2i2 4gen? Am a recording artist .I'm setting up a home studio and looking for recommendations for both an audio interface and a microphone. I’m aiming for high-quality recordings and want something suitable for a beginner. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

[@SICB0I.wav69]

Why did the audio get so much crisper at 2:42 - 2:45

[@akg.69]

Please answer

[@karolinarex1856]

Hii, i did a lot of research and for my first mic as a singer-song writer i bought Rode NT1 gen5. It is a good one for a price, definitely was a surprise for me. However, i feel like it does not go fully with my voice, i just can't find the right sound, it's too "flat" on high register and muddy, specially in lower register. Mixing kinda does the job, but it's not what i like to hear. I was thinking of upgrading to Neumann TLM 103. Is it worth it? I saw a lot of reviews that those two are too similar and upgrading to Neuman would a waste of money. HELP, i'm desperate.

[@rubbersoul420]

try looking up what some of your favorite artists use

[@DEATHpetration]

Bro please give me a mic and don't forget the interface my usb mic sucks a Lil bit😢

[@arinin77]

AKG does have a true "AKG DNA" (SOUNDS LIKE AKG) ... Neumann TLM 103 does have a true "Neumann DNA" (SOUNDS LIKE Neumann) ... For me AKG! Other "brands" are just s**t. Lots of "paid videos" around the internet... Neumann TLM 103 release date is 1997 (analog era) when adding effects in the post was complicated... So it's still the best option for "none-music applications" (podcasts, etc.) as it's simple to use... For "music production" there are lots of newer ones (digital era Mics)... If you're interested in the "highest ever possible fidelity out of a Mic", Neumann TLM 107 (release date is 2014) is a "go for"... If you're interested in the "a sort of "hardware-based warm tube-like" out of a Mic" (still not to be supposed to be added to in the post... very simple to use.. "warm" without post-production), Neumann TLM 49 (release date is 2006) or AKG C 214... AKG C3000 (release date is 2013) is a "go for"...

[@mzonemusicful]

@@arinin77 See this is where o was torn as well the AKG C214 is a phenomenal mic which I still have and thinking about selling. Compared to my 102 the c214 doesn’t sound bad but to my ears I prefer the Neumann 102. That AKG is a very bright mic imo. Anyone interested in buying mines I’ll let it go for an awesome price of $225 which is a real steal.

[@creativegreatsvisuals]

So the tm103 is harder to mix and master than the tm107? Why ? And will the digital sound of the tm107 be as quality as the tm103?

[@arinin77]

@@creativegreatsvisuals ​ @creativegreatsvisuals Because there are already a +4 db baked in for higher than 6khz (in the TLM103 case) ... That's not "flat= neutral" as it should be as in the TLM107 case..

[@creativegreatsvisuals]

@@arinin77 wait so the tm107 is flat=neutral and has +4db baked in ? Or the tm103 has a baked in +4db . If so why is the flat=neutral sound in the tm107 better for mixing ?

[@quincydavismusic]

I've got a Lewit Pure Tube in mint condition. Anyone interested to trade for a TLM 103? Message me. I love the Pure Tube but I already have other 2 tube mics that are over 2x more expensive and I could use a TLM for traveling.

[@ou8124]

Billie eilish won because of her songs, not cause of a mic ! but it helps but nobody care's what she used, except a musician !

[@BeetIsGreen]

Edward gift me a U87 Ai (I’m joking obv)