Recording Vocals in your Home Studio - Part 3: Comparing Different Mics

Neumann & award-winning filmmaker Geert Verdickt show you a comparison of different vocal microphones for the Home Studio.
Find the perfect microphone: www.neumann.com....
Presentation, Concept, Art Direction: Geert Verdickt
Script: Alphonse Gustafson
Vocals: Yaelle Cinkey
Camera, D.o.p.: Igor Gaasbeek
Camera Assistant: Maxime Lahousse
Sound Engineer: Reinhoud Maes
Motion Graphics Designer: Kim Vanbeckevoort
Recording & Mix Engineer: Sebastian Schmitz (Portfolio Manager Microphones / Neumann)
Location: Watt Matters Studio, Bielefeld/Germany
Playlist with chinese subtitles: • Neumann Home Studio Ac...
Listen to Yaelle's album on:
Spotify: spoti.fi/31ZWdbJ
Apple Music: apple.co/2UYpban
Deezer: bit.ly/2uJQ8Ed
More: www.neumann.co...
#neumann
#homestudio
#homerecording

[@Juan-Diego-SG]

Compare 1 - 1:16, 2:06 2 - 2:27, 2:50 3 - 3:20, 3:59 4 - 4:36, 4:58 5 - 5:26, 5:43 6 - 6:09, 6:34

[@slimthizzle11]

Juan Diego 🙌🙌🙌🙌💯💯💯

[@Juan-Diego-SG]

TKS

[@EdShrekan]

Thank you

[@ericst-louis110]

Well done! Although it is inherently difficult to make a moving image reflect an aural experience, this well filmed series does indeed reflect the quality and precision of Neumann microphones. I learned more about Neumann mics in this series than from all other sources combined. Keep the series going, it is enjoyable in so many ways. Thank you for producing them.

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Thank you for your feedback! Feel free to check facebook.com/neumann/ and instagram.com/neumann.berlin for weekly updates.

[@JorgeAguilera]

1:17 103 2:28 102 4:37 107

[@stefanmayer444]

3:20 MXL 2006

[@demon-ll9eg]

​@@stefanmayer444 hahahahahaha

[@stefanmayer444]

@@demon-ll9eg :-)

[@ALLGOOD_MUSIC]

I wish you guys would make videos with this guy all the time. Great stuff. Good relaxed learning. It would be huge for you guys on youtube to do so. Just a thought. Thanks for the videos!

[@michelaser]

Nice, I wish she sang the same phrase on each mike, to better compare.

[@mrtheluckybucket]

She did?

[@offplanetfilms]

Recently purchased a TLM 103 to upgrade our cartoon voice acting. We couldn't be happier!

[@Dummerbrella987]

She's such an amazing singer. Thank you for these series of videos. It helped me to setup my TLM 102!

[@ginbeer4327]

nothing great about her vocal at all.a bit shaky in fact

[@jasonbodden8816]

@@ginbeer4327 Guess that's your opinion and you're entitled to it, of course. I think she has a good voice. It *is* a little shaky, definitely, but it has incredible feel to it and beautiful tone. That's something I can work with.

[@korbybohannon]

The Neumann TLM 107 was phenomenal; wow!

[@TerryGrancho]

after that "No name" one, it sounds phenomenal! xD

[@henrikpetersson3463]

It sure is. That one and the TLM 67 are my favorites in the TLM series. They are very different mics however.

[@savanaviolenta]

Yep

[@analyticalmindset]

love it. Makes me appreciate my TLM103 much more!

[@kylefryar8835]

im torn between the tom 107 and the 103. hows your 103 treating you? I want a professional sound but if i can save $500 and get the 103 id be a happy man

[@henrikpetersson3463]

They are very different- The 107 is more natural sounding and more versatile, but the 103 is a great workhorse too. If money wasn't an issue I'd go for the 107 any day.

[@shanesean7006]

i owned a 103 and it kill me(i mean for my voice because its a bright midrangi voice) the 103 sibilance and high freq are very harsh you should spend time with deessers a loooot. now i have 107 and im very happy very very very flat and neutral sound, and the best thing is polar patern that are very different in freq responce (i think the hyper cardioid is the best)

[@kylefryar8835]

my god I've been looking for this video for a month and didn't even know it. i was torn between these pics and now i FINALY HAVE SOME CLARITY! thanks for posting!

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Hi Kyle, thanks for your feedback. We are glad to hear that our tutorial was helpful for you. Have fun and keep recording!

[@JtubeOne]

This is the world's best channel that deals with sound....

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Thank you!

[@shan5445]

So this was not aboutvocal recording but an advert for Neumann

[@buckrogers5703]

.... and a vocal recording minicourse

[@0s0sXD]

No. It's a great insightful video. I don't care about Neumann, but everything he said in the video was quite simply a fact. And from a singers perspective, this all makes a difference.

[@0s0sXD]

@Adrian R because people would think all these mics in the video are the same. And that the expensive one is a rip off

[@himester666]

Adrian R I mean if a mic company is gonna teach you about recording it should be expected that they’ll use their mics....especially if they’re industry standard. All the info is good and its a good comparison of their mic line.

[@jves1763]

it seems that it should only be fair that if a company is going to hire an actor, a pro vocalist, a film crew and a location to put out a short FREE series to help you get a grasp on the basics of a subject, you can grant them the courtesy of understanding that they use their product in the series. Ofcourse they want you to buy their microphones but they ALSO can want to help people get a basic understanding of how to use them properly by providing a free information packed series. BOTH things can true.... buy a tlm103 or buy a nt1 or mxl or some other budget mic to spite them instead. at the end of the day, you're the one that has to live with your mixes.

[@claybryan195]

I have been playing with sound for several years now, recently decided to step up my knowledge. WOW, already learned lots by watching and rewatching these.

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Hi Clay, thank you. If you would like to learn more about home recording or are interested in signing up for our newsletter, please feel free to visit our new website www.neumann.com/homestudio/en/ Have a great day!

[@projectnineveh1501]

Loved the TLM 107 /103 and KMS104. Great dedication👍👍👍👍👍

[@edgarmarinho6634]

The TLM 102 suited her voice perfectly

[@owg952]

Geert needs to host a show about recording studios all over the world. Would watch it all. :~)

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Thanks for your feedback! Indeed, he has done a great job with our tutorials!

[@p.m-audio]

is he belgian or holland cause Geert ?

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Hi SuperPasquale76, Geert Verdickt is a Belgium-based video journalist.

[@RobinZelders]

You can definitely hear he's dutch but I like that (I'm dutch as well)

[@TanzilHasan]

USING 102 For months, Loving it !!!

[@steinwaysonsk1323]

Great Test! For me the Neumann TLM 103 microphone has the best sound.

[@isaacwright3590]

the first one and the pencil condenser sounded great with her voice

[@GestattenWinnetou]

God damn the KM 184 sounds best for her voice! 👍🏻😳

[@calebwilliams7263]

the tlm 102 definetly sounded best on her

[@Adam-uj3bu]

I really like the way that you did that series - it was well done - and helped explain the differences of microphones ... I think it would have sounded better on my end on an actual pair of speakers / higher end headphones so I could hear more nuances vs the speakers built into the laptop. Best recording mix I've ever heard came from the Focal SM9 monitors at Flux Studios in NYC..

[@DarkandTwisted]

Loved the 103 the most for sure, but the 102 was close.

[@TazzSmk]

impressed by the KM 184 sound! pity the vocals in video didn't include almost any plosives and essing

[@michaelrmarak5597]

These microphone handles plosives very well. You don't need to worry as you worry with other mics. I am dynamiting all my other microphones.

[@DebaMita]

this video is what i was searching for

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Glad you liked it 😊 !

[@Pitacle2009]

I love this series! Thumbs up!

[@Vegetox]

I regret even less having chosen the tlm 107 instead of the 103/102. I think it's the one that sounds the best in the lows / mids. In addition, changing the directivity slightly softens the treble (towards omni), or makes them more precise (towards supercardioid/fig 8). Definitely a amazing tool.

[@michaelrmarak5597]

TLM107 is same as TLM102, in terms of clarity, crispy, and response. Only difference is TLM102 have a fixed pattern, while TLM107 have selectable patterns.

[@KristianDowling]

Great video. Wish Neumann made more of these videos because choosing between their mics is quite difficult without having the opportunity to test them before buying

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Hi Kristian, Thanks for the great feedback! We will work on more tutorial topics in the future for sure! They're fun to make also 😊 .

[@KristianDowling]

@@GeorgNeumannGmbH looking forward to it. There are so many mic choices now and so hard to choose

[@demon-ll9eg]

@@GeorgNeumannGmbH Great video. Wish Neumann made more of these videos because choosing between their mics is quite difficult without having the opportunity to test them before buying

[@cametientaucoeur]

Be careful what you wish for. Years ago, after retiring, I decided to learn to properly sing. I bought a few audio technica & shure condenser mics. I found a teacher. I ordered a Neumann KMS 105 thinking this would showcase my blossoming voice. My vocal instructor/accompanist said it reveals your voice’s flaws too much. It was returned. So much fo my illusions. Jeanne (retired RN)

[@theshedsinger658]

love this fella, i know nothing and his videos really help teaching me about mics etc. thank you

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Thank you! Have a nice day and keep recording.

[@theshedsinger658]

Any advice on a first set up, at the moment im just singing on a normal PA and recording on my samsung s8 Phone. If you look on my profile youl see some ive posted but i think im ready to start recording myself properly. Any feedback most appreciated many thanks craig

[@LosFicosMusic]

the 2:50 pose is EPIC! hehe

[@vincentsimeon5271]

Actually, I kind of like what the 184 do with her voice on this song !

[@officialWWM]

I'm really surprised that room sounds so good.

[@cineclue]

Is it right decision to buy sm58 at non treated room?

[@michaelrmarak5597]

I found what I was looking for: I was looking for a comparative shootout among all these microphones. Because I wasn't willing to pay $12,000 for U87Ai pair. Among all this microphone, I own only TLM102; I don't want TLM103. Now, instantly, I decided to buy TLM107, KMS104, KMS105, and an additional TLM102. Great mics. I started loving them after I owned TLM102.

[@ingoodmusic]

Is this 104or104plus?

[@thaexception3406]

Great stuff - informative

[@marcneslydelmot]

the tlm 07 is great , thanks for real educational stuff , meantime i notice you use no vocal shield , i m hoping to find a real answer from top level pro about this , is it worth it or ruining my recordings ?

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Hi there! We have published an article about pop screens here: www.neumann.com/homestudio/en/how-to-protect-your-microphone-against-pops. Have a look!

[@rylandweet7750]

Nylon pop filters definitely ruin the quality of vocals , metal pop filter is best, but if you are really good you don’t need one, I usually look very slightly off to the side of the mic , no pop filter is even better

[@pabloqueipo]

I need to know for Lyric Opera singer (Tenor / Baritone) what microphone/s do you recomend me???

[@demon-ll9eg]

8:06 103 8:13 102 8:36 107 and 1:16 103 4:36 107

[@themadwolfe.t8518]

She needs a oscar for calming and singing allmost the same with dif mics

[@step_losev]

Why did you blurred that mic

[@nocuh]

I was hoping for a comparison of sonics with side-by-side, uninterrupted performance going down the line. Also it would be nice to have a chateaux for home studio/space.

[@leepshin]

The KM-184 is the "only" mic that had a clear difference in sound to me. All the rest "including" the generic unbranded Mic sounded exactly the same to me and my ears are pretty sensitive to timbre. What does "that" say about brand names?

[@sherrysouls4485]

Wiki Park the average listener isn’t a professional engineer you fucking idiot. If it sounds good it sounds good

[@vintagerarebaldguy4190]

Sir George really awesome

[@kmsongbird]

I have the cheap $99 generic and Shure SM58 and 57. Could hardly tell the difference between the cheap and the Neumanns, but there definitely WAS a difference. Thanks for helping me be brave about trying my 57 on the voice! Loved the crispness there.

[@azarlane9553]

Having George Lucas guide us through this is tantamount! Glad he found work after that whole Jar-Jar fiasco. Thanks George!

[@lrn5152]

I was hoping to get into alternative rock/dubstep and I was wanting to know which mic would be BEST! ;) thanks!

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Hi Kelton, thanks for your inquiry. There is no "best" microphone for a certain usage, as the adequate microphone depends on your personal taste and preference. Our advice would be: Try different kinds of microphones and choose the one that fits the best to your style of music. The microphone finder offers you a selection of microphones which might suit your purpose of usage: www.neumann.com/micfinder/micfinder.php?lang=en For demo microphones, please contact your local distributor. You can find your distributor here: www.neumann.com/?id=contact_distributors&lang=en/ Have a great day!

[@ditseayella4524]

can you let me know which one is the blurred mic. Wanna buy that one!

[@marcospintor1333]

Mxl 2006

[@artist1303]

3 episodes for selling a Neumann microphone!

[@savanaviolenta]

And so what? It's just business, it's a nice vocal tutorial video and what did you expect Neumann would use? Different brands of mic only and none of theirs? They know they have the best mics in the world so are not ashamed to show it. It's business mate that comes in a great vocal course package.

[@Enzoheavenly]

I like the TLM-103 airiness and depth, the 102 is certainly more focused and flat but I guess it depends on the singer, for her it sounds great. The 107 though, I consider it a step up from the 102. So I ordered the TLM-103. Note: I think the blurred one is the MXL v67 (since it comes in nickel, green and white colors)

[@jasonbodden8816]

Both sound fantastic but I prefer the clarity and punch of the TLM-102. The 103 has a bit too much low end for me but still sounds great.

[@levicarter4577]

This is one of the best made video series I have watched.

[@nyran6ixmusic911]

this is beautiful! You guys need to upload more frequently though

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Thank you for your feedback. There will be more videos in the future. Until then, feel free to check facebook.com/neumann/ and instagram.com/neumann.berlin for weekly updates.

[@GuillermoElAlfil]

At the end it was better if she sing the same thing for comparating.. 107 is the best for me

[@michaelcreaghan399]

Mj O'crea here Tlm/103 the best full body and great depth am getting one and the best demonstration i have ever seen Fantastic

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Hi Michael, thanks for your feedback. We are glad to hear that you like our tutorials. Stay tuned and keep recording!

[@andrewisace]

really would have been awesome if there was link to download the high resolution files.

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Hi andrewssama, Sorry there is no download link available. You can be sure that all important differences between the mics are also hearable in the online version.

[@alfonsotello2218]

Whats the best choice for hip-hop and r&b

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Hi Alfonso, it is quite hard to tell people which microphone suits them best because sound is perceived very subjectively. It is always a good idea to test a few mics to figure out, what models makes your voice sound the way you want it to sound. Do consider the U 87 Ai and TLM 103 (depending on your budget of course) when you try them!

[@ronedwards8239]

I use a KMS105 for live use.

[@adrianr.linarespalacios3068]

Awesome video! Which mic will be better to record an audio book?? -Male voice in the mid to mid-low range.

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

We recorded all of Geerts voice overs in the videos with a TLM 103. We liked it very much for his voice. Try it out and trust your ears.

[@barr__6742]

The generic mic was probably blurred because it is shaped like a Pen 15.

[@marcneslydelmot]

cause i m telling you , i have recording without pop filter without vocal shield that sound incredible .

[@timelessharmony8422]

HEY I Prefer the cheap no name mic sounds good to me I think I have to get that one so can you please help me with the name of it and the model

[@demon-ll9eg]

lol

[@stefanmayer444]

MXL 2006

[@kedskies]

What is the song played at the beginning of the video... Please tell if you know

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Hi! We put Yaelle's album links in the description box! The song in the beginning is called "And I Know".

[@StarsoundStudios]

Just shows microphones are colors, which one do you want on your recording.

[@behindthescreen5449]

The u87 remains the GOAT of mics

[@deneenseljan4417]

y is the mic blocked out

[@dreyhermansen1326]

Deneen Seljan for real I was wondering the same thing

[@henrikpetersson3463]

Because they don't want to bad mouth any specific brand.

[@roroschannel58]

i know right

[@hoebentoet]

I know Neumann is the standard mic in lots of studios, but the price is a little to high for the budget geeks,.. I wanna know witch was that no-name mic, because it sounds also great..

[@stefanmayer444]

MXL 2006

[@mcdubs991]

is a yeti mic a good one to record??

[@WickBeavers]

I was dying to see a $3000 mic!

[@dennynayam6927]

Love it....love yr content....thanku soo much..

[@andymusicstudio2485]

102 is the warmest here on her voice

[@NiniRockX]

Her voice reminds me a bit of Lzzy Hale from Halestorm.

[@CamRebires]

Really like the singer, good presenter, too!

[@bryan25cool]

What is the title of the song from the intro?

[@tomsiegel9759]

I appreciate the video. I kind of wish you had gone through the different characteristics of each of the mics and how they might serve various vocalists' voices. For instance, this woman has a very breathy voice with a good rich low end. What mic serves that. I actually felt like the 102 gave her nice clarity on the top end while preserving the richness of the lower qualities of her voice and the 103 did not offer that clarity and when compared, I found that missing. If you had a male vocalist, what might be different? Would the 103 be better for a man's voice, because that top-end clarity doesn't want to cut through as much? I would have liked to hear that discussion... instead I found this video to just be an opportunity to line up a bunch of Neumann mics. Obviously, this is going to happen, we are on the Neumann channel and I don't blame you, but talk about the actual differences between the mics and why you might choose one over the other for one vocalist while choosing a different mic for a different vocalist.

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Hi Tom! Choosing microphones goes way beyond male and female. The differences between two singers of the same sex may be much bigger than between a male and a female singer. Apart from voice characteristics (breathy/chesty, soft/powerful, smooth/ edgy etc.), singing style and genre play a major role. So it is hard to make generalizations. Which is why most professional engineers will try several mics with a singer in order to find the right one for his/her particular voice. Results may be surprising. Which is one of the reasons why Neumann makes such a large selection of microphones suitable to vocal recording. This could be a topic for another video (or series of videos) in the future.

[@BilluBakra]

thank you soo much

[@leorossiator]

Any thoughts about U89i?

[@ingoodmusic]

What pre been used here?

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Hi, for the microphone comparisons we used identical preamps and AD converters of excellent quality and neutral character, with identical settings. The intention of this video is to demonstrate the character of the different microphones. Therefore the rest of the signal chain was chosen to be as neutral and consistent as possible. Have a great day!

[@ingoodmusic]

Georg Neumann GmbH So,what pres been used? Can you name it?

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Hi, Please understand that for neutrality reasons we will not name the products used. Please feel free to follow us on KZbin: kzbin.info

[@ingoodmusic]

Georg Neumann GmbH What a shame..Maybe you can PM me?!

[@Jjf109nine]

ingoodmusic they used millennia preamps

[@OlmoBlancoCinematography]

I think censored mic is RODE NT1A

[@marcomarx9269]

TLM 102 sounds better than the TLM 103. How come?

[@ja994]

Marco Camargo black kids

[@clayteasouth]

I agree and in many other shoot outs I’ve seen.

[@mjj1579]

i really want to know what that mysterious microphone is. It can't be the blue yeti because that mic is over $100 and also doesn't have many ripoffs. Also yeti doesn't have XLR input.

[@stefanmayer444]

MXL 2006

[@whodat3596]

Which one is best for rap vocals does anybody know?

[@JeanmarkRodriguez]

Fofo's Ent. No mic is best for "rap". It just depends on the voice your recording, which microphone to pic.

[@tecnogadget2]

Jeanmark Rodriguez actually, the u87 is a pretty standard pro rap mic.

[@Mario-oj6oj]

where do we get one?

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Thank you for your interest in our microphone. You can find your distributor under the menu item "contact" on our homepage www.neumann.com. For more information about our microphones, please visit our Home Studio website www.neumann.com/homestudio/en/

[@beku73]

ok nice tutorials. Nuemann mics are great for sure. I see no reason to compare with other cheap different brands. I can make any mic over 100$ to sound great in a mix.

[@kaiserwilhelmii1827]

107 or 102 for me

[@CharlieMayMusic]

Did anyone else think of Glenn Fricker at the don't cup the mic part? 😂

[@FVDaudio]

KMS104 with pop filter too... :/ and the revelation of sound the tlm 107 pristine transparent sound.

[@VESANG]

Beatles stile singer ... where you really want the melody of the song ...which of the TLM 102 TLM 103 and 107 would be best in your oppinion ? Thanks

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Hi, thanks for your inquiry. We will get back to you with a response asap. In the meantime, please feel free to visit our new website www.neumann.com/homestudio/en/

[@GeorgNeumannGmbH]

Try out TLM 102 and 103. Do a proper AB comparison with both mics on the exact same level (otherwise the louder one will always win). Choose the one, that fits your voice best.

[@VESANG]

Thank you for the advice ! I ended up with TLM 103 ... GREAT mic ... it captures the voice natural detail and smoothness better than TLM 102 . I also have Rode NT2000 , CAD M179 , Shure sm7b ,... IMHO TLM 103 is in a different league . GREAT MIC ! I hope that helps p[eople here as well since I was comparing mics for a long time , forgot to mention Shure KSM44, shure KSM32, lots of MXL ... people, just go and get TLM 103 , save a lot of time and money trying to find THE mic ... THE mic is Neumann TLM 103

[@demon-ll9eg]

@@VESANG tlm 103 or tlm107?

[@VESANG]

@@demon-ll9eg IMHO tlm 103 , TLM 107 . TLM 49, TLM 193 ,,, they are all great mics capturing very well the natural sound and they take EQ very well. With EQ adjustments you can make them sound about the same. TLM 103 is the darkest sounding one without EQ, the TLM 193 most natural to the original source . so it really depends on your voice and preferences. I ended up with TLM 193 and sold the TLM 103 and the TLM 49 I had. I never had the chance to owe TLM 107 but listened to lots of sound bites of it. If you are targeting the famous U87 , the best /and cheapest/ in my experience is MIktek C7e or the older version of the same Miktek C7. Those are great mics for a fraction of the cost. I owe one C7e and i am not selling it ... Surprisingly good / great/ mic. I hope that helps some. All the best wishes !

[@tomspiller2449]

Kms 104 sounded the best for her vocals

[@Gill5336]

it would be cool if the vocalist can sing, too I feel exhausted and nervous after this video

[@kedavis]

"They come in different colors and different logos, but essentially it's the same microphone." That was a hilarious line (even though it wasn't intended to be).

[@BeauStephenson]

The censored microphone is hilarious. lol.

[@zacjohnson452]

1:42 WAIT DID HE JUST SAY “big bottom end”?!?!?!

[@jbkivontop]

The 107 for me. I need to save my $$ now

[@demon-ll9eg]

its been 2 year have u got ur tlm 107

[@jbkivontop]

@@demon-ll9eg I am ashamed to say no I have not gotten one

[@littleoakstudio4254]

the tlm 103 is too harsh, the 102 is good but a little small sounding compared to the 107. the 107 wins imo, but for the price the 102 is a good mic.

[@NuclearDeathWalk]

the 107 levels were higher and she was slighter closer which gave it a slighter fuller lower mid.

[@chris61981]

doesn't tell us what interface or mixer they're using or the DAW?

[@misMEGAVIDEOS]

That’s one big tv you have on the floor

[@ronedwards8239]

The no name lacks mid range presence like all the cheap junk. The cheap mics seem to always lack midrange detail and have a hyped top end. What happens is singers have to puss harder to compensate for a lousy microphone.

[@NuclearDeathWalk]

and once it's in the mix, you have an EQ/Compression nightmare trying to get it to fit. Recording with a TLM102 or a Gefell 930 - the raw vocals take compression and seldom have I had to EQ to get to sounding right for the mix.

[@Mari-pu1gw]

4:37 2:28

[@TBURNATV]

107 !!!!