Best Neumann mic to buy for vocals?

I know there are many different mics, but I am gonna go with a Neumann, I have read many reviews and know studios who swear by them.

However, I don't know which one to get!? it has to be a good all rounder (for Vocals)

 

Not sure if any has one of these TLM 103 or TLM 49? or what you can tell me about them? is one of these good enough? if possible I would like to avoid paying for a U87ai.

 

Any pointers appreciated.

Is this for recording your voice mainly? Or other singers? What genre?

This sounds like an open-ended discussion for Gearsltuz, in which case, God help you... I have a few mics, including a 67 and an 87. Looking at the specs of both mics you described, it seems like either one would be fine. I bet you will run out of talent before you run out of mic... If you have a good relationship with your equipment dealer, they should give you both of them to try out and you can make your own decision. There are so few times when the esoteric differences between these mics make any difference: the limiting factor is almost always the talent. Buy the best one you can afford, put it up, forget about it, and concentrate on the performance.

The answer lies more in if this is a mic for you. Provided that is the question, the answer may be this: Neither.

 

It would behoove you to go to a studio that has a large selection of mics, including those two models you're interested in. Set up all the mics and sing thru them all with the same phrase. Then spend a good deal of time listening to each of them to hear which mic compliments your voice best without EQ.

 

I did this a few years back (with about 10 of the most common vocal mics, plus a few others) and it came down to a $200 GrooveTubes mic and the U87. Ultimately the U87 won out as it had a compliment for me in the high end. The $200 mic blew all other mics (414, TLM, etc) away for my voice, but it was ever so slightly more harsh in the high end on my voice.

 

Some vocalists get lucky with a SM58 in the studio. That's what, $75?

Is this for recording your voice mainly? Or other singers? What genre?

 

Hi David

It would be for various singers, mainly rock, male & female.

I have an Shure sm7b for single vocals, but for 2 or more vocals around a mic I am getting a Neumann.

 

I just need to know which one!

The answer lies more in if this is a mic for you. Provided that is the question, the answer may be this: Neither.

 

It would behoove you to go to a studio that has a large selection of mics, including those two models you're interested in. Set up all the mics and sing thru them all with the same phrase. Then spend a good deal of time listening to each of them to hear which mic compliments your voice best without EQ.

 

I did this a few years back (with about 10 of the most common vocal mics, plus a few others) and it came down to a $200 GrooveTubes mic and the U87. Ultimately the U87 won out as it had a compliment for me in the high end. The $200 mic blew all other mics (414, TLM, etc) away for my voice, but it was ever so slightly more harsh in the high end on my voice.

 

Some vocalists get lucky with a SM58 in the studio. That's what, $75?

 

I have an Sm58 , it is fine for me, but I need a mic that will pic up 2 or voices together, so I am going for the Neumann, I have been to many studios, the U87ai has always been fantastic, I tried a TLm103 recently, and that seemed great too.

I just need to know which one for general vocal use.

This sounds like an open-ended discussion for Gearsltuz, in which case, God help you... I have a few mics, including a 67 and an 87. Looking at the specs of both mics you described, it seems like either one would be fine. I bet you will run out of talent before you run out of mic... If you have a good relationship with your equipment dealer, they should give you both of them to try out and you can make your own decision. There are so few times when the esoteric differences between these mics make any difference: the limiting factor is almost always the talent. Buy the best one you can afford, put it up, forget about it, and concentrate on the performance.

 

Thanks drake, good you have a 67 and an 87! whatever that means! these are just numbers!

 

I guess through what you are saying its best to go for the Neumann u87ai?

I think jwhitesides has the right idea: audition them in a studio. I'd grab a singer you like, book a couple of hours and have him/her sing the same verse and chorus into maybe 4 different mics. Then ask the engineer to label the resulting tracks ABCD, etc., so you don't know which is which. Then see how each one sits in your mix, and pick your favorite while blind. Also, see how the different mics respond to eq; it's surprising how they differ. As was stated earlier, don't be afraid to choose a $200 mic over a $2000 one - there are so many good ones out there now. I would say that if you're going to record group vocals and you have a decent room, you might consider a multi-pattern mic so you could set it to omni. Mojave makes good ones at different price points, but you can't go wrong with a Neumann. A new 87 is pretty expensive, but you'll also never outgrow it - it's a great general purpose mic. You can drive yourself and your clients crazy doing mic shootouts, etc. Pick the one you think will work, tell them to buck-up and get to singin' ...

or, if it's not practical to get to a studio... ask a retailer for advice. google reviews. then pick a mic, and get to work. i guarantee that no one will ever say to you: "i liked your song, but thought you should have used an 87 instead of a TLM 103 on the vocal"... a well-recorded singer, eq'd & mixed well, will sound good no matter which neumann you choose...

or, if it's not practical to get to a studio... ask a retailer for advice. google reviews. then pick a mic, and get to work. i guarantee that no one will ever say to you: "i liked your song, but thought you should have used an 87 instead of a TLM 103 on the vocal"... a well-recorded singer, eq'd & mixed well, will sound good no matter which neumann you choose...

 

Sage advice from Mr fisherking! thank you.

ha! (am just making it up as i go along... just like with the music).....

I forgot to mention it should be a blind listen back. As Drake mentioned.

 

As for going off reviews from google and such, you can do that. But you're looking to drop a whole lot of money on expensive mics - it really would behoove you to listen to the mic(s) yourself. Your ear is going to hear things differently.

 

I'm not sure why people are so adverse to actually trying gear out for themselves.

Talked with 2 studio engineers last night and they both said exactly what fisherking said! a Neumann will be fine no matter what number it is, just work with it!

Have you given any thought to a good ribbon mic?

If you can try out a Shure KSM42 at a local retailer you might prefer it to a lot of mics for vocals. The only problem this mic has is it's written Shure on it and people only associate Shure to the SM58 and so figure it won't be a good studio vocal mic!! It's a cardioid dual-diaphragm mic. The back diaphragm is there to cancel the proximity effect that plagues most condenser cardioid mics. So you have a wide "sweet spot" with this mic.

 

But you wouldn't be in trouble with any Neumann mics!!

 

Blink

Why are you hung up on Neumann?

 

For the money, you would be able to get a few lesser expensive mics.

You won't notice a huge difference after running them thru pre amps and processing.

 

what's shivermetimbers said is, at least, worth considering. there's also mojave, akg, lauten...

See, now we're all in Gearslutz territory... The OP wants to buy a Neumann. Every one of us has said he can't go wrong with one. Yeah, they're expensive, and bang for the buck there are better deals out there, but Neumann is an aspirational brand. And don't for a second discount the very real psychological value of your artist seeing one of those things hanging there in front of them; they may step up their game. To the OP, IO say go buy the nicest Neumann you can really afford. Put it up in your studio with no one else there and stare at it for a while and feel pretty cool. That's certainly what I did with my first one.

P

See, now we're all in Gearslutz territory... The OP wants to buy a Neumann. Every one of us has said he can't go wrong with one. Yeah, they're expensive, and bang for the buck there are better deals out there, but Neumann is an aspirational brand. And don't for a second discount the very real psychological value of your artist seeing one of those things hanging there in front of them; they may step up their game. To the OP, IO say go buy the nicest Neumann you can really afford. Put it up in your studio with no one else there and stare at it for a while and feel pretty cool. That's certainly what I did with my first one.

P

 

Thank you Drake!

Why are you hung up on Neumann?

 

For the money, you would be able to get a few lesser expensive mics.

You won't notice a huge difference after running them thru pre amps and processing.

 

 

I have a Rode NT1A, its thin, toppy and toylike, though its ok on acoustic guitar.

See, now we're all in Gearslutz territory... The OP wants to buy a Neumann. Every one of us has said he can't go wrong with one. Yeah, they're expensive, and bang for the buck there are better deals out there, but Neumann is an aspirational brand. And don't for a second discount the very real psychological value of your artist seeing one of those things hanging there in front of them; they may step up their game. To the OP, IO say go buy the nicest Neumann you can really afford. Put it up in your studio with no one else there and stare at it for a while and feel pretty cool. That's certainly what I did with my first one.

P

 

Thank you Drake!

 

hey, if i owned an 87 (or, sigh, a 67)... i'd put it on a gold cushion, surrounded by spotlights, under a bulletproof glass dome.

Well, I bought the 87 used in 1990, and the 67 used in 1991. They weren't so insane then. Both were restored by Joe Leung at Gotham Service lab and have been trouble-free since.

Well, I bought the 87 used in 1990, and the 67 used in 1991. They weren't so insane then. Both were restored by Joe Leung at Gotham Service lab and have been trouble-free since.

Good to know.

 

Cant decide between the 87 or tlm 103 now...

If you haven’t already seen the Sweetwater Mic shoot-out you should definitely check it out.

They tested 50 mics and among them Neumann TLM 103 and U 87 ai. They also tested RODE NT1-A. Good for your comparison.

https://www.sweetwater.com/feature/vocal-mic-shootout/

I've never used a 103, but looked at it online. I money isn't tight, the 87 is more versatile, with its 3 patterns, low-cut filter and pad, none of which the 103 has. I know some people who think the 107 is a very good bargain. It doesn't have the classic Neumann look, but it's a more versatile mic. It seems that the TLM series of mics has a much higher max spl rating, so maybe a pad isn't needed on them. It looks like the TLM 103 set with shock mount, etc., is about 1300, while the 87 set with shockmount is about 3600. That's a huge difference, of course. I'm afraid you may be back at your starting point with your original post; you chose some Neumanns you like and now need to let your ears have a debate with your wallet. I think you'll be pleased no matter how you go. Good luck.

P

This video proves exactly what I was saying with doing a shootout on mics. For this particular singer's voice, there's only some very slight differences between the tone of her voice in each mic. But on another singer, it could be way more drastic.

 

All that being equal, if the OP is dead set on getting a Neumann, by all means, do it! You'll get some name recognition and it will be a great starting point for a variety of voices. Personally, I would go with the TLM 103. It's a very capable all-around mic for vocals.

 

Why are you hung up on Neumann?

 

For the money, you would be able to get a few lesser expensive mics.

You won't notice a huge difference after running them thru pre amps and processing.