AudioMedia - November 2008 - (Page 28)

With the TLM 67, everything old is new again… or is it?, wonders TY FORD. N eumann’s most recent mic, the TLM , was a welcome visitor when it arrived. The mic is an enigma wrapped in a conundrum, and constrained within a riddle. To wit; how can a mic with no vacuum tube or transformer be positioned as the evolution of a mic with a tube and transformer? Is this not heresy? Let the impassioned fistpounding arguments begin about how close to the original U (or prototype U ) this TLM could be. Leave it to the Neumann marketing department to find a way to brew a controversy. What we have is a three-pattern, FET, condenser microphone with two, large Mylar diaphragms, switchable dB pad, and high-pass filter. The patterns are the typical omni, cardioid, and figure-of-eight. In that relative order, the sensitivities at kHz into kΩ are / / mV/Pa. The rated impedance is Ω with a load impedance of kΩ. Equivalent noise levels, CCIR are / / dB. A-weighted self-noise are / / dB-A. Maximum output voltage is - dBu. Inside the TLM , Neumann is using surface mount technology similar to that in the TLM . As such, the insides are very tidy. Selfnoise is not a problem. The TLM sounds even quieter than its NEUMANN TLM 67 Condenser Microphone THE REVIEWER TY FORD is a recording engineer in the US, and regular contributor to Pro Audio Review, another NewBay title. The TLM uses the K capsule. A bit of background from Neumann’s Juergen Breitlow: “The capsule K , K , and K (the K and K are used in the U i and U Ai) are acoustically identical. There is an electrical difference between the K and K on one side, and the K on the other side: the ‘half’ electrodes in the K are isolated against each other, which requires four wires to connect the capsule to the circuit. In the K and K the electrodes are electrically connected.” Features quoted figures. The figure-of-eight nulls are very deep. The omni is mildly beamy at high frequencies, but most are. The cardioid is fairly wide. In any of its three patterns, the TLM doesn’t sound particularly thick or ‘tubey’ to me. It’s crisp and clear, with just a hint of something going on in the lower mids or upper bass. I think it’s probably better not get too caught up in the tube/not tube thing and, instead, listen to how I n Use NTG-3 THE EXTREME LOCATION MICROPHONE All The Performance. Half The Price. Like the current high-end shotgun mic of choice among professional sound recordists, the new Røde NTG-3 is almost entirely moisture resistant, and equipped to deliver impeccable results in the most extreme conditions. The difference is, it’s half the price. True Condenser (Externally RF biased) 50% less noise than most shotgun microphones Extremely low handling noise Weighs in at just 163g High level of immunity to RF interference £449 T SSP INC VA Full range of boompoles, pistol grips and windshields also available 100% designed and manufactured in Australia UK distribution by Source • Find a dealer at www.sourcedistribution.co.uk/rode • T: 020 8962 5080 28 AUDIO MEDIA NOVEMBER 2008 http://www.sourcedistribution.co.uk/rode http://www.sourcedistribution.co.uk/rode

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of AudioMedia - November 2008

AudioMedia - November 2008 Contents Recording News Post News Broadcast News Geofocus: Italy What's Up UK AES Review For the Record Studio Snapshot: Aquarium Abbey Road Plug-ins Brilliance Pack Neumann TLM67 Mercenary Audio KM-69 IZ Technology ADA Final Cut Special: Bond TC Powercore 6000 EP Productions Nagra VI Product Sampler: Location Tools Video Guide AMSR News Shure KSM9 Big Beach Boutique 4

AudioMedia - November 2008

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