VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

[Deirdre]

Hey Gang—

I got ahold of a Neumann TLM-103 from Sweetwater and I ran some sound checks with it.

Guess what?

With my voice in my room it didn't sound as good as the Studio Projects C-1.
So, I'm sending it back to Sweetwater. There will be a "restocking fee" which basically means I spent $120 to run a mic test, but I'm glad to know beyond doubt it's not a piece of equipment I am "missing".

And the C-1 will continue to be my bludgeon of choice.


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DBCooperVO.com

[Tren Hester]

DB, thanks for comments on the 103. I know that Neumann is a sacred name in the VO field, but this is a good reminder to "test before you buy."

I intend to check out the TLM103 and a U87 when I can get access to both at the same time.

[jrodriguez315]

I purchased a C-1 and now I am more confident that I made a good purchase. Even though my voice is different than yours, I am glad that the C-1 compares favorably with Neumann mics.
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Joe Rodriguez, Bilingual Voice Actor | The Voiceover Thespian Blog

[billelder]

[Deirdre]

And just so you know all the facts, I did the mic test via ISDN with someone who REALLY wanted me to try a TLM-103 because it matched the other mics in his studios.

HE didn't like the sound.

I already liked the C-1 the best, but would have been very happy using the TLM-103 to keep this producer happy.

Such is life.
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DBCooperVO.com

[dscott]

My guess is there are a few mics that will have that sweet sound with your voice or my voice.

We could probably do waveform and spectral analysis on our voices and mics and rooms 'til we're blue in the face... but in the end, the ears have it!

My own engineering experience doing sound and recording says certain mics are well suited for certain instruments/applications.

57s for guitar amps, snare and some horns, RE20 for kick, 58s for vocals, small condensers for drum overheads, and on and on....

The bottom line is start with a recognized standard, play with the micing technique, try non-standard too! Start flat, eq and effects later if possible.

I'd like to try a C1 too! Cheers!
Dave

[billelder]

That speaks volumes for the producer that didn't like the sound. The important thing is that Deirdre posted this and said it. Again, thank you.

[Diane Maggipinto]

[BenWils]

Or sell it on the board. I'm sure someone would want it for the $120 discount.
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Ben


"To be really good at voiceover, you need to improve your footwork and hip snap."

[Bill]

DB,

interested in what it was that made you not like the 103 on your voice/room as much, or did you not get that deeply into it?

[Deirdre]

Diane-- No one had a gun to my head to get the mic for the test! it was a professional investment in my book. C'est la vie.


Ben--I thought about it!! but I looked at Ebay and they're not going for as much as I spent, even with a new shockmount. It's on its way back already.

Bill-- it didn't have the presence of the of the C-1-- it actually sounded muddy in the bottom. The C-1 just had a brighter, more fully-rounded sound.
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DBCooperVO.com

[Jowillie]

Tell us again, what pre-amp are you using?
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Wild Willie Edwards
www.hometowntvtoday.com
http://vomictest.blogspot.com

[Deirdre]

My preamp is a good ol' Mackie 1202.

Nothing fancy.
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DBCooperVO.com

[Jeff McNeal]

Interesting. I've been using a TLM 103 for the past couple of years and while it was a great improvement over my old EV RE-20, I've never been particularly enamored with it. I've learned how to work it okay and its "in the zone" with my overall audio chain, but I've been ready to make a change for awhile. It's coming soon. Main contender at present is probably another model Neumann.

[Edo]

I'll be testing a brand new TLM-49 later this week... a friend of mine bought one. OK... promise to also post another review in the learn section soon after that...