Neumann
Introduction
Since 1928, one company has been making perhaps the greatest microphones in the world. The microphones that have been made by this company— based in Berlin, Germany are legendary, such as the U47 (made by Neumann, marketed by Telefunken), the M49, the U67 and the U87. Just think about it for a moment, each of the four aforementioned microphones were used to record the vast majority of the vocals that you have heard on most of the classic hit records of the past. In fact, it is hard to find a great artist from the past that did not use a Neumann microphone to record their lead vocal tracks. These four microphones are perhaps the greatest microphones ever made for the purpose of recording great music. From classical, to jazz, to rock and every genre of music in-between, Neumann microphones have been used to record every single instrument in so many of the classic hit songs of the past.
Which products from Neumann that were used by the great engineers and recording studio facilities of the past would be a great fit for the educational space?
Just having one of the classic Neumann microphones in your microphone locker, is a sure sign that your recording studio facility is a legendary one. Both new and classical Neumann microphones are some of the most sought after items in the world of professional music recording. I was so fortunate that the studio that I worked in had a vintage U47, and stereo pairs of vintage M49, U67 and U87 microphones. We used them on vocals, strings, piano, acoustic guitar, drum overheads and as room microphones. These microphones have even been used on electric guitar amps— although, I never saw an engineer use one of them in that manner. We are all very fortunate that Neumann has continued making the U87 (now with the current U87ai version), and has introduced new classics such as the KM-184 (based on the classic KM-84), the TLM-102, TLM-103 and the TLM-49. Neumann also has another great new microphone— the TLM 107 on the market that would be great for the educational space, though it is not featured in this brief article. But, Neumann has also re-introduced both the U67 and just recently, the M49. Each of these classic microphones will be featured in this brief article, with the exception of the M49— though, it is ironically perhaps my personal favorite microphone of all-time. Each and every product made by Neumann would be great for the educational space.
Image: The Neumann U67
Image courtesy-- Neumann GMBH
Image: The Neumann U87ai
Image courtesy-- Neumann GMBH
Image: The Neumann KM-184
Image courtesy-- Neumann GMBH
Image: The Neumann TLM-102
Image courtesy-- Neumann GMBH
Image: The Neumann TLM-103
Image courtesy-- Neumann GMBH
Image: The Neumann TLM-49
Image courtesy-- Neumann GMBH
Neumann U67
The Neumann U67 may be the greatest microphone to ever be created for the purpose of recording music. It is also one of the most versatile microphones ever to be created, as it sounds amazing on just about any source— vocals, drum overheads, acoustic guitars, strings, piano and as a room microphone for both choirs and ensembles. The U67 inspired the creation of the U87 which is perhaps the most iconic and recognizable microphone in the history of music recording. The U67 is a tube-based condenser microphone and features its own power supply.
Neumann U87ai
When you think of a special microphone in a legendary recording studio environment, most of the time the microphone that you are envisioning is the Neumann U87ai. Like its direct predecessor, the U67, the U87ai sounds amazing on any source. In fact, it is not uncommon to see the U87 as the microphone that a vocalist is singing into in a music video from the 1980s and 1990s. While the U67 is smooth and silky, the U87 is a bit different— it is a very rich sounding microphone that sounds great on any source— vocals, piano, drum overheads, percussion, strings, acoustic guitars and even electric guitar cabinets. The U87ai is a condenser microphone that can be purchased in matched stereo pairs.
Neumann KM-184
The Neumann KM-84 was one of my personal favorite microphones to use on acoustic guitars, cymbals and even piano tracks. The KM-184 is the great microphone which has replaced the classic KM-84 in Neumann’s line-up of offerings. These tiny microphones are great spot microphones, as they are pencil condensers or small diaphragm microphones. Despite their diminuitive size, these microphones are incredibly versatile and sound great on a wide variety of sources. The KM-184 is a condenser microphone that can be purchased in stereo pairs.
Neumann TLM-102
The TLM-102 is the smallest of the large diaphragm microphone offerings from Neumann. Just like its predecessors, the U67 and U87, the TLM-102 sounds great on just about any source and is an excellent microphone for the educational space. It is a condenser microphone that is available in three different finishes— nickel, black and white. It is to be noted that though the U67 and U87 feature three polar patterns: cardiod, figure of eight and omni, the TML-102 is a cardiod only microphone.
Neumann TLM-103
Slightly larger in size than the TLM-102, the TLM-103 is also a cardiod-only microphone offering from Neumann. Just like its siblings, it is an incredibly versatile microphone which sounds great on a wide variety of sources. In use, it is this microphone which reminds me of the older TLM-170 in that it is a very rich-sounding microphone. It also shares the same capsule as the U67, U87 and TLM-102. The TLM-103 is a condenser microphone that can be purchased in stereo pairs.
Neumann TLM-49
The TLM-49 is a new classic large diaphragm microphone from Neumann that is based on the classic M49 microphones of the past. It is an impressive microphone which is incredibly versatile and can be used on a wide variety of sources, despite the fact that like the TLM-102 and TLM-103, it is a cardiod only microphone. However, it does carry the smooth legendary sound of its predecessors and is an incredibly quiet microphone in operation— while offering the high gain and big sound of its classic Neumann brethren. The TLM-49 is a large-diaphragm condenser microphone.
Why should an educational institution invest in products from Neumann?
I have personally worked with Neumann microphones that sound beautiful and are actually more than sixty years old. Each of these microphones— despite their age, were the most important in our collections, as I noted in the introduction, we used them on just about every single major track. If you have heard a classic vocal from the past from any of the greatest vocalists in the history of popular music, there is a strong likelihood that the singer that you are listening to was singing into a Neumann microphone— most likely a U47, M49, U67 or a U87. Neumann microphones, monitor speakers and microphone preamps are among the very best to ever be created for the purpose of recording great music. Every product from Neumann would be an excellent fit for the educational space. (By the way, as of this writing, Neumann has released a new product, the MT 48, which is their first premium audio interface.)
If you would like more information about Neumann and the amazing products that were discussed in this article, please use the following links which are listed below.
The following link will take you to the Neumann website where you can learn more about this legendary corporation and also, find an authorized dealer for their fabulous products in your area.
Special Note: Each of the images in this article appear through the courtesy and generosity of the wonderful people at Neumann GMBH.
Special Thanks— At The Recording Session Vault Educational Website Project, we would like to take a moment to express our thanks and appreciation to Jonathan Ruest at Neumann GMBH for his time and assistance with this article.