Neumann TLM 67

Neumann TLM 67 | Reviews
101
A
s a mark of Neumann’s
80th year of business, the
TLM 67 is based on
Neumann’s classic 1960’s
U67 microphone: it uses the same K67
capsule and features a special circuit
design that closely reproduces the
‘valve’ or ‘tube’ sound characteristics of
the U67. The TLM 67 uses an
electronic circuit instead of an output
transformer – the ‘TLM’ bit stands for
‘transformerless microphone’ – and it’s
the same shape and size as the
well-known U87.
The microphone has a frequency
range of 20Hz to 20kHz, features
cardioid, omni and fi gure-of-eight polar
patterns, and has a 10dB pad and a
low-cut fi lter. It can operate at sound
pressure levels of up to 105dB without
distortion, and has a dynamic range of
94dB(A), or 104dB(A) with the pad
switched in.
Handling the brass section
If you are recording very high sound
pressure levels, say, from brass or
percussion instruments, the pre-
attenuation ‘pad’ on the back of the
microphone can be switched in to avoid
overloading the next stage – ie the mic
pre. The actual pre-attenuation amount
depends on the polar pattern: 14dB
with cardioid and 10dB with omni and
fi gure-of-eight patterns.
The other switch on the back can be
used to change the cutoff frequency of
the high-pass fi lter. This helps to
suppress unwanted low-frequency
sounds from wind noise, trucks
rumbling past, or whatever. It can also
be used to compensate for the proximity
effect that boosts low frequencies when
the microphone is close to the source.
The TLM 67 is supplied without any
accessories, so you have to pay out an
extra £250 if you want the EA87 elastic
suspension and around £30 for the
WS87 windscreen mount, which
provide better suppression of structure-
borne and wind noise.
Darker in character
Comparing the TLM 67 with an early
’70s Neumann U87i, which you might
be inclined to think that it would be
very close to, I realised that they are
really quite different. I recorded piano,
in mono, through both microphones and
discovered that the older microphone
sounded a lot more ‘open’ and natural.
The TLM had an appreciably
different tonal character. I did prefer the
sound of the TLM to several of the less
expensive condenser mics that I tried,
such as the Shure KSM44. And
compared with the Mojave MA100 and
the Telefunken AK47, the TLM 67
delivered an extended bass response.
The TLM 67 is very much a
‘workhorse’ microphone that you can
use for anything from speech to Rock
bands to Orchestral recordings, but it
would not be my fi rst choice for vocals.
The nearest comparisons for me would
be the AKG C414 XLS and the Beyer
MC840. The C414 did not sound quite
as smooth as the TLM67 and the
MC840 didn’t reproduce the piano as
well, but did sound more ‘open’ and
‘sweeter’ in the mid range. My
recommendation? Try before you buy!
WHAT IS IT?
A contemporary take on
the classic U67 large
diaphragm condenser
microphone.
CONTACT
Who: Sennheiser UK
Tel: [phone]
Web: neumann.com
HIGHLIGHTS
1 Versatile polar patterns
2 Wide frequency range
3 Dual-colour design
SPECS
Directional patterns: Omni/
Cardioid/fi gure-of-8
Frequency range: 20Hz ~
20,000Hz
High Pass Filter: 160 Hz, 6
dB/Octave, switchable
Preattenuation pad: 0/-10
dB (switchable)
Sensitivity: 10/18/9 mV/Pa
at 1 kHz into 1 kohm
Equivalent noise: 16/11/17
dB-A (A-weighted)
Dynamic range: 94/104 dB
(0.5% THD/5% THD)
(A-weighted)
Maximum SPL:
110/105/111 dB SPL (for
0.5% THD), 130/125/131
(for 5% THD)
Signal/Noise: (A-weighted)
78/83/77 dB
Weight:
490g
Neumann
TLM 67 | £1,699
Mike Collins checks out the latest offering from
high-end microphone giants Neumann
VERDICT
BUILD
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VALUE
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EASE OF USE
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VERSATILITY
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RESULTS
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A useful microphone for heavy-
weight instrument recording duties
with versatile applications.
FMU207.rev_neuman 101 14/10/08 3:48:1 pm