Neumann - TLM 103

Hard disagree. It’s not a brand thing it’s a brand model thing. AKG is not the company it once was, the modern mics have nothing to do with their old legendary microphones.  Shure SM7B should have made the list, it’s my favorite shure mic. I have so many models. KSM8 is good if you have vocal cord damage and it suppresses those frequencies. I know of no studio sennheiser for vocals. They make good handhelds for live music though.  Similarly Neumann TLM103 is overly bright and harsh and great for foley and perhaps modern narration but not necessarily good for singing 

Ur first and only mistake was using the tlm 103 for vocals, shit is the KING of creating sibilance issues Try an Austrian Audio OC818, around the same price as a 103, and it's bright too, but without any of the trashness. If you wanna spend double, Nordic Audio Labs NU 24k is genuinely amazing and might be the best vocal mic on the market. It's up there, and it's only like $1800ish. Or if you want a duller, darker sound, Audio Technica AT 4047 or Neumann U89i/TLM 170R/TLM 193. Using dark mics isn't bad. You have eq lol, just make it brighter in post. But you can't really fix a shitty sounding bright recording from a bright mic once it's recorded.

The topic is how to control sibilance, and the answer is always up the chain, eliminating it at the source. You thought you were being clever but you weren't. You eliminate sibilance issues by avoiding things that create it in the first place during the recording phase. Hence my original comment about the TLM 103 being the king of creating sibilance issues. It just blatantly is. Pay attention.

I find the TLM 103 downright unbearable in the highs. The U87 Ai can get pretty ruthless on s-sounds too (especially with female voiceover talent). Personally, I’d take the U89 any day. Far more versatile and flattering to the human voice. Many engineers seem to get unsettled by its low-end, probably because modern sound has trained them to equate violence with clarity. The old original U87s can be nice, but every one’s a surprise on it‘s own. God, it’s been a while since I’ve mansplained to fellow sound people on the internet. One does miss it!

If you think the 87 is boring you should check out the TLM103

Love it personally love the fact that there bsically 0 noise so it just layers so well but to each their own

"It’s not a brand thing it’s a brand model thing." Awesome point and I totally agree! I've always felt the SM7B was too dark/smooth on some vocals. It almost sounds compressed or like a pillow is over your voice (singing). However, I've found great success with it when recording hardcore screams/vocals! Also, I always hear a lot of hate for the TLM 103, but I've never produced a bad result with one. Can't say I share a similar experience there.

Hard to narrow down, but here’s 5+ mics I like more: Voiceover: TLM49 or TLM103 depending on the voice ADR: Schoeps CMIT 5U, MKH416, Cos11d Music (vocals): C12 (or any of the C12-inspired mics), SM7b, U47 tube or fet, and then completely out of my price range but of course a great mic is the Sony C800G

This right here. I talk "across" my TLM 103.... 45 degrees off axis to the side. I also use a pop filter, but off axis will definitely reduce sibilance, plosives, etc. EDIT: All else being equal, if one has the money for a good mic, the proper solution isn't to buy a mic with poor response in the brilliance frequencies. That's not a good tradeoff. I still use a channel strip with a de-esser, and a lot of voice control technique.... I have hydration issues so mouth noise can be a pain but there are also plugins that can help mitigate it e.g. Acon Digital Restoration Suite or iZotope RX.

I'm not using a 103 for vocals. I'm using it for VO. The topic is how to control sibilance.

Of course!! So glad I could (potentially) help! Equipment really can be super wonky sometimes--there are so many factors that can affect the quality, and even one little tiny detail being off can throw off the entire sound! There have been days where I find a whole session was ruined simply because I was too close to the mic, my gain was slightly too high, or I had the mic facing a few degrees off from where I'd like it. 😅 Yep, the Rode NT1 is exactly what I would recommend! I've done the audio engineering for a few indie projects, and there's a stark difference between the amount of work it takes to pretty up the NT1 vs. the AT2020. It might not be the absolute best industry standard mic on the market, but as long as you aren't working literal AAA projects, the NT1 should sound VERY pretty with good room treatment and would in theory last you forever! It can be a bit heavy on the high frequencies at times similar to the AT2020, but tends to sound a lot cleaner overall. It's one of the best options in my opinion given the sheer amount of quality you get for that price, but definitely make sure your space can handle it too--they're EXTREMELY sensitive to sound. I use a slightly different Rode model, but mine can literally pick up people talking on the other side of the building if I crank up my gain! Of course if you can afford a Neumann TLM 103 then I say definitely go for that one, but imo if you're mostly looking at the indie scene, it truly isn't worth the jump from $150 to $1200 just for a mild improvement in quality. I have friends who use the NT1 and book professional indie gigs just fine, often over those who DO use more expensive mics! Good room treatment is seriously your best friend and can make almost any mic sound top tier!

I have an mxl condenser mic that works well, but just bought a Neumann condenser mic off Amazon. In the studio, they always said they used the $4k Neumann on me. Not sure that it is a knock off, but supposedly the same one Billie eillish uses and it sounds great. Under $400.