Neumann - TLM 103

Just this past week I was mixing a song and I was thinking “Damn, I got these vocals smokin!! I don’t know what I did but it was soooo easy”. I found out a few days later the vocals were recorded on a Sony C800G. I was kinda hurt to learn that my mixing skills had very little to do with the vocals being so strong and solid. A few years earlier, I was mixing a song that included myself and 3 other people on vocals. One of the 3 (I didn’t know at the time) recorded on a C800G while the other two on a Neumann TLM 103 and myself….I happened to be testing my brother’s Warm Audio WA8000 (which is *supposed* to be a clone of the C800G. The guy who recorded on the real C800G had the easiest vocals BY FAR while I struggled like hell to get my own vocals up to that level. The TLM103 vocals weren’t as easy to deal with as the real Sony vocals but they were absolutely fine. The funny thing is the more processing you do on the higher quality mic, the more obvious it’s superiority - meaning it stands up to heavy destruction (via processing) without flinching. Cheaper mics? Hit them with heavy compression and the cheapness becomes very much apparent. While you don’t *need* a $17,000 mic (that’s what the Sony goes for brand new now), to get a great recording, the quality of the mic absolutely effects the ceiling you can reach. Especially in a crowded mix. What they sound like soloed in a vacuum means absolutely nothing (the same goes for many analog processors as well). It’s what happens when you start blending it with other elements that reveal what a makes a great mic great.

The 103 is a very polarizing microphone though, it only started getting less hate more recently because it became the Billy Eilish mic

That seems to be the general consensus, it's always been a pretty divisive mic. Seems like it only started going up in price when it became the Billy Eilish mic a few years back.

I recorded an entire album of vocals on the 103 into SSL SiX Pre, except for one track. I thought it was great, until I got to the mix and realized every single recording had to be de-essed or EQ’d to hell to get it to not be painfully harsh. That one last track, though, was an original U67 into a Neve desk. That was what made me really understand the difference - the U67 came out perfect, with pretty much nothing needed to make it sit right in the mix.

I see. Maybe I do need to poke around more, and maybe the presets in that Motiv aren’t doing me any favors. I used the SM7B in hotels, I could book animation and games, because they record at their studios anyway, but now I do mostly Source Connect work, so my auditions have to show I have broadcast quality audio. The engineers prefer to work with high end mics—but my home set up, iso booth isn’t perfect. I started with a RODE NTK, but I was doing more animation and games then so my sessions were at the studios. It was my audition mic. Now that I do more commercials from home, I just use my 103 for everything. It’s probably too sensitive for my environment, but the engineers are happy and that’s all that matters for my situation.

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 

I would do the 414 over the 103 because a hypercardioid setting can be super useful in an untreated or partially treated room. You'll probably have to De-ess in post but recording with a bright condenser mic and de-essing in post has been standard practice in pro studios for like 50 years. But with that budget I'd also look into Sennhesier MD441. One of the nicest sounding dynamic mics ever made and incredibly tight pickup pattern/room rejection. Blows the SM7b out of the water IMO.

Save yourself the money tbh the mic makes so much less difference than people think especially in 2025. As someone else said focus on mixing but another thing most people don’t realise is studio mics are created to be in studio environments. I have a tlm 103 and tbh it does not sound that good in an untreated room. So if that’s where you’re going to record in a similar environment go get your nt1 back and use ur focusrite solo. Mixing will do enough to make that sound good. Also vocal performance is a huge part too.

I owned a TLM 103 ages ago. Had to nip some of the top off (EQ) but found it a solid performer. Nowadays, I'll sometimes use the Sphere emulation of it when I need something a little crispy to slice through a mix or group voices in a room. Definitely preferred it to my U87, which always sounded as though it had been placed under 3 inches of water prior to and during recording.

Hey all! I’ve recently been wanting to upgrade my vocal set-up as I’ve been doing way more solely vocal production for myself and other artists. Currently I’ve got a Neuman TLM103, SM7b and a couple of cheaper fun dark vintage ribbon mics (usually for effect not a full lead vocal) and I’m just running through my Apollo Twin in a home studio set-up. I mostly do very pop vocals, think Sabrina, Taylor, Chappell, K-pop, and 90% of the time it’s female vocals (including me). I’ve got to the point where I’m good at mixing and have all the plugins I’d ever need, but now I want to up my game with mic/outboard as I think that’s what I’m missing. I recorded a vocal at a studio the other day and have been editing it and found it so much easier to get the sound so I’m looking to invest. At the studio it was through a BeezNeez B67 and the Neve 1073. I have around £2-3k to spend and was wondering where best placed that money would be for now, either on a pre or a mic or both. I have the neve plugin but obviously know it’s not the real thing. I have loved the TLM103 as a first pro mic, I also liked that BeezNeez clone. I definitely don’t like the Manley reference cardiod (I find the top end crazy on me) and I am indiffferent about the u87 ai to be honest, but need to try one again as it’s been a while. Any reccomendations or thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Thank you :)

Maybe I should've said it's properly rated. I don't think it's a bad microphone for sure, but I'm not a fan of the sound. It's a mid-scooped mic to my ears, but we all have different opinions! I do strongly believe 103 is overrated tho haha.

Yeah me personally, I think it kinda sounds like a tlm-102 but worse. Considering that 103 is actually more expensive it's mind blowing.

To my ears it is mid-scooped, not quite neutral. It is defintely affordable compared to high end microphones, maybe I should've said it's properly-rated. I do think it sounds better than 103 tho, it's kinda crazy.

I think it's a bright microphone, and yeah I'm not a fan of bright mics too! But compared to tlm 103 the treble frequencies sound better IMO.