Neumann MT 48: a BEAST... on PAPER? (re-recording AD/DA test, gear shootout & MORE!)
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- Опубліковано 30 чер 2024
- Helloooo, peoples of the Internets! Recent successes of my vids makes me want to shoot more for you, so here we go: an extensive, exciting and exhausting test of Neumann MT 48 interface, which looks absolutely crazy on paper... Is it really that good? How good is it, when compared precisely to some other gear? Let's find out!
0:00 Intro
2:47 Unboxing
3:48 Hooking up and setup
6:29 Listening test
9:41 Recording test
11:50 Camden EC1/Focusrite vs Neumann MT48
16:13 Tech specs on paper
20:33 AD/DA test with looped re-recording
22:49 Focusrite re-recording results
25:25 Neumann MT 48 re-recording results
27:52 Focusrite vs Neumann head to head
29:13 Summing tha thingz up!
Hellloooo! What do you think about my test? Planning to get MT 48 or using something else?
Actually I think yours setup is brighter and more sibilant , NEUMAN was more flat and also did not boost lows so much as your setup.
The smile you made when just listening to music describes my own experience with the MT48. Thanks for the review.
Great stuff, man! Awesome demo.
Thanks, man!
Lovely review. Thank you.
Thank you too!
It's an amazing video again! I liked your wrap-up, where you reminded people that all these different pieces of gear do an incredible job nowadays. Regarding the sound of the mic preamps of the Neumann MT 48 it reminded me of the Neumann microphone sound, e.g. the UI 87. They have this very subtle silky upper mids without lacking detail. I personally love it.
nice video. I was considering getting some Camden preamp's for a while now, you didn't make me want them less for sure :D
Hey, Glenn! Camden is absolutely best that kind of money can get. You won't regret it for sure!
So the MT-48 has a built-in De-esser. Just loop the recording 40 times to reduce sibilance 😂. Fantastic review, so informative. Thank you, Paweł! Now I'm even more sold than I was before.
The differences in pres are noticeable, but I'm looking for a solution that would essentially replace an Apollo and the MT48 does that better than anything else. Time to start saving up.
Yep, you can't go wrong with it. Cheers, Mark!
The issue is, you cannot bypass MT48 preamps which sucks for such an expesive interface. Apogee Symphony does it better
@@crazyKurious Wrong. 2 Mic/Line Inputs: Combo XLR/Jack 6.3 mm on the back and 2 Line Inputs: 6,3 mm Jack on the front. They bypass the preamps. Apogee Symphony is worse
@@Neekzu dude go and see their schematics in their manual
Got it. Love it. Funnily enough, it was UAD stability (31:36) that really pushed me to replace my Apollo with this gem.
My newest voice overs have already been receiving compliments for their quality (and my own performance!) without me saying anything.
It has been rock solid so far. It hasn't been randomly disconnecting like my Apollo and no UA Console tomfoolery has been going on.
I’m very happy with it. It will be good when they develop the compatibility via Ethernet, the expandability is unreal on the MT48. The annoying niggles are the boot u time and the heat it puts out on a summers day, that aside it’s epic. The headphone amps on it are great.
was waiting for a null test from re-recording against original :___(
btw Cranborne audio make great products as the camden, i have the 500r8 and it has great converters and mind blowing possibilities.
Thanks for your video Paul!
Yes I'd love a sound comparison of super high end ADDA to that of the ADDA of the 500R8
Thank you too!
I have yet to hear an AD/DA like the Mytek 8/192. And that includes the Burl and the mighty Prism and so on. We have outboard preamps so things like that aren't a requirement on an AD/DA. I"d like to hear the Neumann. Guys at Neumann have good ears.
Great test! Impressed with the MT-48, though I wonder if there is some default processing to the sound (like what digital cameras do with lens correction). The Cranborne does seem a little flatter, less enhanced somehow. Any chance you could put the Neve 88m through its paces? Particularly interested in their preamp flavor
Maybe one day ;) Cheers!
Nice shootout, thx!
Could you pls link the tracks you used for hearing test, couldn't really find it on tidal.
The Neumann preamp is 10 Kilo-ohms which is unheard of in mic preamps. Only Rupert Neve Designs and Midas have ever made a preamp with that level of input impedance. Most Mic preamps range from 2 to 5 kilo-ohms. The higher the impedance the brighter and cleaner the mic preamp will be.
Haven't check the impedance and you're obviously right, thanks for the info!
Enjoying your work! I see you have several interfaces.. Are you running them at the same time.. Can you access the additional I/O in TotalFX?
I have just RME UFX and Clarett ADAT :)
Excellent review, could you write down the reference for the music used in your evaluation.
If only they included Sonarworks SoundID support like the Anubis does... Hopefully they plan to add in future.
Agreed! Add the add ons please!
When i heard about the Neumann Merging cooperation i wished there was the possibility to add correction curves like from sonarworks or with neumann own system ... but that is not possible right ?
Nice one. Do I have to have more extra pre amps if I use sm7b with mt48? I have only option to go.. so I ask you a favor bro
Nice review!
It is definitely a fantastic interface. I had the chance to use the Anubis (which is the origin of the Neumann, as they bought Merging Technologies). What I love about the Neumann is that they added USB and ADAT. The Anubis only had the Ravenna protocol, which was a bit messy to set up and not 100 % stable.
Anyway, the sound quality is amazing as are the preamps. But to be honest I sent the Anubis back and got myself a Fireface 802. Now, I have peace of mind it just works.
The MT48 has better specs than the RME for sure. But my mixes didnt get better just because of a few dB(A) more in dynamic range.
Just my five cents.
By the way: And the Sound Devices MixPre series has got an A/D of over 140 dB(A)...but that says nothing about the quality of a recording.
Sure thing, my conclusion at the end of the vid is the same. Impressive piece of gear anyway!
@@FoliaSound 👍
im very exited to aquire this soon! been using an apollo mk2 twin since it came out. Maybe i dont need to use any external preamps with this either =)
Might be so. Have fun!
I’ll stick with RME, never felt compelled to switch I just buy a new interface every 5 to 10 years from them.
The dynamic range of the Neumann preamp comes from the same tech they employed for the Digital Microphone of 10-20 years ago. Two inputs with 20 dB different gain are merged to arrive at this ‘impossible’ spec.
wow, sounds interesting! Can you point me to any sources detailing this? I've read about the Solution D, it was intriguing!
From everything I've read and watched, the Neumann MT 48 is essentially a branded Merging+Anubis with USB-C and ADAT i/o instead of a second Ethernet port. One video suggested it might have a slightly updated converter vs the Anubis, but the update would be whatever is currently available for Merging's Horus/Hapi units.
@@zachvalenti I would have no reason to question those associations. A business like Neumann would be hard-pressed to develop this product from scratch at this price point. There are some changes I would like to see.
Wich synthesizers are you have and use? How many? Thanks. Bro. ❤
Is the mt48 connected directly to the computer, and you connect the microphone directly to the mt48?
Thanks for the video! Where is MT48 made?
No idea, but probably still China?
The MT-48 is made in Hungary.
@@MrRedrocket42 , nice info! Is it written on the case?
@@MrRedrocket42 Thank you!
So this is the audio recording through it, right? But what about using it a a sound card and use it for referencing the material like virtual instruments while studio monitors connected to it? Is the sound neutral? I like how RME baby face pro sounds when referencing through studio monitors and the headphones through it.
Hey! I actually did this at the very beginning of the test, simply by listening to some reference tracks from Tidal HQ. I can tell you exactly what I said in the vid: it's pristine clear and neutral from monitoring purposes!
From what I can tell the Neumann MT 48 has a non-negligible technical edge over the Babyface Pro FS on every spec except perhaps latency. In particular the AD/DA conversion seems meaningfully better in the MT 48 over anything I'm finding from RME (the Dynamic Range specs are just insane on the MT 48). Whether that difference is audible to most people is up for debate. And anyone I've come across that claims to hear the difference expects you've already invested $10k+ on quality montiors, sound treatment, and room tuning for whatever room you plan on using this in. I don't think you're going to find the MT 48 more or less "neutral" than the Babyface - RME is famous for clean, un-colored conversion. However, by the numbers, it seems undeniable that the MT 48 offers more detail (if imperceptible).
Aside from the 2x price difference (ouch), there's one feature the MT 48 doesn't have the Babyface does: bus-power. The Babyface Pro FS is arguably the best interface in the world for taking out of a backpack, connecting to a laptop, and working as long as your computer's battery will take you. A budget contender with some slightly better specs would be the Antelope Zen Q/Go Syngergy Core. Both cost less than a new Babyface and are also bus-powered with advertised AD/DA conversion closer to what the MT48 offers (though still in a leauge below). That said, RME's outstanding drivers are likely going to give the Babyface an edge over the Zen Q/Go and the MT48 for latency (the RTL numbers I've seen are just untouchable outside of PCIe cards). RME is also known for super long-term support of their devices' firmware and drivers, so you might well be using it for much longer.
If you have the money, don't care about bus-power at all, and just want the best audio quality on Earth for under $5,0000, the Neumann MT 48 seems to be the current answer. And if you plan to grow a larger studio over time, you could do a lot worse than having an Ravenna/AES67-capable interface - running an Ethernet or three vs a ton of huge snakes is pretty amazing, and plugging the MT 48 into a Merging Technology's Hapi would give you one hell of an Dolby Atmos setup at a relatively competitive price. The Merging+Anubis is the only competition - I mean, it's basically the same exact unit - but the lack of USB-C sounds like an absolute headache for setup and virutal instrument latency.
But if you refuse to be stopped by clunkly power supplies/wall outlets or if $1,850 is too rich for your blood, you will not be disappointed by RME's Babyface Pro FS or Antelope Zen Q/Go.
Question what do you use for recording , Steinberg or Merging? is it delivered with MT 48? i have 2 mikes Km 183 and the audiointerface . .I am amateur. ..
I'm a RME Fireface UFX guy :) Couldn't recommend it more!
hey great show my friend
Thanks, James!
Hi, do you know how to setup loopback in MT48 for OBS? I can't get it, even though they say MT48 has loopback function
Don't have it on my desk anymore, sorry :(
Hi, I have a technical question.
My current home studio is built based on below gear: (podcast & audio books)
Avalon M5
Neumann TLM49
Apollo X4
Beyerdynamic 1770 & 1990
What’s your suggestion to make it better?
Shall i change my preamp and audio interface to below?
Neumann V402
Neumann MT 48
Or
Do you have any other suggestion?
I appreciate if you can be so kind to support me 🙏
Your preamp and interface are already highest quality. In terms of technical aspects of the recording - you won't get better results like this. On this level it's more a matter of personal taste and choices than performance. I'd seriously switch from DT to Neumann NDH 30, you'll find the review on my channel!
This or the RME UCX II if all I'm going to do is record loud distorted guitar?
FRESH
Thx!
Hi, good test, however it lacks a round trip latency test to measure the latency from the drivers. Could you tell us how does it perform with 32, 64, and 128 buffer size ?
It performs very well, this is what I can tell you for sure!
@@FoliaSound could you do a propper test ? I'm really concerned about those metrics, it's determining to my purchase.
@@gabsauvage I had to give the unit back, I'm sorry. Remember that most latency will be given from your buffer size and plugins used (if you use any at any stage), not the driver itself.
You have to forgive me, but I'll be moving to the next vid!
Please can you provide daw round trip latency 41 48 and 96khz 24 bit recording at 64 128 buffer size
What is that crunchy sound in the original. At the end of the recorded segments it sounds like a plastic bag crunching for a split second…?
Do you prefer the converters sound on the MTor RME?
If I had to choose - MT, but RME is also stellar!
I sincerely hope that an album called "Some of Us Are Brave" is a comedy album!
Did you have an rme interface in the chain?
Nope, MT staright to the PC
Would the MixPre 3 II be close to sound quality or not even close?
Sound Devices is absolutely stunning when talking about preamps and A/D quality!
Thanks for your response. This device seems to get ignored as an audio interface for voice overs and I've wondered if it can compete with these others.@@FoliaSound
@@tinylittlefilms3043 the sticking point is latency (a slight delay between the original sound and hearing it through the montiors), which doesn't matter to everyone... but when it does, it really does. I haven't tried the new version, but I have an OG MixPre-6. Incredible pre-amps - not quite as good on paper as what's advertised in this unit - but extremely great. But the unit has super high latency as an audio interface, even at low buffer sizes.
If this doesn't mean anything to you, it probably isn't a dealbreaker for you - and there's a half decent workaround if it becomes an issue. Latency in audio interfaces is mostly bothersome to vocalists and percussionists who want to monitor through their DAW to hear themselves through their favorite plugins with a metronome. It's essential for folks playing virtual instruments that can only be monitored through the DAW.
That said, the MixPre series offers flexible mixing features to route your inputs directly to headphone or a stereo output with near-zero latency. And with their $99 "Musician" plug-in, you can add a metronome, monitor FX, and more directly inside your MixPre that's still near zero latency. Might not help for virtual instrument playback, but you'd have to try it out to see if it actually bothered you. I believe the Sound Devices USBPre2 would wildly outperform the MixPre on latency, but not necessarily any other features.
MT 48 for what it is, what it has and can do is a steal at 1850USD.
True!
Neumann MT 48 vs RME plz
Oh crap. I was about to buy it. But no way if it's that colored.
Yes, it is colored somehow, but in a great way, actually.
You should share your settings as well
Settings? What do you mean by that?
@@FoliaSound I meant the console settings, gain etc, I think, givent, the fact that we cannot bypass the preamp for line input, wouldnt it reduce the dynamic range and introduce noise
@@crazyKurious , I believe that Neumann MT48 input is a combo one, meaning that one socket contains two separate circuits - mic preamp is one of them and the second one is line in and it has pretty much nothing to do with the preamp. Preamp is called a preamp, because it amplifies the signal. Line is called line, because it remains nominal dBV/dBu against given voltage.
So, still not sure what you mean by "bypassing" the preamp and any "settings". All possible eq, compression etc. are obviously switched off, so there are basically no settings. The session is 48 kHz, 24 bit.
@@FoliaSound if you read their manual, it clearly mentions that you have premaplification of upto 66db even with line inputs and the signal path diagram shows opamps in the path too.
I prefer the neumann
I'm fine with that!
am i missing something here any audio to hear
What audio do you want to hear?
using spoken voice for such comparisons is not useful due to limited spectrum - try drums & cymbals, rustling leaves, sounds w/ high harmonic content
Human voice actually uses most of audible spectrum at once and it's a very good choice to check on preamp and mic quality. Why? Because our hearing system capabilities are scrictly tuned do the anatomy of our speech :) 80 Hz to 18000 kHz, which is a typical spectrum for a male voice, covers most of the territory needed!
This looks so cheap and ugly and seems to want to copy the likes of Audient and UA Audio interfaces rather than being innovative themselves. And way overpriced. :(
It might not be visible in the vid, but this interface has nothing to do with ugly and cheap things. Seriously :)
@@FoliaSoundI said it looks like cheap, which is at least bad visual design.
Couldn’t disagree more. YMMV
Neumann MT48 vs Apogee Symphony Desktop anyone?
Nice question!
@@FoliaSound same converters in both... diff config
totally different topology actually.@@gravesg
?$1800 man that price is crazy in the 🇺🇸
It's crazy everywhere ;)