Tlm has no transformer. So u87 with deep feedback schematic and it adds some kind of compression. So they can be balanced the same but their behavior is different. For me u87 is more pleasant while tlm is more accurate.
I’m right there with you. Not that long ago I had a client who needed some v/o work for some 30 sec & 60 sec radio ads and they were more than happy with the TLM49 for the final takes. I use it with no issues at all. It’s held up well for me too. Thanks for stopping by the channel, checking out the video and commenting!
Fantastic comparison Carl! Both mics sound great on you. I noticed that the U87 is a bit thicker in the low end and it sounds smoother in the top end. Very different character but both fantastic sounding! Thanks for sharing this awesome information and demos!
Hey man thanks for the love and checking out the video! I recently worked on some holiday music and I used the TLM49 for my lead Vox on a tune and it performed gloriously lol. I think the price point puts a few folks off concerning both mics but they definitely deliver! Thanks for checking out the channel! You know but I tell everyone, the interaction goes a long way!
Thank you for checking out the video, stopping by the channel and commenting! Trying my best to grind it out! More videos are on the way. Anything in particular you’d like to see
It’s the more versatile tool for sure but the TLM49 made me respect the neve newton more in this example. Both red and blue silk options served extremely usable purposes here and the fact that it’s a channel strip with relevant options makes It even more of a plus. There’s no EQ engaged here just light compression for basic containment made me also realize how well the TLM49 takes EQ. All and all, both mics will do the job… just depends on the job needed
@CarlMooreMusic thanks for the info! I mainly want to record rap vocals, so I guess it should be enough. I've also seen that Bushido, the most selling German rapper has recorded some songs with a tlm 49 so I really think it should be enough for my purposes. As for external preamps and compressors I guess I'm just going to aim for the Apollo Twin X to begin with. Do you think that it's going to be enough?
@mikereisert2803 to be honest, I don’t utilize gear because other people use it. When you consider a commercial artists like the one you’ve mentioned, he’s probably recording in an extremely nice sounding/intentional recording studio. Room tone plays a big factor. Another element is conversion. Modern gear has improved vastly, but your artist could be (and often times are) experiencing a truer more accurate sonic capture with better converters. My goal is always to test a piece of gear and understand what it’s doing as it pertains to my needs sonically and my audio setup. I’ve returned gear from “high end” brands because it didn’t serve the purpose I identified. I said all this to say, I don’t think you’d be disappointed at all with the TLM49 but try/test it yourself and make that determination. Hopefully this helps
Carl!!! Great video as always man! I know this isn't suppose to be a "one is better than the other" type of video, but I definitely prefer the sound of the U87. I've realized that the TLM49 has a more pinched/nasally sounding midrange that i'm not the biggest fan of, especially when compared to the U87 midrange. And man the figure 8 pattern on the U87 is so good! I recorded an acoustic singer songwriter album where I used it on the artist vocal and there was so little guitar in the recording I was speechless! The null point is so good!
This is an interesting take on the TLM49 mids! I respect it. When you say pinched do you feel like a certain point is more focused like there’s a narrower bell around that area? The newton silk blue on the TLM49 was my favorite option of what I put together in this video. The u87 is consistent. I just personally don’t feel like it moves me in the way other vintage mics do. I realize comparing it to mics below its quality point keep it elevated, but I feel like the mics that punch above it showcase another level of desirable qualities… at least for me and what I expect from “high end” mics. Thanks as always for interacting with me on the videos and supporting the channel!
@CarlMooreMusic Haha yea very different take than most people, but yes that is exactly what I mean! It's like someone applied a big boost with a narrow Q somewhere between 800Hz-2kHz. That's what I hear in the midrange compared to other clips of mics I've listened to over the past few months. I do agree the TLM49 sounded best with the Newton channel! Of course man, always gotta support!
@@frubo_ssg I think the price tag deters potential owners but I dig that mic too. For me, It’s been used on a bunch of projects! Thanks for checking out the channel and commenting!
@@eleven27mediagroup dude that u87 and silk red is money! That combo made me appreciate the newton channel strip more! No EQ engaged and just light compression. Levels are a little more jumpy than I’d like for a final Vox but throwing in another comp in that chain would be all I needed. Thanks bro for interacting with the channel as always and watching!
Thanks for checking out the video commenting. Whenever I’m asked this question, I always respond the same way. I can’t say that I have a favorite microphone but I do have goto mics/ideas for specific sources and tonal goals. U87ai, 414xls, Lauten Audio Atlantis are 3 all around mics that I use on anything from lead vocals all the way to drum Overheads to hand percussion. I can’t think of my favorite mic that I’ve tried but I really like Elam 251s
@CarlMooreMusic Anytime I'll be back if you keep em coming, love the content, and I need that song plz "God have his way" I really love your demonstration with the mics in that song. Overall I like how you showcase the mics it gives me a idea on what I'm looking. Hope we can collab someday as well 🙏🏾 cheers bro
Thanks for checking out the video and commenting. I don’t know if it’s the price to features ratio but I don’t feel like the TLM49 gets a lot of love. It’s an awesome mic that has always delivered for me. Appreciate the interaction on the video!
@@CarlMooreMusic totally agree, but important is that delivers price/ratio more than a U87. For me the U89 is better than U87, just the capsule differs and is more liniar across the spectrum. Used much on orchestra. Try one if you have the chance! Same is for the Gefell brand, even though is same level of quality as Neumann is not much known...
@cristian-marius-albu I’ve only been fortunate to experience a u89 in a session at a studio. I’ll have to do some digging to find one a good condition to try for myself. Another UA-cam user was supposed to get me connected with someone they knew connected to Gefell. I believe it was licensed reseller of some sorts but I never heard back from them either. I’m definitely curious because I’ve heard good things with them concerning quality to price ratio
The big problem with the TLM49, which wasn't shown here, is it's built in compression circuit - it doesn't take loud passages, or belting, well at all...
@@LoveAxe No, U87ai has a minimal signal chain: one FET, and a transformer, that's it - this minimalism makes up a big part of it's excellence. The U87ai stands sturdy till it starts clipping, while the TLM49 has much more headroom, but starts sounding faint and thin at higher volumes.
Note taken that could’ve been shared but in a realistic scenario for me, I would swap out the mic if it was too much of an overload or I wouldn’t holler like that into the mic. I don’t think what was mentioned are details that take away from the solid product the TLM49 yields. Thanks for the comment.
@@CarlMooreMusic Welcome, and thanks so much for this beautiful performance, Carl - I came for the mics, but stayed for the music. Yes, horses for courses - I just think it's important to know were the limits of the TLM49 are, and for vocals, that's anything loud: Opera, RnB belting etc... it's the more important to know this, as it sounds great on lower volume vocals.
@tom_k_d thank you for the kind words. I’ve actually found similar traits with a bunch of mics on the market. Some with the bigger names and reputable badges. Audible overloading when moderate or low levels on a pre. I just try my best to pay attention to gain staging on those mics.
Does anyone think the TLM49 is inferior quality to the U87Ai?
No its sounds the same. The 49 is a bit flatter.
Tlm has no transformer. So u87 with deep feedback schematic and it adds some kind of compression. So they can be balanced the same but their behavior is different. For me u87 is more pleasant while tlm is more accurate.
I love my TLM49 but it doesn't get a lot of love in the forums. Glad to see it featured and holding up well.
I’m right there with you.
Not that long ago I had a client who needed some v/o work for some 30 sec & 60 sec radio ads and they were more than happy with the TLM49 for the final takes.
I use it with no issues at all. It’s held up well for me too.
Thanks for stopping by the channel, checking out the video and commenting!
Fantastic comparison Carl! Both mics sound great on you. I noticed that the U87 is a bit thicker in the low end and it sounds smoother in the top end. Very different character but both fantastic sounding! Thanks for sharing this awesome information and demos!
Hey man thanks for the love and checking out the video!
I recently worked on some holiday music and I used the TLM49 for my lead Vox on a tune and it performed gloriously lol. I think the price point puts a few folks off concerning both mics but they definitely deliver!
Thanks for checking out the channel! You know but I tell everyone, the interaction goes a long way!
top tier comparison. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for checking out the video, stopping by the channel and commenting!
Trying my best to grind it out! More videos are on the way.
Anything in particular you’d like to see
Always awesome to see a new video from you!! Cheers :)
@@DapperDanLovesYou much appreciation for the support!!
Great video and just at the right time. There are really mot enough videos on the Tlm 49🔥
@@mikereisert2803 I would agree. I’ve always felt like this mic should get more love.
Thanks for checking out the video and stopping by the channel!
@CarlMooreMusic I'll probably buy the TLM 49 soon but I'm still not sure if I shouldn't reach for the U87 Ai
It’s the more versatile tool for sure but the TLM49 made me respect the neve newton more in this example. Both red and blue silk options served extremely usable purposes here and the fact that it’s a channel strip with relevant options makes
It even more of a plus.
There’s no EQ engaged here just light compression for basic containment made me also realize how well the TLM49 takes EQ.
All and all, both mics will do the job… just depends on the job needed
@CarlMooreMusic thanks for the info! I mainly want to record rap vocals, so I guess it should be enough. I've also seen that Bushido, the most selling German rapper has recorded some songs with a tlm 49 so I really think it should be enough for my purposes. As for external preamps and compressors I guess I'm just going to aim for the Apollo Twin X to begin with. Do you think that it's going to be enough?
@mikereisert2803 to be honest, I don’t utilize gear because other people use it. When you consider a commercial artists like the one you’ve mentioned, he’s probably recording in an extremely nice sounding/intentional recording studio. Room tone plays a big factor.
Another element is conversion. Modern gear has improved vastly, but your artist could be (and often times are) experiencing a truer more accurate sonic capture with better converters.
My goal is always to test a piece of gear and understand what it’s doing as it pertains to my needs sonically and my audio setup. I’ve returned gear from “high end” brands because it didn’t serve the purpose I identified.
I said all this to say, I don’t think you’d be disappointed at all with the TLM49 but try/test it yourself and make that determination.
Hopefully this helps
Carl!!! Great video as always man! I know this isn't suppose to be a "one is better than the other" type of video, but I definitely prefer the sound of the U87. I've realized that the TLM49 has a more pinched/nasally sounding midrange that i'm not the biggest fan of, especially when compared to the U87 midrange. And man the figure 8 pattern on the U87 is so good! I recorded an acoustic singer songwriter album where I used it on the artist vocal and there was so little guitar in the recording I was speechless! The null point is so good!
This is an interesting take on the TLM49 mids! I respect it. When you say pinched do you feel like a certain point is more focused like there’s a narrower bell around that area? The newton silk blue on the TLM49 was my favorite option of what I put together in this video.
The u87 is consistent. I just personally don’t feel like it moves me in the way other vintage mics do. I realize comparing it to mics below its quality point keep it elevated, but I feel like the mics that punch above it showcase another level of desirable qualities… at least for me and what I expect from “high end” mics.
Thanks as always for interacting with me on the videos and supporting the channel!
@CarlMooreMusic Haha yea very different take than most people, but yes that is exactly what I mean! It's like someone applied a big boost with a narrow Q somewhere between 800Hz-2kHz. That's what I hear in the midrange compared to other clips of mics I've listened to over the past few months. I do agree the TLM49 sounded best with the Newton channel!
Of course man, always gotta support!
Hi Carl, I own both as well and I love my TLM49.
@@frubo_ssg I think the price tag deters potential owners but I dig that mic too. For me, It’s been used on a bunch of projects!
Thanks for checking out the channel and commenting!
Biased on the 87 and no I don’t own it but I when I hear it, I love it. But with my eyes closed, the 49 and neve is super good man
@@eleven27mediagroup dude that u87 and silk red is money! That combo made me appreciate the newton channel strip more! No EQ engaged and just light compression. Levels are a little more jumpy than I’d like for a final Vox but throwing in another comp in that chain would be all I needed.
Thanks bro for interacting with the channel as always and watching!
Great Video, I also sing i would like to know which is your go-to microphone and which is your favorite you've tried? thanks
Thanks for checking out the video commenting.
Whenever I’m asked this question, I always respond the same way. I can’t say that I have a favorite microphone but I do have goto mics/ideas for specific sources and tonal goals.
U87ai, 414xls, Lauten Audio Atlantis are 3 all around mics that I use on anything from lead vocals all the way to drum
Overheads to hand percussion.
I can’t think of my favorite mic that I’ve tried but I really like Elam 251s
@CarlMooreMusic Anytime I'll be back if you keep em coming, love the content, and I need that song plz "God have his way" I really love your demonstration with the mics in that song. Overall I like how you showcase the mics it gives me a idea on what I'm looking. Hope we can collab someday as well 🙏🏾 cheers bro
Even from the phone I can hear some harness on some frequencies (upper mids) with the U87. I think the Tlm49 suits better your voice in this test.
Thanks for checking out the video and commenting.
I don’t know if it’s the price to features ratio but I don’t feel like the TLM49 gets a lot of love. It’s an awesome mic that has always delivered for me.
Appreciate the interaction on the video!
@@CarlMooreMusic totally agree, but important is that delivers price/ratio more than a U87. For me the U89 is better than U87, just the capsule differs and is more liniar across the spectrum. Used much on orchestra. Try one if you have the chance!
Same is for the Gefell brand, even though is same level of quality as Neumann is not much known...
@cristian-marius-albu I’ve only been fortunate to experience a u89 in a session at a studio. I’ll have to do some digging to find one a good condition to try for myself.
Another UA-cam user was supposed to get me connected with someone they knew connected to Gefell. I believe it was licensed reseller of some sorts but I never heard back from them either. I’m definitely curious because I’ve heard good things with them concerning quality to price ratio
The big problem with the TLM49, which wasn't shown here, is it's built in compression circuit - it doesn't take loud passages, or belting, well at all...
U87ai has one as well, no?
@@LoveAxe No, U87ai has a minimal signal chain: one FET, and a transformer, that's it - this minimalism makes up a big part of it's excellence. The U87ai stands sturdy till it starts clipping, while the TLM49 has much more headroom, but starts sounding faint and thin at higher volumes.
Note taken that could’ve been shared but in a realistic scenario for me, I would swap out the mic if it was too much of an overload or I wouldn’t holler like that into the mic. I don’t think what was mentioned are details that take away from the solid product the TLM49 yields.
Thanks for the comment.
@@CarlMooreMusic Welcome, and thanks so much for this beautiful performance, Carl - I came for the mics, but stayed for the music. Yes, horses for courses - I just think it's important to know were the limits of the TLM49 are, and for vocals, that's anything loud: Opera, RnB belting etc... it's the more important to know this, as it sounds great on lower volume vocals.
@tom_k_d thank you for the kind words.
I’ve actually found similar traits with a bunch of mics on the market. Some with the bigger names and reputable badges. Audible overloading when moderate or low levels on a pre.
I just try my best to pay attention to gain staging on those mics.
I can't hear a difference on my genelecs
I can over this way but I think that speaks to how well the TLM49 performs