studio projects t3 vs the neumann tlm103

Scriabin

Scriabin

New member
Has anyone here had the pleasure of trying both the Studio projects t3 and the tlm 103? With the lowering of the studio projects list price, you can find the T3 going for under $600 dollars on the street now and the Tlm-103 going for $650, its a hard decision...
If you had to have only one to use on general applications (ie. vocals, acoustic, electric, piano, overheads ect..) which would you choose?
 
Damn. That's a good one. I'm also curious as to the responses because I've always thought they both were great mics.
 
yeah...if I had one to choose from I think I'd take the T3 - though I have never heard it in person. I like the TLM103...and would love to own one...but, I can't say that I fell in love with it. Where...the T3...i dunno, from what I have heard people talkin...is just so smooth.
 
I'd get the Neumann, because , well, it's a Neumann. And because it will definitely hold it's value. You could always sell it on ebay and get pretty damn near what you paid for it if you don't like it.

I know it's not a very scientific response :) and I do apologize, as I haven't actually tried either of them.
 
marketting

Go Neumann like mentioned above, and because name recognition is unfortunately real..you could try to talk to a potential client about mic placement, and different characters of microphones, but for most it's the $$$$ the mic costs and the name..a client still wanted the TLM 103's on his acoustic guitar when he <and others on this BBS including Harvey> agreed that the ECM 8000's sounded better! He was like..wow, that sounds amazing..but I'd like to use the Neumann's on the other tracks..which was OK for me, because they sounded better on the other 2 anyhow, so I didn't mind :P Now, if he wanted them on the first one, I woulda been sad :P

--Sal
 
you can find the T3 going for around $579 at www.macmidimusic.com

The Tlm-103 goes for $650 at www.mercenary.com

As far as name recognition goes I'm not in it for that because I'm not looking for clients. This mic would be for my own personal use. I've tried the 103 before when I borrowed it for a month or so from a friend. I thought it sounded really good. But i've heard this t3 on some tracks and it sounded...well...pretty good also.

The neumann would definately have quality control and it wasnt made in some chinese factory. So maybe that might be the better choice...I just dont know!!! Aahhh!!!
 
you've obviously had a lot of experience with the neumann and like it. unless you can have some quality experience with the T3 before you buy it....then I wouldn't.


Buying a mic in that price range blindly is whacko.
 
I compared the RODE NTK to the TLM103 straight up and I liked the NTK better, so I bought it. The NTK has since become my main mic and the workhorse of my studio... it's an absolute gem of a mic!
I haven't heard the T3 yet, but all I'm saying is that you should consider the NTK with these other two mics. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how excellent it sounds... and it's cheaper in price at $499!
 
Scriabin said:
As far as name recognition goes I'm not in it for that because I'm not looking for clients. This mic would be for my own personal use. I've tried the 103 before when I borrowed it for a month or so from a friend. I thought it sounded really good. But i've heard this t3 on some tracks and it sounded...well...pretty good also.

The neumann would definately have quality control and it wasnt made in some chinese factory. So maybe that might be the better choice...I just dont know!!! Aahhh!!!
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about the QC, but I wouldn't worry at all about Alan Hyatt (Studio Projects) standing behind a defective product. His customer service level is some of the best of any company I've bought from. And if it's for your own use, then you don't need to worry about the "ooh/ah" factor of the Neumann name.
 
Many more good replies. I have heard many good reviews of the NTK also. Yet, I still have that stigma surrounding the Rodents... I bought the NT1 as my first condenser. I thought it sounded fine until I borrowed the Tlm-103 last year because I didn't know the difference. Yet, after I recorded some tracks, the difference was light and day. So, Buck my conservative right wing brother;) do you have any tracks of the NTK? I'd love to hear them.

I have no problem with Alan Hyatt and I know he'd give top support if I'd get a lemon. Unfortunately, I can't try the T3 until I order one. I've heard his sampler and it sounded good on there.w

I believe my main problem is I don't just want a step up from nt1, I want a great step up that will be a mic I'll use for many, many years. Almost an investment.
Will I find an excellent workhorse mic between $500 to 800 dollars that will still be valid in twenty years? If not, here I come Soundelux.
 
I wouldnt worry about the NTK holding its value. The difference bet the NT1 and the legendary mics it was compared to several years ago was allegorical. The NT2 has held its value over the years for the most part. Unfortunately there are no guarantees, the TLM-103 has come down over $400 from the price it entered the market with. The reason the TLM-103 has come down in price is bec it was always competing more with the $500 mics than the $1k mics. I doubt very strongly though that the NTK will share a fate similar to that of the NT1. The bottom line should be your personal preference in terms of sound. If youre doing the singing, how does it sound on your voice...
 
If you have a problem with the 103 you contact someone in Germany if they are anything like Sennheiser(which I hope not). If you have the T3 you send it to Alan.

Neumann has the name, but when I was messing around at Mars one time while visiting Missouri, I found I liked my voice better on a 300 dollar Shure KSM27 than the TLM103 or the TLM193 that I tried. But it was about a 10 minute experience so don't take what I said too seriously.
 
The T3 is the first large diaphram mic i've actually liked for my acoustic guitar (silvertone archtop with dull percussive tone). I like setting up a condenser (previously a small condenser) so i can sing and play and i found that the T3 gives me a more balanced level of voice+gui and desirable tone. It sounds really great for vocals as well. I know this is heresy to say this but i've always thought Neumans were a bit to perfect ... too boring. A few other things to consider: the T3 is a tube mic, it is multi-pattern (with selectable steps between the patterns), and it sounds realy fsking good.
 
hmm

Sprial, et all, if you wanna hear somethin I did with the TLM103 in a 'live' type situation like you said, check out


This is totally live, no overdubs, and it's a quick mix I threw together just for fun..I'm waiting until he comes back to record the rest of the album <this is 1 of 2 covers he is putting on the end as bonus tracks> before I mix everything.

-Sal
 
Well, you knew I would chime in here at some point :eek: :eek:

The issue of QC just doesn't wash. The TLM-103 and the T3 are built like a tank. The consistency of both are extremely good. There is a snob appeal with Neumann...I will admit that, but don't take the word snob as derogatory. I just don't know any other word to use that we all know when this cliché is used. They both will do a very good job, it’s just the T3 is way more flexible because of the patterns and its control.

Get in touch with Warren at www.macmidimusic.com or Todd at www.soundpure.com I bet both of these guys will let you try the T3 out. As long as you give them a credit card, As long as you would only try it for 48 hours, I bet they would let you return it if you hate it. If you drool into the freaking thing, don't expect your money back. Use a pop screen, check it out, and my bet is you will never return the T3.


My 2 cents! :D


Alan Hyatt
PMI Audio Group
 
track

that track is all TLM..one on the guitar, one on the vocal, recorded simultaneously. Guitar is a taylor<i forget the model> with no pickup, and the pick guard is still on <I told him to have it removed>. The chain was mics to Mackie 32*8 pre's. I EQ'd the guitar mic to kill some of the boominess because of having to mic near the sound hole to get better isolation, and there is some compression on both..and I threw a little bit of barely noticeable stereo reverb on the overall mix for fun.

-Sal
 

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