
CoolCat
Well-known member
A Chandler Limited TG- type L showed up. The "hand built, no IC chips, all discrete, with transformers, and the larger TG capsule, Cardiod pattern" got my interest.
It came in a nice box, and a hard mount, went on my desktop small mic stand. The other mics I had in arms reach were the KSM 32 original, a MXL V67G, Shure SM7.
Reading the literature it recommends pop filter, and allowing time for the phantom power to be on and off, etc.
It was free of hassle, all I needed was a mic cable and 48v phantom power.... the TG-L. The standard Pad of 10db, worked. Then came the A sound vs B sound, Id read about.
I was really "ok" with the sounds as in A vs B. It was "real" in that A did its thing but B did its thing well but IMO totally different. I loved the B sound, which others have said is a Ribbon mic sound.
I don't know but B has a smoothness and handles ssss's but its very clear, just smooth and worked for my ears. The A sound was great, it had some more clarity, but depending on your experience with other LDC's , there's that crisp sound LDC offer and seems others like the A. (*my booth is half a car length and the mic booth is a moving-blanket'ed box Ive recently been playing with." so YMMV)
Of course my neutral mic is the KSM 32, original , means it has the version with the tightweaved Headbasket. Its a neutral mic, MDC capsule, quiet, clear, IC chips and no transformer vibe.
I added a picture to compare the sizes.
Then the MXL67G is a "vibe" color, mic , and its got the transformer, some design eq inside and anyway I like it. Its closer to a LDC w transformer type sound we like for vocals.
The SM7 was what it is and different all together and not a LDC or condenser so anyway its a mic that I like a lot , and maybe more Ribbon mic sounding than a crisp LDC?
Chandler Limited- TG-L doesn't have a lot of specs listed and they don't do that. Maybe Julian can do a test? But using my interface an Reaper, I get -78~-74 on a channel, and the output of the Chandler Limited TG-L was close to the KSM32 to my eyes on the Reaper meters. The MXL 67 was similar too. The SM7 obviously not, and needed gain.
KSM32 is 16mv/pa , MXL V67G is 15mv/pa....so I can estimate the ChandlerLimited TG-L is right around this area of 15mv/pa per spoken word, vocal .. this is a very very good level for my gear as it doesn't need outboard gain and its not too sensitive to pickup up the neighbors dogs like the KSM 44 is 29mv/pa!! (U87ai is 28mv/pa, old U87i is 8mv/pa)
so for my room I am best at 8mv~15mv/pa and the Chandler Limited TG-L works perfect for this room/environment.
The A is louder and the B setting on the TG-L is even less sensitive, which is great imo.
I also tested the A&B switch and there is no "popping" at all as some said. This is well thought out.
Using the IC preamp in the interface, a Aphex 207, a JoeMeek VC1Q, ISA430 it was really nice sounding. It was really like having two mics in one, and not a gimmick, but more like changing mics, or capsules...obviously its running the signal through discrete components differently. The sound noise levels seemed on par with all of these mics, in my setup. maybe -66~-72 on a good day is the noise floor here.
For a smaller room, for a typical HR bedroom sized environment having no tube powersupply, having a mid-sized mic, is useful and easy to work with.
For a crisp LDC or a smooth Ribbon like sound this mic is easy to love. It beat my expectations, even at the expensive $700 mark(coupon and no tax at Front End Audio) . For that's a large amount here and so expectations are higher.
It sounded a lot better to my ears on vocals than the technically-clean KSM32, I liked the TG-L better than the KSM 44 w(hich is also a very clean mic no transformer), TG-L is more pleasant, closer to the MXL V67 in A mode, and my Antelope Audio LDC similar to A mode, A mode is crisp. TG-L I had no plosive issues and again it was a very comfortable 15mv/pa approx level, B maybe 12 or 10db.pa I guess.
TG-L is not heavy , but its metal and has weight, Id call normal. Supposedly it can take a lot of SPL but I didn't do drums with it.
Heres some pictures.
It came in a nice box, and a hard mount, went on my desktop small mic stand. The other mics I had in arms reach were the KSM 32 original, a MXL V67G, Shure SM7.
Reading the literature it recommends pop filter, and allowing time for the phantom power to be on and off, etc.
It was free of hassle, all I needed was a mic cable and 48v phantom power.... the TG-L. The standard Pad of 10db, worked. Then came the A sound vs B sound, Id read about.
I was really "ok" with the sounds as in A vs B. It was "real" in that A did its thing but B did its thing well but IMO totally different. I loved the B sound, which others have said is a Ribbon mic sound.
I don't know but B has a smoothness and handles ssss's but its very clear, just smooth and worked for my ears. The A sound was great, it had some more clarity, but depending on your experience with other LDC's , there's that crisp sound LDC offer and seems others like the A. (*my booth is half a car length and the mic booth is a moving-blanket'ed box Ive recently been playing with." so YMMV)
Of course my neutral mic is the KSM 32, original , means it has the version with the tightweaved Headbasket. Its a neutral mic, MDC capsule, quiet, clear, IC chips and no transformer vibe.
I added a picture to compare the sizes.
Then the MXL67G is a "vibe" color, mic , and its got the transformer, some design eq inside and anyway I like it. Its closer to a LDC w transformer type sound we like for vocals.
The SM7 was what it is and different all together and not a LDC or condenser so anyway its a mic that I like a lot , and maybe more Ribbon mic sounding than a crisp LDC?
Chandler Limited- TG-L doesn't have a lot of specs listed and they don't do that. Maybe Julian can do a test? But using my interface an Reaper, I get -78~-74 on a channel, and the output of the Chandler Limited TG-L was close to the KSM32 to my eyes on the Reaper meters. The MXL 67 was similar too. The SM7 obviously not, and needed gain.
KSM32 is 16mv/pa , MXL V67G is 15mv/pa....so I can estimate the ChandlerLimited TG-L is right around this area of 15mv/pa per spoken word, vocal .. this is a very very good level for my gear as it doesn't need outboard gain and its not too sensitive to pickup up the neighbors dogs like the KSM 44 is 29mv/pa!! (U87ai is 28mv/pa, old U87i is 8mv/pa)
so for my room I am best at 8mv~15mv/pa and the Chandler Limited TG-L works perfect for this room/environment.
The A is louder and the B setting on the TG-L is even less sensitive, which is great imo.
I also tested the A&B switch and there is no "popping" at all as some said. This is well thought out.
Using the IC preamp in the interface, a Aphex 207, a JoeMeek VC1Q, ISA430 it was really nice sounding. It was really like having two mics in one, and not a gimmick, but more like changing mics, or capsules...obviously its running the signal through discrete components differently. The sound noise levels seemed on par with all of these mics, in my setup. maybe -66~-72 on a good day is the noise floor here.
For a smaller room, for a typical HR bedroom sized environment having no tube powersupply, having a mid-sized mic, is useful and easy to work with.
For a crisp LDC or a smooth Ribbon like sound this mic is easy to love. It beat my expectations, even at the expensive $700 mark(coupon and no tax at Front End Audio) . For that's a large amount here and so expectations are higher.
It sounded a lot better to my ears on vocals than the technically-clean KSM32, I liked the TG-L better than the KSM 44 w(hich is also a very clean mic no transformer), TG-L is more pleasant, closer to the MXL V67 in A mode, and my Antelope Audio LDC similar to A mode, A mode is crisp. TG-L I had no plosive issues and again it was a very comfortable 15mv/pa approx level, B maybe 12 or 10db.pa I guess.
TG-L is not heavy , but its metal and has weight, Id call normal. Supposedly it can take a lot of SPL but I didn't do drums with it.
Heres some pictures.
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