Should I get a preamp for my TLM103, or ditch it..

M

Malik161

New member
I’ve been recording with my TLM103 paired with an apogee duet. I find the vocals are quite thin/bright sounding - kinda ‘in your face’ too.

I’m considering either options
1. Get an Apollo Twin Duo and use the 737 channel strip to add some ‘warmth’ OR get a ‘real’ preamp (recommendations?)
2. Ditch the TLM103 and get a new microphone. Again, I need suggestions please. I make R&B music so I like the crisp clarity of the Neumann.

My budget is basically anything a tier below the Avalon 737 and/or u87.
 
Can you post a quick sample of what you're hearing? 30-60 seconds at 320k MP3 would be sufficient.

I get somewhat confused with the way terms are thrown around. People was crisp clarity with warmth and roundness. They are kind of opposite ends of the stick. You want the handling of a sports car with the ride of a Rolls!

The TLM103 has a pretty steady +4dB shelf from about 4K to 15K (their enhanced presence boost). It's supposed to give better definition. You like the crisp clarity, which is somewhat a byproduct of the presence boost. At the same time, it can contribute to the bright sound. Try boosting the low mids in EQ. That should give you a bit of weight. Put a dip of a couple of dB in the 5-7k region.

I haven't heard the Duet, but I doubt that buying another interface will completely transform the mic into making it "warm" sounding. Using the 737 channel strip plugin is just going to entail turning knobs to change EQ and compression, which you should be doing anyway.
 
Yes! Clip,clip,clippity clip! I also agree with Rich that another pre amp is not going to improve things (and I doubt it could make them worse!) No one is going to market a pre amp with a presence DIP of 4dB in its response!

Also, this could be an extreme case of a voice 'type' not being compatible with a certain microphone characteristic? Maye get closer and get some proximity effect? But be careful, the TLM103 has a pretty hot output.

Dave.
 
With its cardioid pattern, if you have a pop screen and get about 3" away you should have loads of proximity effect - enough to warm up almost any voice unless you're in the tenor range. (That's assuming you are singing into the correct side of the mic!)

Personally, I think the rapidity of some rap delivery probably makes some LDCs not ideal, and many of the more modern sounding ones do have that lift on the upper end for some "air" to emulate something vintage. It works well for some voices, and not so much for others, depending on what frequency it starts and how much the bump is.

You might want something that has a flatter response while still keeping the transient response, but it's difficult to know what to recommend without hearing what you believe are problems. (I looked and you posted before (2017) about having this same equipment, so you must have some recordings you can attach for us to hear.)
 
Ive used Avalon pres and theyre very clean. Doubt you’ll get warmth from them. You’d get more warmth from the EQ side of things on that channel strip. Plugins work just fine.
 
If you want warm - that's a poor choice of mic - that said, I'm more pleased with my 103 than I am with the U87 (which to be honest was a stupid thing to buy - but hopefully will hold it's price) The 103 is still out, on a stand - that's kind of my yardstick - if a mic lives in it's box, it clearly was the wrong mic to buy. Currently out and not been away are a beta 58, a 414 and the 103. If you don't want clarity and don't want that top end sizzle - the 103 is probably a bad choice.
 
rob aylestone said:
If you want warm - that's a poor choice of mic - that said, I'm more pleased with my 103 than I am with the U87 (which to be honest was a stupid thing to buy - but hopefully will hold it's price) The 103 is still out, on a stand - that's kind of my yardstick - if a mic lives in it's box, it clearly was the wrong mic to buy. Currently out and not been away are a beta 58, a 414 and the 103. If you don't want clarity and don't want that top end sizzle - the 103 is probably a bad choice.
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A U87?! What were you thinking! Omg! Give it to me and I’ll properly...ahem....dispose of it for you.
 
I agree with most of the thoughts here.
Preamp choice can certainly influence the recorded sound but microphone choice, generally speaking, can have a much greater impact.
The TLM103 is known for being pretty bright and detailed so if you're finding it too bright/crisp I'd look for another mic.

I've often recommend people look at the TLM193 instead, if they like the 103 sound but find it that bit too crisp.
Saying that - I'd be surprised if you couldn't eq it to taste.
I know... "get it right at the source", but is eq something you've tried?
Also having the mic off axis slightly can really help. Pointing it more to your throat or chest can make a huge difference, compared to directly at the mouth.
 
A LOT of chart topping rappers and r&b artists use the TLM 103. Jay Z is one of the most notable. It's possible that it's just not a match for you, but I suspect it's probably something else. Despite what several people have said here, a preamp and certainly make a big impact on the sound. Some preamps are known for certain characteristics. Clean, warm, thick, so on and so fourth. A lot of people use the BAE 1073 preamp with it. The eq on those can be very useful to shape the sound and get more of what you're looking for on the way in. Another thing that can make a big difference is a compressor. Many compressors impart a lot of character. Most of these artists are using these chains, so don't let people tell you it doesn't matter. It does. You can get there without it, but they exist for a reason, of course. They're tools. Mic placement is pretty big too. Sounds like you might want to try an off axis approach aiming the mic at your mouth towards the chest. Best of luck.
 
Mr. ROUSH said:
A LOT of chart topping rappers and r&b artists use the TLM 103. Jay Z is one of the most notable. It's possible that it's just not a match for you, but I suspect it's probably something else. Despite what several people have said here, a preamp and certainly make a big impact on the sound. Some preamps are known for certain characteristics. Clean, warm, thick, so on and so fourth. A lot of people use the BAE 1073 preamp with it. The eq on those can be very useful to shape the sound and get more of what you're looking for on the way in. Another thing that can make a big difference is a compressor. Many compressors impart a lot of character. Most of these artists are using these chains, so don't let people tell you it doesn't matter. It does. You can get there without it, but they exist for a reason, of course. They're tools. Mic placement is pretty big too. Sounds like you might want to try an off axis approach aiming the mic at your mouth towards the chest. Best of luck.
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A preamp doesn't change the sound of a mic from Thin and Bright to Thick and Full - an EQ may help a little - but in this case either the TLM 103 is wrong for him or he's got something wrong in his setup - @Malik161 - can you post a sample of your vocal? That would help us determine which route you should go.
 
er...... did you change the summertime setting and kniock the year - he's not been around since march last year? - You answered another too? Has something weird happened that you're seeing these old posts as new ones?
 
Papanate said:
A preamp doesn't change the sound of a mic from Thin and Bright to Thick and Full - an EQ may help a little - but in this case either the TLM 103 is wrong for him or he's got something wrong in his setup - @Malik161 - can you post a sample of your vocal? That would help us determine which route you should go.
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The TLM 103 is certainly not a thin mic. He connects it to the BAE 1073 it's going to certainly result in a warmer tone on the majority of vocals. A sample would help for sure.
 
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