TLM103 Noise Weird Noise?

[tkingen]

My wife and I purchased a Neumann TLM103 today. It's a wonderful mic that definitely adds a great voice to our recordings! One thing concerns me, though. If you monitor the signal while turning on the phantom power, for a moment there is a sound kind of frying eggs. Then, the sound stops and and you hear the normal signal.
We actually brought one home, heard this sound, and took it back and exchanged it for another one. The second one does the same thing.
This leads me to believe that it's normal...but none of our other mics do it. Anyone have any insight on this?

Thanks,
Terry

 

[Recording Engineer]

If you can "monitor the signal" (audibly or visually), then that means the preamp gain is up... And obviously, you're going to hear "something". The egg frying sound is the phantom caps charging up.

Anyhow, keep all gain stages to "off" when powering up phantom.

 

[tkingen]

Recording Engineer,

While A/Bing with the different mics we did keep the pre gain up. Thanks for the tip (and the assurance that it's normal!)

Terry