Neumann TLM 49 Large-diaphragm Condenser Microphone Reviews

for more bite it the high mid with a subtle warm tone that really does cater to u when you want a up close mic ed and personal rap Vox with shine or a sentimental shoe gaze or pop/rnb sexy Vox spkword too get this mic for that ,AKG C414 XLII good for the polar patterns and when u get it you'll get the hype def get if your room not so treated and mess around with the placement of the mic and patterns awesome for tht without compromising that fire open bright but controlled sound it holds, and a sm7b when I go lunatic with the metal Vox get all tree if u can

I already owned a Rode NT1. Did I need this mic? Perhaps I'm still not sure, but I want to take a chance at voice over work, and obtained an expensive mic to practice and hopefully get better sound out of myself. It's taken a little time to get used to things, but it is powerful and takes in a lot of sound available.

I'm running the TLM 49 through my Avalon M5. It sounds phenomenal. Also self noise is very low. I was afraid that this Mic would pick up everything but it doesn't, has a super tight pattern.

The TLM 49 is overlooked and underrated because of mics the U87, Sony C800G, Manley Reference C, and the Elam 251.

I've had this microphone in my Studio for about two months now and let me tell you. This TLM 49 is what you need, especially for Hip Hop & Spoken Word Vocals. I have this microphone paired with the Neve Shelford Channel. Talk about Vocal Heaven. With the Shelford, I record with the blue silk @ 25% and then mix the vocal with the red silk @ 25%. I use to want a U87 until I tried this trick with the TLM 49 and the Shelford.

I know some people will say, "The TLM 49 sounds amazing with the Shelford." But listen. I also recorded vocals through the Apollo X6 using the Avalon Unison Preamp and still got amazing results.

Plus with a proper eq curve, I can make this TLM 49 sound similar to the Elam 251.

I love to describe this microphone as a good middle ground between the Soyuz 017 Fet and the Neumann u87ai. The Soyuz is incredibly buttery while the Neumann is pretty sterile (to my ears). This sits in the middle, being both clean and warm. A great choice for vocals and voiceover.

so much personality and character with vibe ok I did a mic check through an Apollo interface ran it through a 610 b pre then through an 1176 and it gave the mid range that old school hip hop grit the vocals sounded up front and they had bite like throwing the hook out on the line you'll reel in a top notch perform e on this mic with capsule being the same used in your beloved and legendary u47's this mic packs a punch and Carey's a unpresented history behind it as well and for good reason really a solid sound very warm and detailed but not in a harsh or bright way this mic has beautiful dynamics and the low handling on the spl really creates some beautiful saturation if your wanting a good all around mic for any genera weather you sing or rap etc I'd recommend this mic to anybody despite it not having any features and it just being cardioid that's really all you need it to be especially for a good vocal recording this mic is the bread and butter it's a good investment so do yourself the favor.

I tracked some hip-hop vocals for the first time with this mic through a GAP Pre73 Premier and was blown away! I sold my TLM102 to get the TLM49 and what a amazing differnce in sound. If you have the extra money, Buy It!!!

I have been recording in a home Studio since 1986! I have had a few different mics since then! (Love at first sight) I saw this micro phone online for the first time in 2016. I said that's my mic I claimed it in Jesus name.
The mic is the richest sound I have ever owned!
The silkiness of the Mic can be heard right out of the Box with little eq!
I highly recommend this mic for your Home Studio

Had a Aston Origin and recently upgraded to the tlm 49 and what a upgrade! Really gives a nice professional touch to the sound and studio overall.

I've had this mic for six years for my home studio, and I love it for vocals. I'm what would probably best be classified as a baritenor. I A-B test recorded every mic I have against this Neumann TLM 49 and nothing matches its warmth and richness for my voice. The best description I can come up with is that it sounds professional. I found that singing 6-8 inches away yielded the best result for me, but you can get different sounds by experimenting with the proximity effect by moving closer. Of course, this microphone is far from cheap, but the investment is worth it.

The TLM 49 Is a wonderful mike. I am a jazz violinist and used a vintage 49 on my second record years ago in LA at Amigo Studios. I feel this 49 has a lot of the same qualities. Full, meaty sound. I can tell it would be a great mic for vocals as it has a very nice top end as well.

Untreated Room with an unforgiving microphone. Kaotica Fatboy fits perfect and works as a dead space. Any way, this microphone is the best mic Ive ever used. Even a/b with heavy hitters & it held its own. STOP WASTING TIME & BUY THIS MIC!!! BEAUTIFUL SOUND, IT WILL BLOW U AWAY ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE COMING UP FROM THE 100-900 RANGE OF MICROPHONES!!! No more to say but its one exceptional piece of hardware.

Pretty much all these descriptions are right on, particularly those praising its warmth, size, and sibilance qualities. I just wanted to weigh in and say that I"ve now used this mic on probably 50 singers or so, and it has worked phenomenally on EVERY ONE of them! If that ever changes I"ll edit this, but it"s a microphone that is universal in who it will work on and what genre.

I've had my Neumann TLM 49 since July 2018 from Brisbane Sound Group and thought it's time I share just how great this mic is for Spoken Word/
My mic mic locker is an eclectic mix starting out with the humble Rode NT1-A many years ago, then adding some other gems including CAD E100S, Audio Technica AT4033a, Rode NT1, Aston Spirit, Sennheiser MK4, and the very collectible MXL Gold 35 (which is the only one that comes close to sounding as good as my 49) plus my trusty Rode NTG3 for Radio Promos, Movie Trailers etc and a few more.
Everyone told me the U87 was the holy grail, but I'd put this mic up against it any day. I've stopped searching.
This just works so well for Voice Overs.
I love stepping up to the 49 in my Sound Proof Booth, since it captures my voice so realistically and naturally with every little nuance. I'd definitely recommend this unit if you have a well treated recording studio, if not look at something more forgiving like the NTG3.
I prefer a condenser over a dynamic any day of the week and so do my international clients.
If you're serious about V/O save your PayPal dollars and get one of these bad boys.
It not only sounds great at capturing the human voice, but it looks amazing too!
My signal chain includes a PreSonus Studio 2/6 interface (it goes to 11) to my iMac 27 using Mogami Gold Studio Mic cables, with an Aston Shield to reduce plosives.
If it sounds this good with the bullet proof US interface, I can only imagine how good a Neve would lift its game.
It's got a classic old school Tube sound without the hassle of tube and warming up.
This mic has got to be the Germans best kept secret. Bypass 102's and 103's and go for the 49 and you'll be astounded. It's worth every cent.
Using a large diaphragm 34mm K47 capsule as heard in legendary U47 & M49 mics this mic is stripped back with no frills (only Cardioid pattern) , the Rat Rodder of Neumanns High End stable.
You get excellent common mode rejection, plus a gentle presence boost above 2khz, a low self noise of 12db, up to 114db SPL, retro design and comes complete with shock mount ready to screw onto a mic stand.
Sweetwater guys say "My first choice for voiceover...the best mic on the planet for the price."
I agree.
Cypress Hill record on one and it took them to a whole new level over their old 103.
Very smooth and warm vocal microphone that lends richness, power and brilliance to your voice while remaining balanced and transparent.
It's the perfect announcers microphone for broadcasting, dubbing, voice overs with a sound profile optimized for vocal performance.
In 2006, the TLM 49 was awarded the Mix Foundation for Excellence Audio TEC Award for Microphone Technology/ Recording.
All of the above are reasons I had to add it to my mic locker and it never leaves the booth and is heard on my V/O work on TV, Radio, Cinema, On Hold, IVR, Explainer Videos, Online, E-Learning, Audio Books etc across our Universe.

I first Purchased this Mic in 2010 and new Nothing About Recording and Mics, since then I have purchased many Mics not realising That I had the Best Mic Already, I have a Peluso C12, Sm7B, Warm 87 and I did have Neumanns Flagship Mic M149 Of which I sold It, it is Good Mic but the TLM 49 Mic will Give you just as good of a sound But you Don't have the Polar patterns and Bass Roll off and also is a lot cheaper, This Mic is Very Natural sounding and works best with a Neve Style Preamp, I have a Vintech, I also Have a UA Dual 610 and Focusrite isa Two, Believe me this Mic sounds Best Through a Neve Style preamp and Then Through 1176 Compressor. Also your Acoustics have to be good and Your Voice Has to be Banging, It will catch every imperfection this Mic will give you a world class sound if you have it set up right, and the singer can sing good and is fully warmed up, you have to give the Mic your best performance and I will Guarantee You will not get a better sound for the money, It also takes Top end amazing and on Acoustic Guitars it is also amazing.
Best Bang for your Buck.

I have had the MXl v67, Shure Ksm27, Akg C414b Xlii, and Akg C414 Xlii, Se Electronics Gemini ii, MXL V89, Lewitt Lct 640 and currently the Miktek CV3, and none of them compares to this mic, stop waisting time and being mislead by forums and fake mic shootouts that makes all the Mics sound similar to each other regardless of price... All I know is that I'm now "Finally" getting true professional vocals with the Tlm 49 and the preamps in my vs-700r interface, with the other mics I was always told I needed a $2000 preamp to achieve what I wanted my vocals to sound like. So why purchase a $1000 mic then have to purchase a $2000 preamp to make it sound decent when you can spend 1/2 of that on the TLM 49 use the preamps in your interface and get better results. YOU CHOOSE!

I completed my first full session involving 3 vocalist. Two used the tlm 49 while the other used another name brand. The overall project was great however we all agreed the vocalist using the Neumann surely outclassed the other mic.

I couldn't be happier with this mic. I'm certain I have a true go to for vocalist!

This was my first Neumann mic, but will certainly not be my last. What a diverse tool from anything to in front of a kick drum to capturing the lightest touches of a vocal. I highly recommend trying one of these, for a number of applications.

As an engineer, I'm constantly working in and out of the studio, so when we set up to do live or semi-live performances, you never know what the room acoustics will be. Sometimes I can filter and cancel out certain second and third order harmonics, however with the TLM 49 I don't even have to worry about the conditions. This is one of the few mikes that actually seems to adapt itself to whatever environment your recording in. I would definitely recommend making the investment, I have two of them for an awesome stereo set up in the field!

everything you say in front of this microphone, will be recorded with fidelity and warmth, and the price is quite achievable, thoroughly recommended

Just recorded some wind inst and sitar with tlm 49 through UAD 4-710 twinfinty mic per and it did a great job...it really good on vocals specially male vocals....

Signal chain: TLM 49 > mogami gold XLR > apogee duet 2 > PRO Tools 10 > Ozone 5 mastering suite.

This mic shines on vocals with a kind of an attitude. It is not for the faint of heart or singers with a fragile EGO. The TLM 49 morphs itself into the artists voice. It's like having all the various tonal colors at your desire. Put a grinding singer in front and it will bring out the edge characteristics. Put a soft melodic vocalist in front and this mic will become transparent.

Overdub vocals 20 times? No problem, no frequency build up, 100% sonic blending. Throw it in front of an acoustic guitar and with EQ you will be blown away at the possibilities. You need to use this mic on a variety of sources to really appreciate it's capabilities.

If you are considering buying this mic, you won't be disappointed. For the money, you will be getting a staple, go to vocal mic for any singing style or genre of music. Sound is very "finished" and will cut through any mix with no EQ.

For the price this thing is a 5.0. Professional quality all the way. My girlfriend has a soft sultry type of voice and this mic is perfect choice for her. Its warm and takes eq very well. The key to using this mic is understanding the Proximity effect. At 3" its wooly and thick. At 12" its thin. At 4-8" its just perfect. No this is not a m49 by any means. But it does work well with a singer that would sound good on a m49! I have also gotten some killer tracks on stand up bass with this microphone.

My recent search for a vocal microphone around $1500 pointed to this one and I started talking to Kevin in Sweetwater. I also read lot of good reviews about Mojave MA 200 and was very much interested to test that one too. Kevin gave me a good deal and I could keep both mic for a week and return the one (or none) I didn't like.

This does not have any wooden box, comes in a normal paper board retail packing. I used vintech X73i as the preamp, used good quality cables and Apogee and digi rack 003 converters and sang few lines. I have a thin n soft voice, and with this preamp+mic combo finally I could say to myself that I was looking to get this sound for so long. I'm from India and always like our vintage sound of 60s and 70s...This mic has that particular warmth I was looking for. My thin voice sounded warm, fat, smooth and clean over the entire frequency range without even using any EQ on the preamp. The vocal placed itself nicely in the mix without the need of much processing, just a bit of reverb and delay sent to sweeten it.

when I did side by side comparison with MA 200, (which is definitely an excellent mic for the price), I found it has got that digital brittleness as far as my voice is concerned. Even a general listener (my friend) considered the TLM 49 sound smoother and more round compared to Ma 200. I like the mid range of TLM 49. After a casual take, I was sitting back and listening to my recording and I was feeling sooo happy that finally Ive settled for a preamp+mic combo that now I can use in my future records. Ma 200 sounded very good though on a female vocal (recitation and speech) and wasn;t harsh at all, its just that my voice sounded best in TLM 49. I wanted to keep both mics, but MA 200 is going back due to its little lack in smoothness compared to TLM 49.

Just heard these for the first time as overheads on a drum kit. We were running them through a couple Neve 1081 pres and they sounded incredible! Almost don't even need to close mic the kit... The toms and snare all sounded very punchy and clear and the cymbals weren't too washy or over powering. I would have expected a higher price for these.

i just recieved my tlm49 its running into my universal audio 610 im blown away on how this thing sounds!! if u have the money id say buy it i have a bluebird mic and a audio technica 4033 mic as well but this neummy is great!!!!!!!!!!!

I had this mic in a live room making adjustments to some other mics and placed the 49 on the ground about 5-6 feet away from the kick. It was sitting on a few cables to it was pointed very slightly upward. I had that track unmuted and had the drummer play the kit for a sound check. This accident changed my whole view of this mics versatility. That mic picked up the kit better than all of the the the other mics. I was blown away by everything I picked up, mainly the kick and toms. Give this a try with your 49 and it will not just be your vocal mic anymore.

It's amazing to me,how someone can put down the TLM49. I'm confused by the last reviewer who thinks the TLM49 is all hype and lokks. It's a great sounding mic on vocals. I own a U87 as well and I prefer the TLM 49 on vocals because of the tailored response on the low end. Neumann has tailored the sound by gradually lowering the output from 1 khz down to 20hz (below zero db). This makes the TLM49 shine on vocals without having to roll-off bass which can muddy up most vocals. I use both TLM49's and U87's through An Avalon VT-737 and the sound is pristine. Sometimes I wonder if some of the jealous competitors of Neumann (like RODE etc.) write these negative reviews.....

several years ago after months of toiling about whether to invest in one really nice mic and having a bevy of low-end ones, I decided on the TLM 49 and haven't looked back since. On its own through the 002's onboard pre's and a/d (neither of which impress me) it sounds realistic, rich and full. But when you pair this beautiful piece of microphonery through a nice preamp, it shines (I'm running through a UA Solo 610). Almost too responsive, it picks up everything; I recorded a guitarist/vocalist with a backup vocalist and harmonica off mic and with just the one mic it sounds like you're in the room with the singer. I agree, those who complain about the sound either have a bad signal chain, no understanding of mic placement, or possibly a defective mic.

I don't have such a big experience about microphones, but when I changed by a 60$ Samson C01 to the TLM (auto-present for my graduation) I noticed an astonishing change in my tracks. I use a Yamaha 01V as preamp, and with this mic the voice sounds always loud, clear and at the top of the mix. If you want to make an investment for many years, this is definitely the right choice.

I've been a recording professional for about 10 years. My mic locker includes a Shure SM7B, AKG C414, AKG SolidTube, and a few other cheapies (SM57, SM58, SM86, AKG Perception 200). I've also had extensive experience recording with a vintage Neumann U87. That said, I recently purchased the TLM 49 after reading it's many glowing reviews. For the first session, I was a bit skeptical, but was immediately convinced that this microphone is phenomenal. Since then, I've recorded 30 other vocalists with the TLM 49. All of them sound amazing. For those who say the mic sounds brittle, I think they have a bunk mic or a bad signal path.

I can tell you that the Neumann TLM 49 is one of the best vocal mics that I've tried. It's got a beautiful balance of highs,mids and just the right amount of bottom end. Neumann has created a microphone which is voiced perfectly for singers. Vocals sound up front without the boxiness and harshness found in other mics. The TLM 49 also sounds nice on acoustic guitar !!! This is a super microphone, get one !

I've been through a selection of mics at my home studio and at major studios. This mic by far is in a class of its own with vocals. Pure, clean, upfront in the mix. It will make your vocalist stand back and say wow.

It didn't take very long for this mic to become my absolute favorite, and I've only had it for a week. It has such a sweet detailed sound, and sounds fantastic on a variety of sources. If you're considering a new studio condenser mic this is THE ONE!

I am truly blown away by this microphone, and I own serveral modern Neumann mics and also a vintage Telefunken 251 (currently worth more than my car). The TLM 49 shines on just about everything I have tried it on. Full, warm, bottom end with glimmering highs. During A/B tests through my Neve board with the Telefunken and the TLM 49 using all Mogami cabling throughout the signal path, listeners in my studio chose the TLM 49 after I added a little EQ to make them tonally the same. The winner was clearly the TLM for vocals. I cannot praise Neumann enough for this mic. I truly believe this is a modern classic in the making.

This has to be the most awaited mic from Neumann in years. Rich, smooth, and sweet, it sounds like everything I dreamed of when I was hoping for years that Neumann would release a mic like this. The K47 Capsule in a transformerless design. Wow!!!!! You must own this mic. No doubt about it. By the way it also looks gorgeous, and if you own a studio like me, customers will love it.

This is a truly great mic. The clarity is fantastic and it gives a true reading of one"s voice, an acoustic guitar or a piano. I have a home studio and it has improved my vocal quality on the recordings. I also have a TLM-102. That"s anice little mic also.

Been recording over 28 years and been through a KSM, NTK, K2, Mojave MA-200, Peluso 2247 short body and finally arrived at the TLM49. I have to say that this mic is suberb on most vox. Also excels on acoustic guitar from above. I use it through either a Great River 1NV or UA LA-610 preamp and either one (especially the LA610) works great and this mic just shines. It is very sensitive for an up close and breathy "personal" sound but also you can hit it hard and it handles it with aplomb. Give it a listen and take you time if you can. It is not a super bright, hard-edge "sounds great in solo" mic rather, it settles in like a fine wine and puts the vox up front, smoothly in the mix with ease. Just Great!

This is a beautiful-looking, hefty microphone. Yes, absurdly, it comes in a cardboard case, but your Sweetwater sale engineer can tell you how to order a wooden case for it.

The TLM 49 has the response curve I've been looking for in an LDC - shy in the lows, present mids, dip in the "s" region, rising again above that. But, unlike a U87 that you can pretty much shape to your taste, the TLM 49 "is what it is."

This mic has a lower output than my other condenser mics, which might make the noise spec a little better in theory than in practice.

I do wish Neumann would one day decide that output transformers are not the devil. The older designs just sound more "organic" to me.

This mic works great on my (mellower) voice for v/o; but I can also understand why some reviewers call it harsh. It's no M49, but it deserves consideration in its own right.

Tonal wise sounds great on vocals and string instruments very clean and warm must have for your mic collection

Very Cool Mic. I've been borrowing it from a friend.

Definitely has a certain 'sound' to it. Seems to really bring out the upper mids on things. Good present sound. Very quiet of course which is nice. I've used it on both vocals and acoustics...worked great on both but you have to be wanting its pronounced upper mids in the sound you're going for.

Definitely worth buying if you want a great quality quiet mic with a specific flavor.

Nice mic.. Ran it through a Neve 1073 for the crunchy vibe, and then through a Grace for the open sound. Sounded good through both.. Hated it the first day I got it. But with a little eq and experimentation, dialed it in. Clean, not too strong in the low-mid department, but really cuts through..We settled on a Rode K2 tube mic for our main vocal mic on this project though..

The TLM-49 sounds strange to me in the high frequencies, not in a pleasant way. We record a wide range of musical styles from Rock to Reggae to Jazz to Classical Opera.

I had the same problem with the U-87ai, it sounded harsh in the high frequencies compared to other microphones in my kit.

The hype about having a Neumann microphone to impress your customers has not proven to be true for me, the bands we record depend on me to pick the right stuff to record them with.

It was hard parting with my Neumann microphones but I don't need icons, I need the tools that help me get the job done and have the happiest customers.

Old habits die hard, I found I kept going for my old AKG 414 microphones instead of the Neumann so we converted the Neumanns into more 1176 compressors (from Sweetwater of course).

The TLM 49 lift in the higher frequencies is what is burning in my ear drums. Same for the U-87ai.

Neumann is an iconic brand but I don't think the microphones Sennheiser is making under the Neumann brand sound as rich and friendly as older models. Perhaps it's just capsule degradation, I don't know. I have some modern microphones with new capsules that sound rich so I know it's possible.

Wishing everyone all the best, good music to all!

A good sounding mic for non-demanding voice such as any pop voice. THIS mic is highly NOT recommended to record classical instruments or more so, classical singers. THIS mic does not translate a wide range of frequencies in a big classical voice. Metaphorically speaking, Neumann TLM 49 is a castrato mic similar to a male castrate's voice which lacks all frequencies. We have conducted vocal tests using this mic and an Audio-technical 4060a and found that the AT's sound is richer I frequencies! More over, Neumann would not handle a bigger sound pressure and would get hot too soon too fast. I myself personally tested it from the distance of 45 cm and still managed to overdrive it with a lowered gain in a dead sound booth. Because of the castrato presentation this mic makes most female voices sound pretty much the same - sweet and good, but not so much distinct !!! I strongly DO NOT recommend using this mic for big voices with a larger range of 3 octaves. Such voices will never be represented correctly via this route. Transformerless design DOES NOT WORK for accurate representation and translation of wide range frequencies even if anyone claims the opposite.Therefore, our joined verdict is Neumann TLM 49 is 1.) best for pop vocals, it will make them sound even better than in real life; 2.) is a good mic for small range voice; 3) is a not good mic for male voices; 4.) is BAD mic for big range ( 3 octaves) wide frequencies band classical or non classical voices. Do not record Maria Callas or Enrique Caruso into this mic ;-) Opt out for TUBER WITH TRANSFORMERS to preserve the timbre and the fullness. THIS mic is a joke for a serious large voice.

P.S. I am a classically trained musician, Bachelor of Music, graduated in Russia, majors in music composition / theory / history, main instrument piano, undergoing classical voice studies, own a home recording studio. I own 3 mics so far, I own THIS mic as well and I am going to SELL it.

Bought one of these for male tenor vocals. Not a good fit, really. If you've got another use in mind it might be fine. For that it's a bit harsh. As it turns out the AKG C414 is a much better fit, has a smoother sound, lots of patterns to choose from, and is cheaper. I'll trade you mine for a 414.

Harsh sounding treble range with much to be desired in the mid-low registers. Definitely an impressive looking mic. not such an impressive sound...

Professional producer and wanted to like this mic. Got it so clients see the Neumann name. It's incredibly harsh in the upper mid range and only sounds decent on softer vocalists that don't have a big dynamic range. Not much to love about this mic.

I have heard the original M49s, which truly are marvelous! When the TLM149 first came out I was so excited to get one because my hopes were high, especially at that price point. I purchased mine so long ago I can't remember when it was. I WANTED to love it so much. I gave it every chance possible several times on similar sound sources, thinking maybe it was placement, preamp choice, whatever. To my ears, it sounded terrible. I have a $90,000 mic closet and have been recording since 1964 - full time professionally since 1977. This is the worst professional mic I have ever heard. Everything (with one exception) sounded very "Boxy" and "Nasaly" at the same time. A truly unpleasant sound. Maybe i had a "Lemon" (?) I keep seeing gleaming reviews but mine just didn't work. I kept it for 3 months and it looks fabulous. But I would put it up and within seconds have to pull it aside, slipping in another mic which I would have sitting on the sidelines. The one exception where it actually sounded great was NOT in the Studio - but in a Large PA situation where I put it on a really good sounding Yamaha Grand Piano. It was an experiment - and it sounded fantastic! I cannot explain it. It was everything that I wanted from it in the Studio - but did not deliver. Well, it was too big and bulky - and expensive just to keep for Pianos in PA Systems - so I turned it back in, very sad and disappointed, as I truly wanted it to sound amazing - or even good. Oh, well......

I have used many new and vintage Neumann mics as both a singer and an engineer, and sadly this microphone did not perform as well as I had hoped. On vocals it was annoyingly harsh in the upper midrange, even when paired with my Telefunken 72. Even my TLM 103 sounded more pleasing than this mic and it is considerably less expensive. Don't beleive the hype. use your ears,--- and look past the name, and the cool look of this microphone.