Ne*m@nn T L M 103 pix

[tommypiper]

Anyone who's unhappy with their 103 can send it to me! I've borrowed a friend's several times, and I like it like it like it. Great on leslie top and small gtr amps. Very hot signal, yet can withstand high spl. I've used it with a good tube pre and it's lovely, nice character, fairly true. Even at the top of a leslie it catches lots more bass than others. Sounds better than any Chinese mic I've heard. I do agree it's overpriced.

cheers,t

 

[Gus]

replaced the two 47uf 50V electros. Measurements on a sencore lc102. The ceramic PCB is a pain to work on. The board coating is on the solder joints of the electros makeing it kind of hard to remove and replace. Don't think I am going to change the small caps that look like ceramic


caps from 103

43.5uf,4%DA, 0.54 ohms ESR
43.7uf,4%DA, 0.58 ohms ESR

I don't know the company marking on them

The caps that will go in one reading

Pan 47uf 50V HF
44.2uf, 2%DA, 0.21 ohms ESR

FWIW almost all new electros(last 10 years or so) I have measured are always on the low side of the uf rating.

 

[Gus]

I just tried the tlm103 with the panasonic HFs.

No noticable change I guess the other caps might have something to do with the sound. The way this phantom powered microphone uses the caps they are always formed that might explain the lack of change. The HFs were sitting for some time so I did form them on a lc102 first before installing them

Short of installing a new circuit I don't think there is any easy mod to this microphone because of the SMD caps and comformal coating on the ceramic PCB.

 

[Flatpicker]

[quote author="Gus"]...Short of installing a new circuit I don't think there is any easy mod to this microphone because of the SMD caps and comformal coating on the ceramic PCB.[/quote]Do you have access to a smd "tweezer" iron? If so, you could pop out the "important" ceramics and tack in a decent 'styrene and some small MFs. The comformal coating should just melt off the solder.

 

[Gus]

Olaf

The 103 capsule is not 1/2 of u87 capsule like you sometimes read on the web. It sounds diffferent than a K87/67 capsule in cardiod.

Yes I could drop in a new circuit. I don't think the circuit is bad in the 103 I think it has a few not so good caps. I think I am hearing ceramics in one or two spots that I don't like them.

FWIW my ears seem to hear ceramics in microphones as added crap to cymbals and a edge to some higher notes

 

[volki]

until not so long ago i always thought that ceramics would no longer get any use in halfway decent audio circuits, since everone was (rightfully, obviously) slagging on them because of their high DA ... but i must have mistaken?!?

 

[dale116dot7]

Sure, you can use ceramics in audio. Those pesky 22pF compensation capacitors used to get amplifiers stable at frequencies way above audio. I don't know if anyone else can hear them but I can't. Another place that ceramics belong in audio gear is for filtering and decoupling the power supply used for DSP's, and also those 22pF capacitors hung on the ends of a quartz crystal to make it oscillate at the right speed... :grin:

 

[rafafredd]

I´ve heard ceramics works better as PSU-Electrolytics-bypass than films, but I never tried to AB it myself. I usually go for films...

 

[Gus]

I have a Linear Technology App book from 1990. App note 13 has very good info about bypass caps. IT is High Speed Comparator Techniques April 1985 By Jim Williams.

Maybe we can find this at the site or ask premission to scan a page or two.


Like Dale posted ceramics can be use in some places.

They don't sound good at the capsule to gate or grid spot to my ears. IMO to much voltage difference cause stress on the ceramic lattice.

 

[volki]

i should have chosen my words more accurately. of course i was referring to the signal path and audio frequencies ;-)

 

[dale116dot7]

Technically, those little stabilizing caps are part of the signal path, and also, audio frequencies are put across those caps... and it's the same with the power supply decoupling capacitors too... audio currents are running through those caps, and unless the op-amps have an infinite power supply rejection ratio, they are also part of the audio path, though only at a level of something like -60dB or so even at the high audio frequencies.

 

[John Willett]

Interesting thread (which was bought to my attention in another forum) - but I just had to comment on this.

The capsule picture at the start of this thread is a perfect capsule with nothing wrong with it.

The gold circle may be slightly off-centre, but this does not matter one iota.

All Neumann capsules are hand-made in a clean room and that capsule had certainly passed QC with no problems at all.

The diaphragm is perfectly circular, the connecting post is in the centre and the gold circle is covering the area it should.

The gold circle being very slightly off-centre does not affect the sound at all and small differences are to be expected with hand-made capsules.

The microphone, when finished goes through tight quality control in an anechoic chamber and is not released for sale unless it passes. The tolerance is so tight that you can take random samples and use them as a stereo pair.

It's only visual, it does not affect the sound - so why make a fuss?

 

[Gus]

John Willett posted "It's only visual"

True the capsule cap value will be the same as a centered one.

The thing is the 103 costs more than some cardiod only microphones a lot and people associate looks with value.

The PCB has what looks to laser trimmed resistors a good coating an interesting circuit design etc and

Off centered makes me think, did they rush building this?

IMO Neumann still makes some of the best capsules in the world.

 

[Rossi]

[quote author="Gus"]IMO Neumann still makes some of the best capsules in the world.[/quote]

I think so, too. People will always say the old stuff is better than the new models. That happens with any manufacturer. I always try to imagine what people would have said if the mics were released in reverse order. Maybe something like: "The new U87 sounds kind of flat and muddy in comparison to the old TLM103. The TLM is much more "open." Also, the noise, while acceptable, is noticeably higher on the U87."

Gus, have you traced the TLM103 circuit? Would you share your drawing?

 

[Guest]

bimey some heavy hitters are looking at this..

Mr Willett (who joined today is I believe the tech manager for Sennheiser UK) and it looks like Mr Schneider from Neumann has joined today as well...

 

[Gabriel Sousa]

hello,

why my tlm103 diafrag is so thin ? its good ou its bad.

thanks a lot

:shock:

 

[chriss]

How does it sound, Gabriel? Good or bad?

:wink:

 

[John Willett]

[quote author="Gabriel Sousa"]why my tlm103 diafrag is so thin ? its good ou its bad.[/quote]

Neither - it passed QC and if it sounds OK it's fine.

If the gold is slightly thinner, the diaphragm will be lighter and the mic. will be more accurate :wink:

Oh - and if you are taking the mic. apart, make sure that it is re-assembled properly. The metal pop shield is part of a Faraday Cage that protects the mic. from RF interference. If you don't put it back properly you could get RF problems.

 

[gyraf]

Nice to have you onboard, John..!

Cheers,

Jakob E.

 

[Gabriel Sousa]

[quote author="chriss"]How does it sound, Gabriel? Good or bad?

:wink:[/quote]
i have the mic for 3 years.

on first year i liked the sound

know after 3 years i dont like the sound.

i had used to mike a guitar amp, very close, had i broke the mic ?

thanks a lot