Voiceover Mics - TLM103 vs MKH416 vs AT2035
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- Which microphone sounds best? Is there a difference? Grab your headphones!
The Neumann TLM103 is a voiceover industry standard - for Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphones, possibly only the Neumann U87 is more used in studio voiceover recording.
The Sennheiser MKH416 is also a voiceover industry standard - a Short Shotgun RF Condenser Microphone, it has a different (but similar) sound to the TLM103.
The Audio Technica AT2035 is also a Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone, in the same style as the TLM103, but costs almost 80% less.
This is a comparison of all three microphones on an authoritative, reassuring male voice commercial voiceover copy.
Mic A Raw: 3:13
Mic B Raw: 3:29
Mic C Raw: 3:44
Mic A Normalized: 3:58
Mic B Normalized: 4:13
Mic C Normalized: 4:27
Mic A w/Vocal Chain: 4:42
Mic B w/Vocal Chain: 4:57
Mic C w/Vocal Chain: 5:12
Microphone Reveal: 5:35
A Fresh Direct truck was idling DIRECTLY outside during this recording… decided to record anyway, since noise floor can also be different mic-to-mic.
Hi-Resolution Audio Version:
nick.actor/TLM...
Raw recordings made on a Zoom H6 recorder, gain set to 6 for all mics, 48khz 24bit mono.
Adobe Audition used to Normalize to -3dB for comparison.
Audio Chain used for comparison:
• Parametric EQ
• DeEsser (iZotope RX7)
• Compressor
I am surprised Neuman's bass is so boosted. Too much for me. Maybe it should be placed further back than the other two. I wasn't familiar with the Sennheiser's sound so I wasn't sure how to place it against the other two or if it might have been the Neuman, not knowing what it sounds like. However the bright top end of C eliminated it as a Neuman, and I did know the AT 235 has a pretty bright sound, which is why I chose it for myself. That makes sense and I can hear the differences easily. I think the Sen has a nice balance. I just need to attenuate the top end in my recordings if it bothers me, but HAVING a top end is to me, better than trying to milk it out of a mic that doesn't even present it to the rest of the chain.
Yeah, the TLM103 has a more pronounced proximity effect than the 2035. It also does have a ton of top-end… probably more than the 2035, but you don't notice it as much since the proximity boosts the low. Pretty easy to drop a slight cut on those low frequencies if needed, but it is harder/messier to boost them. All three mics are excellent and take EQ well to get where you want to go.
I don’t understand how people are hearing the 2035 as good. I assumed C was the 2035 because it jumped out immediately as “cheap” sounding. Low resolution, grainy, boxy/muffled and disguisting distortion on sibilance… even through RUclips’s compression. I don’t really like TLM 103s(too bright) but they at least sound like they capture sound well.
PS. Thanks for the comparison👍🏻
Glad it helps! I think it's safe to say many people are using many different speaker/headphone setups to listen… so judgements in comparison vary, due the the limitations (or strengths) or certain combinations. Sounds one way on AirPods, another on MDR-7506's!
Normalized
A: 3:58
B: 4:13
C: 4:28
Vocal Chain:
A. 4:42
B. 4:57
C. 5:12
I would love to listen to an AGK414 XLII added to this mics comparison
@@neblinamorado When I started, I considered the AKG C414 XLII for a bit-it's a great-sounding mic and versatile (especially considering the different polar patterns). However, I ultimately decided against it because, in all my time going into studios to audition and record, I'd never seen an engineer use it. When auditioning for projects, you often have to state your home setup mic and preamp, and MANY TIMES, the spec says "U87, TLM103, or MKH416 preferred". I did audition the C414 XLII at B&H in their mic room, and it sounds great. If I were recording independently without working with engineers, it would definitely have stayed in the mix.
such an amazing comparison...
exactly what i was looking for. I think changing the effect chain, you can make AT2035 sound like other two easily.
Glad it helped! Yes, with EQ adjustments, the AT2035 can sound remarkably similar to either. Maybe I should do a video on that?
@@nickcoleman5475 sure... but please do with some close range comparison, which inclusive of some basy kind of voiceover.
Great comparison. Love your voice and delivery too.
Thanks Bill!
You can tell the difference (with good monitor headphones). The AT sounds a bit more synthetic than the other two but it's really not that far off considering the price difference! Thank you!
Right? For most uses, it's definitely a good mic!
Thanks for the great comparison. 103 and 416 both sound fuller and more crisp at the top, while the 2035 sounds quite thin by comparison. But that's just it... especially after the vocal chain was applied, if I didn't hear the other two first, I'd think the 2035 recording sounded great.
Great voice in, great voice out!
Surprising, right? With good acoustics and chain, these mics can do a LOT.
I have a TLM 103, and just as a sanity check I watched this video the fact that A and B where spot on and C was no where near eased my money sink doubt, still though for a 10th of the price that 2035 is decent. Now I want a 416.
Glad it helped! It seems SO EXPENSIVE to invest in a 103 or 416 - but there are a few things that make it feel better. A) There really is a significant difference in clarity in a good microphone, and you can hear it in well-treated spaces, B) Handled well, they literally last a lifetime (so it's a great long-term investment), C) Every professional studio I've ever recorded in has put me on either a TLM103, a U87 (which has the same capsule), or a 416… so no one will ever complain about your mic.
BUT… it really makes a difference to have a treated space. Great mics have the clarity to really pick up all the tiny sounds in a space. So if you're struggling at all with good sound out of the 103, the space treatment is the thing to check.
Before I got the MKH416 and TLM103, I thought they're both have comparable quality. But after I bought both the MKH416 and TLM 103. The TLM 103 is just so much better for In door use. I would never use the MKH416 over the TLM103 for indoor.
It all comes down to what you want to hear. They are both great mics, with great sounds, and different characteristics. Understanding those characteristics lets you decide where and how you use them - the 416 is probably the most commonly used mic in commercial voiceover (for a variety of reasons). The 103 is also a very commonly used mic, but not quite as much as the 416 (although it is definitely used more in vocals for music). The truth about mics? Different people prefer different things, and there's no "right" way to do it. Quality mics are just options. Thanks for checking out the video!
Wow... that actually surprised me. I liked the first and last mic the best, and was even thinking that the last one was the best. I was convinced the 2nd mic would be the at2035 just bc of the price difference but wow it sounds incredible to me! Nice comparison. My father who owns a studio has the tlm103 and the at2035 so I’ve had the pleasure of trying those two myself, and personally I like the tlm103 the best but the at2035 is a damn good mic for the price
Thanks! Yes, the AT2035 sounds REALLY good in a treated space. The frequency response is very similar to the 103, but the 103 has a presence boost around 5k that the 2035 does not have… can be a good thing for darker voices (like mine) but maybe NOT so good for brighter or more sibilant voices.
Thanks. The capsule of the MKH416 is a lot more back in the tube. So the mics are not aligned the same way.
Very true. However, this is the standard placement for voiceover use, so it's an accurate comparison.
zoom h6 makes all mics fantastic
It's got a great set of pre-amps, despite being a portable unit. Works great!
@@nickcoleman5475 i have zoom h6 and rode nt1 mic but i am super surprised when i listen to a mic as neuman works great on zoom h6 very good job thank you
A mic name? B mic name? C mic Name?
Hi Armador - the Mic names are revealed at the end of the video: 5:36
@@nickcoleman5475 thank you man
Why I always watch a video before I comment. LOL
@@nickcoleman5475 you should have said finish the video
@@powersliding Next time, I will!