Neumann TLM 102 Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone

The TLM 102 brings Neumann quality to even the smallest studio. Like its more expensive siblings, the TLM 102 combines technical excellence with a beautifully balanced sound for silky vocals, crisp guitars and powerful drums. With its cardioid pattern and an integrated pop screen the TLM 102 is a joy to use, even for novices.

Its finely tuned sound signature especially accents the area of 8 to 12 kilohertz which is crucial for human voices. The recordings get a silky elegance which is typical for large diaphragm microphones; the voice gets a noble presence in the overall mix. Suddenly, there’s a natural, organic separation between your vocal and your acoustic guitar, for example. Nevertheless, the TLM 102 remains easy to handle and deals masterfully with critical consonants or sibilants: It has an integrated pop shield.

The TLM 102 also processes extreme volume and jumps in dynamics without distortion. That makes it an excellent choice for miking loud amps and drums. It reproduces sound pressure levels of up to 144 dB (e.g. very loud trumpet at a distance of 10 cm) with great clarity: open, detailed, with powerful bass and refined treble.

The TLM 102 stands for legendary sound at an unheard of price. Neumann remodeled the production and omitted rarely used functions (such as pattern, pad, and low cut switches).

Applications Include:

• Vocal recordings in your home studio
• Miscellaneous instrumental recordings, even with loud signal sources, such as amps, drums and wind instruments
• Singer/Songwriter: great separation between acoustic guitar and vocal
• Easy to position, even in tight spaces

Neumann's TLM series works with a transformerless output stage. This means: a clean and direct sound, very “close” to the acoustic source, and a powerful bass transmission all the way down to the lowest frequencies. Its transformerless output stage also makes the microphone resistant to electromagnetic fields and minimizes transmission losses.

Neumann TLM 102 Features

• Compact microphone with genuine Neumann large diaphragm capsule
• Uniform cardioid pattern
• Transformerless circuitry for high SPLs without distortion
• Very low self-noise
• Gentle treble lift for silky highs
• Integrated pop screen

• TLM 102 Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone1

• Transducer TypeCondenser
• Polar PatternCardioid
• Frequency Range20 Hz - 20 kHz
• Rated Output Impedance50 ohms
• Sensitivity at 1 kHz into 1 kohm11 mV/Pa
• Equivalent noise level, CCIR1)21 dB
• Equivalent noise level, A-weighted1)12 dB-A
• Signal-to-noise ratio, CCIR1) (rel. 94 dB SPL)73 dB
• Signal-to-noise ratio, A-weighted1) (rel. 94 dB SPL)82 dB
• Maximum SPL for THD 0.5%2)144 dB
• Maximum output voltage13 dBu
• Supply voltage (P48, IEC 61938)48 V ± 4 V
• Current consumption (P48, IEC 61938)3.5 mA
• Matching connectorXLR3F
• Weightapprox. 210 g
• Diameter52 mm
• Length116 mm
• Notes
  • 1) According to IEC 60268-1; CCIR-weighting acccording to CCIR 468-3, quasi peak; A-weighting according to IEC 61672-1, RMS
  • 2) Measured as equivalent el. input signal