Many engineers, these days, long for the smooth sound of classic tube microphones of the 1950s. Unfortunately, vintage originals come at staggering prices and are often in need of maintenance. But for those who want a recording tool rather than a collector’s item, Neumann has developed an elegant solution: The TLM 49 combines the sonic excellence of Neumann’s legendary U 47 and M 49 microphones with the convenience and high reliability of a modern phantom powered microphone. Its looks are classic, too!
As the model number implies, the TLM 49 is inspired by its famous precursor, the legendary Neumann M 49, a microphone associated with countless jazz and pop recordings of the 1950s and 60s. The TLM 49 shares the same large, acoustically open headgrille and the same large diaphragm condenser capsule design. This classic K 47 capsule, renowned for its unsurpassed sonic elegance, was also used in the Neumann U 47, the vocal mic of choice for Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, and scores of famous artists up to the present day.
The main difference between the TLM 49 and its famous predecessors lies in its electronic circuit. Instead of electron tubes, the TLM 49’s head amplifier uses reliable transformerless solid state technology – yet with a special sound design that closely reproduces the sonics of tube circuits. For instance, the TLM 49 intentionally produces soft saturation at higher sound pressure levels, resulting in a seemingly low max SPL figure of 110 dB for 0.5% THD, rising slowly to 5% at 129 dB SPL. The TLM 49 thus captures the sound and dynamic behavior of its legendary precursors without the inconvenience of an external PSU or expensive tube replacements, yet with a substantially improved self-noise figure of only 12 dB-A.
Features:
- Directivity: Cardioid
- Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz
- Pressure gradient transducer
- Sensitivity at 1 kHz, 1 kOhm load: 13 mV / Pa
- Nominal output impedance: 50 Ohms
- Recommended load impedance: 1000 Ohms
- Noise level at the input, according to CCIR: 23 dB
- Input noise level, weighted: 12 dB (A)
- Signal / Noise Ratio, CCIR (ref. 94 dB SPL): 71 dB
- Signal / noise ratio, A1 weighted) (ref. 94 dB SPL): 82 dB
- Maximum SPL level, for THD = 0.5%: 110 dB
- Maximum SPL level, for THD <5%: 129 dB
- Maximum output voltage, for THD <5%: -1 dBu
- Phantom power supply voltage (P48, IEC 61938): 48 V ± 4 V
- Current consumption (P48, IEC 61938): 3.2 mA
- Output connector: XLR 3M
- Dimensions: 165 x 78 mm
- Weight: 825 g
Brand reference number:
008550
en 
Verified
