An email interview with Karl Winkler of Neumann USA.

... Neumann ... "the Neumann sound" ... that's what people think of when they hear that name. What would you define as "the Neumann sound"?

I think most people associate the "Neumann Sound" with a very clear, present, rich musical sound which has an extended but tight bottom end. There's a certain "sheen" or "polish" to the sound without it being bright. Essentially, it's a very complimentary, musical sound without it being "euphonic".

... You mention Neumann being 70 years old this year. What were some of the major mile stones in those 70 years that effected either the company or the industry?

70 years is quite a while in the audio industry - and in any industry, really. 1928 was really quite a few years before tape recording was refined; and now tape is close to extinction! The analog disc went from it's infancy to 78 to 33 and now has almost completely disappeared under the shadow of the CD. And right around the corner is DVD. Digital audio came onto the scene only 20 years ago - a short time ago in Neumann's history! Neumann was well known for building record cutting lathes. So when the CD came to dominate the industry, our business was radically changed. In 1991, when Sennheiser bought Neumann, all business segments except for microphones were shut down. And this is still all we do today - microphones.

... What can you tell us about the philosophy behind Neumann's products and how new products are developed?

The main driving force behind our microphones is that they are 1) technically state of the art at the time of development; 2) designed to function perfectly for a minimum of 25 years (that's 24 hours a day, 7 days a week); 3) that they should sound musical; and 4) that no electronic equalization be used. These are mics designed as tools for those intending to capture acoustic sound with the best possible fidelity. Careful consideration for low self noise is part of every new mic designed in Berlin. Thus, even new, lower cost mics such as the TLM 103 have state of the art specifications - self noise of 7 dB-A, dynamic range of 131 dB, etc. Mics that Neumann has manufactured in the last 50 years are still in service and are compared very favorably to models produced today.

... I'm sure 70 years ago there wasn't much for off the shelf components. How much of the microphone does Neumann really manufacture in today's world?

Neumann mics are 100% made in Germany. Although some of the wire basket components, various circuit boards, etc, are sometimes made by sub-contractors, the critical components such as capsules and mechanical parts are made all by Neumann.

... Neumann is noted for its great diaphragm designs and process in which they have been made. What can you tell us about the design or manufacturing of these diaphragms that really make them different from the rest?

The main thing is ultra precision and consistency. And of course with a healthy dose of excellent QC processes. The capsule design is certainly what Neumann is famous for. The factory today incorporates a unique combination of mechanization and human construction techniques. For instance, the backplates for the capsules are milled and turned by CNC machines which have been precisely programmed. But then these backplates are measured by hand. The diaphragms are still hand-tensioned and the final capsules are hand tested for a variety of parameters.

... Is the diaphragm the single most responsible component for that famous Neumann sound or is it the whole package?

The whole package is responsible for the "Neumann Sound". There have been many cases, and quite a few lately, where competitors have copied our capsules. And while the frequency balance and some parts of the sound may be similar to those found in a Neumann mic, the differences are clear. These differences are especially noticeable over time in a variety of session use. Along with the capsule, the basket or "grille" plays a large role in how a mic sounds. These two components together make up how the mic responds acoustically. Then the circuit design, choice of components, and body materials make up the remainder of the sound.

... What was the first Neumann mic to really put the company on the map?

The CMV3 was Neumann's first commercial condenser microphone and was accepted quite rapidly as the state of the art in microphone design during the 1930's. Many famous broadcasts, including those leading to and during World War II were made with the CMV3. The U 47, however, was the mic that completely displaced the ribbon microphone. Introduced in 1949, the U 47 swept the world of recording within a few years and became the standard for several decades. These mics, of course, are still sought after today for their sound quality.

... What was it about that mic that made it so acceptable to the industry?

The condenser mics such as the U 47 offered much greater fidelity than anything else of the day. The U 47 had a high output level, therefore helping to reduce noise in the recording process. And with a wide frequency and dynamic range, anything from a solo voice to a symphony could be captured with unprecedented fidelity.

... The U47 and U87 are probably the most noted Neumann mics of the industry. Could you share any background on these industry icons and maybe what they did for Neumann as a company?

The U 47, as mentioned above, really put the Neumann name into the minds of all those involved in the music recording process. It's position has been difficult to shake, even though none have been manufactured for almost 40 years! The U 87 had a bit of a slow start after it's introduction in 1967. But by the mid 1970s, it had become "the" mic for professional studio recording. This is a position that the U 87 still holds today. These two mics, together with the U 67, established a benchmark of microphone performance, longevity, sound and aesthetics.

... The TLM series. Was the TLM 170 the first transformerless mic?

Yes. Introduced in 1983, just as digital recording was starting to come into it's own. Every mic developed since the TLM 170 has been transformerless.

... The 170 also has remote pattern control. Was this a part of the original design or an update due to the use of the 170?

No, the remote pattern control for the TLM 170 was added to the design of this microphone in 1993. The TLM 170 R is still the only mic which can be remotely controlled for polar pattern via standard 3-pin XLR cables (and an optional power supply).

... I've heard people say that the 193 is a budget knock off of a TLM170. Is that true?

Well, yes and no. The TLM 170, TLM 193 and U 89 all use the same capsule, the K 89. The TLM 193 was developed with the emerging project studios in mind. At about 1/2 the price of the U 87, this mic was a revelation for Neumann and sold quite well as a result. And like the TLM 170, the TLM 193 is entirely transformerless. But a "budget" microphone it is not. One of the uses which the TLM 193 has become known for is classical music recording. With a 10 dB-A self noise floor and dynamic range of 130 dB, the TLM 193 is a serious performer.

... The KM series has sure done well for Neumann. Was the 100 KM line really an update to the older 84?

Yes, it was. As Neumann transitioned into the transformerless era, gradually most older mics were replaced with newer designs. There was also a large calling for Neumann to produce small microphones which had a touch more "brilliance" than the older KM 84. So the KM 100 series, namely the KM 140, is essentially an updated KM 84 with transformerless electronics and a slightly re-tuned capsule. Because the KM 100 series capsule are "active" (the impedance conversion happens right at the capsule), there is a much wider range of accessories available than there was for the KM 80 series. The capsules in the KM 100 series can be connected to the bodies with up to 1000 feet of cable with no signal losses!

... How much of the KM184 is really a KM140?

The capsules of the two mics are exactly the same, except for the "active" construction mentioned above. The electronics are based on the same design but are physically laid out differently. I've heard some engineers say that the two mics sound different but I've also heard others say that they sound identical. They certainly measure the same.

... Neumann has two new hot mics on the market, the M149 and TLM 103. How do these new mics differ from some of the older mics Neumann has released. Can you compare a few for us?

The M 149 Tube uses the K 49 capsule made famous by the M 49 in the 1960s. The two mics have the same basket shape and size. But that's where the similarities between the two end. The basket for the M 149 Tube is much more acoustically open, increasing the detail and transient response. The M 149 utilizes transformerless circuitry, and has extremely low self noise and high output level. It's a modern mic in every respect except that it uses a tube. When compared to our older tube mics, the M 149 is cleaner, quieter, transmits more detail, and has a tighter low end. But of course some prefer the sound of the older mics.

The TLM 103 has an entirely new capsule, the K103, which was designed to provide a similar response to the K67 used in the U 87. Like all our mics since 1983, the TLM 103 is transformerless and exhibits the associated low noise, great dynamic range, extended and controlled low end and clean sound. If you're familiar with the sound of the U 87, you'd say that the TLM 103 is quite close. Of course in a direct A-B comparison, you'd hear the differences. The TLM 103 sounds a bit cleaner, has a slightly different low end and proximity effect, and is quite noticeably quieter.

... The KMS vocal mics have done real well in the live market. Are there any plans for more live style mics?

At the moment, we're examining the marketplace for the possibility of creating more microphones for the sound reinforcement applications. I'd be interested to hear from your readers if they have any comments or suggestions in this area.

... Has Neumann ever made a dynamic mic?

No, just condenser mics. And only DC-polarized condenser mics at that.

... Can you tell us about any plans for mics we might see in the future?

We're introducing a new tube microphone at the AES convention. The M 147 Tube is a single (cardioid) tube mic with the K47 capsule from the U 47 and U 47 FET microphones. It has a self noise of 12 dB-A and of course that famous "Neumann Sound"!

Further in the future I think you'll see some very innovative products from Neumann, most notably in the digital microphone area. Today, there are no true digital mics - only those which convert an analog signal to a digital format at the microphone. At some point, this last step will be removed and the acoustic transduction will go directly to digital. The conversion processes must be improved from where they are today as well. A good quality microphone can still outshine any digital media. If you've ever heard the comparison between a good live mic feed and the subsequent trip through the A/D -D/A process, you know what I mean.

... Okay, I have to ask. The dummy head. What's the deal? Actually, I've been told that it can produce very favorable results. Care to comment?

The KU 100 Dummy head is quite remarkable, actually. We bring it to trade shows and hook it up with a pair of good Sennheiser headphones. It's a great conversation piece! But actually there have been some recent recordings done with the KU 100 both as a main mic and as the pickup for surround information. Telarc Records has been using the Neumann dummy head for this purpose for several years.

... Neumann has a great web site. Can you tell our readers about some of the highlights at the Neumann site?

I'm particularly proud of our web site for a number of reasons. First, it's been on-line since the first part of 1996, which is quite long when compared with most other pro audio manufacturers. The key to our site is content. Information about our microphones is available in detail at http://www.neumannusa.com/product.htm. Our spec sheets can be downloaded in PDF format at http://www.neumannusa.com/download.htm

We update the site usually about twice a month. I'd like it to be more often, but we put actually useful information on the site and that takes time. My favorite area is the "Applications Notes" pages. These are real stories, written by various artists, engineers, producers, studio owners, personalities, etc, about how they really use our mics. Very useful information can be found in these articles at http://www.neumannusa.com/applic.htm

We plan further renovations on the site in the future. I'm hoping to have a graphic redesign this Fall. I've also got several functional features in mind for updates in the future. I'd love to hear from your readers as to how we can make the site more interesting and useful.

... In closing, I want to thank you for getting involved with the TSC Audio Insider. If readers have any questions or comments regarding Neumann who should they talk to?

The can call us at 860-434-5220. If they want to talk applications, they can ask for me. To check stock on an item or ask about a dealer in their area, the should ask for Janice, Kerry, Karen or Keli. For help with servicing their Neumann mic, they should ask for Tom.

Best regards,

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