Neumann TLM-102 or Sennheiser MK416 for voice over???

N

Nicholas Natteau

Veteran
I have to do some voice over work for a documentary film, and I'm about to pull the trigger to buy one of two microphones, but I'm not sure which one to get for voice over work:

• Neumann TLM-102

or

• Sennheiser MK416 P48


Can anyone advise as to which would work better for voice over???
 
Most of the time, I prefer the sound of a 416, especially if there's no sweetening that will be happening later. I might be convinced otherwise for some male voices on a case-by-case basis.

Since you're probably also likely making films in the field, the 416 seems like a logical choice, no?
 
This is one of those personal preference things. I prefer a large diaphragm studio condenser for VO work in the studio. I have seen people use the 416, but that's usually for ADR where they are trying to match a production track...but that's not to say nobody has used it for straight up VO work. I prefer the warmer sound of a large diaphragm, and the 416 is a little crisp for indoor work to my ear...but again..that's just me. There is no right answer, and it will also depend on your room. You should rent both and try them in your room.
 
I use the 416 a lot on commercials and trailers, but would likely pick the 102 for narration. Again, a lot depends on the voice and the room.
 
Thank you very much everybody, for the feedback.

David, I forgot to mention in my initial post that this would be for exclusively narrative work. And my personal preference is for warmer sound when it comes to narration, so it sounds like the TLM 102 would be the better choice.

My room isn't a professional home studio but in fact a small walk in closet, and I would be connecting the TLM102 directly to my H4N Zoom.
 
When I needed to do some quick 'n' dirty voice over for some screen recordings, I snagged an MKH50 out of one of my location audio kits and ran it through a Steinberg GI-1 so I could plug everything into the usb port of a laptop. Seems to work just fine in my basement office without needing to wrap a studio around anything.
 
This may sound like heresy, but before you buy, try the new Rode NT1 - IMHO it blows both out of the water.
 
From what you described, I would go for the TLM 102 (though, personally, I would use the Gefell M930).

The MKH 416 is also a great mic., though I would use this for voice replacement where the original had also been recorded with a 416.
 
Nicholas Natteau said:
Can anyone advise as to which would work better for voice over???
Click to expand...

Probably not -- it's your voice, and your ears. You are the only one who can decide if a given mic works with your voice and the rest of your electronics to give you what you want.

That said, a surprising amount of voice work has been done with 416s. I'm thinking it has something to do with how controllable it is, especially the nice long slope of its proximity effect. Some of the "Voice of God" movie trailer work has been done with 416s. Someone who knows how to use it can probably get pretty good results from it for many kinds of voice work.

I'm not a big fan of large diaphragm condensers. Small diaphragms do better at higher frequencies (smoother response curve with less artifacts). And you can do all kinds of things to voice digitally in post today that you could not (easily) do when large diaphragms were the rage decades ago, including things like adding "warmth" and "presence". I'm just sayin' that you don't have to search for just the right mic that fits your voice like a glove anymore. Of course, you can if you want to... :grin:
 
The LD mic would be the logical choice, however some 'big name' VO artists use the 416.. of course these folks are pros who know how to work the mic and use their voice. So as Dave and Bruce stated, it's a preference issue. A single mic won't sound good on everyone and an untalented/inexperience speaker won't sound very good on anything.
I would recommend a better preamp for VOs.. (or anything for that matter)
 
As an example… I routinely do work for a studio which uses an EV RE-27N/D, and I can not stand the way my voice sounds on it, as I can hear bad sibilance with my voice on that mic.
 
Here's an example of a 416 used for female narration work. 416---->mogami cables---->mix pre-d---->H4N. The 416 was used in a vocal booth Pro, with the talents back up against a corner.

Two verses and then repeated with EQ applied:

416 Test
 
Hi David,

When you say less than optimal, can you elaborate on that? What didn't you like about the H4N preamps? Was there noise or static or was it something else?
 
The Zoom Microphone preamps are of low quality and can introduce noise. There is also an issue with the phantom power introducing noise when engaged. Especially when only one input is used.

I have a feeling that most folks probably don't even notice any of this, and don't see it as an issue.
 
Thanks for replying David. Funny you should mention that as I did notice some noise. I just couldn't be sure what it was. So it's the H4N preamps then. Good to know.

What would be a good preamp device for the TLM102 or Sennheiser 416 then? Thank you in advance.
 
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