Neumann TLM 103 VS Rode NT2-A in Foley Recording
Hey! It's Yuri from Foley First.
Well. For years, I've noticed a lot of mentions of Rode microphones on social media and in forum threads. People are using them in small Foley studios or considering buying them. The Rode microphones, particularly the NT2-A, seem quite popular among aspiring Foley Artists due to their affordable price and good specifications.
But I've never had the opportunity to work with the NT2-A or any other Rode microphone. So I became curious to know if it can serve as a good budget option compared to the workhorse Neumann TLM 103, which I believe is one of the best microphones in the business for the price.
So, I bought a brand new Rode NT2A and picked up our used Neumann TLM 103 to compare the two directly. Both of these microphones are large diaphragm condenser (LDC) mics and are known for their low self-noise according to the specifications. I aim to show you whether the price disparity corresponds to a noticeable difference in sound quality, particularly for Foley recording. Currently, the Rode NT2-A is priced at $400 at Sweetwater, while the Neumann TLM 103 is priced at $1,200, making it three times more expensive.
I posted video content below to facilitate quick comparisons. At the bottom of the article, I also shared a Google Drive link to the original 48/24 PCM audio files so that you can listen to the differences in detail in your studio environment or with headphones.
Technical Specifications
I won't delve into the specifics of each microphone, but it's important to note that the Rode microphone clearly outperforms the TLM in terms of value for money due to its multiple patterns (Cardioid, Figure 8, and Omnidirectional), high-pass filter, and three-position pad, while the TLM 103 microphone only has a fixed cardioid pattern. Additionally, both microphones have identical self-noise levels of 7dBA.
I want to emphasize that the Rode being tested is brand new, while the TLM has been used for over two years, which may affect its sound. But before the comparison test, I opened the TLM 103 and confirmed that the capsule was still clean, even after such a long period of use in one of our Foley rooms.
Audio Gear
For the preamp, I used the super quiet 2-channel Millennia HV-3C. The gain level will vary from prop to prop but stay pretty high to allow the mics to shine.
Usually, we heavily use EQ, both overall and for individual Foley groups or props. But this time, I'll reset all Elysia EQ settings, except for the software lowcut filter at 40Hz on the DAW input.
The audio signal chain does not include a compressor or shaper, and at the DAW input, we do not use denoisers, EQ (except for the 40Hz low-cut filter), or any other plug-in processing. Both microphone signals go to the Millennia preamp, then to the Elysia Xfilter, and finally to the Antelope Audio interface for AD conversion. This ensures that the recorded signal from both microphones is untouched as possible. The settings on the Elysia Xfilter are reset to zero, and I only applied a low shelf at 100Hz in one case where this range is unnecessary. You will find a description in the video below.
Stuff for comparison
I want to focus on recording props. Based on my experience, LDC microphones are not ideal for recording footsteps, so I didn't include tests of this Foley group. However, I didn't hesitate to record some sounds of clothes. Instead of using large props in the tests, which are more commonly used in big movies, I chose to demonstrate how both microphones work on ordinary, everyday small to mid-sized things.
Let's begin!
Tests
PCM Audio Files
Below is a link to a Google Drive folder to access an archive containing 48/24 stereo audio files:
Conclusion
I initially planned to record the room tone to compare the noise levels of both microphones. However, it turns out that both mics have almost identical noise levels at the same preamp gain, and they are extremely quiet! So, I skipped this step. It's important to note that at the same preamp gain, the Rode microphone feels less sensitive, and you need to boost some clip gain to match the useful signal with the Neumann microphone, which will increase noise levels. I didn't align them by sound pressure, but you can use the wav files to do so.
I would love to hear your opinion about the sound difference in the comments section.
Please let me know what you think.
Hope it helps!
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Thanks for reading!
