Neumann TLM 102 for steel

[Brett Lanier]

I just tracked an album using this mic on my cab and I have to say it sounded really good! A single condenser on a speaker is not what I would normally go for or recommend but I really respect the ears of the guy I was working with and the music was more in the jazz realm so I just went with it.

It really picked up everything. Listening to the playback, notes that I thought had died off didn't... Has anyone else tried this mic? It really worked well with the softer music we were playing.

[Bob Hoffnar]

I just tracked an album using this mic on my cab and I have to say it sounded really good! A single condenser on a speaker is not what I would normally go for or recommend ......

In my experience a single condenser on a cab is what I almost always end up doing in studios in NYC and Austin.
(although lately I've been into the Royer 121 ribbon)

My favorite large diaphragm Neumann mic for steel is the 47fet. Lawson makes an affordable version that I bring to sessions in case they have a shallow mic locker. If they have a deep locker I can use it to A/B with mics I want to learn about.


You really can't go wrong with Neumann stuff as far as I can tell. Even a single small condenser 184 sounds great on a steel amp.

[Brett Lanier]

Interesting, Bob. Guess I'm just accustomed to using a dynamic mic, or dynamic/ribbon combination.

He put a KM84 on my amp for a recorded rehearsal once, but ended up using both of those as drum overheads this time.

I'm going to check out that Lawson mic you mentioned.