Neumann TLM 170 R Multipattern Condenser Microphone Bundle

The Neumann TLM 170 R is a large-diaphragm condenser microphone designed around a transformerless circuit topology — the circuit path between the capsule and the XLR output contains no output transformer, which has direct implications for how the microphone sounds and performs under demanding conditions. The absence of a transformer eliminates the saturation, coloration, and low-frequency roll-off associated with transformer-coupled designs, yielding a signal that is genuinely neutral from the capsule forward. Pair that circuit with five switchable polar patterns — omnidirectional, cardioid, wide-angle cardioid, hypercardioid, and figure-8 — and you have a microphone that can cover solo vocal tracking, room miking, M-S stereo recording, and ensemble pickup without moving the stand. Three selectable highpass filter positions manage proximity effect and LF room issues at the source, and three pad settings extend the SPL handling range for loud acoustic sources without compromising the noise floor on quiet ones.

In practice, the TLM 170 R is a tracking room workhorse — the kind of microphone that gets reached for first when the character decision hasn't been made yet, because its neutrality means it doesn't impose a sound. Vocals sit naturally in a mix without excessive sibilance or boxiness; acoustic instruments reproduce with accurate transient response and natural decay. The slight presence boost the product documentation references is subtle — a gentle lift in the upper midrange that helps intelligibility and air without the harshness of cheap condenser curves. The bundle includes AKG K240 Studio headphones and a 20-foot XLR cable, making it a complete signal chain starting point for a new studio build or an upgrade to a single tracking position. The K240 is semi-open and best used for monitoring rather than talent tracking isolation; the XLR cable is functional as a session spare.