German manufacturer of studio and broadcast condenser microphones since 1928; models like the U47 and U87 are industry standards for film recording, ADR, and score sessions.
The legendary Neumann U 47 (1947-1965) operates with the VF 14 tube and an M 7 capsule, achieving a frequency response of 40 Hz to 15 kHz with a sensitivity of -38 dB. The modern U 87 Ai offers three polar patterns (omnidirectional, cardioid, figure-eight), can handle sound pressure levels up to 127 dB SPL, and requires 48V phantom power with a self-noise of 12 dB-A. The large-diaphragm condenser microphones utilize 34mm capsules with 6-micron thin, gold-sputtered diaphragms. Modern models like the TLM 103 achieve a dynamic range of 131 dB through transformerless circuitry.
Georg Neumann founded his company in Berlin in 1928 and revolutionized recording technology in 1928 with the CMV 3 – for the first time, voices could be transmitted electrically without mechanical horns. The U 47 followed in 1947, made famous by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and later The Beatles. After Neumann's death in 1976, Sennheiser took over the company. The U 87 (1967) established itself as its successor and is still produced almost unchanged today. In 2010, Neumann introduced digital microphones with the Solution-D series.
Neumann U 87 and U 89 dominate ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) sessions in dubbing studios worldwide – "Star Wars," "Lord of the Rings," and Marvel productions have been re-dubbed with them. For Foley recording, sound designers use the TLM 170 R for its linear response with percussive sounds. The KMR 82i shotgun microphone serves as a reference for exterior recordings in dialogue-heavy scenes. Composers like Hans Zimmer use the U 47 fet for orchestral recordings of his film scores.
While the AKG C414 offers more variability in polar patterns, Neumann delivers more consistent-sounding results across different frequency ranges. Shure SM57/58 cost a tenth but do not achieve the detail resolution for critical studio work. Schoeps microphones surpass Neumann in classical music recordings, while Neumann excels in voice recordings with a presence boost around 10 kHz. Modern alternatives like the Rode NTK or Warm Audio WA-47 imitate the Neumann sound at a fraction of the cost but do not achieve the long-term stability of the originals.
Ich arbeite eng mit dem Tonmeister zusammen, wenn Neumann-Mikrofone am Set sind - das TLM 170 R verlangt präzise Positionierung außerhalb meines Bildbereichs, während das sehr direktionale KMR 82i mir mehr Freiheit bei Kameraschwenks gibt. Die Qualität rechtfertigt den Aufwand, besonders bei Dialog-schweren Szenen wo jede Nuance zählt.
Neumann-Mikrofone geben mir die Sicherheit, dass intime Dialoge ihre emotionale Tiefe behalten - das warme U 87 fängt Nuancen ein, die billigere Mikrofone verschlucken würden. In der Postproduktion merke ich sofort den Unterschied: weniger EQ nötig, mehr Spielraum für die Mischung, authentischere Stimmwiedergabe die meine Charakterzeichnung unterstützt.
Ein U 87 kostet 3.600 Euro, aber die Investition amortisiert sich durch Zeitersparnis in der Post - weniger Nachbearbeitung, seltener ADR-Sessions wegen mangelhafter Tonqualität. Bei internationalen Ko-Produktionen verlangen Partner oft Neumann-Standard, da macht der Aufpreis den Unterschied zwischen Akzeptanz und kostspieligen Nachaufnahmen aus.
1. Zu welchem Department gehört „Neumann"?
2. Wie viele verschiedene Fachperspektiven bietet dieser Eintrag?
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