RECORDING JLM TMP8 Eight Channel Microphone Preamp - JLM TMP8 MICROPHONE PREAMP By Kurt Foster Oct 18, 2003, 02:12 JLM TMP8 Eight Channel Microphone Preamp The audio recording business has been going through some changes over the past few years. As computers have incr

JLM TMP8 MICROPHONE PREAMP By Kurt Foster
Oct 18, 2003, 02:12

JLM TMP8 Eight Channel Microphone Preamp

The audio recording business has been going through some changes over the past few years. As computers have increased in native power, recording even in professional studio environments, is shifting from 2î multitrack to the digital audio workstation or as we have all come to call it, the DAW. I recently received an E Mail from my friend, Michael Gore of Bay Area Studio Engineering, in San Francisco, who is the premier studio tech of the area. He wrote, ... basically the analog business has died .... there are studios around with tape recorders, but they're getting to be fewer and fewer, and those that have only analog gear are feeling the economic crunch hard. A couple of clients with analog only studios closed their doors this month ... that's what's been happening all around the S.F. Bay Area ... studios closing, .... everyone going over to digital.

In many of the smaller privately owned commercial facilities, along with the 2î machines, the large format consoles have also begun to disappear, being replaced by the on board mixing abilities of the DAW. The power to fully automate a mix and recall all settings days or even weeks later, no matter how many other project have been done since the client last visited the studio, is seen as a real plus. These DAWs also take up less real estate and require almost no maintenance, translating to lower operational overhead and a price savings to the studio owner and clients in an increasingly competitive business.

There is just one catch however. What does the studio owner who has become accustomed to the high quality sound of the mic pre amps in their large format console do? The mic pres on the smaller mixing boards that are being pressed into service to mix headphone cues, are perceived as woefully inadequate for professional level work.

Many enterprising companies have rushed in to fill the vacuum, with either repackaged mic pres from time honored consoles or, as these modules become harder to find, clones of these much venerated pres. For the most part, these pres are packaged in either single or dual pre configurations and they can be quite costly.

Enter a company from Australia, JLM owned by a gent named Joe Malone. JLM manufacturers mic preamps, equalizers, compressors, channel strips and studio monitors among other things. Though JLM is little known in the USA, they are a well known company among the Australian and Asian broadcast and professional audio community having received accolades of the best bands and engineers in Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Japan & UK. I was lucky enough to receive one of JLM 8 channel mic pres the TMP8 for review.

DESCRIPTION

The TMP8 is described by JLM, as a Focusrite "Red Range" / API type pre. At first I was confused by this, as the Focusrite and API, sound very different. I asked Joe Malone about this and he said, .... This refers to the circuit topology, not the sound. API Focusrite Red and API are very similar in circuit design except the Focusrite Red uses a normal IC Opamp where as the API uses a discrete Opamp. A lot of their sound differences comes from their different transformer designs and some from the different opamp designs. The TMP-8 uses a different transformer that we have made just for the JLM TMP-8. It sits somewhere between the clean Focusrite red sound and the fatter API sound but in no way are we trying to copy their sound. Instead we want to come up with a new sound or color, to add to the recording palette, that is very good and affordable. I think we have got this one just right when is comes to how the TMP-8 sounds. It has a very minimal pure path approach, not normally found at this price range..

TMP 8 Front Panel

The TMP8 is a one rack space 8 channel mic pre and at 2æî deep, is very compact. Besides being a mic pre, the design incorporates a soft limiter for each channel in the design. Joe Malone told me. The soft limiters can only be set to +10dBM or higher at the factory and are only set to come in 4dB before the A/D you are using is about to clip. It turns the last 4dB into about 9dB before clipping by transient clipping and log compression and is a completely passive design giving that going to tape sound if used correctly. Very like the Prismsound Overkillers works but with a blue LED to show how hard it is being driven. It has to be reset at the factory to any new level (there is no pot or switch inside to adjust). We are working on a way to get around this at the moment while keeping the sound just right. I requested that the review sample have the onboard limiters disengaged, something that later I wished I hadn't done. I was initially skeptical regarding the quality of these types of limiters but after using the TMP8 and learning how good it sounded, I became intrigued as to what the unit would sound like with these limiters engaged.

The TMP8 I received for review, was an attractive silver brushed aluminum finish, made out of brushed 1.6mm stainless steel except the front which is 3.2mm of Stainless Steel. As we examine the front panel from left to right, we see eight identical channels each with a red 48 volt phantom power LED, a knob for the mic pre gain, another clear led labeled limit that glows blue when the limiter is engaged and three buttons labeled 48V, pad and phase. At the far right of the unit is the power on off switch, a rocker type affair.

TMP 8 Channel View and Power Switch

Turning the TMP8 over, there are 8 pairs of XLR connectors, male and female for the input and output of each channel. There is not any provision for instrument inputs on the TMP8. If you wish to use this unit to track synths or guitars, you will need to use a di box. A bit inconvenient but not a deal breaker in my book.

TMP 8 Rear Panel

Finally there is the power supply input on a two pin connector that is secured by a screw on ring collar. The power supply is a hefty unit, absolutely not in the wall wart category but more of the size of a power supply that you would get with a product like GML or Brent Averill. The unit I received was a used one but it showed no wear or tear in spite of it having been out on several location recordings. Picking the unit up is a very substantial feeling. There is a heft to it that belies that it is not simply a circut board with some components attached. I was advised that the units heat sinks are bonded to the case and that disassembling the unit could compromise this bond a possibly cause a failure of the unit from overheating. Once again, I wish I had requested the unit with the limiters engaged and set for my DAW. Bummer. Live and learn ...

IN USE

I used the TMP8 in a variety of situations. First I tracked some acoustic guitar, and fretless bass through it by myself, just to get accustomed to the unit. I was impressed with the TMP8 on the acoustic guitar, recorded with a Neumann U87. The playback was very clean and transparent. There was no hint of color or attitude at lower gain but as I increased the output, the pre seemed to come alive with a high end sheen and a bit of aggressiveness. The mids are very solid and present but not harsh in the least. On the Fender Elite fretless, through a lowly Countryman DI box, the TMP sounded effortless. Solid lows without a hint of mud or wolfiness. Once again, solid but transparent, lots of gain without distortion. Lots of iron in the sound. Great on bass!

Next, fellow Recording.Org moderator Dave Alvy and I, got together to perform some microphone comparisons using the TMP8. Dave finger picked a short performance piece on a Martin D28 several times and we used a different mic for each pass. We made every effort to insure that the mics were in the same position each time. We began with a Neumann U87 as the control for the test and recorded that pass first. We then followed with Studio Projects B1, B3, C3 and Oktiva MK319 large diaphragm condensers, then Studio Projects C4 (with the cardioid capsule), ADK SC1, vintage AKG 451L, AKG 460 small diaphragm condensers. To wrap it up, we made a pass with a Shure SM57 unidyne dynamic just for laughs. I have posted mp3s of these recordings on the Audio Projects - Streaming / Critique forum under the title of Dave's Mic Comparisons.

Our conclusion was that the TMP8 was an accurate pre with very solid midrange but transparent quality very much like the much adored API pre. There does seem to be a hint of attitude in these pres when they are pushed, but don't confuse this comment as eluding to the pre runs out of headroom early on, because it didn't. The TMP8 has headroom galore!

FINAL TRIAL

As a final trial for the TMP8, I contacted a local talent and band leader in the Eugene Oregon area, John Powell. John has been a fixture in the very active Eugene music scene and has consistently been in one or two of the top bands in the area for the past 25 years plus. John currently performs with two of the most popular groups in town, The Valley Boys and a Jimmy Buffet (Parrot head) tribute band, The Cheeseburgers. I explained to John that I had several pieces of gear to review for RO and I asked him if he and his band, the Cheeseburgers, would be interested in some free recording time. John ran the idea past the group and called me back saying that they were very excited with my proposition and we scheduled a date to cut rhythm tracks.

The band arrived and we set up the drums using the TMP8 to track kick, through an Audix D6, snare through a Beyer ND201, 4 rack toms and floor tom using AKG Pro 35 clip on condensers and hi hat with a vintage AKG C451LB. The Pro 35 clip ons are very hot and I have always had to engage a pad on the pre amp or use an inline pad to prevent them from overloading the inputs. I have run into this problem on everything I have used them on from my old MCI 600 console to my Mackie SR24. Imagine my surprise when the TMP8, took everything the Pro 35ís had without wincing, without the pads engaged ... I was impressed!

Without a doubt, the TMP8 was a match made in heaven for drum tracks! I was able to get the tones I needed to the tracks without any eq and only a bit of compression provided by my UREI 1178, set to 4 to 1 with a fast attack and release, on the snare and kick. As I mentioned earlier, the TMP8 can take all that you give it without choking a bit. I am left to wonder how it would sound if the limiters had been set to kick in? This is reported in customer testimonials to add a bit of thickness and punch and a Neve like quality when the inputs are pushed harder. I also used the TMP8 on all the subsequent vocal overdubs, the background vocal section with the Studio Projects C3 in omni position and lead vocal with the U87 in cardioid. I found that the TMP worked very nicely with the C3. I suspect that the TMP is a better impendence match for the C3 than the other pres I have at my disposal, as this mic sounded better through it, than it does with any of the others.

In the end after the project was mixed, I was very happy. The band was ecstatic! They commented that the sound we got in my home studio was better than what they had ever been able to get out of any of the local professional studios and they attributed much of this to the front end gear that I had at my disposal. I have posted an mp3 of the session on the Audio Projects - Streaming / Critique forum under the title of; Cheeseburger Patio Dance.

CONCLUSIONS

The band was happy. I was happy, because they were happy. They told me they have an 11 song CD they want to record and they are going to use the 2 songs we did as a start. They are returning in two weeks to resume the project and this time they are paying. Can't beat that! I think that is about the best testimonial I can make regarding the JLM. The TMP8 is solidly constructed, is nice looking and most importantly, sounds great with a variety of mics and applications. It would be an ideal sole mic pre for the front end of a DAW with 8 channels being all a lot of recordists would require. It is an ideal unit for remote applications, as it is very compact and there is a cool little rack case that may be ordered from JLM as an option.

The TMP would be at home in a rack of API and Neve pres and I could see it being chosen often for its own unique tonal characteristics over either of the afore mentioned models. The TMP8 retails at $1900.00 USD. This works out to $237.50 per channel! This is less per channel than just about any, but the cheapest of mic pres available and the TMP8 will out perform many mic pres at four times the price. I am sure we will be hearing more from this innovative company from Down Under. Kudos to Joe Malone and JLM for the TMP 8. I'm buying one for sure!

Links to audio samples of the TMP 8 in action.
http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2466&alid=815

http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists/album.php?aid=2466&alid=816

Kurt Foster

Kurt Foster has been involved in music and recording for over 35 years. He owned and operated KFRS, a 2000 sq. ft. commercial analog and digital recording facility in the San Francisco Bay Area beginning in late 1980ís through the 1990ís, recording and working with greats such as Brownie McGhee, cult following guitarist, Kenny "Blue" Ray, Jackie Payne (Johnny Otis Band), Nick Turner (of Hawkwind) Polo Jones (of Michael Jackson, Peter Gabriel, Whitney Houston) and individual members of The Doobie Brothers, Tower of Power, Huey Lewis and The News and The Tubes. He is retired to his ranch in Cedar Flat, Oregon but continues to be active in recording, artist development, procuring recording contracts for new talent, music publishing, writing both music and music related articles as well as serving as a Moderator and Review Editor for a popular online recording forum, Recording.Org.