The Neumann TLM 170 R Large Diaphragm Microphone Nickel is a staple in any recording studio across the country. The large diaphragm capsule inside the headgrill has a very smooth frequency response for all polar patterns over a wide acceptance angle. The letters TLM stand for "transformerless microphone" which mean the usual output transformer is replaced by an electronic circuit.

The TLM 170 R is provided with a tilting side bracket to attach the microphone to booms or stands. It has a 10 dB attenuation switch to prevent the input of the following unit from being overloaded. In addition to the usual directional polar patterns: omnidirectional, cardioid, and figure-8, we have added a hypercardioid and wide-angle cardioid characteristic. When compared to the standard cardioid pattern, the hypercardioid characteristic suppresses sound from the side more efficiently. The wide-angle polar pattern is especially useful to record large sound sources. That's why this microphone is used for many diverse applications such as professional recording studios, for broadcasting, film and television, and for semiprofessional productions.