UNCOLORED, TRANSPARENT, VERSATILE
The KM 184 is a state-of-the-art small diaphragm condenser
microphone with a uniform, frequency-independent cardioid polar
pattern. Its very natural, transparent sound with very low
self-noise and high SPL capability have made the KM 184 a
worldwide stage and studio standard for many applications
ranging from classical piano to heavy metal drums.
FAITHFUL
While many microphones, these days, are designed to add some
sonic imprint of their own, there are many applications that
require a faithful reproduction of the original acoustic event,
without adding or removing anything. That’s where the Neumann
Series 180 comes in.
The Neumann Series 180 consists of three members with different
pickup patterns: KM 183 (omni), KM 184 (cardioid), and KM 185
(hypercardioid), thus covering the majority of stage and studio
applications. Because the Series 180 microphones are
non-modular, they are more cost-effective than the modular
Series KM A and KM D (which offer a wide range of
interchangeable capsule heads for analog and digital output
stages).
CARDIOID
Despite its attractive pricing, the KM 184 offers
state-of-the-art Neumann engineering. Its cardioid pattern is
frequency-independent; rejection of rearward sound (180°) is
excellent, even at low frequencies. In practical usage, there
is no sound coloration over a wide pickup angle, which is
crucial in multi-microphone setups and for precise
stereo/surround imaging. The KM 184’s frequency response is
very smooth and linear with a slight treble lift around 9 kHz
for added brilliance. Its innovative transformerless head
amplifier offers a wide dynamic range of 125 dB and is
carefully designed to maintain the capsule’s sonic integrity.
The KM 184 has a very low self-noise of only 13 dB-A and can
handle high sound pressure levels of up to 138 dB free from
distortion. Due to its low impedance output stage, the KM 184
can drive long cable runs of up to 300 meters (1000 feet)
without transmission losses.
APPLICATIONS
The KM 184 is a universal microphone for studio and stage
applications. Its transparent sound makes the KM 184 a superb
microphone for acoustic instruments, such as piano, percussion,
drums, acoustic guitar, upright bass, violin, cello, woodwinds,
and brass. The KM 184 can be used for soloists as well as
ensembles. Thanks to its superior off-axis behavior, the KM 184
is an excellent microphone for stereo and surround recording
with perfect imaging. Although the KM 184 is not specially
optimized for the human voice, it is often used for classical
vocals and whenever sonic authenticity is paramount. Due to its
small size, the KM 184 is visually unobtrusive and well suited
to TV and radio applications.
- Uniform cardioid pattern without off-axis coloration
- Linear frequency response with a slight treble lift
- Very low self-noise (13 dB-A)
- Low impedance output for long cable runs without
transmission losses
- Transformerless circuitry
- Compact size, visually unobtrusive