Unadulterated, transparent, versatile:

The KM 184 is a top-class small diaphragm microphone with a uniform, frequency-independent cardioid characteristic. Its natural, transparent sound with very low inherent noise and high level stability has made the KM 184 a worldwide stage and studio standard, covering almost all applications from classical piano to heavy metal drums.

Today, most microphones are designed to put their own stamp on the sound material. But there are many sound events that you want to reproduce faithfully without adding or subtracting anything. This is precisely the approach of the Neumann Series 180.

The Neumann Series 180 comprises three microphones with different polar patterns, KM 183 (omnidirectional), KM 184 (cardioid) and KM 185 (hypercardioid), which cover the majority of stage and studio applications. By dispensing with modularity, the Series 180 is more cost-effective than the modular Series KM A /D (with a wide range of interchangeable capsule heads for analogue and digital output stages).

Despite its attractive price, the KM 184 offers top-class Neumann technology: its cardioid characteristic is frequency-independent; the sound suppression in the rear (180°) is also excellent in the lower frequencies. In practical use, there is no sound colouration over a wide recording angle, which is just as important for multi-miking as it is for precise spatial imaging in stereo and surround recordings. The KM 184 has a very linear frequency response. It uses the same capsule design as the popular Neumann classic KM 84, but with a slight treble boost at 9 kHz for additional brilliance. An innovative transformerless microphone circuit with a wide dynamic range of 125 dB guarantees that the excellent sound characteristics of the capsule are fully retained. The KM 184 achieves a very low self-noise of only 13 dB-A and can handle sound pressure levels of up to 138 dB without distortion. The low impedance of the output stage allows cable lengths of up to 300 metres without any loss of sound quality.

The KM 184 is a universal microphone for stage and studio applications. Its transparent sound makes it ideal for acoustic instruments such as piano, percussion, drums, acoustic guitar, double bass, violin, cello, woodwinds and brass. With its frequency-stable cardioid characteristic, it is recommended for stereo and surround recordings with perfect spatial imaging. Although not specifically optimised for the human voice, it is often used for classical vocals and other applications where sonic authenticity is paramount. Thanks to its compact design, the KM 184 is visually unobtrusive and therefore ideally suited for TV and radio broadcasts.