The Bottom Line
Ask any studio engineer what their favorite small-diaphragm condenser microphone is, and chances are several of them will mention the KM184 - Neumann's small diaphragm cardioid condenser microphone. High quality sound and durability make this microphone a tremendous value for home recoding engineers and tapers.
Pros
- World-Famous Sound Quality
- Small Size
- Attractive Storage Case
Cons
- None
Description
- Exceptional sound quality when used on acoustic guitar, live concert taping, piano, drum overheads, high-hat.
- Frequency range: 20 Hz to 20 kHz
- Sensitivity at 1 kHz into 1 kohm: 15 mV/Pa
- Maximum SPL for THD 0.5%: 138 dB
- Supply voltage: 48 V Phantom
Guide Review - Neumann SKM184 Stereo Microphone Kit
The Neumann SKM184 stereo microphone kit is a very straightforward way to get started with a high-quality set of microphones. Priced at around $1600, you get a pair of hand-matched microphones, microphone clips, windscreens, and a very nice hardwood storage case.
Having a matched pair of microphones is great for many applications; acoustic guitar, drum overheads, and piano being just a few. Also ideal for concert tapers, the Neumann KM184 is already a staple of many tapers' rigs.
I found the KM184 to sound incredible on guitar, and a good preamp opened them up quite a bit in the low-mids, and tightened up the low-end quite a bit. Paired with a TRUESystems P-Solo, the sound was silky and well-defined. With a Grace Design Lunatec V2, the sound became very tight and accurate. Matching these microphones with a good quality preamp is your best bet for getting a great sound!
With live concert taping, the Neumann KM184 handled the loud SPLs very well; in fact, you'll need an external preamp if using stock preamps in recorders such as the Zoom H4 and Marantz PMD660 because the KM184 outputs a little more signal than those built-in preamps can handle comfortably in high-SPL environments.
At around $1600, they aren't cheap; but if you've got a limited budget that these microphones can fit into, you'll find that they're indispensable for just about everything requiring a good quality microphone.
And if you're on a budget? The Oktava MC012 has been often compared to the Neumann KM184's relative, the KM84; a good matched pair of Oktava MC012 will get you close in sound quality, but to enjoy the robust yet detailed sound quality Neumann made famous, you'll have to go for the real thing, and at this price, why not?
Having a matched pair of microphones is great for many applications; acoustic guitar, drum overheads, and piano being just a few. Also ideal for concert tapers, the Neumann KM184 is already a staple of many tapers' rigs.
I found the KM184 to sound incredible on guitar, and a good preamp opened them up quite a bit in the low-mids, and tightened up the low-end quite a bit. Paired with a TRUESystems P-Solo, the sound was silky and well-defined. With a Grace Design Lunatec V2, the sound became very tight and accurate. Matching these microphones with a good quality preamp is your best bet for getting a great sound!
With live concert taping, the Neumann KM184 handled the loud SPLs very well; in fact, you'll need an external preamp if using stock preamps in recorders such as the Zoom H4 and Marantz PMD660 because the KM184 outputs a little more signal than those built-in preamps can handle comfortably in high-SPL environments.
At around $1600, they aren't cheap; but if you've got a limited budget that these microphones can fit into, you'll find that they're indispensable for just about everything requiring a good quality microphone.
And if you're on a budget? The Oktava MC012 has been often compared to the Neumann KM184's relative, the KM84; a good matched pair of Oktava MC012 will get you close in sound quality, but to enjoy the robust yet detailed sound quality Neumann made famous, you'll have to go for the real thing, and at this price, why not?
