Neumann - KM 183

The 180 range comprises three compact microphones, with polar patterns to meet the demands of the most common studio applications.

Thanks to its optimised mechanical design and its deliberate rejection of the modular aspect, which is superfluous in many cases, the 180 range is predestined for productions with tight budgets and home studios.

The KM 183 (omnidirectional) and KM 185 (hypercardioid) are based on the KM 184 cardioid microphone, whose tremendous success has rapidly made it a standard in studios around the world. All microphones in the 180 range are available in matt black or nickel finish.
Applications
Their tapered shape and the pick-up characteristics described below make the microphones in the 180 range versatile tools, suitable for a wide variety of tasks, particularly in the radio and television sectors.
Acoustic characteristics
The KM 183 and KM 184 are the successors to the legendary KM 83 and KM 84 models, which have been used successfully throughout the world since the 1970s. The KM 185, with its hypercardioid polar pattern, completes the range.

The KM 183 is a pressure transducer whose response curve shows a hump of around 7 dB at 10 kHz in the free field; in the diffuse field, the response curve is flat. The KM 184 and KM 185 pressure gradient transducers have a very linear response curve not only for on-axis (0°) incidence, but also for lateral (off-axis) incidence. In typical use, no sound coloration is detectable, even at a very wide pick-up angle.

Although the KM 184 has the same capsule as the KM 84, the two microphones show a slight difference in frequency response at an angle of incidence of 0°. The KM 184 has a slight boost above 9 kHz - a feature introduced with great success on the KM 140. Compared to the KM 84, which is neutral in this frequency range, the result is a livelier, fresher tonal balance.

This difference is achieved by a slight modification to the rear apertures of the capsule, and not by playing on internal resonances.

The KM 185, with its hypercardioid response curve, provides around 10dB attenuation of sound coming from the rear or sides, with minimum sensitivity corresponding to an angle of incidence of 120°.
Electrical characteristics
The microphones in the 180 range have the same transformerless output circuit as the KM 100 system, giving them excellent technical characteristics:

Compared with the KM 84 model, the dynamic range of the KM 184 is 24 dB greater, thanks in particular to a reduced self-noise level of just 22 dB (CCIR) and a higher maximum acceptable sound pressure level (up to 138 dB SPL).

The microphones work without problem, even if the recorder input is unbalanced (as is the case with some portable DATs, for example).

As with all Neumann microphones, the output of the KM 18x is balanced, and the microphones are powered by phantom power (48 volts).
Economy
The microphones in the 180 range are a good choice for all users looking for a high-quality miniature microphone, but who do not necessarily need a complex modular system like the KM 100, which is still part of the Neumann product family.

The mechanical construction is simplified: on the KM 18x, for example, it is impossible to separate the capsule and the output stage. As a result, this family of microphones offers a cost-effective alternative, while providing the electro-acoustic characteristics that users have come to expect from Neumann microphones.