Their slender shapes and the transmission characteristics described below make the “Series 180” especially suitable for a very wide range of tasks in the radio and television sector.
The KM 183 and KM 184 microphones are the successors of the well proven KM 83 and KM 84, which have been used since the seventies worldwide with great success. The KM 185 rounds out the series with a hypercardioid microphone.
The KM 183 is a pressure transducer with a boost of approximately 7 dB at 10 kHz in the free field. In the diffuse sound field it has a flat frequency response. The pressure gradient transducers KM 184 and KM 185 feature very smooth frequency responses not only for the 0° axis, but also for lateral (off-axis) sound incidence. In typical usage, there is no coloration of sound over a wide pickup angle.
Although the KM 184 has the same capsule as the KM 84, the microphone differs slightly on the 0° frequency response: The KM 184 has a gentle rise at about 9 kHz, a characteristic that was introduced very successfully with the KM 140. The result is a tonal balance that is fresher and livelier when compared to the KM 84 with its flat frequency response in that band.
This difference was achieved with just a slight change of the capsule’s rear opening, and is not due to resonances.
The KM 185 with its hypercardioid characteristic features attenuation of sound incidence from the side or rear of about 10 dB, with minimum sensitivity at an angle of 120°.
The “Series 180” microphones have the same transformerless circuitry as is used in the KM 100 system, resulting in excellent technical specifications:
Compared to the KM 84 the dynamic range of the KM 184 increased by 24 dB mainly through the reduction of self-noise level to only 22 dB (CCIR) and an increased sound pressure handlingcapability of up to 138 dB.
The microphones operate without any problems, even if the input of following equipment happens to be unbalanced, for example as in some DAT recorders.
The output of the “Series 180”, as in all Neumann microphones, is balanced and phantom (48V) powered.
- Three different miniature microphones for all typical studio applications
- Successor of the worldwide successful KM 83/84
- Transformerless circuitry
Applications:
- For universal use, especially for recording situations when it is necessary to attenuate off-axis sound (mainly from the rear) from other nearby instruments.
- As XY and ORTF stereo pair
- Announcer’s mic for broadcasting
- Spot mic, overhead
- Close miking of strings, wind instruments, percussion, piano, Leslie speakers, guitar amps
Technical info:
| KM 183 / 184 / 185 | |
| Acoustical operating principle | Pressure/Pressure gradient transducer |
| Directional pattern | omnidirectional/cardioid/hypercardioid |
| Frequency range | 20 Hz … 20 kHz |
| Sensitivity at 1 kHz into 1 kohm | 12/15/10 mV/Pa |
| Rated impedance | 50 ohms |
| Rated load impedance | 1 kohms |
| Equivalent noise level, CCIR1) | 24/22/24 dB |
| Equivalent noise level, A-weighted1) | 13/13/15 dB-A |
| Signal-to-noise ratio, CCIR1) (rel. 94 dB SPL) | 70/72/70 dB |
| Signal-to-noise ratio, A-weighted1) (rel. 94 dB SPL) | 81/81/79 dB |
| Maximum SPL for THD 0.5%2) | 140/138/142 dB |
| Maximum output voltage | 10 dBu |
| Supply voltage (P48, IEC 61938) | 48 V ± 4 V |
| Current consumption (P48, IEC 61938) | 3.2 mA |
| Matching connectors | XLR 3F |
| Weight | approx. 80 g |
| Diameter | 22 mm |
| Length | 107 mm |
