The « 180 » series comprises three compact miniature microphones with directional characteristics that meet the requirements of all common studio applications.

Thanks to its optimised mechanical construction and the deliberate omission of modularity, which is not necessary in many cases, the « 180 » series is ideal for professional recording studios and budget-conscious home studios.

The omnidirectional KM 183 and hypercardioid KM 185 microphones are based on the cardioid KM 184 microphone, which has been an immense success and has become a reference in the studio community worldwide in a very short time. All microphones in the « 180 » series are available in matte black or nickel finish.

Applications

Their slender forms and the transmission characteristics described below make the « 180 » series particularly well suited to a very wide range of broadcasting and television applications.

Acoustic characteristics

The KM 183 and KM 184 microphones are the successors to the KM 83 and KM 84, which have been used since the 1970s with great success worldwide. The KM 185 completes the series with a hypercardioid microphone.

The KM 183 is a pressure transducer with an increase of approximately 7 dB at 10 kHz in a free field. In a diffuse field, it exhibits a flat frequency response. The pressure gradient transducers KM 184 and KM 185 offer very uniform frequency responses not only for the 0° axis, but also for lateral sound incidence (off-axis). In typical use, there is no sound colouration over a wide acceptance angle.

Although the KM 184 has the same capsule as the KM 84, the microphone differs slightly in its frequency response at 0°: the KM 184 shows a slight increase towards 9 kHz, a characteristic that was successfully introduced with the KM 140. The result is a fresher and brighter tonal balance compared to the KM 84 with its flat frequency response in this band.

This difference was achieved through a slight modification of the rear opening of the capsule, and is not due to resonances.

The KM 185 with its hypercardioid characteristic shows an attenuation of incident sounds from the side or rear of approximately 10 dB, with minimum sensitivity at an angle of 120°.

Electrical characteristics

The microphones of the « 180 » series use the same transformerless circuit as the KM 100 system, which achieves excellent technical specifications: Compared to the KM 84, the dynamic range of the KM 184 has increased by 24 dB, primarily by reducing self-noise to only 22 dB (CCIR) and increasing the sound pressure level handling capacity to 138 dB.

The microphones operate without issues even if the input of the following equipment is unbalanced, as is the case with some DAT recorders.

The output of the « 180 » series, like all Neumann microphones, is balanced and powered by phantom power (48V).

Economy

The « 180 » series is a good choice for all users looking for a high-quality miniature microphone but who do not need the complex modular KM 100 system, which remains in the Neumann product range.

The mechanical construction has been simplified | for example, the capsule and output stage cannot be separated from one another. For this reason, the « 180 » series is an economical alternative without sacrificing the electroacoustic characteristics that users expect from Neumann microphones.

Polar pattern: Cardioid
- Pressure gradient transducer
- Successor to the KM 84
- Very uniform frequency responses not only for the 0° axis, but also for lateral sound incidence (off-axis)
- Frequency response: 20-20000 Hz
- Nominal impedance: 50 ohms
- Nominal load impedance: 1000 ohms
- Maximum output voltage: 2540 mV
- Weight: 80 g
- Diameter: 22 mm
- Length: 107 mm
- Includes windshield and adjustable SG 21 mount