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Neumann KM 184

Small-diaphragm cardioid condenser mics

Peter Kun Frary

I record classical guitar and was unhappy with my prior mics because they artificially boosted the upper midrange and lower treble range, making guitars sound bright and twangy. My ideal sound is an accurate guitar tone devoid of EQ boosts and added color. After some research and struggle, I landed on a matched pair of Neumann KM184.

Neumann KM184 | Available in nickel or black | Image courtesy Neumann

Build Quality

The Neumann KM 184 is a compact end-address condenser microphone design, commonly referred to as a pencil mic. At 107 mm x 22 mm it's closer to the size of cigar than a pencil. Its official name is the Neumann KM 184 Miniature Microphone, albeit I've only seen the full name used on the Neumann website.

Styling is classic industrial and visually unobtrusive. Fit and finish are exemplary. Plus, due to its small size, it is easy to position in cramped quarters or overhead.

There are no physical controls such as a high pass filter or pad.

Sound Characteristics

These mics have a fairly linear frequency response but with a small presence peak at 9 kHz for enhanced brilliance. I prefer a slight EQ boost in the lower midrange to get the classical guitar tone I like. For ukulele, they're almost perfect sans EQ!

Neumann KM184 | Frequency response | Image courtesy Neumann

Walk, Don't Run | Johnny Smith | Kala Doghair Tenor recorded with Neumann KM 184 mics, Tascam US 2x2 and Logic Pro X

I’ve used these mics with DAWs and audio recorders and they’re accurate, transparent and balanced with robust signal output. They’re also sensitive, quickly responding to subtle changes in dynamics and timbre. Indeed, small changes in nail angle and attack are faithfully reproduced. Artificial and natural harmonics have plenty of sparkle and air and the low noise of the KM184 allow delicate tones to shine in the track. On the other hand, because they are so responsive and sensitive, they force me to practice more carefully and focus on tone more.

Peter Kun Frary | Bach, Allemande | Tascam DR-60 MKII | Neumann KM184

Stereo

I mainly use the KM184 as a pair on a stereo mount adapter in X/Y configuration. The cardioid pattern "hears" best in front of the mics ( 45º left and right of center), falls off progressively to the sides and has strongly reduced sensitivity towards the rear. There is also no off-axis coloration. In other words, the KM 184 is very directional and sounds the same across the sound field. When I record guitar ensembles with players on the extreme right and left of the mics, they sound just as vivid as the center players. I can hear the position of each player in the stereo field with pinpoint accuracy.

I've also paired the KM 184 with a TLM 102 successfully. The TLM has a similar timbre to the KM 184 but is a little fatter in the lower mids. I usually point the KM 184 at the bridge and the TLM 102 at the 12th fret. The TLM 102 picks up a little less string and fret noise than the KM 184.

Neumann KM184 | Cardioid polar pattern | Image courtesy Neumann

Proximity Effect

The KM 184 has very little proximity effect. Plus, no matter what distance I am from the capsule, timbre stays about the same. Thus, I can use close mic placement and still get a natural sound from my guitar. I record in less than ideal conditions, i.e., my bedroom, so close miking along with the cardioid polar pattern's excellent background rejection allows me to get clean and vivid recordings.

Neumann KM184 | The matched stereo pair comes in a wood box.

Minuet in G (Bach) | Peter Kun Frary | Tiny Tenor 6 String Koa | Neumann KM 184 mics, Tascam US 4x4, Logic Pro X.

Frary Guitar Duo | Duo Op. 55 No. 3 (Sor) | Tascam DR-60D MKII (Wav 48K and 24-bit stereo) | Neumann KM184 (2X) | EOS 80D

Peter Frary | Sor's Etude Op. 60 No. 14 | 80D, EF-s 15-85 3.5-5.6 IS USM, Tascam DR-60D MKII (Wav 48K and 24-bit stereo) and Neumann KM-184 mics

Live Sound

The KM184 makes a great stage mic for acoustic and classical guitar. Unlike many recording mics, these are tiny, robust and have ample output. Bring your own clip because they are too small to fit most stage mic clips.

Neumann KM 184 | X-Y configuration with Shure A27M

Malagueña | Kremona Mari Tenor recorded with a Tascam US 2x2, Neumann KM184 (2X), small percussion and Logic Pro X

RFI Resistance

Here in RFI infested downtown Honolulu, I encountered no static, clicks or rogue radio stations while using the KM184 on my Tascam audio recorder and audio interface.

Spoken Word

Below are short audio samples of the KM 184 and other mics I've used for voiceovers. I maintained an 8 to 10 cm speaking distance. Mics were mounted on a boom arm clamped to my desk, the room was partially treated, and I recorded into TwistedWave at 48 kHz and 24 bits. Gain was staged to hit around -12 dB. No processing or normalization used. Mics were fitted with a foam pop filter.

Neumann KM 184

Since I was testing all my mics with spoken word, I gave the KM 184 a try too. Obviously, it is not designed for close miking of spoken word: no protection from plosives and moving air. That doesn't mean the KM 184 won't sound good for spoken word, but use of a pop filter and/or foam windscreen is mandatory.

The KM 184 is an extremely sensitive and dynamic mic—why I like it for instruments—but with only a foam windscreen, I was unable to control plosives when I spoke straight into the capsule. I nixed plosives by speaking offset about 30 degrees but didn't like the duller sound. Finally, I added an external pop filter and that worked well enough to squeeze out a test track. Indeed, the KM 184 proved to flattering for my voice: smooth, clear and very clean. As I experienced with guitar, off-axis rejection of sound is excellent.

Would I use this mic for voiceovers? Probably not. It is extremely sensitive and requires good vocal technique to keep pops, plosives and dynamics under control. Somebody with better voice technique may find it doable but the KM 184 cramped my style too much. With that said, the KM 184 is my pick for best spoken word sound among all my mics. My favorite for solo guitar tracks as well.

For this recording, the KM 184 was plugged into the XLR port of the Rode Streamer X. Output from the KM 184 is robust: gain was set to only 36 dB, lower than my other condenser mics.

Neumann TLM 102

The Neumann TLM 102 is a large diaphragm side-address condenser mic recorded through the XLR input of the Rode Streamer X. Gain was set at 46 dB.

The TLM 102 is one of my favorite mics for recording classical guitar and ukulele. Pointed at the bridge, it renders a beautifully sweet plucked string tone. For guitar, it needs little or no EQ.

While great sounding for voice—smooth and natural in character—it is extremely sensitive to mouth sounds and puffs of air. I borrowed a foam filter from the Deity VO-7U to help control plosives. It's also more sensitive than average to vibrations from the floor, computer fans and off-axis sounds! I used a clone of Neumann's shock mount to help nix vibrations. It is unusable without a shock mount.

That sweet timbre I love for guitar is also voice flattering and less fatiguing compared to mics with a presence bump typical of many dynamic mics.

The TLM 102 is at its best in an acoustically treated room. Currently, it retails for $750 USD.

Shure Beta 27

That was the sound of the Shure Beta 27, a large diaphragm side-address FET condenser mic with multiple high pass filters and pad (no filters used). It differs from other 27 series due to its supercardioid polar pattern, rather than cardioid, and a nearly flat frequency response instead of a typical low treble EQ bump.

That flat frequency contour makes it ideal for instruments. Indeed, it sounds natural and smooth for guitar and ukulele. I found it pleasantly natural and balanced for spoken word. The Beta 27 has more going on in the deep bass than most mics. Indeed, it picks up bass guitar, low brass and kick drums extremely well.

For my speaking voice, not much is going on below 80 Hz and, set flat, the Beta 27 has a bit of the "big bottom" sound. Clarity of my voice increased a little by using the built-in 80 Hz high pass filter:

The Beta 27 was recorded through the Rode Streamer X with preamp gain set to 44 dB. I spoke directly into the capsule from about 12 cm. The mic’s 3-layer mesh grille did a great job of nixing plosives and mouth and breath noise. I didn't need or use an external pop filter. Sibilance was also well controlled.

The tight supercardioid polar pattern made for above average off-axis rejection of sound, besting most of my mics. Unlike the similar SM27, the Beta 27 is ideal for recording on stages and untreated rooms.

While mounted on a desk boom arm, no vibrations or hum from the hard drives were leaked on to the tracks. Indeed, the internal shock mount effectively controlled vibrations. With the PodMic USB and the Neumann TLM 102 on the same boom, I had to unplug my backup drives to get a clean track.

The Beta 27 is a wonderfully designed, great sounding, extremely flexible and easy to use mic. This mic retails for about $400.

Shure 849

For this recording, I plugged the 849 into the XLR port of the Rode Streamer X interface. Gain was set to 46 dB.

I bought a pair of Shure 849 condenser mics in the late 1990s to record classical guitar. This is an instrument mic—looks and sounds similar to the current SM137—with small diaphragm and minimal windscreen protection. It was too bright in the lower highs for classical guitar and is better suited for miking guitar amps and percussion.

The Shure 849 is a little known "sleeper" mic and was surprisingly flattering for my voice: smooth, warm, clear and very clean. With a foam windscreen or pop filter, it is extremely forgiving of plosives and small puffs of air. Because it was designed for isolating and miking stage instruments, off-axis rejection is excellent. Among the mics I tested, the 849, SM137 and the Beta 57A were the only mics that picked up no vibrations or hum from my hard drives and nearby AC units. These mics were designed for hand held use and, thus, have internal pneumatic shock mounts. These internal shock mounts seem to benefit use in any high vibration situation.

Shure SM137

For this recording, I plugged the Shure SM137 into the XLR port of the Rode Streamer X and set gain to 47dB. Like the Beta 57A and 849, the SM137 has excellent rejection of background and handling noise. Indeed, Shure's pneumatic shock mount system smooths away minor vibrations, nixing hard drive rumble and making hand held use practical. And, yes, it sounds similar and looks like the Shure 849. The SM137 retails for $190 USD.

Rode PodMic USB

I plugged the XLR output of the Rode PodMic USB into the Rode Streamer X and set gain to 63 dB. The Rode PodMic, along with the Shure SM7B, rule over the video blogging and podcast kingdoms. Of course, they sound good and offer excellent isolation but also are large and visually impressive.

The PodMic USB retails for $200 USD.

Rode X Streamer | Mounted on a Manfrotto arm for easy port access.

Shure Beta 57A

This is the sound of the Shure Beta 57A plugged into the XLR input of the Rode Streamer X.

Isolation from background and handling noise and resistance to plosives are excellent—better than the Rode PodMic USB, Neumann TLM 102 and AKG C3000B. Like the SM137, this mic features Shure's internal pneumatic shock mount to smooth away minor vibrations. It ties the Shure 849 and SM137 in terms of background noise rejection, maybe even slightly better. It sounds great for spoken word, singing and miking guitar cabs! The sound is smooth and clear, needs little post processing and has more bass than the SM57 and SM58. It is small and unassuming on camera but what a studio workhorse. If I could own only one mic to do everything, this could be the one. The Beta 57A retails for $150 USD.

Lewitt LCT 240 Pro

The Lewitt LCT 240 Pro was plugged into the XLR input of the Rode Streamer X. Gain was set to 47 dB. This is a small diaphragm side-address condenser mic designed for home studios. It's an attractive and compact design, especially the effective yet space saving magnetic drop-in pop filter.

The 240 Pro flatters my voice with a pleasing but somewhat bright timbre and above average clarity. Legibility of individual words is impressive, even with minor mumbling. With the drop-in pop filter, plosives and sibilance were well controlled. Without the pop filter, the 240 Pro sounds like a wind storm. Wear protection!

While the bright character makes for clear and understandable words, it also makes the 240 Pro more prone to picking up background sounds than many of the mics here, save for the Neumann TLM 102.

Without accessories, the 240 Pro is priced at $100 USD. Just the mic runs about a Benjamin. The shock mount and pop filter kit clock in at $159.

Final Blurb

Does it deliver a natural “what you hear is what you get” sound? For classical and acoustic guitars, they are close. And, for ukulele, they're just about perfect. The KM184 are the first mics I reach for and I'm pleased with them: impeccable fit and finish, natural and balanced sound and clean output.

Finally, please help support this website by purchasing this item at Amazon.

Peter Kun Frary | Allemande | Tascam DR-60 MKII, Neumann KM184 (2X) and EOS 80D

Features

• Cardioid pattern
• 20 Hz to 20 kHz response
• 50 ohms impedance
• 13 dB-A of self-noise
• SPLs of 138 dB
• Transformerless circuitry
• 107 mm x 22 mm
• 80 g

Included accessories

• Wood storage box
• Clips
• Windscreen

12/15/2015 | 08/30/2024 Update

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