All user reviews of 5/5 for the Neumann KM 184

Neumann has always made some pretty good mics and they always get pretty good reviews from their customers. Most of the issues with mics are that they jut flat out are too expensive. Especially if you just want to get some good quality you will have to pay or it which is the reason that most people get held back because they cant afford it. Well Neumann KM 184 could be a solution to you have some great records from home. The KM 184 sounds amazing with an acoustic guitar and even some woodwind instruments. I did some work with a local band and I need to mic them up to record and we got into the discussion on some mics and other equipment. They actually recommended that I get the KM 184 for my acoustic recording, and that’s how I first heard about this mic, though I have been using Neumann for years now for some reason I didn’t have my sites set on this mic because I didn’t even know that it came out. But once I got word on it, then heard them recording with it, I knew that I had to have it. For some reason I though it was going to be out of my budget. It actually was perfect for my budget. So perfect I ordered to of them (they came together in a carrying case ).


OVERALL OPINION

My next experiment with the KM 184 by Neumann will be to try to use them on some drums and see how they respond. Maybe on a kick drum and a punchy snare jus to see how they respond and then I will make a decision from there if I want to use them for more than what I already am. The KM 184 is a great mic and at a low cost.

The Neumann K 184 is a small-diaphragm condenser microphone. I am a student, musician, writer, and pretty good line dancer residing in beautiful Nashville, TN. I've been a drummer and guitar player for the past 10 years of my life and have began engineering and producing in the past 4. I currently play drums for the band Brookline and you can see me rockin' an Orange County Drum and Percussion or Mapex kit decked out with Zildjian K Hybrids.

Our studio bought a pair of these microphones about 4 years back form around $850 a piece from Sweetwater. This was when we first built our studio and all of us had used 184's before and knew it was a must-have pair in the studio.

<a href="https://www.sweetwater.com">https://www.sweetwater.com</a>

The KM 184 offers un-paralleled clarity and direction in such a small package. It sounds great on just about everything, and with a max SPL rating of 138 dB, you really can put it on anything - including 6 inches off your uncles jet powered ski boat. This microphone is unstoppable as a matched pair and is my go to set for close-up overheads, acoustic guitar, hi-hats, stand up bass neck, and so many more.

My only negative comment about these mics are the clips that they come with. They will most certainly break within a few months if you are a daily user. They are small and wimpy and I would greatly recommend hittin' up your local music shop to find a stronger replacement clip.

Imagine if you had a miniature 6 inch cops nightstick with a microphone in it. These are extremely solid microphones and include only the best circuitry. Very durable and ready to handle years of daily use.

This microphone is durable, clean, responsive, and makes an unbeatable matched pair. It's a must have for all serious studios and the home studio's best tool - and c'mon, it's a Neumann!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

The Neumann KM 184 a small diaphragm condenser used primarily in the recording studio. Its small size and great response to high end frequencies make it the industry standard for recording drum overheads. It is sleek in design and like all Neumann microphones it is made extremely well, all with top end parts. It has a cardioid polar pattern.

OVERALL OPINION

I've been using KM 184s for about four or five years and I have yet to find a pair of small diaphragm condensor microphones that sound better than these. While they are pretty much the industry standard for recording drum overheads, they also sound great on acoustic guitar, violin, mandolin and any other instruments that needs a microphone that will pick up the silky high end that is essential when recording these types of instruments. They also sound good on any other type of cymbals or any other acoustic stringed instrument when you want to pick up that high end. Also great to use in tandem with a large diaphragm microphone to make sure that you get the full range of sound coming from the source. I can't think of any other small diaphragm microphones in this price range, but would compare these to the much cheaper Rode NT5s. While the KM 184s are considerably more expensive than the NT5s, the sound quality is much better. I would also compare these mics to their sister mic, the KM 84s which are the older versions of these mics. While they sound pretty similar, the KM 184s are just as good. Neumann makes top of the line microphones and these microphones will last a long time if you treat them right. It is an investment that is definitley worth it if you are looking for some of the best small diaphragm condenser mics around.

This is a small diaphragm condenser mic, often called a pencil mic. They are condensers so they require +48V phantom power in order to work. You connect them with a standard XLR mic cable. These have a set pickup pattern, which is cardioid. The KM line does come in other pickup patterns, so beware in case you are under the impression that these have switchable patterns, like I was for a while. These are pricey and very high quality, so if you take them out of the studio you will want to be very careful. I was once in a session where one hit the floor, and it was done for - so you can be sure that they are pretty fragile.

OVERALL OPINION

I have been using these for many years, they are somewhat of a staple in many studios. These are some of the best you can get for small diaphragm condensers. The sound you get from these is totally crystal clear, and putting up two of these and recording in stereo will get you a truly realistic stereo image. For that reason, they are also sold in stereo pairs. Since they are small diaphragm, these are great with high frequencies and transients. Because of that they are very well suited to use as drum overheads, and stereo mics for a piano. I especially recommend using these on piano - they can really help highlight those harmonics and overtones that can unfortunately can get lost with a lower quality mic. These will also usually come with a detachable wind screen, mic clips, and a nice wooden box from Neumann. These mics are also my secret weapon for recording acoustic guitar. Put one of these on the neck of the guitar, and a large diaphragm condenser on the body and you're in heaven! These are expensive but definitely worth it if you want the best. I would get them again in a heartbeat.