Neumann KM 183 small diaphragm condenser microphone

UNCOLORED, TRANSPARENT, VERSATILE

The KM 183 is a state-of-the-art small diaphragm condenser microphone with a frequency-independent omnidirectional polar pattern. Its very natural, transparent sound with very low self-noise and high SPL capability have made the KM 183 a worldwide studio standard for many applications ranging from classical piano to heavy metal drums.

FAITHFUL

While many microphones, these days, are designed to add some sonic imprint of their own, there are many applications that require a faithful reproduction of the original acoustic event, without adding or removing anything. That’s where the Neumann Series 180 comes in.

The Neumann Series 180 consists of three members with different pickup patterns: KM 183 (omni), KM 184 (cardioid), and KM 185 (hypercardioid), thus covering the majority of stage and studio applications. Because the Series 180 microphones are non-modular, they are more-cost effective than the modular Series KM A and KM D (which offer a wide range of interchangeable capsule heads for analog and digital output stages). 

OMNIDIRECTIONAL

Despite its attractive pricing, the KM 183 offers state-of-the-art Neumann engineering. Its omnidirectional pattern is uniform and largely frequency-independent. In practical usage, there is no sound coloration over a wide pickup angle, which is crucial in multi-microphone setups and for precise stereo/surround imaging. The KM 183’s pressure transducer capsule is equalized for a flat frequency response in the diffuse field. In the free field (i.e. close to the sound source), it has a treble boost of approximately 7 dB at 10 kHz. Its innovative transformerless head amplifier offers a wide dynamic range of 127 dB and is carefully designed to maintain the capsule’s sonic integrity. The KM 183 has a very low self-noise of only 13 dB-A and can handle high sound pressure levels of up to 140 dB free from distortion. Due to its low impedance output stage, the KM 183 can drive long cable runs of up to 300 meters (1000 feet) without transmission losses.

APPLICATIONS

The KM 183 is a universal microphone for studio applications. Its transparent sound makes the KM 183 a superb microphone for acoustic instruments, such as piano, percussion, drums, acoustic guitar, strings, woodwinds, brass, choir, and wherever sonic authenticity is paramount. As a pressure transducer, the KM 183’s low frequency response is limitless, which makes it an excellent choice for orchestra and church organ recordings. Thanks to its superior off-axis behavior, the KM 183 works extremely well in stereo and surround setups. Due to its small size, the KM 183 is visually unobtrusive and well suited to TV and radio applications.