COLORLESS, TRANSPARENT, VERSATILE
 
The KM 184 is a state-of-the-art, small-diaphragm condenser microphone with a uniform, frequency-independent cardioid polar pattern. With its highly natural and transparent sound, very low self-noise, and high SPL capability, the KM 184 is a global benchmark on stage and in the studio for a wide range of applications, from classical piano to heavy metal drums.
 
 
 
FAITHFUL
While many microphones today are designed to add their own sonic signature, there are many applications that require faithful reproduction of the original acoustic event, without adding or subtracting anything.
 This is where the Neumann Series 180 comes in. The Neumann Series 180 consists of three members with different polar patterns: KM 183 (omni), KM 184 (cardioid), and KM 185 (hypercardioid), thus covering the majority of stage and studio applications. Because the 180 Series microphones are not modular, they are more cost-effective than the modular KM A and KM D series (which offer a wide range of interchangeable capsule heads for analog and digital output stages). 
CARDIOID 

Despite its attractive price, the KM 184 offers state-of-the-art Neumann engineering. Its cardioid pattern is frequency-independent; the rearward rejection of sound (180°) is excellent, even at low frequencies. In practice, there is no sonic coloration over a wide pickup angle, which is crucial in multi-microphone setups and for accurate stereo/surround imaging. The KM 184's frequency response is very smooth and linear with a slight treble boost around 9 kHz for added brightness. Its innovative transformerless head amplifier offers a wide dynamic range of 125 dB and is carefully designed to maintain the capsule's sonic integrity. The KM 184 has a very low self-noise of only 13 dB-A and can handle high sound pressure levels up to 138 dB without distortion. Thanks to its low-impedance output stage, the KM 184 can drive long cables up to 300 meters (1000 feet) without transmission loss. 
 
 
APPLICATIONS
The KM 184 is a universal microphone for studio and stage applications. Its transparent sound makes the KM 184 a superb microphone for acoustic instruments, such as piano, percussion, drums, acoustic guitar, double bass, violin, cello, woodwinds, and brass. The KM 184 can be used for both soloists and ensembles. Thanks to its superior off-axis performance, the KM 184 is an excellent microphone for stereo and surround recording with perfect imaging. Although the KM 184 is not specifically optimized for the human voice, it is often used for classical vocals and whenever sonic authenticity is paramount. Due to its small size, the KM 184 is visually discreet and well-suited for TV and radio applications. 
 
 
Uniform cardioid directivity with no off-axis coloration
 
 
Linear frequency response with a slight treble boost
 
 
Very low self-noise (13 dB-A)
 
 
Low-impedance output for long cables without transmission losses
 
 
Transformer-free circuitry
 
 
Compact size, visually discreet