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Everything In Music Since 1958
Everything In Music Since 1958

Neumann SKM 185 Hypercardioid Condenser Microphone W/ SG21 Shockmount & WNS100 - Black Stereo Pair

by Neumann
Out of Stock
Original price $2,079.00
Original price $2,079.00 - Original price $2,079.00
Original price $2,079.00
Current price $1,650.00
$1,650.00 - $1,650.00
Current price $1,650.00
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█ Sold out: We don't think we can get this item because it was either discontinued by the manufacturer or was limited in quantity. If you want or need this item call or text us. Sometimes we can help you track down the item through other sources or help you find something similar.

About Item Conditions


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New: The item is brand new as received from the manufacturer with a full manufacturer warranty. Instruments such as guitars, snare drums, drum kits, brass and woodwind instruments may be opened for photography and quality control inspection and may not be in a factory sealed box.

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Used: The item is used. These item may have varying degrees of wear. Please read the description for information about the condition of the item. Used items do not carry a warranty.

B or C Stock: Factory refurbished. These items were purchased from the manufacturer in a refurbished condition. They will show some cosmetic issues, but nothing that would impact performance. Being that these are sealed from the manufacturer, we generally do not open these to photograph the cosmetic issues. They are guaranteed to work and may have a limited warranty or you may purchase an extended warranty in some cases. Please see the listing description for item specific information.

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Get The Successor to the KM 84 - The Neumann SKM 185 Hypercardioid Condenser Microphone Stereo Pair - Black

The KM 185 is a state-of-the-art small diaphragm condenser microphone with a tight, frequency-independent hypercardioid polar pattern. Its very natural, transparent sound with low self-noise and high SPL capability have made the KM 185 a worldwide stage and 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).

HYPERCARDIOID

Despite its attractive pricing, the KM 185 offers state-of-the-art Neumann engineering. Its hypercardioid pattern is frequency-independent; rejection of rearward sound (120°) is excellent, even at low frequencies. 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 185’s frequency response is very smooth and linear with a slight treble lift around 10 kHz for added brilliance. 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 185 has a very low self-noise of only 15 dB-A and can handle high sound pressure levels of up to 142 dB free from distortion. Due to its low impedance output stage, the KM 185 can drive long cable runs of up to 300 meters (1000 feet) without transmission losses.

APPLICATIONS

The KM 185 is a universal microphone for studio and stage applications. Its transparent sound makes the KM 185 a superb microphone for acoustic instruments, such as piano, acoustic guitar, upright bass, violin, cello, wind instruments, drums and percussion. Its high rejection at 120° without off-axis coloration makes the KM 185 a perfect problem solver in demanding applications, such as recording the snare drum while suppressing spill from the hi-hat. Although the KM 185 is not specially 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 185 is visually unobtrusive and well suited to TV and radio applications.

  • Uniform hypercardioid pattern without off-axis coloration
  • High suppression of unwanted sound
  • Linear frequency response with a slight treble lift
  • Low self-noise (15 dB-A)
  • Low impedance output for long cable runs without transmission losses
  • Compact size, visually unobtrusive


  • For universal use, especially for recording situations when it is necessary to attenuate off-axis sound (mainly from the rear) from other nearby instruments.
  • Announcer’s mic for broadcasting
  • Spot mic, overhead
  • Close miking of strings, wind instruments, percussion, piano, Leslie speakers, guitar amps


  • Acoustical operating principle: Pressure gradient transducer
  • Directional pattern: Hypercardioid
  • Frequency range: 20 Hz to 20 kHz
  • Sensitivity at 1 kHz into 1 kohm: 15 mV/Pa
  • Rated impedance: 50 ohms
  • Rated load impedance: 1 kohms
  • Equivalent noise level, CCIR1): 22 dB
  • Equivalent noise level, A-weighted1): 13 dB-A
  • Signal-to-noise ratio, CCIR1) (rel. 94 dB SPL): 72 dB
  • Signal-to-noise ratio, A-weighted1) (rel. 94 dB SPL): 81 dB
  • Maximum SPL for THD 0.5%2): 138 dB
  • Maximum output voltage: 10 dBu
  • Supply voltage (P48, IEC 61938): 48 V +/- 4 V
  • Current consumption (P48, IEC 61938): 3.2 mA
  • Matching connectors: XLR 3F

Manufacturer: Neumann
Model: KM 185-MT-STEREOSET
SKU: I269546-N-0-WHXX
UPC: 615104085251


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