Neumann Microphones and the Perfection of Vocal Sound Engineering
Georg Neumann introduced the world’s first commercially available condenser microphone, the Neumann CMV, and officially put his new company Neumann on the map. The interchangeable capsules offered different directional patterns, and it was hard to miss at 40 cm tall and 9cm in diameter. Due its large profile, it became known as the “Neumann bottle.” The easily recognizable CMV 3 is often seen in historical photographs of public events in Germany, many taken during World War II.
After the Neumann factory in Berlin was damaged by Allied bombing in November 1943, Georg Neumann moved his company to the town of Gefell and resumed production in the early months of 1944. After the close of World War II, Gefer was taken by the Soviets and Neumann became a state owned and operated “people’s corporation.” After the reunification of Germany, the company in Gefell, which had continued to use the Neumann name, became known as Microtech Gefell.
Upon re-establishing Neumann in one of the Allied sectors of Berlin under the new name “Georg Neumann GmbH,” the famous U47 switchable pattern microphone was developed, based on the M7 capsule of the earlier CMV 3 microphones. One of the first condenser microphones to be widely accepted, the U47, was used in recording studios around the world. Neumann microphones were used by The Beatles giving their recording a signature sound which had better upper midrange response, and sounded sharper and more present.
Post-war, Neumann developed the famous M49 and M50, both of which used the M7 capsule, and later during the 50′s the KM 53, 54, and 56. In 1957 Neumann introduced the first stero microphone, which was essentially a pair of KM56 microphones housed in the same body and capable of being remotely controlled. The rock ‘n roll era was distinguished by recording up close vocals at high volume into the U47 and U48, producing a harsh, overdriven sound. Just as this trend was developing, the VF 14 vacuum tube was discontinued by its manufacturer, Telefunken, leaving the U47 and U48 without an essential component, which led to the development of the subsequent U67.
The mid-sixties saw the introduction of the first solid state Neumann microphones, the KTM and the U77, transistorized version of earlier Neumann mics. In 1966, the Neumann U87 capacitor microphone employed the “phantom power” method which had been used for years by telephone systems, allowing Neumann tube, solid state and dynamic microphones to all e connect to the same power supply.
In the 80’s Neumann introduced the TLM 170 microphone, which featured balanced outputs and no output transformer. The KM100 was an expansion on the transformerless design and featured seven different changeable active capsules. The TLM 193 borrowed the capsules from the U89 and TLM 170, the KM 180 series, the large diaphragm TLM 103 and the variable pattern TLM 127 condenser.
In 1983 Neumann began to introduce microphones with balanced outputs but no output transformer, starting with the model TLM 170. Eventually this “fet 100″ or “transformerless” series was expanded to include the KM 100 modular series of small microphones (with seven different “active capsules” for various directional patterns), the cardioid TLM 193 (using the capsule of the U 89 and TLM 170), the small-diaphragm KM 180 series, the large-diaphragm cardioid TLM 103, the variable-pattern TLM 127 and the TLM 49 cardioid vocal microphone.
During the 90′s, Neumann introduced a revolutionary series of vacuum tube microphones that featured transformerless output circuitry. Widely sought after still today, the Neumann M149 tube microphone, the M147 cardioid tube microphone and the M 150 tube microphone are all based on the M 50 design that was developed with the pressure transducer mounted directly on the surface of the sphere inside the capsule head. The iconic Neumann company was bought by Sennheiser in 1991, and production was moved to a brand new level 100, clean factory in Wedermark, but official Neumann headquarters remained in Berlin.
Neumann revolutionized microphone technology again in 2003 with the Solution-D D-01 microphone, featuring built in analog to digital conversion. A few years later, the D-01 was followed with a modular, small-diaphragm series of digital microphones, KM D, based on the KM 100/180 series. It was during this time that Neumann also developed its first dynamic microphone, the BCM 705 broadcast microphone.
Since the beginning, Neumann microphones have remained synonymous with quality and signature models like the Neumann U87 have become unmistakable icons of the recording studio. For artists, producers and engineers alike, Neumann vocal microphones represent the highest level of sonic perfection and innovation.
Tagged with: neumann microphone • Neumann microphones • neumann u87
Filed under: Classical Performers
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