Neumann KMS 150 User manual

Neumann
History
1928–2005
English

Neumann History
32
Georg Neumann –
An Inventor and His Life’s Work
Company founder Georg Neumann was born on
13 October 1898, in Chorin, some 80 m North-
east of Berlin. He received his vocational train-
ing at the firm of Mix & Genest in Berlin. Later
he wor ed in a research laboratory at AEG’s
Oberspree Cable Wor s where the focus was on
building amplifiers. Eugen Reisz was director
of this laboratory. A short while later, he found-
ed his own firm and too on Georg Neumann as
an employee.
In those days, the microphones commonly used
for sound recordings were carbon microphones.
These resembled a shoe polish tin, partially
filled with carbon grains, with openings on one
side to admit the sound. These openings were
bac ed by fine gauze to prevent the carbon
grains from falling out. By modern standards,
the quality of these microphones was dreadful.
The transducer principle used in these micro-
phones was also jo ingly referred to as a “con-
trolled loose connection”.
Georg Neumann examined this microphone,
scattered powdered carbon on a marble slab, in-
serted two electrodes, introduced a direct cur-
rent, and spo e into this configuration. A cor-
responding response which, by Georg Neumann’s
account, was very “thin”, ema-
nated from the attached loud-
spea er.
Next Neumann stretched a rub-
ber membrane over the con-
traption, spo e into it again,
and suddenly the low frequen-
cies were there. A new micro-
phone was born, the Reisz mar-
ble bloc microphone.
It was into this microphone
that the first German radio sta-
tion, a Berlin station broad-
casting on the 400 m band, sounded its “first
yawp” from Vox House on Potsdamer Platz in
1923.
With a linear frequency response between
50 Hz and 1 Hz this microphone had an ex-
cess of 10 dB up to 4 Hz, which decreased to
approximately 15 dB at 10 Hz. Not quite what
we would call a studio microphone these days.
Neumann had never been one to settle for com-
promises. In and of itself, the microphone was
indeed a sensation. Consumed
by the idea of mass producing
a microphone using the capaci-
tive transducer principle, he
soon parted company with Re-
isz to found his own firm in
Berlin, together with Erich Ric -
mann, on 23 November 1928.
Since until then the only place
in which it was possible to man-
ufacture a condenser micro-
phone was in the laboratory,
his plans for industrial produc-
tion seemed rather fantastic.
The Neumann Bottle
The CMV 3 was the first ever mass produced
condenser microphone, far superior to the Re-
isz microphone, and it gained recognition un-
der the nic name of the ‘Neumann Bottle’. It
wasn’t exactly small, measuring approx. 9 cm
in diameter and approx. 40 cm in height. Its
weight of nearly 3 g made reporting a very
strenuous job.
Telefun en, a subsidiary of AEG and Siemens,
too on the mar eting rights to Neumann’s mi-
crophone.
Between 1928 and the end of World War II the
Bottle’s design remained virtually unchanged,
during which time it became firmly established
as the standard for studio use and was used ex-
tensively in the 1936 Olympic Games in Ber-
lin. At this time there existed already a selec-
tion of exchangeable capsule heads with differ-
ent polar patterns.

Neumann History
54
More than Just Mi rophones ...
By 1928 Neumann had spread his attention to
other aspects of studio engineering, such as
record ma ing. It was his interest in record tech-
nology that was, in fact, the real reason for the
split with Eugen Reisz.
His enthusiasm and Reisz’ opposition were
stirred by a commission from Neumann’s friends
in England to build a machine for cutting
records. This machine was to become the basis
for Georg Neumann & Co’s secondary line of
products.
The earliest disc cutting machines were belt
driven. The head was moved forward by a spin-
dle, which was itself driven via
a worm gear and a further gear
from the base of the turntable.
The obvious parallel between
this configuration and later
record playing dec is particu-
larly significant when it is con-
sidered that by 1930 Neumann
had already made the transi-
tion from belt drive to direct
drive with the motor acting as
a direct extension of the turn-
table spindle.
Throughout the ’30s and early
’40s the company began to ta e on a recognis-
able shape. Diversification brought continued
innovation, ranging from electro-acoustic meas-
urement equipment to cinema gongs and sta-
tion identification code signals (used by broad-
casting companies to broadcast their station
identification) to standard linear microphones.
Neumann also developed a pistonphone for cali-
brating both standard and pressure microphones.
The pistonphone generated a sound pressure
which could be controlled optically with great
accuracy within the 20 Hz to 600 Hz range via
the movement of a piston which displaces a giv-
en volume of air. The amplitude of the piston
was observed through a microscope, enabling
the microphones to be calibrated to an excep-
tionally high degree of accuracy.
His Most Important Invention?
It was during the course of this widening de-
velopment wor that Georg Neumann made his
most important contribution to modern electri-
cal engineering. In 1947 he de-
veloped a process by which
nic el-cadmium batteries could
be made without the excessive
formation of gas and so totally
gas tight – an invention that has
direct lin s with virtually every
modern electronic apparatus.
Flash units, hearing aids, camer-
as, radios, etc, all rely on minute
nic el-cadmium batteries, whose
availability is the result of this
development.
One of the by-products of Neumann’s process
were stability cells, containing a cathode con-
sisting essentially of cadmium, cadmium oxide
and a nic el anode. These cells had a compara-
tive capacitance of 100 to 160,000 µF at a fre-
quency of 50 Hz, depending on the size of the
cell, and Neumann was able to use them to sta-
bilise the heating voltage for condenser micro-
phones.
Their outstanding filtering capacity was ex-
tremely useful for filtering the heating current,
particularly for directly heated tubes.
The Big Su ess
In retrospect, 1947 was a prolific year for the
Neumann company. On top of one major discov-
ery the company launched the
microphone that has probably
had the greatest influence in the
development of modern studio
microphone technology. The U 47
was the first switchable pattern
condenser microphone. Its im-
pact, especially in America, was
such that the dominance of
RCA’s ribbon microphone as the
studio standard was eclipsed.
The U 47 had a double diaphragm
capsule. Both diaphragms could
be polarised with the same volt-
age or neutralised with respect
to the centre electrode, so that
the omnidirectional and cardio-
id characteristics were adjusta-
ble. A ‘special’ (U 48) was also
produced, in which the dia-
phragms could be polarised with
opposite voltages with respect to the centre elec-
trode, so that it was possible to switch between
cardioid and figure-of-eight directional charac-
teristics.

Neumann History
76
The First
Remote-Swit hable Mi rophone
Other models appeared in 1949 and 1950, both
bearing some notable progress. In 1950 the
M 50 featured a pressure capsule embedded in
acrylic glass to give an outstanding omnidirec-
tional pattern. But more important was its pred-
ecessor, the M 49, which was the first micro-
phone that could be remote-switched.
Neumann’s wor on the M 49 coincided with a
similar invention by an engineer called Gross-
opf, of the Central Laborato-
ry of the Nordwestdeutscher
Rundfun in Hamburg. Here,
one microphone diaphragm
was fixed in the opposite di-
rection to the centre electrode
while the other one received a
capsule bias which could be
varied via a potentiometer.
This made it possible to switch
the characteristic smoothly
from omnidirectional, via car-
dioid, to figure-of-eight.
But it was Neumann, who
somehow managed to acquire
the patent for this, that went
on to produce the first remote-
switchable microphone, the M 49. Soon there
were numerous versions being launched by his
competitors, all of course made under license
from Neumann.
New Demands Posed
by Television and Sterephony
In Europe during the ’50s the two most impor-
tant developments in broadcasting technology
were undoubtedly the upsurge of television and
the arrival of stereophony, both requiring their
own specialised microphones.
By 1953 Neumann was meeting the demands
of television companies for smaller models
with a selection of condenser microphones
only 21 mm in diameter choice of omnidirec-
tional or cardioid models were available, plus
a switchable model which combined omnidi-
rectional, cardioid and bi-directional charac-
teristics.
To record in stereo naturally called for two mi-
crophones placed in such a manner that their
time/amplitude response was coincident. The
ideal solution therefore was to
mount two capsules in one
housing.
In 1956 Neumann produced the
SM 2, which was to remain the
only stereo microphone in the
world for many years.
Measuring Te hnology
During the course of the next two and a half
decades the potential for realistic sound re-
production offered by stereophony generated
intensified research in the recording world. For
the laboratories one of the first brea throughs
was the arrival, in 1934, of Neumann’s P 2,
the first factory produced logarithmic-display
level recorder. This became the standard meas-
uring equipment in acoustic
testing laboratories for many
years, notching up world-wide
sales in the process.
In this connection, one also
should not overloo the calibra-
tion microphones developed by
Neumann.
From Tubes to Transistors
The aforementioned miniature microphones of
the fifties and sixties were, of course, all tube
microphones. Considering the small diameter of
these microphones, this continues to amaze
many users even today. The tube used was usu-
ally the Telefun en AC 701 tube, which had been
developed especially for use in microphones. For
the time being, Neumann’s last tube-driven mi-
crophone circuit, developed in 1960, was des-
tined for use in the U 67 switchable large-mem-
brane microphone. It also mar ed another mile-
stone. This microphone model, which survives
today as the U 87 A, can rightfully be called one
of the world’s most well- nown studio micro-
phones.
In the sixties, tubes used as amplifiers and im-
pedance converters were increasingly replaced
by transistors. Upon the mar et
launch of the field effect tran-
sistor, at the latest, condenser
microphone circuits proved to
be no exception. In 1965, Neu-
mann introduced the “KTM”
1965, his first microphone
with transistor circuitry. A short
time later, Neumann developed
the concept of “phantom pow-
er” with 48 V. Now it was no
longer necessary to have a sep-
arate power supply for each mi-
crophone. Instead, all micro-
phone inputs could be fed cen-
trally with 48 V. The special,
multi-core microphone cable
was dropped in favour of three-
core standard cable, The numer-
ous connector types were uni-
fied and have now been re-
placed world-wide by three-pin
XLR connectors.

Neumann History
98
The variety of microphone
models, however, increased:
First the existing, well-tried
models of the 60 Series (e.g.,
KM 63, KM 64, and KM 65,
U 67) were replaced by suc-
cessors using semiconductors.
Starting in 1966, these were
the small and large mem-
brane microphones KM 83,
KM 84, KM 85 and U 87 of
the “fet 80” series for 48 V
phantom power.
The remote-switchable SM 69
fet stereo microphone was
joined by the locally switch-
able USM 69; the KMS 84
and KMS 85 microphones for
vocalists were developed, as
well as the KMR 81 and
KMR 82 as representatives
of a new microphone type,
the shotgun microphone.
Artifi ial Ears Learn to Hear
At the 1973 International Radio and Television
Exhibition in Berlin, the world witnessed the
debut of the “Dummy Head”. This mar ed the
invention of “binaural” stereo recording. Neu-
mann developed the first KU 80 Dummy Head
in close scientific cooperation with the Ber-
lin-based “Heinrich-Hertz-Institut”. It was de-
signed for true-to-life record-
ing of environmental acous-
tics. Later, these recordings
could be played bac to test
persons via headphones in
order to subject the record-
ings to an objective evalua-
tion. It quic ly became ap-
parent, however, that this
three-dimensional auditory
experience also permitted
very exciting radio produc-
tions, and the dummy head
established itself as an addi-
tional stereo microphone
alongside the “classic” mod-
els mentioned above for the so-called “coinci-
dence method”. Soon the improved KU 81
Dummy Head came on the mar et, followed by
the third-generation KU 100 in 1992.
Semi ondu tors for
Studio Mixing Consoles
While the developments at Neumann can be
chiefly related to advances in its condenser mi-
crophone technology, the company remains very
much involved in the manufacture of disc cut-
ting equipment, as well as the more directly as-
sociated field of complete sound mixing sys-
tems.
In the initial years of semiconductor develop-
ment, the world was flooded with tiny “six-tran-
sistor radios”. Everybody had one, and they
crac led and hissed music and information
wherever one turned. In terms of quality, how-
ever, they were nothing to write home about.
This had less to do with the semiconductors
themselves than it did with the application of
this interesting component bac then.
Throughout the company’s history, Neumann had
continually pushed the limits of physical pos-
sibility with regard to studio engineering equip-
ment. Why shouldn’t one be able to manufac-
ture a studio-quality amplifier using transistors,
too? The development contract was awarded,
and the first amplifier built was a 34 dB am-
plifier, designated “TV”, which had excellent
specifications. It was to become the heart of a
series of studio devices and gave rise, for ex-
ample, to the TEV equaliser and the TRV chan-
nel controller. The individual components were
developed in the early sixties. Then at the
1963 Radio and Television Exposition in Ber-
lin, Neumann debuted its first all solid-state
mixing console. It had 10 input channels, four
groups, and two output channels. Its design cor-
responded to the “Large Basic Unit according
to AK 3” and it met the conditions of the cor-
responding German standard. All inputs and out-
puts were balanced and floating, but the circuit
inside the console was unbalanced. The maxi-
mum output level was +6 dBm, which is very
low by present-day standards. The only transis-
tors available at the time, however, were Ger-
manium transistors. Nevertheless, transistors
had cast off the stigma of amateurishness once
and for all. Things had gotten off to a good start.
The development of silicon transistors then
opened the way for more powerful amplifiers.
Neumann built such devices and began manu-
facturing mixing consoles which, in electrical
and mechanical terms, made customers’ wild-
est dreams come true. Neumann enjoyed a great
deal of success with this technology and deliv-
ered several hundred custom-made mixing con-
soles to numerous German and European radio
and television broadcasting corporations, mov-
ie and recording studios, theatres, opera hous-
es, and concert halls.
Development progressed with the realisation of
computer-controlled switching equipment. In
the late seventies, for example, Neumann
equipped the main control room of what was
then the radio station RIAS-BERLIN with a com-
puter-controlled routing system. Other objec-
tives were mixing consoles that permitted stor-
age of static settings, for example, settings for
microphone amplifiers, equalisers, controllers,
and connecting points. This reduced set-up time
considerably. Neumann delivered consoles of
this type to the Schillertheater and the Theater
des Westens, both of which are theatres in Ber-
lin. The first broadcasting corporation to accept
delivery of a console of this type was Hes-
sischer Rundfun .
For the time being, continuing automation of
master control board equipment reached its ze-
nith in the N 7000 series, which offers fully
automated operation, for example, through
static and dynamic storage of all values and
time-code-driven automation of motor control-
lers and VCA pan pots. Consoles of this type
were delivered to the Berlin Philharmonic and
several broadcasting corporations, as well as
the Media Centre of the German Federal De-
fense Forces.

Neumann History
1110
Refinements in
Phonographi Te hnology
Up until around 1953, Neumann built dis -cut-
ting lathes for phonograph records with a con-
stant groove pitch. Between 1953 and 1955,
Neumann developed a method of varying the
groove pitch depending on the recorded am-
plitude. To this end, an additional playbac
head was mounted on the tape dec . This ad-
ditional playbac head determined the groove
amplitude to be recorded approximately one
half-rotation of the turntable in advance and
fed this value to the cutting lathe as a control
signal via a corresponding drive amplifier. Of
course, this also required a separately varia-
ble pitch drive. For the first time, this made
it possible to extend the playing time of an
LP phonograph record to approx. thirty min-
utes.
So far the records had been monophonic dis s
made using lateral recording. In 1956, Neu-
mann debuted its first stereo dis -cutting
lathe, the ZS 90/45, which supported both lat-
eral and vertical recording. The lathe was set
up to cut the two stereo channels into the two
flan s of the groove at a 45° angle. Over the
years, other dis cutting lathes
were developed, the quality of
which improved continually.
These were all electrodynami-
cal feedbac cutterheads. This
model series continued with
the SX 45, SX 68, SX 74 and
finally the SX 84.
Many companies made a name
for themselves with their prod-
ucts on the dis cutting mar-
et. These included, for exam-
ple, Ortofon, Westrex, Scully,
Fairchild, Dauphine, and others.
By the end of the fifties, Neu-
mann was the only company
left that could deliver com-
plete tape-to-dis transfer
equipment. Neumann saw this
position as a serious obliga-
tion to continue refining pho-
nographic technology. This
was reflected in the refine-
ment of the dis cutting lathes
and improvement of the cut-
ting procedure.
One interesting phenomenon in this connec-
tion is the tracing distortion that results from
the difference in geometric shape between the
tool used to cut the grooves and the playbac
stylus. The cutting stylus is shaped li e a
spade, while the playbac stylus is spherical.
During playbac , this results in tracing distor-
tion, which mainly contains the 2nd harmon-
ic. In 1968, Neumann built the Tracing Simu-
lator that solved this problem.
In the early seventies, Neumann successfully
developed, in conjunction with TELDEC, a me-
chanically recorded video record that was played
bac via a pressure pic up. The experience
gained in this connection led to another signif-
icant improvement in the process of cutting pho-
nograph records. In the beginning, phonograph
records were cut in bee’s wax and for years
thereafter in a phonographic foil coated with
nitro-cellulose lacquer. Neumann introduced the
DMM technology, in which the phonographic foil
was replaced by copper foil, resulting in DD
DD
Direct
MM
MM
Metal MM
MM
Mastering, DMMDMM
DMMDMM
DMM. This resulted in substan-
tially improved pulse fidelity of the recorded
signal, which represented another significant
improvement in the sound quality of phono-
graphic records.
One Step Ahead Again:
The TLM Te hnology
At the 1983 AES-Convention in Amsterdam,
Neumann unveiled a brand new series of mi-
crophones with refined circuitry: the TT
TT
Transfor-
merLL
LL
Less MM
MM
Microphones of the “fet 100” series.
The first representative of this series was the
switchable TLM 170 with five directional pat-
terns from which to choose. It used the same
dual-diaphragm capsule as its somewhat older,
transformer-equipped brother, the U 89.
Each microphone represented a considerable
improvement in the common dynamic range of
studio microphones at its respective time of in-
troduction. Their electronics evidenced lower
residual noise and, simultaneously, higher mod-
ulation levels than predecessor models. Further-
more, they were also a novelty in the mar et
because they were the first to provide wide-an-
gle cardioid and hypercardioid directional pat-
terns in addition to the omnidirectional, cardi-
oid, and figure-eight patterns common at the
time.
The “especially open, free sound” of the TLM
technology, which made it possible to transmit
fine structures “as if a curtain had been pulled
aside”, encouraged Neumann to quic ly equip
other microphones with this system.
In order to be able to fit
the complex circuitry
into miniature micro-
phones, however, it first
too an additional de-
velopment step: hybrid
technology. This tech-
nology even made it
possible to incorporate
all electronics right in the cap-
sule housing, thus giving rise
to the “active capsules” of the
KM 100 series.
So Neumann’s miniature micro-
phones not only too another
clear step toward improved
technical data, but now the
capsules could be used with the
help of accessories such as
goosenec s, stand mounts, var-
ious cables, and tilting devic-
es without electro-acoustic
loss.
This miniature microphone
family now comprises seven
different capsules with all cus-
tomary directional patterns.
These also include stereo mounts for XY, ORTF
and MS recording techniques.
The Spe ialists
Besides the aforementioned dummy head, in
1992 the KFM 100 Spherical Surface Micro-
phone was introduced for an additional stereo
recording method.
This microphone had two small, high-quality
condenser capsules arrayed on
the diameter of a head-sized
wooden sphere. In the
GFM 132 Boundary Layer Mi-
crophone, these capsules had
been optimised for sound re-
ceived at oblique angles. Thus
the KFM 100 was a micro-
phone for especially natural
stereo recordings with tremen-
dous acoustic depth, ma ing it
ideal for mi ing highly com-
plex acoustic fields, such as
those found in churches and
large halls.

Neumann History
1312
1980:
U89
Variable Studio
Microphone
1988:
KM 100
Variable Miniature
Microphone System
1987:
RSM 190-S
First Stereo Shotgun
Microphone
1988: RSM 191-S
1994: RSM 191 -S
1983:
KMR 81
Shotgun
Microphone
1978:
KMR 82
Shotgun
Microphone
1977:
KMS 84
Vocalist Microphone
1974:
QM 69
Quad Microphone
1965:
KTM
First Transistor
Condenser Microphone
for Modulation Lead
Powering
1957:
SM 2 Stereo Microphone
1961: SM 23
1960:
U 67 Switchable
Condenser Microphone
1962: M 269
1964:
KM 63 ... 65
U 64, SRM 64
Miniature Microphones
1964:
SM 69 Stereo Microphone
1970: SM 69 fet (Transistor)
1966:
KM 66
Variable Miniature
Microphone
1966:
KM 83 ... 85
Miniature Microphones
for Phantom Powering
1990:
GFM 132
Boundary Layer Microphone
1992:
KFM 100
Spherical Surface
Stereo Microphone
1994:
KM 184
Miniature Microphone
1968:
KM
Clip-on
Microphone
1969:
U 47 fet
Condenser
Microphone
1971:
KMS 85
Vocalist Microphone
1973:
KU 80 Dummy Head
1982: KU 81
1992: KU 100
1966:
KML
Clip-on
Microphone
1968:
KM 86
Variable Miniature
Microphone
1928:
Foundation of the
Company by
Georg Neumann
1928:
CMV 3 First Condenser
Microphone
(The Neumann-Bottle)
1949:
MM 2 Cal.-Microphone
1954: MM 3
1959: MM 5
1969:
KM 88
Variable Miniature
Microphone
1949:
U 47 Variable
Condenser Microphone
1957: U 48
1966:
KM 73 ... 75
Miniature Microphones for
Modulation Lead Powering
1953:
KM 53 Miniature Microphone
1954: KM 54
1955: KM 56 (switchable)
1960: KM 253 ... 256 (RF proof)
1993:
TLM 193
Studio Microphone
1991:
KMS 140 / 150
Vocalist Microphone
1951:
M 50 Condenser Microphone
and M 49 (remote switchable)
1961: M 250 / M 249 (RF proof)
1967:
U 87
Variable Studio Microphone
1968: U 77
(Mod. Lead Powering)
1986: U 87
1983:
TLM 170
Transformerless,
variable Studio Microphone
1993: TLM 170 R
(remote switchable)
1990:
TLM 50
Pressure Microphone
1982:
KMF 4
Miniature
Microphone
1979:
USM 69
Variable Stereo
Microphone
1995:
M 149 Tube
Tube Microphone
1997:
TLM 103
Large Diaphragm
Microphone
1998:
M 147 Tube
Tube Microphone
1999:
Series 180
Miniature Microphone
1999:
KMS 105
Vocalist Microphone
2000:
M 150 Tube
Tube Microphone
2002:
KK 105 S
Capsule Head
for Sennheiser
Wireless Systems
2003:
TLM 127
Switchable Large Diaphragm
Microphone
2003:
D-01
Digital Microphone System
Solution-D
2003:
BCM 104
Broadcast Microphone
2004:
KK 104 S
Capsule Head
for Sennheiser
Wireless Systems
2005:
BCM 705
Broadcast Microphone
1967:
KM 76
Variable Miniature
Microphone
1999:
Technical Grammy
to the
Georg Neumann GmbH

Neumann History
1514
Especially for outdoor re-
cordings the RSM 191
stereo shotgun micro-
phone was developed. The
recording angle of this MS
combination can be ad-
justed for the most di-
verse recording situa-
tions.
Upheaval Everywhere
These dynamic developments in the area of
capsule technology and circuitry coincided not
only with turbulent upheavals in global politics,
but also with changes throughout the Neumann
Company’s corporate structure. For three dec-
ades, the company’s Charlottenstrasse head-
quarters in Berlin near the Allied border chec -
point “Chec point Charlie” had stood at the
edge of Western Europe. After the fall of the
Berlin Wall in 1989, Neumann suddenly found
itself thrust into the centre of Berlin. The con-
sequence: costs climbed dramatically overnight
and ultimately the company’s building was to
be torn down to ma e way for a planned s y-
scraper.
The “politics in microcosm” within the compa-
ny, however, was also good for a few surprises.
The Neumann family, which had continued to
hold a controlling interest in the company after
Georg Neumann’s demise in 1976, decided to
sell its shares. TELDEC, which in turn now be-
longed to Warner Brothers, had been an addi-
tional owner since the early seventies. After ne-
gotiation with several prospective buyers, the
Neumann family decided to turn the company
over as a whole to a similarly structured, fami-
ly-run German company that also has experience
in the studio mar et: Sennheiser electronic
GmbH & Co. KG.
So 1 January 1991 mar ed the start of a new
chapter in the 62 year history of Georg Neu-
mann GmbH, Berlin. This coincided with two
fundamental changes in the mar et and thus was
not without consequences: Since the mid eight-
ies, traditional vinyl dis technology had been
increasingly replaced by compact discs. Auto-
mation and digitisation in mixing console tech-
nology demanded ever increasing development
outlay with ever shorter product life cycles for
the components.
Some of the last large consoles in N 7000 tech-
nology were installed in the Berlin Philharmo-
ny and in regional studios of the Austrian
broadcaster ORF.
Since 1993 Neumann concentrates itself on stu-
dio microphones. Herewith lie the core compe-
tence, the tradition, and 70 years experience
of Neumann, Berlin.
Neumann Moves
In 1993, a decision was ta en to move micro-
phone production to the parent firm Sennheiser,
located north of Hannover.
Now it was time to brea camp and ma e a
“fresh start” at a new location. This location is
in Ollenhauerstrasse on the Northwest side of
Berlin, not far from Tegel Airport. At Sennheis-
er, in the meantime, a separate “Neumann Pro-
duction Hall” was erected with state-of-the-art
machinery and manufacturing equipment. Than s
to intense training measures, within a very short
time it was possible to manufacture the entire
line of microphones and accessories at the high
level of quality which the world has come to ex-
pect and appreciate.
New Obje tives – New Mi rophones
Despite all of these very dramatic changes, de-
velopment of new microphones continued at the
usual pace. In 1993, for example, Neumann
launched the TLM 193 large diaphragm micro-
phone. Limitation to those factors that are es-
sential for recording quality, in
conjunction with uncompromis-
ing streamlining of production,
resulted in a new microphone
category. This was a studio mi-
crophone which, by virtue of its
low price, for the first time
reached a demanding new set
of customers who until then
had never even dared dream of
owning a “real Neumann”. This
mar ed the advent of a new
generation of microphones,
which was continued one year
later with the KM 184. In this
connection, Neumann is espe-
cially proud of the fact that not only do these
microphones have the technical specifications
associated with “real studio microphones”, but
they are also part of the continual, uncompro-
mising improvement of these values. For the
time being, the zenith of this development is
mar ed by the TLM 103, which was launched in
1997 and received the TEC Award in 1998. For
now, its residual noise of just 7 dB-A ma es it
the “quietest” studio microphone on the global
mar et.

Neumann History
1716
Ba k to the Tubes
The assertion above that the U 67 was Neumann’s
last tube microphone is not entirely correct.
Down to the present day, the development of
semiconductor circuitry has resulted in tremen-
dous improvements in specifications. There has
also been amazing improvement in the relia-
bility of all components. Quality and utmost
technical complexity have become common-
place. Equipment available only to profession-
als a few years ago is now available for rela-
tively little money.
Nevertheless, one “old-fashioned” component
has, despite a brief slumber, never disappeared,
especially in the studio sector: tubes. First they
became popular in power amplifiers, where they
could bring their pleasant sounding qualities to
bear, then the clamour for a microphone reviv-
al became increasingly loud.
In 1995, Neumann responded with its
M 149 Tube. The “49” in the name is no acci-
dent, since this large dia-
phragm microphone with nine
switchable directional charac-
teristics falls bac on distin-
guished ancestors through its
use of the K 47/49 capsule and
its design. The circuitry is mod-
ern, however, despite the tube
impedance converter which de-
termines the sound. The output
stage contains a transformer-
less, solid-state amplifier that
can handle high modulation
levels for driving even long mi-
crophone cables. This was al-
ways a problem with this micro-
phone’s ancestors, since cable
material and length were always unforeseeable
factors affecting the resulting sound.
Highlights of the
End of the Millenium
At the end of 1998, exactly one century after
the birth of Georg Neumann, the M 149 Tube
inspired the new M 147 Tube. Limited to the
most popular directional characteristic, the car-
dioid characteristic, the M 147 Tube features
the same capsule and circuit technology as the
award-winning M 149 Tube.
Another highlight in the history of the compa-
ny occurred shortly before the end of the mille-
nium: In February, 1999, Neumann was award-
ed the Technical Grammy in Los Angeles for its
contributions of outstanding technical signifi-
cance to the recording field and the audio world.
In addition a large number of Neumann products
received the coveted TEC Award from the Amer-
ican MIX magazine: the TLM 50, the M 149 Tube,
the TLM 103, the M 147 Tube, the KMS 105, the
M 150 Tube and finally the TLM 127, which ap-
peared in the year 2003.
Neumann on Stage
Although a few artists had al-
ready favored the use of Neu-
mann microphones such as the
KMS 85 and KMS 140 on the
stage, it was only with the de-
velopment of the KMS 105 in
1999 that Neumann first ex-
panded into the vast field of
live stage applications on a
larger scale. Not long after-
ward, this microphone became
established as an internation-
ally recognized standard in the
area of live vocal microphones.
The demand for a wireless ver-
sion became ever more press-
ing. The natural use of the syn-
ergy effects of the parent com-
pany Sennheiser, which for
years has been nown as the
best source of wireless technol-
ogy, permitted the develop-
ment of versions of the capsule
head which can be used with
the Sennheiser SKM 5000 wire-
less system. Neumann micro-
phones can now be seen regu-
larly on television at large con-
certs and television shows.

Neumann History
1918
Neumann goes Digital
Simultaneously, in the first years of the new
millenium, the Neumann engineers were wor -
ing intensively on the development of the first
digital microphone. Once again, this involved
basic research in a completely new technology
in this field. This finally resulted in the suc-
cessful development of the first digital micro-
phone, the Solution D-01, which was introduced
to the mar et. The company has thus once again
provided impressive evidence of its technolog-
ical leadership.
The 75th Anniversary of the Company
In 2003 Neumann celebrated the 75th anniver-
sary of the company in Berlin in grand style.
Many guests from around the world enjoyed a
wide-ranging, information and entertaining
program which served to acquaint them with the
company and with the continually
changing city of Berlin. The fi-
nale of the festivities was an im-
pressive video, music and fire-
wor s show choreographed on a
Berlin la e, which amazed even
the guests who were professionals
in this field.
On the occasion of the anniversary,
Neumann put a costly Platinum Edition
of the M 149 Tube on the mar et, which
has become a coveted item especially for
microphone collectors.
An unusually detailed insight
into the history of the compa-
ny (287 pages, illustrated with
more than 500 photographs) is
provided by the boo Neumann
- The Microphone Company: A
Story of Innovation, Excellence
and the Spirit of Audio Engi-
neering. Published in 2003,
the boo is now also available
in boo stores.
The Broad ast Line
In the year 2003 the first microphone of the
new Broadcast Line, the BCM 104, was intro-
duced to broadcast studios. The BCM 104 fea-
tures a completely new, functionally optimized
design, which is especially adapted to meet the
requirements of broadcasters. Neumann subse-
quently provided a real surprise for the audio
world: The second microphone in the Broadcast
Line, the BCM 705, is the first dynamic Neu-
mann microphone on the mar et in the history
of the company.

Neumann History
2120
Neumann: A Name Stands
for Quality and Pre ision
Despite all the progress in machines and pro-
duction technology, manufacturing a high-qual-
ity microphone involved a great deal of hand-
icraft, upon which the quality of these trans-
ducers and a reputation such as Neumann’s
ultimately depend.
Capsule Building – A S ien e in Itself
The performance of the condenser microphone,
now manufactured in an extremely wide range
of models, remains largely reliant on the preci-
sion engineering involved in capsule production.
The common centre electrode found on a dou-
ble diaphragm capsule contains a large number
of critical drill holes, some of which are blind.
The depth of these blind holes determines the
volume of air trapped behind the diaphragm.
This volume, which inhibits the movements of
the diaphragm, determines the transducing ca-
pability of the condenser microphone.
The dimensions of the holes, and their accurate
machining becomes even more crucial when the
electrode is produced in two halves. With this
design the two halves of the capsule can be elec-
trically connected, and similarly separated, by
means of an isolating intermediate layer, there-
by ma ing it possible to switch the directional
characteristic with the available polarisation
voltage.
To smooth the surface of the electrodes two dif-
ferent processes are employed. For microphone
capsules whose surface lie on one plane a lap-
ping process can achieve a surface flatness of
0.3 µm and a plane parallelism of +/– 1 µm be-
tween the front and the bac of the electrode.
In some cases a capsule’s surface may be in two
planes. This may be because the distance be-
tween the diaphragm and the electrode has al-
ready been determined by the second plane of
the electrode. In such cases the finishing is per-
formed on special lathes.
After lapping or lathe finishing, the holes must
be deburred, followed by a visual inspection us-
ing a powerful microscope.
Diaphragms are made from a 6.3 µm thic pol-
yester foil, such as Mylar. This is first attached
to brass rings, then put into a container which
holds it while gold is applied under vacuum to
a uniform layer 300 Angstroms thic (0.03 µm).
The external diameter of the capsule is approx-
imately 34 mm. The diaphragm is fitted approx-
imately 40 µm in front of the electrode and is
6.3 µm thic . When a sound pressure of 1 Pa is
applied the diaphragm movement is no more
than 10 nm. By comparison, the wavelength of
violet light is 400 nm.
The mechanical advantages being achieved un-
der these microscopic proportions is best put
into perspective by illustrating thus: if a mi-
crophone capsule were to be given a scale on
which the amplitude for 1 Pa were represented
by 1 mm the capsule under manufacture would
have to have a diaphragm spacing of 4 m, and
the diameter of the capsule would be more than
3 m.
One type of capsule, the KK 88 from the KM 88
microphone, uses pure nic el as the diaphragm
material 0.0007 mm thic (0.7 µm).
On assembly of the capsule aluminium foil spac-
er rings, 40 µm thic are attached to the mid-
dle and the edge of the electrode. The lead-in
contact for the polarisation voltage is fitted in
the centre. This is an assembly device that en-
ables the capsule to be directly connected to a
test instrument, with which the capacitance is
measured and the mechanical strength of the
diaphragm tested. This is done by measuring
the change in the basic capacitance after the
polarisation voltage has been applied.

Neumann History
2322
Quality Must Be Measurable
To meet the operating conditions encountered
in the studio the microphones are subject to
testing throughout their manufacture. The cap-
sules alone undergo more than 50 different
tests before final assembly.
Since the very beginning in 1928 Neumann
condenser microphones have always operated
on an audio frequency circuit, with the capsule
consequently acting as a very high-impedance
generator, rendering it highly sensitive to mois-
ture. And as moisture represents one of the
most common operational hazards of a warm re-
cording studio, Neumann has paid great atten-
tion to all aspects of insulation.
Quality control devoted to this aspect includes
a moisture chamber, in which capsules are
placed until both the diaphragm and microphone
body are dripping wet. Even under these condi-
tions insulation resistances to the order of
20 x 106Mohms are measured in the capsules.
Another test is to cool the microphones to
slightly above freezing point and then place
them in a chamber with 100% humidity, at a
relatively high temperature. The spontaneous
moisture formation that follows infiltrates not
only the capsule but the entire electronic cir-
cuitry. It would have to be an extremely uncom-
fortable studio to recreate such conditions to
say the least, but just in case, we would li e to
point out that every type of Neumann condens-
er microphone will pass this test.

24
Georg Neumann GmbH • Ollenhauerstr. 98 • 13403 Berlin • German • Tel.: [phone] • Fax: [phone] • E-Mail: [email protected] • Website: www.neumann.com
Errors excepted, subject to changes • Printed in German • Publ. 09/05 89496/A03
Legend
P. 2 Georg Neumann
Reisz-microphone
P. 3 Erich Rickmann – Co-founder of he company
Capsules for he CMV 3
CMV 3 – The firs condenser microphone (1928)
P. 4 Disc cu ing machine, bel driven (in he 30’s)
Disc cu ing machine, direc driven (in he 30’s)
Microphone es se up – Calibra ion of microphones wi h
pis onphone
S abili y cells (1947)
P. 5 The firs larger workshop of he company a he Brandenburgs rasse,
Berlin (abou 1930)
Double diaphragm capsule of U 47 (1947)
U 47 – The firs swi chable pa ern condenser microphone (1947)
P. 6 M 49 – The firs remo e-swi chable microphone (1951)
Minia ure microphone KM 53 (1953)
SM 2 – The firs s ereo microphone (1956)
A enua ion recorder P 2 (1934)
P. 7 Measuring microphone MM 2 (1949)
Large diaphragm microphone U 67 (1960)
Large diaphragm microphone U 87 A (1967)
P. 8 Small diaphragm microphone KM 84 (1966)
Vocalis microphone KMS 85 (1971)
Sho gun microphone KMR 81/82 (1978/1983)
Dummy head KU 80 (1973)
Dummy head KU 100 (1992)
P. 9 Mixing consoles a he hea re “Thea er des Wes ens”, Berlin
Mixing consoles of he N 7000 series a he Berlin Philharmonic
P. 10 Microscope pic ure of record grooves
Disc cu ing head SX 74
Comple e ape- o-disk ransfer equipmen
DMM-disc cu ing equipmen
P. 11 The ransformerless microphone TLM 170 R (“fe 100” series)
Hybrid circui
Ac ive capsules AK 40 and AK 20 of he KM 100 series (1988/1996)
Spherical surface microphone KFM 100 (1992)
Boundary layer microphone GFM 132 (1990)
P. 14 S ereo-sho gun microphone RSM 191 (1988)
Company’s headquar ers in Charlo ens rasse, Berlin
Company’s headquar ers in Ollenhauers rasse, Berlin
P. 15 Large diaphragm microphone TLM 193 (1993)
Minia ure microphone KM 184 (1994)
TLM 103 – The “quie es ” s udio microphone (1997)
P. 16 M 147 Tube (1998)
Tec Award for he large diaphragm microphone M 149 Tube wi h
K 47/49-capsule (1997)
P. 17 Technical Grammy (1999)
KK 105 S Capsule head for Sennheiser Wireless
Sys ems (2002)
KMS 105 Vocalis microphone (1999)
MIPA Awards for KMS 105 (2002) und SKM 5000 N/KK 105 S (2003/
2004) vocalis microphones
P. 18 D-01 Digi al microphone sys em Solu ion-D (2003)
M 149 Jubilee „Pla inum Edi ion“ (2003)
P. 19 „Neumann – The Microphone Company“ Anniversary book (2003)
Wa ershow und firework a Neumann 75 Years Even (2003)
Broadcas microphone BCM 104 (2003)
P. 20 Capsule workshop – Moun ing he diaphragms on o capsule body
(1996)
P. 21 Microphone-lab – Moun ing he gold-pla ed diaphragms on o elec-
rodes (in he 50's)
Microphone-lab – Assembly of U 47 capsule heads (in he 50’s)
Microphone-lab – S a ic measuremen of U 47/M 49 capsules
(in he 50’s)
Measuring equipmen for free-field microphone measuremen
(in he 50’s)
P. 22 Anechoic measuring room (1996)
Capsule workshop – Moun ing he diaphragms on o capsule body
(1996)
Capsule workshop – Assembling he capsule heads (1996)
Capsule workshop – Equipmen for s a ic measuremen s (1996)