Neumann KMS104 Cardioid Handheld Condenser Stage Microphone - Nickel

The KMS 104 is a studio grade vocal microphone for stage use. Its precision manufactured condenser capsule offers true Neumann sound quality, combined with all the virtues of a rugged stage microphone: excellent pop protection, low handling noise, enormous SPL capability, and high feedback resistance, thanks to its tight cardioid pattern.

The KMS 104 brings studio sound quality to the stage. Unlike usual stage microphones, which use dynamic capsules, the KMS 104 is equipped with a true condenser microphone capsule offering the superior clarity that made Neumann studio microphones famous all over the world. At the same time, the KMS 104 possesses the ruggedness required of a stage mic, thus refuting the myth that condenser microphones must be “fragile”. The KMS 104 can stand enormous sound pressure levels of up to 150 dB without clipping, and its tight, frequency-independent cardioid pattern ensures high gain before feedback. The KMS 104 has a much smoother frequency response than dynamic microphones and an airy top-end. Compared to dynamic microphones, the Neumann KMS 104 has a vastly superior transient response resulting in a more immediate and more emotional vocal sound. In practical terms: effortless intelligibility, without the usual EQ boosts – which further improves feedback resistance.

The KMS 104 is primarily designed as a handheld vocal microphone but can be used for other stage applications as well, due to its high SPL capability and wide dynamic range. Examples include percussion, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, harmonica, acoustic guitar, and guitar cabinets. Thanks to its superior sound quality, the KMS 104 is also an excellent microphone for home recording and broadcast applications. Because it is optimized for close mic placement, the KMS 104 will pick up a dry sound with very little ambience, which is a big advantage in untreated rooms.