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Neumann History

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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 10

6

Mohms 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 like to
point out that every type of Neumann condens-
er microphone will pass this test.

Содержание 180 Series

Страница 1: ...Neumann History 1928 2005 English ...

Страница 2: ...crophone 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 kHz this microphone had an ex cess of 10 dB up to 4 kHz which decreased to approximately 15 dB at 10 kHz Not quite what we would call a studio microphone these days Neumann had never been...

Страница 3: ... Important Invention It was during the course of this widening de velopment work that Georg Neumann made his most important contribution to modern electri cal engineering In 1947 he de veloped a process by which nickel cadmium batteries could be made without the excessive formation of gas and so totally gas tight an invention that has direct links with virtually every modern electronic apparatus F...

Страница 4: ...which was to remain the only stereo microphone in the world for many years Measuring Technology 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 breakthroughs was the arrival in 1934 of Neumann s P 2 the first factory produced logari...

Страница 5: ...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 Neuman...

Страница 6: ...oduced the DMM technology in which the phonographic foil was replaced by copper foil resulting in D D D D Direct M M M M Metal M M M M Mastering DMM DMM DMM DMM 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 Technology At the 1983 AES Conv...

Страница 7: ...ann 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...

Страница 8: ...ome 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 taken to move micro phone production to the parent firm Senn...

Страница 9: ...d 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 th...

Страница 10: ...deo music and fire works show choreographed on a Berlin lake 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 market 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...

Страница 11: ... 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 thick pol yester foil such as Mylar This is first attached to br...

Страница 12: ...eat 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 106 Mohms are measured in the capsules Another test is to cool the microphones to slightly above freezing point and then plac...

Страница 13: ...MM disc cutting equipment P 11 The transformerless microphone TLM 170 R fet 100 series Hybrid circuit Active capsules AK 40 and AK 20 of the KM 100 series 1988 1996 Spherical surface microphone KFM 100 1992 Boundary layer microphone GFM 132 1990 P 14 Stereo shotgun microphone RSM 191 1988 Company s headquarters in Charlottenstrasse Berlin Company s headquarters in Ollenhauerstrasse Berlin P 15 Lar...

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