Neumann KM74?

[graemeh]

Hi all

There are a pair of these on ebay at the moment that I'm interested in - anyone had any experience with them?

Seems they are internally the same as the KM84 but without the transformer, powered by 12v instead of phantom.

Many thanks for any info! Cheers

[geareyes]

Hey Graeme,

Great mics.Basically anywhere you would throw a SDC, these mics fit the bill, and do a superb job.We also tried them on overs & piano with very pleasing results.

Runs on 'T' power', larger vented head basket, transformerless.Same capsule as the KM84.

Mike

[Chinagraf]

I saw that listing and noticed one of the amplifier bodies was a 75 not a 74. I was under the impression the '5' designation in Nuemann speak was one with a bass rolloff similar to the 84/85 series. If so I wonder how they were 'matched'?

[graemeh]

Thanks guys - yes Mike, I wonder too... but I believe the capsule had the rolloff not the body/preamp, but I'd better do some more research. Looks like a good price though for a pair?

[Chinagraf]

I think you're right about the capsule actually..
Rick will know.

[ChrisW]

Was watching the auction last week. He had it listed as an 85 body then.

[geareyes]

The KM74 will have a K64 Mylar capsule -( KK64 = whole capsule assembly ).This same capsule was later used in the Neumann 80 series mics, thus the KM84 had a K84.

[graemeh]

Thanks fellas, gotta take the kids to swimming lessons now... back tomorrow, cheers

[geareyes]

Argh .. Chlorine!

[Lee Cardan]

Hi Graeme
I have a pair and love them! Very nice balanced sound, great in the mids and not as forward as many other Neumanns. Something pretty special happening in that capsule/pattern too, reaches like a wide cardioid with little to no bad off-axis response

I grabbed the first pair I could find after Damien brought his pair in for a mic shootout I did a while back, have a listen and you can compare it to the usual suspects. Next to my C12Bs they're my equal fav for overheads, fantastic on strings too

http://soundcloud.com/lee-cardan/sets/e ... s-sdc-mic/

[graemeh]

Thanks Lee, they do sound very smooth, just gotta win the auction now!
Thanks everyone.
Cheers!

[rick]

Me I am not into the stupid powered ... neumanns just for the hassle factor .. but there is a school of thought that says they actually are better in a few small ways

matched pair ..? its just a thing people say to feel good about having two of the same mic,
they are not matched
there are no 35 year old matched pair of microphones .

bit like saying your eyes are a matched pair
or a womans breasts are a matched pair.
.. you know it happens..
you know its possible ..
you want to believe

but it the wash up most people cannot tell or wouldn't know how to tell
its just a thing people say
the question would be how far apart are they in sound .. "oh pretty close actually "
thats all you should ever believe ..
unless the mic is brand new and uber expensive and is still under warranty

[Chinagraf]

He he 'stupid power'. Bit of pita, use to use a couple of U77's, good if your not moving them around or using on locations etc. Sound good with the right supply, I'm not sure about those 48V converter thingys though.
Maybe a little more open sounding on top due to lack of tranny...?

[Alastair Reynolds]

"Stupid power " was what you get out of your Nagra Stellavox,Uher etc,so there was a lot of it around in film and TV in the days before ENG when your cinematographer has a 16 mm Camera and your sound guy had a T powered Sennheiser 405 on a boom, A Nagra around his neck and a clapper board.T power being 12 volt could be derived from batteries without the need for inverters to get it up to 48 V for phantom.Which with more primative electronics was tricky.We take switch mode power supplies and their derivatives rather for granted these days,but T power offered an ability to use a shotgun condensor in a portable mode in the 60's,which was pretty cool back then.

[rick]

Yes well considering that neumann invented the
Modern sealed rechargeable battery .. And the only reason
They could afford to make mic at the quality level they use to
Was the royalties from that invention .. Not from microphones


The few years they bothered with stupid power
We're short n sweet and experimental
TV and movie land never adopted their location mic
With or without stupid power .. Even when they where clearly
Superior
Neumann muse in their book on microphones
That they spent a fortune chasing picture work
For their microphone line
It never happened for them ..
For a while they thought it was
t power ..

Stupid power ..
Now there is a t shirt idea !

[ChrisW]

Send all your stupidly powered, old Neumann mics to me.

[rick]

Trade you for your old pre war leedy and Ludwig Stupidly sized,stupidly
Coloured and engraved
Snare drums ..?

[ChrisW]

I try not to go in for stupidly sized drums these days.
I did once own a 15" Ludwig 1920's snare, and a Tamburo 12 x 8 snare.

[rick]

I had a 14" by 3 inch 1920s l&l brass snare
I have No idea why I sold it !

[seancook]

i've a a 14x4 l&l nickel over brass, sounds great with a c37a on top and a km84 underneath!

[rick]

4" or 3 " ..? I sold mine to somebody through a guitar store contact in brisvagas about 15 years ago
bet its the same one

[ChrisW]

Most of the 1920's metal Ludwig's are outstanding.

[seancook]

nah its a 4"

but to bring it back to the original post, im sure the km74s would wound great on it

[Lee Cardan]

Wrong time to post this but.. someone got a good deal!
www.ebay.com.au/itm/Condenser-Microphon ... 1119608381

Good luck with the auction Graeme
They're fantastic mics

[geareyes]

One bullet proof way to bump up an auctions final figure is to announce it on a forum ...

But hey, I don't need them, Rick wants U48's, Lee's got plenty of mics, and that's one less Aussie above who won't need one.

Go get em graeme

[Chinagraf]

Yes, stealth is the way. If only you'd seen them last Tuesday when no one bid on them at $1500...
I saw a U48 for sale somewhere the other day.. can't remeber where it was..

[ChrisW]

I was watching the auction in the first week, but the description was misleading or incorrect. It had 1 x KM74 and 1 x KM85 with a KM74 capsule. I was trying to work out how a KM85 could be a T Powered mic.
I could have perhaps taken a risk and grabbed the mics for $1500 (mega bargain), but I already have 2 x KM84 so decided to pass.

[graemeh]

They're up to $1675 now and I've discovered I'm not as flush as I thought at the moment (slow payer) so I'm out unfortunately. Like Chris I'm kicking myself for not jumping on them last week, but they looked a bit too good to be true despite the 85 body.
Next time ha ha!!
Go for it you lot! Cheers