Full disclosure, this mix has been on my Mic bucket list for a long time, actually since it first hit the market years ago! When I finally had the chance to pull the trigger and get one, I jumped at the chance.Not that it bothered me, but I thought it would be bigger, as it has such a distinctive look that it's always very noticeable when I've seen it on TV.And when I first plugged it in, and compared it to my Sennheiser e935 and Sennheiser MKE 4032 mics, it didn't sound as bright and I had to boost the treble a little on the Eq to match the sound.Interestingly, as Neumann and Sennheiser are connected as sister companies, the shape and design of the Neumann KMS 105 and my Sennheiser MKE 4032 are very similar looking.But once I started to use Neumann KMS 105, ... MoreFull disclosure, this mix has been on my Mic bucket list for a long time, actually since it first hit the market years ago! When I finally had the chance to pull the trigger and get one, I jumped at the chance.Not that it bothered me, but I thought it would be bigger, as it has such a distinctive look that it's always very noticeable when I've seen it on TV.And when I first plugged it in, and compared it to my Sennheiser e935 and Sennheiser MKE 4032 mics, it didn't sound as bright and I had to boost the treble a little on the Eq to match the sound.Interestingly, as Neumann and Sennheiser are connected as sister companies, the shape and design of the Neumann KMS 105 and my Sennheiser MKE 4032 are very similar looking.But once I started to use Neumann KMS 105, I noticed it made the vocals really stand out in the mix, much better than the Sennheiser mics.Highly recommended!!

After trying many different brands and models of mics (all types, dynamic, condenser, etc), I finally decided to give the KMS 105 a shot. Unlike other stage mics, the 105 stays super clean, not boomy, even when you're right up on it. I sing a variety of material from pop to metal and it has yet to disappoint me. I had no issues with feedback even during a live metal show in a boxy sounding room with poor acoustics. The carry case is a nice too as well. Additionally, this mic will help you improve your pitch and tone because you'll be able to hear your voice clearly, with less influence from the gear.

After watching so many microphone reviews on YouTube it came down to this or the Earthworks srv40. I chose this for mainly price and just basically flipped a coin. I have a baritone voice so it’s kinda hard to eq and make sound clear. To be totally honest I could not hear a major difference in the house from the sennheiser 945 I was using before. I sang into both side by side and it was hard to tell which one is which.It has helped with making my in ear monitor mix a whole lot better. The other microphones were either too harsh or too bassy and hard to sit into the mix of my in ears. This sits really well and I can hear my voice without busting my ears. So if it has made a significant difference in my in ear monitors it makes me believe that it’s sounding good in ... MoreAfter watching so many microphone reviews on YouTube it came down to this or the Earthworks srv40. I chose this for mainly price and just basically flipped a coin. I have a baritone voice so it’s kinda hard to eq and make sound clear. To be totally honest I could not hear a major difference in the house from the sennheiser 945 I was using before. I sang into both side by side and it was hard to tell which one is which.It has helped with making my in ear monitor mix a whole lot better. The other microphones were either too harsh or too bassy and hard to sit into the mix of my in ears. This sits really well and I can hear my voice without busting my ears. So if it has made a significant difference in my in ear monitors it makes me believe that it’s sounding good in house.I think this is worth it. It’s cleaned up my headset mix and helps me hear my voice without me having to turn it up. It sounds natural and sweet. I don’t think the average ear will be able to tell a big difference in a mix. They might be able to if you’re using a lower end mic like an sm58 or a sennheiser 835.If you use in ear monitors and you are struggling to get your vocals to be heard without having it way too loud, this is it. Which by default I would say helps with your vocals in the FOH mix.

Best Vocal Microphone, Ever. It's like how Jesus and the angels make honey.

This is the superlative live vocal microphone. It is totally transparent, responsive, and it is true to what it is being fed. If you are looking for a vocal mic that will hide your vocalistic imperfections, off-kilter pitch warble, drunken karaoke mutterings which sound better in your head than what gets recorded...you might want to consider another transducer. The Neumann folks got everything right with this baby. Sturdy construction, excellent dynamics, full open sound, clarity that will humble you and make you want to become a better person and treat yourself with way more respect, if you can even fathom that...Seriously. This microphone single handedly and second handedly has changed the course of my life, forever. I just wish I knew how to sing better, so as to ... MoreThis is the superlative live vocal microphone. It is totally transparent, responsive, and it is true to what it is being fed. If you are looking for a vocal mic that will hide your vocalistic imperfections, off-kilter pitch warble, drunken karaoke mutterings which sound better in your head than what gets recorded...you might want to consider another transducer. The Neumann folks got everything right with this baby. Sturdy construction, excellent dynamics, full open sound, clarity that will humble you and make you want to become a better person and treat yourself with way more respect, if you can even fathom that...Seriously. This microphone single handedly and second handedly has changed the course of my life, forever. I just wish I knew how to sing better, so as to justify it's existence in this physical dimension. This microphone is proof positive that perfection exists, and if you find that your mileage results are otherwise after having acquired this gem of the Jade Monkey...you probably should not be singing anyways.

Go to vocal mic

Vibrant, clear, musical sound. Completely free of noise and distortion. Overload is virtually impossible. Handling noise is minimal. Phantom powering draw is compatible with virtually every power supply. Durable finish, alway looks great on camera.

Grounding problem hum

Mediocre mic, the first and last Neumann mic I will buy. To start with there is a grounding hum problem with this, none of my other mics have this problem. I sent it back to Sennheiser, which costs me shipping and insurance in the $30 range, it came back 3 weeks later still having the same problem, which is a persistent hum when the lower body of mic is touched, not loud, but I can hear it in the recording, and again none of my other mics have this problem, I am using Mogami cable. Now onto the sound, it is nothing special, not an open sounding mic like my Audio Technica AE5400, a better mic for much cheaper I might add, the KMS 105 has no switch selection for bass cut or attenuation, so for $750 it is overpriced and under engineered.

Review of Neumann KMS 105 MT Super-Cardioid Microphone in Nickel

Exceptional quality results. Recorded vocals into my Tascam Model 24 (another excellent product sourced from Andertons) - noiseless and beautifully warm and rounded results. A great microphone product added to my inventory.

The Neumann KMS 105 is a high quality microphone that lives up to its rep.

Over the years (ok, decades), I've used a lot of different mics in a lot of different settings. I've often been puzzled to find that something I'd written off as horrible actually worked well with a particular combination of music, room, and sound tech. Similarly, I find I can still occasionally struggle with rigs that really ought to work. Beta 58s are pretty predictable and road tough, but I find the built in "presence" boost, tight pattern, and proximity effect that many people love didn't work for me. Rather than crunchy trebles and biting mids, I much prefer the clarity that comes from the speedy tracking of transients that comes from condensor mics. For matching responses for a band full of vocalists, I eventually settled on a fleet of Shure Beta 87A mics, - ... MoreOver the years (ok, decades), I've used a lot of different mics in a lot of different settings. I've often been puzzled to find that something I'd written off as horrible actually worked well with a particular combination of music, room, and sound tech. Similarly, I find I can still occasionally struggle with rigs that really ought to work. Beta 58s are pretty predictable and road tough, but I find the built in "presence" boost, tight pattern, and proximity effect that many people love didn't work for me. Rather than crunchy trebles and biting mids, I much prefer the clarity that comes from the speedy tracking of transients that comes from condensor mics. For matching responses for a band full of vocalists, I eventually settled on a fleet of Shure Beta 87A mics, - but for my personal use, my research pointed at the KMS 105. It was right when I got it and remains my mic of choice years later. My personal challenge is that my musical taste is very eclectic and my vocal dynamic range goes from loud and shrill to whisper quiet, and I sing a lot of harmony. As a result, I need the ability to back off or eat the mic with minimal change in tone. With the 105, I can move way back and yell a high note without shredding ear drums with naked trebles or subtly move anywhere I like close to the windscreen without falling on or off shelf of proximity effect bass boost. Relative to many other mics, the Neumann is colourless, but even so there is a warm (as opposed to biting) presence to the mids that really does sound like a Neumann. I have learned to like this bit of colour when I happen to notice it. In addition, I find the mic is solidly built and gives me a road tough feeling and confidence that continues after years of use. This is important to me because I once had a Sennheiser that changed its sound so drastically after some road use that it became too ugly sounding to use. The cons: I was sort of hoping that I could use the KMS 105 for recording. I guess I could, but the background hiss is louder than a real recording mic, and while it is much more sensitive than most stage mics, the need to limit feedback during live performance means that it is far less sensitive than a mic designed specifically for recording. If its all you've got, it will do better than many, but I generally use other mics for recording (unless I am tapping a feed off the board during a live performance). Also, while the KMS 105 is my personal ideal stage mic, this doesn't mean that everyone will like it. The tone is different from just about anything else you can try. It is very even, sensitive and accurate, but different. If you like an enhanced sound, and love working the warm ripeness of proximity effect, or the bite of edgy mids, you may feel like your bike's pedals are spinning but the chain fell off. Also the cardioid pattern extends much farther back than most stage mics. While this is perfect for my application where I want huge flexibility in working the mic, this does open you up to feedback. If your music and venues require a tighter pattern to minimize howls and screeches, you might be better off with a Shure 87A. It offers nice condenser-style capturing of transients for clarity without treble crunch, but a more coloured sound and a fair bunch of proximity effect. For some applications, I like my 87A better than my Neumann, and I really don't mind using a 58 for a raunch & roll gig. But come down to it, the 105 is my steed of choice.

You probably don't need this mic. Unless ...

Overall:The truth is, few of us are playing and singing in the league that justifies this purchase for live use. I'm not only talking about your prowess as a singer, but the PA systems you're likely to encounter. More often than not, I had to put this thing back in its pouch and reach for the 58 when I was gigging in clubs. Its sensitivity is a challenge for the average board operator/barrista. HOWEVER, if you have recording ambitions, this is your entry into he world of high end studio condensers. I don't know why they market this as a "live" mic only. It's clear, breathy, open, articulate, fully rounded and very very pretty sounding. It has been my secret sauce for acoustic guitar, as well. Big diaphragm condenser on the body, this thing angled away from that and ... MoreOverall:The truth is, few of us are playing and singing in the league that justifies this purchase for live use. I'm not only talking about your prowess as a singer, but the PA systems you're likely to encounter. More often than not, I had to put this thing back in its pouch and reach for the 58 when I was gigging in clubs. Its sensitivity is a challenge for the average board operator/barrista. HOWEVER, if you have recording ambitions, this is your entry into he world of high end studio condensers. I don't know why they market this as a "live" mic only. It's clear, breathy, open, articulate, fully rounded and very very pretty sounding. It has been my secret sauce for acoustic guitar, as well. Big diaphragm condenser on the body, this thing angled away from that and pointed at the 12th fret (with the basket removed, if you believe in voodoo), BAM, crystal clear, never harsh, highs for your acoustic guitar tracks. Another category in which a 99$ unfortunately kicks this thing's butt is handling noise. It's just too darn sensitive! But that's a good thing, if you know what you’re getting yourself into. The pop filter tries to do its thing without any foam, and I'm sad to report that the plosives win. Again, a dynamic that costs a 6th of this will prevail in the battle of the P's. I would recommend this for jazz people, singer-songwriters and, as mentioned, for recording. For your average bar busker, it's total overkill. But you knew that when you read the price tag.

blown away with the warm open detailed clarity

I am an actively gigging musician. I primarily perform at smaller venues playing acoustic guitar / singer-songwriter and acoustic covers. I recently purchased this microphone for the sake of upgrading my live gear - (the microphone that I had been using was a Blue en-CORE 200 which is a pretty respectable handheld supercardioid condenser mic.) After doing the research and reading tons of reviews relating to cardioid condenser microphones I went ahead and spent the extra money for this microphone. All and all it exceeded my expectations - as I am consistently blown away with the warm open detailed clarity - this effect was even evident through my Soundcraft Signature 10 board monitored by a pair of Alto powered speakers. I had been looking for a studio quality sound ... MoreI am an actively gigging musician. I primarily perform at smaller venues playing acoustic guitar / singer-songwriter and acoustic covers. I recently purchased this microphone for the sake of upgrading my live gear - (the microphone that I had been using was a Blue en-CORE 200 which is a pretty respectable handheld supercardioid condenser mic.) After doing the research and reading tons of reviews relating to cardioid condenser microphones I went ahead and spent the extra money for this microphone. All and all it exceeded my expectations - as I am consistently blown away with the warm open detailed clarity - this effect was even evident through my Soundcraft Signature 10 board monitored by a pair of Alto powered speakers. I had been looking for a studio quality sound for my performances. This was the last piece of the puzzle well worth the investment.