Vintage Neumann KM 84i Nickel (Matched Pair) - Used  From Neumann

The first microphone made with 48v phantom power technology was the Neumann KM 84, a miniature microphone with a near perfect cardioid characteristic (due to the excellent KM64 capsule it contains). The circuit was made quite small so that the mic could be made with a diameter of only 21 mm and a length of 110 mm. With phantom powering, a truly "miniature microphone" was now possible!

The KM 84 was designed with a 10 dB attenuation switch, therefore allowing the microphone to be used up close with loud instruments. By placing the pad at the gate of the field-effect transistor (FET), this "pre-attenuation" prevents the hot capsule signal from overloading the front end of the amplifier. With the switch on, a sound pressure level of 130 dB can pass through without distortion.

What began as a modest interest in this new type of powering (and using a new connector for microphones) in 1966 resulted with the KM 84 as being one of the great success stories in Neumann's history. Following its introduction, all microphone manufacturers began to produce or modify models for 48 volt phantom powering and this system has since become the world standard for condenser microphone powering.