NEUMANN KMR 81i
PRISTINE DIALOGUE, UNCOLORED SOUND
The KMR 81 i is a shotgun microphone for medium distances, e.g. for film dialogue with a clear and focused sound while the microphone is placed outside the picture. Off-axis coloration is minimized to avoid sound change when actors are moving. The KMR 81 i offers high sensitivity with low power consumption and is lightweight for easy handling.
A PROBLEM SOLVER WITH A TOUCH OF CLASS
The KMR 81 i is a shotgun microphone with a high directivity for situations that require the microphone to be kept at a distance from the source. This is often the case in electronic news gathering (ENG) and film dialogue recording, where the microphone must remain invisible. The KMR 81 i can also be used to obtain a clear and focused sound in noisy environments.
Technically speaking, the KMR 81 i combines a pressure gradient condenser capsule with a medium-length interference tube to achieve a narrow acceptance angle of 90˚ and excellent rejection of unwanted sound. Unlike many other shotgun microphones, the Neumann KMR 81 i’s lobe shaped pickup pattern is frequency-independent. In other words, off-axis sound is picked up at reduced level but without unwanted coloration. This makes it easy to correct a misaligned microphone in postproduction.
Compared to other shotgun microphones, the Neumann KMR 81 i offers a more natural sound image. Its frequency response is highly linear up to 2 kHz while a broad treble lift compensates for high frequency losses that occur when recording at greater distances. The KMR 81 i offers very low self-noise of only 12 dB-A and a high sensitivity of 18 mV/Pa, which can be reduced by 10 dB to protect the microphone input from overload. The KMR 81 i can handle high SPLs of up to 128 dB without audible distortion (138 dB SPL with the preattenuation switch engaged). A second switch activates a 200 Hz low cut to compensate for the proximity effect when the KMR 81 i is use at short distances.
APPLICATIONS
The KMR 81 i is primarily designed for film and broadcast applications. It is an excellent microphone for movie dialogue both in the studio and on location. The KMR 81 i is very lightweight and has a balanced center of gravity, making it a pleasure to use, even after several hours. Due to its low power consumption and its low sensitivity to wind and handling noise, the KMR 81 i is excellently suited for on-location work. Thanks to its natural sound and excellent off-axis behavior, the KMR 81 i can also be used as a problem solver in critical recording situations, e.g. to pick up a soloist in front of an orchestra.
- High directivity with 90° recording angle
- Excellent rejection of unwanted sound
- Natural sound without off-axis coloration
- Low cut and pad switches
- Lightweight (145 g)
- Low power consumption
| Acoustical operating principle | Pressure gradient interference transducer |
| Directional Pattern | Supercardioid/lobe |
| Frequency Range | 20 Hz ... 20 kHz |
| Sensitivity at 1 kHz into 1 kohm | 18 mV/Pa ± 1 dB |
| Rated Impedance | 150 ohms |
| Rated load impedance | 1 kohms |
| Equivalent noise level, CCIR 1 | 23 dB |
| Equivalent noise level, A-weighted 2 | 12 dB-A |
| Maximum SPL for THD 0.5% 3 | 128 dB |
| Maximum SPL for THD 0.5% with preattenuation 4 | 138 dB |
| Signal-to-noise ratio, CCIR (re. 94 dB SPL) 5 | 71 dB |
| Signal-to-noise ratio, A-weighted (re. 94 dB SPL) 6 | 82 dB |
| Maximum output voltage | 1.3 dBu |
| Supply voltage (P48, IEC 61938) | 48 V ± 4 V |
| Current consumption (P48, IEC 61938) | 0.8 mA |
| Matching connector | XLR 3 F |
| Weight | 145 g |
| Diameter | 21 mm |
| Length | 213 mm |
