MICROTECH GEFELL M295 -M930 -M940

2 units M295 , 1x M940 and 1x M930 available

The subject of this review is the M930, a compact, large-diaphragm, phantom-powered condenser cardioid microphone which uses the original Neumann-designed M7 single-sided capsule. This microphone body is constructed of steel finished in satin nickel or dark bronze, with a multi-layer wire-mesh grille. It weighs a solid 210g and measures about 120mm in length by 45mm in diameter at its widest part, with a broadly similar shape to the much larger and heavier Neumann TLM103. Indeed, the compact size of the M930 is very useful when trying to get a mic into a tight space. The company logo is laser-etched on the rear of the mic’s body (going against the norm), with the model number and polar diagram on the front, and the serial number on the rim of the XLR connector. Our review model was part of a matched stereo pair, and the simple stand adaptors supplied with the microphones were etched with markings for setting the mutual angle to various standard positions.

Technical specifications for the M930 are very impressive, and remarkably similar to the Neumann TLM103. Self-noise is claimed to be an identical 7dBA (IEC 651), with the same sensitivity of 21mV/Pa. However, the Microtech Gefell’s maximum SPL (at 0.5 percent distortion) is 142dB SPL — that’s 4dB higher than the Neumann. Part of the reason for the higher headroom is a rather innovative method for generating the capsule-polarising voltage. Apparently, the M930 uses a high-intensity LED powered from the phantom supply to illuminate a photocell, which provides a decoupled high-voltage bias for the capsule.

The M930’s frequency response is stated as 40Hz-18kHz, and the plots show a gentle bass roll-off from about 100Hz, reaching 2dB down at 40Hz. This is rather more gentle than the TLM103’s roll-off, which is 2dB down at 50Hz. At the top end, a broad presence peak spans 6-15kHz, with a 4dB peak. This is of similar magnitude, but narrower bandwidth, than that of the TLM103. The polar response is a tidy cardioid which remains well controlled across the frequency range. It doesn’t open out at low frequencies as much as the TLM103, and it remains far more consistent at middle and high frequencies too, although still broadly exhibiting the usual characteristics of a large-diaphragm capsule.

The M 930, M 940, M 950 studio condenser microphones combine modern large diaphragm capsule technology with the latest in semiconductor circuit topology. They are specifically designed to meet the needs of professional and semi-professional users who demand the highest performance. The microphones are ideally suited for universal miking applications in broadcast and sound studios. Their very favorable pricing also makes them attractive for project studios. Applications include vocalists, announcers, dialog pickup and as spot microphones for recording guitars, keyboard, percussion, wind and string instruments. The pick-up pattern is perpendicular to the direction of the microphone axis (side addressed). The model number and pick-up pattern symbol mark the front of the microphone.

The condenser capsules exhibits a smooth frequency response with a slight presence boost in the 7 to 11 kHz range. The polar response exhibits an exceptionally high degree of rejection for sounds impinging from the rear (cardioid) or sides (super-cardioid) of the microphone. The electronic impedance converter uses a newly perfected circuit topology. This design reduces the noise floor to an extremely low level while also raising the maximum output capability. As a result, these microphones have a clean, distortion free sound over an extremely wide dynamic range. RFI susceptibility is very low. The microphone capsule and electronics are elastically suspended inside the compact metal housing. This reduces the sensitivity to mechanical impact and structure born noise. The microphone stand holder MH 93.1 can be exchanged for an elastic suspension EH 93 to further attenuate noise in extreme situations. The M 930, M 940, M 950 connect to the microphone cable with a standard 3-pin XLR plug. Powering must be provided by an external 48 V phantom supply according to DIN 45596 and IEC 268-15.