mic Domparis: Neumann KM84 vs. Line Audio CM4

[guitarman68]

Ouch !!! Should be "comparison" in the title - sorry !

Hi folks,

I thought it could be of some interest how the very affordable Line Audio CM4 compares to the classic Neumann KM84.
And I'm really interested in your opinion.

Thanks for listening and commenting !
Robert



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wnj-YMbE2cY

[jim1960]

Well done video and some nice playing, Robert. For the money, the CM4 is a great value. The most obvious difference to my ears is that the Neumann delivers clarity in the lows and low-mids that aren't matched by the CM4 where I hear some muddiness and smearing. But for $125 USD, I'm not expecting perfection and the CM4 might, as its many fans would argue, be the best value at its price point.

[Gordon Currie]

I have the Line Audio CM3 (precursor) and like it on anything where I need a flat response.

I heard the KM84 as delivering a 'mix-ready' tone, whereas the CM4 seemed to have a little more upper-midrange presence and clarity, but not quite as polished of a sound.

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by jim1960

Well done video and some nice playing, Robert. For the money, the CM4 is a great value. The most obvious difference to my ears is that the Neumann delivers clarity in the lows and low-mids that aren't matched by the CM4 where I hear some muddiness and smearing. But for $125 USD, I'm not expecting perfection and the CM4 might, as its many fans would argue, be the best value at its price point.

Thanks for the comparison. I agree with Jim's assessment, though I wouldn't give up my CM4s! They are excellent for being 1/16th the price of a used KM84. I've used them for guitar on all my recent projects in the past couple of years, and even used them this past weekend to record a choir. A great value indeed.

[DupleMeter]

The km84 is much more detailed & dimensional. The cm4 has a certain amount of "splat" on the transients that is unpleasant, and an overall wooliness.

That said, you could make a decent recording with the cm4, you might need a little more space between it & the guitar & some extra post processing.

[AcousticDreams]

Thank you so much Guitarman68!
I have been waiting for so long for someone to do a comparison like with the Line Audio CM4. It is a mic that you hear so much about. Yet I have not seen anyone make a comparison against a high quality mics like a Schoeps or KM84 like you have done.

I think Jim1960 & Duplemeter hit it on spot. The KM84 is more detailed, less wooliness. Especially on Big open slow Strummed chords where harmonics are ringing out. That is where there is the biggest possibility of blending between all the notes. Then definition of the single notes & harmonics can sometimes get lost in the overall sound. And for my style of playing, this is an all important factor.

But no doubt, the CM4 will make fine recordings and is a tremendous deal at that price point. Thanks again. Great comparison.

[rockabilly69]

I'm not nearly impressed as other people are of the CM4. It's just not a very accurate, or even pleasant sounding, microphone. And what I mean by this is in comparison to the upper end mics it frequently gets compared to.

[DupleMeter]

Originally Posted by rockabilly69

I'm not nearly impressed as other people are of the CM4. It's just not a very accurate, or even pleasant sounding, microphone. And what I mean by this is in comparison to the upper end mics it frequently gets compared to.

Agreed. When heard side by side, there is little doubt they are budget mics.

I will say, what they don’t have that “cheap mic” brittle top end. There seems to do better in that department. Yet are quite wooly & claustrophobic sounding.

The reality is, as much as we’d like this to not be the case, quality costs. I still firmly believe good mics start around $1k. KM184s are a touch less (800-ish), but that’s really the dividing line. I still think it’s worth either (a) waiting & saving or (b) just booking time in a studio.

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by rockabilly69

I'm not nearly impressed as other people are of the CM4. It's just not a very accurate, or even pleasant sounding, microphone. And what I mean by this is in comparison to the upper end mics it frequently gets compared to.

It doesn't stand up to comparisons against high end mics but I'm betting it's one of the better options in the $100-150 range. Given the choice between a muddy bottom or nails on a chalkboard highs (the thing that so many cheap SDC mics suffer from), I'll take the muddy bottom if that's all I can afford.