RSM 191 A

Common name: Neumann RSM 191 A

Production Status: Discontinued / Vintage

The RSM 191 A is the second stereo shotgun microphone manufactured by Georg Neumann GmbH from 1988 to 2013. It superseded the RSM-190 S, available only during 1987. It is basically the same microphone with some improvements. The capsule (KK 190 MS) is a double pressure gradient system. The two transducers are angled by 90° resulting in a M-S configuration. The axial one has a hypercarioid polar pattern response and works as a “middle” transducer in a short shotgun configuration, while the other one has bidirectional polar pattern and produces the side information. The two small diaphragm capsules are installed very close to each other resulting in a high quality stereo sound without tonal coloration and full mono-compatibility. The microphone features two transformer-less amplifiers. A dedicated power supply with built-in  matrixing unit has controls for side information and provides stereo decoded L-R signals with separate feeds or direct M-S outputs, both at microphone level. The stereo image amplitude is adjustable via a 3 dB step control for the Side information with respect to the Middle one. The microphone is phantom powered (P 48) by the dedicated box, featuring 9 V battery operation. The microphone system includes the MTX 191A matrix Amplifier, EA30B shock mount and SG8E stand mount. The RMS 191-S was available only in dark matt finish. This microphone represented for years the state-of-the art for on location recording in the movie industry.