recordinghacks

Elation Mic Lab KM201

Detachable-Capsule Pencil Condenser Microphone

Elation’s KM201 is a small-diaphragm “pencil” condenser with interchangeable capsule heads. The mic ships with a cardioid head; omni and hypercardioid are available separately.

A photo of the circuit, provided by Elation, shows a very simple single-FET design, built with through-hole components.

The KM201 appears to have been redesigned in 2011-2012; the current production mic is lighter weight but longer than previously. The model number did not change. Elation has not described the changes that were made in this revision.

Wes Archer

At this point the KM201 and MC012 are the best damn acoustic guitar and mandolin mics I’ve ever used. The KM201 simply *kills* the KM84/85 on guitar.

Wes Archer

[T]he 201 has more presence and more articulation without losing the silkiness. I also notice that I can mic much much closer with the 201. The MC012 is slightly muddier sounding with less presence and I can mic at about 14-18 inches without getting too bassy. The 201 allows me to get as close as 6 inches without drowning the mix with low frequencies!

So which is better? That’s a tough one to answer! It really depends on the application…

Oh my…I love these damn mics!…I’m keeping both of them… I now have 2 of the best mics I’ve ever owned. I just can’t enough of the Russian sound.

Electronic Musician

The KM201 has a full, rich, balanced sound that was flattering in all our applications. On acoustic guitar, the mic pair captured a tight, natural sound with good dynamic response…

As drum overheads, the KM201 pair captured a full, round sound with plenty of lows and an overall realistic and complementary tone. Imaging and dynamic response were also exceptional.

The Elation Mic Lab KM201 is also known as: KM-201.

Specifications

Compatible Capsules

Elation Mic Lab KM201-Cardioid Cardioid capsule Sensitivity: 15 mV/Pa CHARTFreq. Resp.: 20 - 20,000 Hz MSRP: n/a | Still In Production Elation Mic Lab KM201-Omnidirectional Omnidirectional capsule Sensitivity: 15 mV/Pa CHARTFreq. Resp.: 20 - 20,000 Hz MSRP: n/a | Still In Production Elation Mic Lab KM201-Supercardioid Supercardioid capsule Sensitivity: 15 mV/Pa CHARTFreq. Resp.: 20 - 20,000 Hz MSRP: n/a | Still In Production

Pads & Filters	Impedance	SPL/Noise
n/a	n/a	Max SPL: 140 dB

Weight	Length	Max Diameter	Interface(s)
120g (4.23oz)	130mm (5.12'')	24mm (0.94'')	3-pin XLR male (1)

Power Specifications
Requires phantom power Phantom voltage: 48v

Did we get anything wrong on this page? Please let us know!