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CardioidMicrotech Gefell M 294

Cardioid Pencil Condenser Microphone

The M294 is a cardioid FET condenser mic with a nickel diaphragm design borrowed from Gefell’s line of measurement mics. It consists of the MV 200 microphone body (aka the SMS 2000) connected (permanently) to the M94 capsule head (pictured below).

See also Gefell’s M295, also a cardioid-pattern, nickel-diaphragm condenser mic built on the same MV200 body; it provides a flatter HF response, tailored for near-field recording. Its M70 capsule operates at 80V, unlike the M94 capsule, which operates at 40V.

The M94 capsule employs a 0.8 micron membrane made of pure nickel, a Teflon-coated backplate, and a ceramic housing. The backplate’s coating prevents the diaphragm from “bottoming out” at high SPL. The ceramic housing is less susceptible to size or shape changes under varying temperatures. The nickel membrane is said to be less affected by moisture and contamination, and to have “low membrane distortion.”

According to MTG’s Michael Militzer, the diaphragm diameter — meaning, the diameter of the suspended portion of the capsule membrane — is 16mm on the M294, M295, and M297. Some literature describes the capsule diameter of the M29x series of mics at 1'', which would qualify these as large-diaphragm microphones. The 1'' designation comes from these mics’ origin in the test and measurement industry, where the stated diameter refers to the outside diameter of the entire capsule head. Further, note that the M296 capsule is larger, with a 22mm diaphragm diameter.

The capsule head contains an integrated shockmount that serves to control the mic’s directionality and to reflect off-axis sounds away from the diaphragm, helping to retain high-frequency detail that might otherwise be smeared by “modal interaction” and phase cancellation produced by reflected sounds.

Two recessed switches on the mic body provide access to a preattenuation pad (-10dB) and a high-pass filter (-15dB @ 60Hz).

Gefell

The M924 is corrected for mid to far field recording, and is characterized with an emphasized presence peak (+5dB) in the 8kHz region. This particular voicing allows the engineer to aim the microphone at the source capturing greater detail, clarity and depth while capturing the diffuse sound field.

The MV 200 preamp circuit is a low-noise, transformerless design that Gefell claims is linear from 5Hz-100kHz.

The M294 ships in a padded wooden box. Two finishes are available:

  • Satin nickel (p/n 211112)
  • matte black (p/n 211113)

A variety of mounts and accessories are available separately.

The Microtech Gefell M 294 is also known as: M294.

The mic was released in 2002.

Specifications

Frequency Response - CardioidClick Graph to Compare!
M 294 Cardioid Frequency Response Chart
Pickup Patterns Pads & Filters
Cardioid (17 mV/Pa; 40 - 18,000 Hz)
  • Pad: -10dB (Via Switch)
  • Filter: HPF: -15dB @ 60Hz (Via Switch)
Capsule Dimensions Impedance SPL/Noise
Diaphragm diameter: 16mm
Capsule diameter: 25mm
Diaphragm gauge: 0.8 microns
150 Ohms (Low) Max SPL: 133 dB
Self-noise: 13.0 dB(A)
Weight Length Max Diameter Interface(s)
160g (5.64oz) 166mm (6.54'') 25mm (0.98'')
  • 3-pin XLR male (1)
Power Specifications
  • Requires phantom power
  • Phantom voltage: 48v

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