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OmnidirectionalMicrotech Gefell M 296

MSRP: €1,150 Omnidirectional Pencil Condenser Microphone

Microtech Gefell M 296

Description

The M296 is the third mic in Gefell’s series of nickel-diaphragm pencil condensers. It uses a capsule design from the company’s measurement and test series, with a 19mm, 0.8-micron nickel diaphragm housed in ceramic for “temperature-stable performance” and uniform sensitivity across frequencies.

Note that early literature (and some clueless vendors) quote the capsule diameter of the M29x series of mics at 1'', which would qualify these as large-diaphragm microphones. But in fact the membrane diameter measures just 19mm. 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.

The response of the M 296 is flat from 20 Hz through about 2 kHz, where a gentle +2dB rise occurs. This voicing is intended to bring out detail when used for ambient recording.

The M 296 ships in a padded wooden case in either of two finishes:

  • satin nickel (p/n 211134)
  • black matt (p/n 211135)

Reording.org

…Last but not least was the mic in review here, the Gefell M296. Like all of the other times that I have used this mic now, I was again blown away. This was my personal favorite mic for her voice and for this application, but unfortunately the soprano didn’t see it that way. Her exact words were, “It sounds too real — it freaks me out.” Her sentiment was dead on. The mic was so accurate, it sounded as though the soprano was in fact hiding in my monitors and singing from inside them. This isn’t to say that the Schoeps [CMC6/MK2h] glossed over anything, simply that the Gefells were so detailed it was actually unnerving the level of detailed that was presented.
…
This microphone belongs on any serious orchestral engineer’s short list.

The Microtech Gefell M 296 is also known as: M296.

Pickup Patterns Pads & Filters
  • Omnidirectional (20 - 20,000 Hz)
  • Pad: -10dB (Via Switch)
  • Filter: HPF @ 90Hz (Via Switch)
Diaphragm size Impedance Max SPL
19mm (0.75'') 150 Ohms (Low (50-1000 Ohms)) 144 dB
Weight Length Max Diameter Interface(s)
157g (5.54oz) 156mm (6.14'') 24mm (0.94'')
  • 3-pin XLR male (1)
Power Specifications
  • Requires Phantom Power
  • Phantom voltage: 48v

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