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Microtech Gefell M 296

Omnidirectional Pencil Condenser Microphone

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 22mm, 0.8-micron nickel diaphragm housed in ceramic for “temperature-stable performance” and uniform sensitivity across frequencies.

Some early reviews and literature describe the M29x series as using 1'' capsules, but this is only true of the M296, and then refers only to the outside diameter of the capsule assembly. The other microphones in this series employ smaller capsules, with 16mm diaphragms.

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.

Specifications

Frequency Response - OmnidirectionalClick Graph to Compare!

Pickup Patterns	Pads & Filters
Omnidirectional (15 mV/Pa; 20 - 20,000 Hz)	Pad: -10dB (Via Switch) Filter: HPF @ 90Hz (Via Switch)

Capsule Dimensions	Impedance	SPL/Noise
Diaphragm diameter: 22mm Capsule diameter: 24mm Diaphragm gauge: 0.8 microns	150 Ohms (Low)	Max SPL: 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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