Description

With its large-diameter condenser capsule and cardioid polar pattern, the BCM 104 is ideal for faithful reproduction of speech and music. This is largely due to its flat frequency response up to 3 kHz, which then gradually increases in the treble. If necessary, internal selectors allow you to compensate for proximity effect or reduce sensitivity by 14 dB. The BCM 104 is a versatile microphone, suitable for a wide range of applications: news, panel discussions, radio dramas, music recordings, and more

Mechanical Features:
The microphone grille unscrews easily for quick cleaning. Neumann offers optional color-coded grilles, allowing each presenter to use their own for hygiene reasons. A very fine mesh screen, mounted on a support frame in front of the capsule, serves as a built-in pop filter.
Microphones in the Broadcast Line range also feature internal suspension to absorb noise transmitted through the stand, ensuring compatibility with articulated microphone stands specifically designed for broadcast applications.

Acoustic Characteristics:
The microphone grille houses the K 04 large-diaphragm capsule, which has a flat frequency response up to 3 kHz. In the high frequencies, the presence boost reaches 2 dB.
Because these characteristics are achieved without the use of resonance effects, the microphone ensures excellent transient response and transmits all acoustic phenomena (music or speech) without any coloration.

Integrated Pop Screen
: The pop screen not only reduces plosives, which cause unpleasant noise during voice recording, but also prevents unwanted substancessuch as saliva, nicotine, breath vapor, or food particlesfrom adhering to the diaphragm. It can be easily removed for cleaning without tools.

Electrical Characteristics:
Instead of an audio transformer, the BCM 104 uses an electronic circuit for microphone output coupling. Like a transformer, this circuit provides excellent common-mode rejection.

Interference appearing along the path of the symmetrical signal is therefore effectively suppressed.

Thanks to a very low background noise levelonly 7 dB(A)and a maximum permissible sound pressure level of 138 dB SPL, the BCM 104 offers a dynamic range of 131 dB (A-weighted).

Filter and Pre-Attenuation:
The BCM 104’s built-in amplifier ensures a linear response down to 20 Hz. An active filter effectively suppresses signals with frequencies below this limit. To compensate for the proximity effect, the microphone incorporates an electronic high-pass filter, which attenuates frequencies below 100 Hz with a 12 dB/octave slope.

A 14 dB pre-attenuation selector allows, if necessary, adjusting the microphone’s output level for circuits designed for dynamic models. Naturally, the background noise level will increase accordingly.

These two selectors are located inside the microphone, since they will only be activated once, during studio setup.

Mounting
The recommended use is to mount the BCM 104 or BCM 705 on a standard boom studio stand.

A thread adapter, allowing it to be screwed onto different stand models, is provided. To ensure effective protection against noise transmitted through the stand, both the capsule and the microphone have elastic suspension.

The optional SG 5 ball joint allows the microphone to be tilted +/-90 degrees.

Technical Specifications :
Acoustic Operating Principle Pressure Gradient Transducer
Directivity Cardioid
Frequency Range 20 Hz to 20 kHz
Sensitivity at 1 kHz, 1 kOhm load 22 mV/Pa
Attenuator -14 dB engaged 4.4 mV/Pa
Nominal Impedance 50 Ohms
Nominal Load Impedance 1 kOhm
Equivalent Noise Level, according to CCIR 18 dB SPL
Equivalent Noise Level, A-weighted 7 dB SPL (A)
Maximum SPL for THD = 0.5% 138 dB
Maximum SPL for THD = 0.5% (with pre-attenuator) 152 dB
Signal-to-Noise Ratio, according to CCIR (at 94 dB SPL) 76 dB
Signal-to-Noise Ratio, A-weighted (at 94 dB SPL) 87 dB
Maximum Output Voltage +10 dBu
Dynamic Range of the Microphone’s Integrated Preamp (A-weighted) 131 dB
Supply voltage (P48, IEC 61938) 48 V ± 4 V
Current consumption (P48, IEC 61938) 3.2 mA
Output connector XLR3M
Weight 500 g
Diameter 64 mm
Length 110 mm
Height (without suspension) 85 mm

Key features :
Large diameter static capsule,
cardioid polar pattern,
optimized design for enhanced functionality*
, built-in pop filter for high sonic neutrality,
integrated elastic suspension
, easily removable grille customizable for each user,
color-coded rings for easy identification of replacement grilles,
easy grille removal (bayonet mount) and cleaning,
mechanically compatible with standard studio microphone arms and stands,
internal selectors: high-pass filter and attenuator

Examples of applications :
Presenter microphone, for broadcasts and studios.
This is just one of the most common applications for this model. Many others exist. We recommend trying them out to fully utilize this microphone’s potential.