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[onyx000000]

Hi All,
  So I recently bought a sequential pair of KM 84's from Ebay (I know...) only to find the original 'gotham audio' cases they were shipped in to be lined with dilapidated foam; which also smells old and nasty.  In effect the screens have some fine foam particles stuck in them and I'm worried about the electronics as well.  Is there an easy way to clean the screen without harming the mic (I'm not well versed in microphone technology).  Or should I just send them back (bought for $2500)?  I plugged them in and they sound good; not sure if they're optimal, though.   
  Also, although this should be another thread, does anyone have any mic clip/stereo bar recommendations for these mics?  Mostly for solo instrument recording, particularly solo guitar. 
  Thanks in advance for your help!     

[radardoug]

Beyer make a clip that fits the KM84 perfectly, I don't remember the number but they do several for different diameter mikes, and its the smallest. And they don't break like the original Neumann ones did!

[klaus]

Ouch, something happened to the prices of KM84s while I was not looking...

Regarding the foam particles: My instinct tells me, let it be for now.
You cannot easily clean the screen with a solvent that will not harm the diaphragm, which is positioned very close beneath the screen.

You mentioned that the mics sound good, so there is no obvious damage as of yet, and future damage is curtailed by you addressing the foam cases. Down the road you might want to hire someone to clean the capsule heads, inside and out, which requires complete disassembly of the capsule, down to its components, then reassembly and re-calibration. Not for the faint of heart.

[Kai]

...the screens have some fine foam particles stuck in them... Is there an easy way to clean the screen without harming the mic...

You can CAREFULLY, SOFTLY press some Gaffa tape on the screen, wait a bit and see if the particles come out together with the tape when pulling it off.

...bought for $2500...

I agree with Klaus: Ouch!
I bought an almost new pair for 500 DM (about 350$ at that time I think) 15 years ago - seems it had been a good investment compared to real estate.

I would see no reason paying more then for a new pair of KM184 today, the sound difference isn't that big (I own a pair of both).
Might be the KM84's are a bit softer and the treble is a bit more "silky".

Regards
Kai

[onyx000000]

Thank you all for the advice.  As far as the Gaffa tape idea, you don't think the adhesive would get stuck on the screen in some way?  Maybe that's where 'SOFTLY' comes in.  Regarding the price, from my understanding these are very versatile mics that have passed the test of time.  I figured I might as well try them, and sell them back if I don't think they're worth the money.  From my research there is much disdain towards the KM184s and there top end.  I heard I heard the (name removed, K.H. see below) were great, but don't have time to shoot out mics etc.  Any other comparable/cheaper mic recommendations?  Believe it or not, the 84's are about $3500 when going through an online dealer...
Thanks for your help guys!

[radiovinhet]

Try PVC film, that we use in kitchen... once time a used this to "glue" some particles on km84 screen. These films don't have glue.

[klaus]

...the reason gaffer's tape was recommended:
its advantage (and reason of existence) is that its adhesive stays on the tape, not the object to be taped. So it will probably outperform any non-adhesive alternative in this regard.

[Mark Lemaire]

I am amazed that gaff tape on the screen of a KM84 is recommended! As said, perhaps 'softly' is a very key term here. I would recommend painter's tape (less glue-y). If one is just trying to pick up loose stuff on the screen, a strong glue seems overkill to me.

The price of an 84 does seem to be rising- like all the old Neumanns- but the 84 is rising faster!.

[halocline]

I heard the (name removed, K.H. see below) were great, but don't have time to shoot out mics etc. 

To my ears there is a huge difference between a pair of modded oktavas (that I used to own) and a pair of KM84s (that my school owns). Since it's a sample size of one, and based entirely on one person's perception, take it with a grain of salt. The oktavas do have a lot of detail and a surprisingly warm low register, and they definitely are higher output than the KM84s I used. But there's no comparison in smoothness and character, the KM84s were much nicer to listen to IMO.

[klaus]

"I heard that (mic x) is great" is totally uncool on my forum, and I apologize to all for not having discovered that sentence in the reply from onyx 000000 earlier. I should have nuked the reference when it first appeared.

Please read the ground rules of this forum: NO hearsay postings allowed here! You either have used a particular mic , which makes any comment about its merits reasonable, or you don't. If you haven't, there is no value in sharing "I heard" posts for this forum's credibility.

Thanks.

[Kai]

the Gaffa tape idea, you don't think the adhesive would get stuck on the screen in some way?  Maybe that's where 'SOFTLY' comes in.

It wasn't by chance that I recommended Gaffa.
It's really good in picking up dirt.
If you slowly press it on the front grill of the mic the glue "fluids" through the holes and connects with the dirt.
Wait some time, then rip it off fast (not brutally fast) and this connection stays and takes the dirt out.
This might be neccessary to be repeated several times, with fresh pieces of tape.
Should some glue stay on the screen it can be removed using the "tip, tip, tip, .."-method.

I see no risk in doing so if you don't use brute force, the diaphrag is distant to the screen.

BTW: I like the sound of my KM84's, the top is really silky.
There is a slight difference to the KM184 in that.
But both are very versatile mic's that work extremly well on lot's of different sources.

Regards
Kai

[Megalomando]

Hi All,
  So I recently bought a sequential pair of KM 84's from Ebay (I know...) only to find the original 'gotham audio' cases they were shipped in to be lined with dilapidated foam; which also smells old and nasty.  In effect the screens have some fine foam particles stuck in them and I'm worried about the electronics as well.  Is there an easy way to clean the screen without harming the mic (I'm not well versed in microphone technology).  Or should I just send them back (bought for $2500)?  I plugged them in and they sound good; not sure if they're optimal, though.   
  Also, although this should be another thread, does anyone have any mic clip/stereo bar recommendations for these mics?  Mostly for solo instrument recording, particularly solo guitar. 
  Thanks in advance for your help!   

Assuming it is now too late for you to return them, I would contact Klaus and follow his suggestion as to what to do with them. I'd also suggest you send them to him and let him do to them what he sees fit as he did a magnificent job with my KM84.

[klaus]

Kind of you to suggest my services, but:

1. Having complained incessantly about the lack of a firewall between untarnished, neutral forum advice and self promotion, I feel very uncomfortable mixing the two on this forum. I advise all who feel similarly inclined to use PMs or emails to correspond about business transactions.

2. I am hopelessly booked up.