Inside Neumann: The iconic brand is coming after your entire studio chain

I recently visited Sennheiser as part of its 80th anniversary celebrations and was taken aback by the pace of innovation. On the same trip, I also paid a visit to the Berlin headquarters of Neumann — the legendary Sennheiser-owned brand that is approaching its own milestone, 100th anniversary. I was curious, given its rich history of building industry-leading microphones, is Neumann resting on its laurels? Well, yes and no.

• READ MORE: I visited Sennheiser’s HQ for its 80th anniversary — here’s what I learned

A short stroll from Checkpoint Charlie, Neumann’s offices are accessed via an unassuming entrance to a former retail space on a street corner. Ever since Sennheiser acquired Neumann in 2022, none of the production has taken place here in Berlin. The building instead houses research and development activities, the service department, and acts as a meeting spot for staff.

While enjoying city views from the dome-topped boardroom, Influencer and Relations Manager Boris gives me the lowdown on the company’s origins: Having started out making lathes to cut phonograph discs in the 1920s, Georg Neumann saw a growth in the development of studio technology and decided to pivot and start developing microphones. I’m reminded of the truly iconic microphones that followed while catching a look at the ‘Cabinet of Fame’ on the reception area wall — the original Neumann condenser, the CMV 3, the U 47 and U 67 tube mics, plus the more modern, ubiquitous studio staple, the U 87.

Boris talks about Neumann’s engineers being meticulous in everything they do and, although they’ve recently managed to revive the U 67 in a re-issue edition, relaunching the now-incredibly-rare U 47 is a far more thorny proposition. The sticking point is a steel tube that’s no longer available. Without it, the mic just won’t sound the same. That doesn’t stop producers and engineers from constantly asking for a reissue of the U 47, though.

In the spirit of the historical pivot from disc-cutters to microphones, the brand is exploring new avenues once again. Boris explains that Neumann wants to provide the entire recording chain for users, from microphones through to the audio interface, speakers and headphones, and even software to help with monitoring. He cites audio brand Klein and Hummel coming into the fold to produce Neumann-badged headphones and studio monitors—“they have a nerdy mindset like us”— as a major step towards this goal. And more recently, the acquisition of high-end converter brand Merging Technologies has given Neumann its first audio interface, the MT 48.

Repair and restore

In the service department, I meet Medzid, who talks me through the near-endless list of historical products they can repair and spruce up cosmetically. We’re talking decades upon decades of product coverage, using the exact parts and specifications so that gear leaves HQ sounding almost identical to when it first left the factory.

Medzid explains he has careful discussions with clients before undertaking restoration work, since some of the vintage character of any aged microphone comes about due to things becoming worn or dirty, and they’re affected by all sorts of environmental factors too. Speaking of environmental factors, Medzid recalls receiving a package containing several of Bob Marley’s microphones for service, following the artist’s death. I won’t quote Medzid verbatim, but a herbal odour filled the air when opening the boxes, by all accounts. How very rock and roll.

R&D for your R’n’B

In research and development, the exceptionally passionate and affable department head, Martin, describes the real-world —and frankly eccentric— stress testing that all new products endure. For example, microphones are hit hundreds of times against a steel plate and dropped from a 1.5-metre height to verify longevity. Martin takes delight in showing us how it’s done with a surprise mic drop onto the hard floor. I recoil in horror, and, in turn, Martin breaks into a wide grin. Engineers do know how to have fun.

We then delve into the acoustic void of the anechoic chamber used to test frequency characteristics of microphones down to the low-mid range — frequencies below this require a much larger chamber at Sennheiser HQ. Martin demonstrates the test rig, which includes a quirky mouth simulator speaker that gives the engineers a better idea of how microphones will react to proximity.

In the chamber, Martin reflects upon the reissue projects, and he’s rightfully proud of the results. He explains the tough job of making a reissued mic sound as intrinsically special as the vintage originals. The M49 reissue project, for example, involved trawling through countless sets of tubes until the right ones were found —1980s new old stock (NOS) parts discovered in storage. “We don’t throw the bad tubes away,” remarks Martin. They get tucked back into the cellar in the hope that they might be viewed as “classics” one day. I like this way of thinking.

Thinking inside the box

Michalis “MsM” Michael is the special guest for the afternoon keynote talk. The London-based mix engineer and producer started out helping out a number of friends who were making grime music and eventually realised he’d worked this up into a full-time job. He’s enjoyed success with multiple top-20 singles plus a number-one single, and these days works with the likes of Slowthai and Mahalia.

MsM plays back a couple of his projects and explains that he used to have a studio packed full of analogue gear — this obsession was only heightened by sharing an office location with gear supplier, Funky Junk.

Moving to a smaller workspace and to be able to work while travelling, he then started working purely in the box, this time relying primarily on Neumann technologies to provide an interface and monitoring system that sounds the same everywhere. He uses Neumann monitors (because they’re “speakers you can’t blow up”), with the proprietary MA 1 software handling room correction. Away from the studio, RIME software (Reference Immersive Monitoring Environment) recreates the sonic signature of his Neumann monitors blasting into a control room when he needs to mix on NDH-series headphones. Meanwhile, an MT 48 interface ties everything together.

MsM’s takeaway message from the keynote is to “teach the young ones how to listen” instead of drawing them deeper into the corner-cutting world of AI.

Brave new world

The biggest thrill of the day comes from testing the new VIS (Virtual Immersive Studio), which harnesses the power and integration of Apple’s Vision Pro and Logic Pro. This augmented reality system offers mixing of immersive audio by placing instruments and tracks playing back in Logic in a virtual 3D soundfield.

Once strapped in, I place each instrument around me at different distances and heights and then begin to adjust levels and EQ to refine the mix. It’s my first time using a Vision Pro, and the experience is remarkable, particularly considering the Vision Pro’s onboard speakers are being used and it’s only a binaural approximation of a real surround speaker array. My grooving, swiping and pinching must look humorous to bystanders, but I don’t care — I’m lost in the moment.

<Image 07. Caption: Getting to grips with VIS. Credit: Nady El-Tounsy>

I’m left feeling that Neumann is really onto something here — it’s a bold step into the future for a brand that inevitably leans heavily into past achievements. I’ll certainly be following Neumann’s journey into immersive audio very closely.

Could we see another 100 years of meticulous quality and innovation?

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