Microtech Gefell GmbH - The Company of the Georg Neumann KG

1898

Georg Neumann born on October 13th in Chorin. Chorin is located near to Berlin, north of the Oder-Havel Canal. Its greatest attraction is the Chorin cloister, begun in 1273. Today, its remains are considered to be among the most beautiful examples of brick gothic. Georg Neumann received his professional training in Berlin at Mix & Genest and at the AEG Kabelwerk Oberspree under the supervision of Eugen Reisz. When Eugen Reisz leaves AEG in order to found his own company, Georg Neumann continues to work for him.

1923

Germany’s first radio station in Berlin uses the famous Reisz microphone in a marble block, which has been developed to a large degree by Georg Neumann.

1928

Georg Neumann and Erich Rickmann establish the limited partnership Georg Neumann & Co. The idea behind this new company lies in manufacturing microphones following the capacitive transducer concept. An aim they manage to achieve for the first time in serial production with the condenser microphone

CMV 3. The company also develops new forms of electromagnetic cutters and pick-ups for wax discs. These new devices allow highly improved recordings and are therefore increasingly used by the recording industry as well as radio stations.

1933

participation at the „Große Deutsche Funkausstellung” leads to a massive rise of sales within Germany and of exports. During this time, representations are set up in England, France, the USA and India.

1934

Georg Neumann & Co. is able to offer the level recorder P 2 that becomes the standard device for acoustic measurement in the following years.

1936

the Olympic Games in Berlin provide the first live test for the classic M 7 electrode in a tube set-up as developed by Georg Neumann. It is still manufactured to this day. The so-called „Neumann bottle” can already be equipped with different capsules in order to change patterns. The path that the company has chosen since its founding proves to be the right one. Extensive practical experience leads to a continuous improvement of products.
Thus, the following products were created:

• Transportable recording devices
• Record players
• Dynamic pick-ups
• Condenser microphones with defined patterns
• Level recorders
• Movie theatre gongs
• Pause signals
• Measurement microphones with linear frequency range
• Pistonfones

1938

Erich Rickmann dies. Despite the heavy loss, Georg Neumann is able to continue leading the company to full extent and according to the ideas of is deceased co-partner - due to his close cooperation with manager Erich Kühnast ever since the
founding days. The company celebrates its tenth anniversary. See a picture of the company chronic 1928-1938 below.

1943

during the Second World War, the principal laboratory on Michaelkirchstraße in Berlin undergoes damage both by fire and bombs. To avoid further bombings, the entire company and the principal laboratory are transferred to Gefell. Both the Neumann and Kühnast families, as well as almost all employees relocate to Gefell and there continue their work in the quarters of a former textile firm. In Gefell, production continues of the
„Neumannbottle” CMV 3 using the large diaphragm capsule M 7 developed by Georg Neumann. In the following years, fabrication of the M 7 capsule reaches enormous quantities and to this day, it remains a major product in the studio division of the company.

1945

materials required for manufacturing capsules are amongst other ways secured by dismantling a fourengine fighter plane that had crashed during the Second World War near by. The M 7 microphone capsule is later used in the following microphones:

• U 47, U 48, M 49
• CMV 563, UM 57, UM 70, M 71
• UMT 71 S, MT 71 S, UM 92.1 S, M 92. S
• UMT 800, UM 900 (tube microphone with 48 V phantom powering)

1945/46

During the years 1945/46, Germany is divided into four sectors after the surrender. Thuringia, initially occupied by the Americans is exchanged for a part of Berlin (Potsdam Treaty) and handed over to the Soviet Union, which changes the situation
in Gefell completely.

1946

employees returning from Gefell establish a small workshop in Berlin (West) mainly for repair of microphones. This workshop becomes Georg Neumann GmbH, the second Neumann company, now owned by Sennheiser.

1947

Georg Neumann moves from Gefell to Heilbronn. There, he sets up a production of nickel-cadmium accumulators following his own patents. He succeeds in manufacturing completely sealed versions, allowing these accumulators to be used in all electronic devices. As a by-product, the renowned stabilizer cells emerge. Together with the rest of the staff, Erich Kühnast remains in Gefell, a part of Germany that is now under Soviet occupation. Georg Neumann assigns to him the management of the limited partnership Georg Neumann & Co. At first, the following products are manufactured:

1998

the company celebrates its 70th anniversary and at the same time the 100th birthday of Georg Neumann.

2003

The studio condenser microphones listed under „product info” are continuously further enhanced and developed and are all available for purchase. The range of products includes high quality studio microphones with tube and transistor technology, specialised microphones and dynamic microphones as well as power supply units and accessories. By now, the company looks back on 75 years of tradition in the development, production and trade of high quality studio microphones and it stays in
contact with leading users of this technology and technical institutions. The condenser measurement microphones listed under „product info” are used for acoustic measuring, e.g. of aircraft, environmental, traffic noise et al. The range of products is continuously expanded. All measurement microphones are approved and certified by Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
Braunschweig PTB. They are calibratable and can therefore be used for legally binding measurements. All measurement microphones meet the standards of class 1 according to DIN EN 60651.
All products are available worldwide.

+49 36649 8820