Now I have to DIY a condenser mic. Finished w/Clips

geekmacdaddy · **Posted:** Tue Apr 10, 2012 4:59 pm

Because I'm GASSING so bad!!! Starting with this kit (I wish it had a switch for polar patterns but i guess they went with a one sided capsule to keep cost down) http://www.diymic.com/
I've already ordered replacement boards from a guy on the groupdiy (old prodigy) forum, gonna get a transformer from cinemag, and a capsule from Peluso (K87i). I can always put a pattern selector switch on the inside, but hell, I would mostly use the cardioid pattern anyway for vocals. So when this is done, it should bring me in to U87 territory for the price of;

69.95 a460 DIY FET microphone kit (comes with quality components to experiment with)
52.00 cinemag transformer
29.00 boards
40.00 parts/mouser
255.00 Capsule from Peluso (yeah, that's the biggie)
_______
446.00 total (approx) for a mic with the quality of one that costs 3,199.95 US

That's gotta make you itch, just a little bit, no?

GrindCustoms · **Posted:** Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:12 pm

That is a win, all the way!!

Love the way you're building up your studio gear!

geekmacdaddy · **Posted:** Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:27 pm

Thank you, Grind. :mrgreen:

phreek · **Posted:** Tue Apr 10, 2012 5:30 pm

Holy crap geek!!!

I want to request a build, i want a working 50's style spaceship!

Great find geek!!

rnagoda · **Posted:** Tue Apr 10, 2012 6:21 pm

I'm gonna have fun watching you do this ... definitely keen on seeing the results! Too bad you're not more like me - when you can't sing for shit you don't worry so much about the quality of the mic!!

geekmacdaddy · **Posted:** Tue Apr 10, 2012 6:22 pm

rnagoda wrote:

I'm gonna have fun watching you do this ... definitely keen on seeing the results! Too bad you're not more like me - when you can't sing for shit you don't worry so much about the quality of the mic!!

I can't sing. I'm in it for the gear rush!

GrindCustoms · **Posted:** Tue Apr 10, 2012 6:23 pm

rnagoda wrote:

I'm gonna have fun watching you do this ... definitely keen on seeing the results! Too bad you're not more like me - when you can't sing for shit you don't worry so much about the quality of the mic!!

I'm in that club!

culturejam · **Joined:** Sun Jul 29, 2007 11:48 am **Posts:** 10332

That's really diesel, Jeff. Can't wait to see how it turns out!

geekmacdaddy · **Posted:** Tue Apr 10, 2012 6:42 pm

I'm itching, Forrest....

Morgan · **Posted:** Tue Apr 10, 2012 7:37 pm

Good on ya J! This is going to be great!

geekmacdaddy · **Posted:** Tue Apr 10, 2012 7:47 pm

Morgan wrote:

Good on ya J! This is going to be great!

Thanks Morgan. Gotta do it in stages, as money is scarce. Got the boards ordered already. next will be the mic kit (69.00 Shipped!!). Then will be the mouser order (they have an order made up already, at groupdiy), then transformer. I'll have to save for the capsule. But, I can Build the mic from the kit, get it working first. Populate the boards and get them in. Then I can replace the transformer, and capsule, in sequence, as money allows.

GrindCustoms · **Posted:** Tue Apr 10, 2012 7:54 pm

geekmacdaddy wrote:

Morgan wrote:

Good on ya J! This is going to be great!

Thanks Morgan. Gotta do it in stages, as money is scarce. Got the boards ordered already. next will be the mic kit (69.00 Shipped!!). Then will be the mouser order (they have an order made up already, at groupdiy), then transformer. I'll have to save for the capsule. But, I can Build the mic from the kit, get it working first. Populate the boards and get them in. Then I can replace the transformer, and capsule, in sequence, as money allows.

That's pretty cool, the fact of buying the kit at first and all that, making it a progressive built, becomes a serious think about.....

dcountry13 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:03 pm

Killer, Geek. The studio I used to manage just built the A5500 and loved it. They are working on the U87 now. Not sure how much they are modding it, but considering they like to do stuff like recap SSL boards for fun, I'd assume pretty thorough tweaking.

I'd love to see an A/B/C test of the original mic, the stock kit and the modded/upgraded kit.

BTW - Love the 200M and 51M resistors in the A5500 kit. :shock:

GrindCustoms · **Posted:** Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:16 pm

dcountry13 wrote:

I'd love to see an A/B/C test of the original mic, the stock kit and the modded/upgraded kit.

+1 Seriously GASing now....., just to know how the stock version sounds and knowing it's built by someone who knows what he's doing, would be real nice!

jtn191 · **Joined:** Thu Jun 30, 2011 3:55 am **Posts:** 170

very cool! I'm assuming by the comments you've done a pre already?
*subscribed

ckyvick · **Posted:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 2:41 am

So you're going to buy the mic kit and upgrade everything? Hardcore!!!

CaptainPeyote · **Posted:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 3:40 am

dcountry13 wrote:

BTW - Love the 200M and 51M resistors in the A5500 kit. :shock:

Guess you didn't notice the "1 KM" resistor! Would that be a 1G?? :!:

dayum.

geekmacdaddy · **Posted:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 4:39 am

jtn191 wrote:

very cool! I'm assuming by the comments you've done a pre already?
*subscribed

I got the Golden Age Pre-73 DLX (I'll be modding it with Carnhill input, line, and output transformers and hp inductor as well) and EQ-73, which doesn't require mods.

geekmacdaddy · **Posted:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 4:40 am

ckyvick wrote:

So you're going to buy the mic kit and upgrade everything? Hardcore!!!

pretty much, yeah.

mmarsh · **Posted:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 11:06 am

Jeff, that is WICKED cool...I'm frankly stunned at the price. I'm looking at there tube mic now and my WALLET is itching. I'll be curious to see how your build goes!

radioegg · **Joined:** Wed Apr 27, 2011 1:02 pm **Posts:** 275

What would be the most suitable use for those two mics? I just got two more items on my already too long wishlist...

p_wats · **Posted:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 11:36 am

geekmacdaddy wrote:

Because I'm GASSING so bad!!! Starting with this kit (I wish it had a switch for polar patterns but i guess they went with a one sided capsule to keep cost down) http://www.diymic.com/
I've already ordered replacement boards from a guy on the groupdiy (old prodigy) forum, gonna get a transformer from cinemag, and a capsule from Peluso (K87i). I can always put a pattern selector switch on the inside, but hell, I would mostly use the cardioid pattern anyway for vocals. So when this is done, it should bring me in to U87 territory for the price of;

69.95 a460 DIY FET microphone kit (comes with quality components to experiment with)
52.00 cinemag transformer
29.00 boards
40.00 parts/mouser
255.00 Capsule from Peluso (yeah, that's the biggie)
_______
446.00 total (approx) for a mic with the quality of one that costs 3,199.95 US

That's gotta make you itch, just a little bit, no?

Woah! Awesome.

What made you decide on the various replacements/substitutions? Are the stock boards/capsule not that great?

mmarsh · **Posted:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 11:43 am

Quote:

What would be the most suitable use for those two mics?

Traditionally, vocals and acoustic instruments. But they can also be great for micing a cab. The tube mic in particular would be good on sharp percussion, I think.

Kunfuz · **Posted:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 1:34 pm

And as a room mic compressed to hell. Like 2-4 m infront of a drumkit

Jeff/Sir Geek: Thank you for the link, and sell the salvage to me man :wink:

Tried a Ribbon yet btw?

geekmacdaddy · **Posted:** Wed Apr 11, 2012 1:55 pm

p_wats wrote:

Woah! Awesome.

What made you decide on the various replacements/substitutions? Are the stock boards/capsule not that great?

Well, the project is all laid out at groupdiy, right down to a mouser order already filled out. The kit i'm getting is really for the metal work. There's really only one choice for capsules (peluso), and cinemag transformers are tried and true, though there are other choices.

Kunfuz wrote:

And as a room mic compressed to hell. Like 2-4 m infront of a drumkit

Jeff/Sir Geek: Thank you for the link, and sell the salvage to me man :wink:

Tried a Ribbon yet btw?

No money to go around, Fred. Wish I could. I'll see what's leftover if you want play around a bit....

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Now I have to DIY a condenser mic. Finished w/Clips

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