Recommend a Capsule for the Oktava MKL-5000 tube mic

[Di_Sousa]

Hi friends,
I'm servicing an Oktava MKL-5000 microphone.
The capsule is shot, higly contaminated and even 2 weeks inside a completely closed box with a lot of silica bags didn't cure it.

I would like to replace it for a new capsule, but would like your opinions on what type of capsule could suite the circuit better.
I have a few K47 and K67 in my stock, but I could also get a different one if it would be a better match.

This is the circuit schematic of the mic:




I'm not sure if I'm seeing it right, but it looks to me that there's no High-End De-Emphasis on this circuit.
Is that correct?


Well I'm not into overly bright microphones, and overly bright is what a K67 sounds to me in a circuit without de-emphasis.
Although I love it in the U87 and U67

What's your opinions in which type of capsule to install?

Thank you so much

 

[Di_Sousa]

This is the original capsule that came with the microphone:

It's 34mm and it seems to me by the hole pattern it's a K67 knock off and not a Russian original capsule like the ones on the MK-219 and MK-319.
It could be an OEM capsule from China... Maybe you guys can recognize it.

Well the previous owner seems to have tried to clean the capsule and cleaned also some gold sputtering with it

 

[LevinGuitar]

Oktava makes a kind of k67 for a several years already, not sure if it's one of theese.
You can try the Ruud's U67ish schematic with any cheap k67 there for U67 kind of sound
But I would try your k47 first, maybe you'll like it as it is.

Edit: seems the original:

https://www.oktava-shop.com/MK-012-...-large-diaphragm-capsule-MSP.html?language=en
Btw, that system "MK102" capsule head is little known and should be!

 

[rock soderstrom]

I'm not sure if I'm seeing it right, but it looks to me that there's no High-End De-Emphasis on this circuit.
Is that correct?

Correct, no inbuild EQ. Flat K47 or similar would be good match for this circuit. E95F/5654/6AK5W are the HQ versions of the EF95, possible upgrade.

 

[kingkorg]

This is the original capsule that came with the microphone:

It's 34mm and it seems to me by the hole pattern it's a K67 knock off and not a Russian original capsule like the ones on the MK-219 and MK-319.
It could be an OEM capsule from China... Maybe you guys can recognize it.

Well the previous owner seems to have tried to clean the capsule and cleaned also some gold sputtering with it

View attachment 118792
View attachment 118793

View attachment 118794View attachment 118795

Do whatever you can to save it. Maybe a re-skin? It's AEG k67. Highly regarded, good and expensive capsule. Soyuz is based on their design.

 

[Di_Sousa]

Do whatever you can to save it. Maybe a re-skin? It's AEG k67. Highly regarded, good and expensive capsule. Soyuz is based on their design.

Hi my friend, a re-skin plus-shipping is too expensive, and I have many new capsules in stock to use, too many actually. So I prefer to replace the capsule.

I just need to understand what capsule could fit well this circuit.
Thanks mate

 

[soliloqueen]

Hi my friend, a re-skin plus-shipping is too expensive, and I have many new capsules in stock to use, too many actually. So I prefer to replace the capsule.

I just need to understand what capsule could fit well this circuit.
Thanks mate

any k47 would fit great

 

[Di_Sousa]

any k47 would fit great

Thanks,
why do you think Oktava choose a K67 type capsule for this mic/circuit?

 

[soliloqueen]

Thanks,
why do you think Oktava choose a K67 type capsule for this mic/circuit?

As I said in my pm, it's only bad k67s that sound bad in flat circuits. Good ones are forward, but not really harsh like cheap ones are.

 

[Di_Sousa]

It's AEG k67. Highly regarded, good and expensive capsule. Soyuz is based on their design.

I know nothing about AEG, or AEG capsules.
Never heard about it before.

A quick google search gave me "AEG Moscow", so I guess it's a Russian company, and some people say the capsules are manually made. Couldn't find much more...

If you have any info/history on AEG, or website link, let me know, I would love to know more

 

[LevinGuitar]

Do whatever you can to save it. Maybe a re-skin? It's AEG k67. Highly regarded, good and expensive capsule. Soyuz is based on their design.

I thought it was just the opposite, that AEG was using Oktava made capsules

 

[rock soderstrom]

I know nothing about AEG, or AEG capsules.
Never heard about it before.

A quick google search gave me "AEG Moscow", so I guess it's a Russian company, and some people say the capsules are manually made. Couldn't find much more...

If you have any info/history on AEG, or website link, let me know, I would love to know more

AEG was one of the largest German companies in the last century with a very wide range of products in almost all areas, mainly (but not only) electronics. AEG was the parent company of Telefunken.

After the company went bankrupt, the brand name was licensed to various industries, similar to Telefunken, Grundig, etc.

In return for money, you can give your company and products the reputation and also the supposed historical origin of these traditional brands.

This then leads for example to Telefunken USA or even cheap consumer electronics from the Far East. I think AEG Moscow belongs to this category but I am not 100% sure.

I can't say anything about the quality of AEG Moscow products as I have never seen one in real life.

 

[Matt Nolan]

I can't say anything about the quality of AEG Moscow products as I have never seen one in real life.

I don't think AEG Moscow were trying to pass themselves off as related to AEG Germany. I think it is just a coincidence that their acronym is the same three letters.

I had a couple of things from them, years ago. Kind of frankensteined old Lomo and Oktava parts, but nicely done.

 

[rock soderstrom]

I don't think AEG Moscow were trying to pass themselves off as related to AEG Germany. I think it is just a coincidence that their acronym is the same three letters.

That could be, what speaks against it from my point of view was the attempt at that time to build a bridge in the product communication to vintage German products.
I remember the repeated mention that German components were used and that they were in the tradition of German microphone classics.

I still remember it well because I had to smile back then because I didn't necessarily associate AEG with high-quality studio electronics. (although there were some points of contact).

But maybe I was wrong?

Edit:
I was interested in this and did some research. Unfortunately, I can't find any original self-promotion from AEG Moscow, only from third parties.

I have seen a photo with the logo which is completely different, so they were probably not a licencee of the Electrolux Global Brand licensing company.

Maybe that's the reason why you can't find any more of it.

But maybe not...but one thing is for sure, they really flirted with that German thing back then.

 

[Drosselmeier]

AEG was one of the largest German companies in the last century

In our case, this is a Moscow company named A(lexey)E(gor)G(eorgy) as far as I know

this is their marketplace

this man may know them personally

 

[rock soderstrom]

Great singer!
Thanks Drosselmeier for information. Hey, your forum name is german as well!
Okay, I stop it now. I do not want to derail this thread

 

[kingkorg]

Thanks,
why do you think Oktava choose a K67 type capsule for this mic/circuit?

It's not exact k67 copy. It's different.

Little bit about AEG/Oktava/Lomo. The only thing missing is Nevaton.

https://oktavainfo.blogspot.com/2007/09/?m=1
Oktava-Online has a direct line to the factory in more then one way, in true Russian style, the owners are related to a former higher up in the company, and they seem to be content to have the market cornered instead of increasing market presence. Oktava itself seemed to get a shot in the arm in 2005 and began introducing new microphone lines to compete with the miriad Chinese make mics flooding the market, including tube microphones. Just before this time the Russian company AEG commissioned Oktava to make the capsule for it's remake of a legendary "LOMO" microphone. Lomo made the other famous Russian microphone. LOMO is a St. Petersburg based manufacturing giant widely known for their quality optics. Their microphones were exceptional too. They discontinued their microphone division which sprued the creation of Nevaton by ex-LOMO mic makers. Many of their new microphones use a VERY similar capsule. Leading many fans of them and re-sellers of the capsule to refer to it as the "LOMO" capsule, but it's never referred to as that by Oktava proper. The Lomo capsule isn't actually made by Lomo, or sanctioned by LOMO, who apparently couldn't care less about microphones, since the company's leadership has found more success in the politics than optics or microphones. This has helped contribute to the re-birth of the Oktava condenser mic line known as the 100 series. In addition Oktava still manufactures the 219, 319, and 012, and their as great as ever, and still a good value, some new tube microphones (also know as valve microphones by the the British) as well as a bunch of dynamic mics that make tremendous doorstops. Oktava has admittedly never been known for their dynamic mics, it's true, they actually admitted this to me on a visit I took to their factory, and although they have made improvements in these lines as well, it's the condenser mics that are a cut above.

 

[Latie]

Hi friends,
I'm servicing an Oktava MKL-5000 microphone.
The capsule is shot, higly contaminated and even 2 weeks inside a completely closed box with a lot of silica bags didn't cure it.

I would like to replace it for a new capsule, but would like your opinions on what type of capsule could suite the circuit better.
I have a few K47 and K67 in my stock, but I could also get a different one if it would be a better match.

This is the circuit schematic of the mic:

View attachment 118791


I'm not sure if I'm seeing it right, but it looks to me that there's no High-End De-Emphasis on this circuit.
Is that correct?


Well I'm not into overly bright microphones, and overly bright is what a K67 sounds to me in a circuit without de-emphasis.
Although I love it in the U87 and U67

What's your opinions in which type of capsule to install?

Thank you so much

Try and tell

 

[Di_Sousa]

Try and tell

No, not really, thats not what I’ve asked.
I will listen to the opinions of mates around here that are experienced in microphones and capsules and follow their advice and trust their opinion. And then yes, I will try out what was suggested

 

[Recording Engineer]

Little bit about AEG/Oktava/Lomo. The only thing missing is Nevaton.

And RTT. That may have been the banner, before AEG Moscow?

https://oktavainfo.blogspot.com/2007/09/?m=1
Oktava-Online has a direct line to the factory in more then one way, in true Russian style, the owners are related to a former higher up in the company, and they seem to be content to have the market cornered instead of increasing market presence. Oktava itself seemed to get a shot in the arm in 2005 and began introducing new microphone lines to compete with the miriad Chinese make mics flooding the market, including tube microphones. Just before this time the Russian company AEG commissioned Oktava to make the capsule for it's remake of a legendary "LOMO" microphone. Lomo made the other famous Russian microphone. LOMO is a St. Petersburg based manufacturing giant widely known for their quality optics. Their microphones were exceptional too. They discontinued their microphone division which sprued the creation of Nevaton by ex-LOMO mic makers. Many of their new microphones use a VERY similar capsule. Leading many fans of them and re-sellers of the capsule to refer to it as the "LOMO" capsule, but it's never referred to as that by Oktava proper. The Lomo capsule isn't actually made by Lomo, or sanctioned by LOMO, who apparently couldn't care less about microphones, since the company's leadership has found more success in the politics than optics or microphones. This has helped contribute to the re-birth of the Oktava condenser mic line known as the 100 series. In addition Oktava still manufactures the 219, 319, and 012, and their as great as ever, and still a good value, some new tube microphones (also know as valve microphones by the the British) as well as a bunch of dynamic mics that make tremendous doorstops. Oktava has admittedly never been known for their dynamic mics, it's true, they actually admitted this to me on a visit I took to their factory, and although they have made improvements in these lines as well, it's the condenser mics that are a cut above.

I wonder how Elation and NIKFI fit in. I know the Elation KM Series is the same developer as NIKFI. Either way, they are most definitely their own capsule designs.