Peluso CK12 what are they like ?????

Ive done searches & read about the CEK12 from mr peluso they not too much money really, I no its not going to be a CK12 & thats fair enough.

Here the thing...I donk have a real C12 to compare ..I have a solid tube & a Violet design Vin 67 that is my best mic, which is based on a U67 I think the violet is similar to Blue & Red mics

Can ayone give me an idea as to how it would compare to the violet.
Or how would it compare to other mics in the shops these days, mostly its compared to the C12 you see.

Im hoping will similar quality to the Violet as I just want another sound to play with for not a lot of money I have a home made Ela 251 mic ready to drop it into.

Thanks for reading.

I've heard a LOT of good things about John Peluso's CEK-12, and at least one good audio sample. I've also tried his CEK-67 capsule, and I can vouch for it having been comparable to the Neumann ones... at least the one that I used CERTAINLY was.

I've also heard one person saying that his CEK-12 was 'unusable' when it was put in a C414 with a dead capsule... the complaint was a "complete absence of bass".

On the whole, I'm inclined to believe that there was something wrong with the C414... John's been great to work with on the phone, and subsequently helped me out during a period of extensive experimentation by meeting my oddball requests for super-long terminal leads, additional mounts etc. LONG after the original sale, and has never charged me for any of it, to the point where I started feeling really guilty and stopped calling him to discuss more ideas, because all it was doing was costing him money!!!

Seth Glassman knows a decent sound when he hears one, and he built a G7 with the Peluso CEK-12 in it, IIRC. It was his sound clip which was posted (it may actually still be up, I think it was called "the piper" or something similar) and it had NO lack of low end, it was gentle and clear, but NOT brash or hyped.

Until you can find a real AKG CK-12, it may very well be the best value for money alternative that you can possibly buy, and I'd expect that you shouldn't be dissapointed with it, there's even a possibility that you may not want to hunt out a "real" brass AKG. (good luck with that anyway... I can't find any!!!) John stands behind his products and is a top guy. We've also talked about my mics being measured in his anechoic chamber if I'm ever up in that part of Virginia, he's that cool, and has a great tolerance -no; belief- in the DIY spirit.

I might also try to build a 251-type mic... can you tell me which transformer you used, and which schematic? -oh, and I might be over in the NorthWest in the next couple of months, to do with of the 2008 'city of culture' thing...

Keith

Some reports from users:
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=14524#14524

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=46839

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=54314#54314

These are G7 specific... but all with Peluso CEK-12's , and ALL in cases where they've been compared ALONGSIDE other excellent microphones. I have had a quick look, and I don't think that there has been a SINGLE DIY build using one of John's CK-12 copies where the user hasn't been VERY happy with them. The only other 'grumps' about Peluso capsules are -I think- from people who seem to think that the fact that John buys his metalwork from China means that he's just "marking-up" some dodgy, cheap Chinese product...

John makes and tensions ALL of the diaphragms, and that's about 65% of the 'art' in ANY capsule manufacture. -Accurate, repeatable metalwork can be done ANYWHERE on the face of the earth and still be good, China happens to be the place where labour is dirt-cheap at the moment (low wages and an artificially-controlled exchange rate making them even cheaper), so in my mind, if you want to compete on price, you end up going that way as just about the ONLY sensible alternative!

There you go, hope that give some perspective; I've told you all the bad and some of the good things that I've heard/read. All I've got in terms of DIRECT experience with Peluso microphone labs has been unquestionably and resoundingly good.

Keith

Wow thanks for that response I think Im sold now & havent even read those links yet, gotta a gig to do shortly so will read later

Heres a link to my experiments with the Ela M251

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=25776

I gotta update the thread later as the Violet lolly capsule is now woking just gotta get rid of hum & then record a song to compare to to violet head with C28A circuit.

Thanks once again.

I noticed that Keith pointed directly to one of my posts, so I figured that I would put an update on it. First of all, I'm embarrassed. I'm not sure if I was referring to a U-87 or a U-47 FET. "U-87 FET" is rather redundant (LOL), and my friend has both. I wound up trading that CEK-12 capsule to another lab member because as time went by, I wasn't thrilled with the way it sounded on my voice. I had it in both a G9 and a modified Apex/Nady circuit at times, so I think it might have been the capsule that I didn't like. However, I also don't care for my 414ULS on my voice (but I love the 414 XLII with the modified AKG CK-12 capsule). My go-to vocal mike on my voice for the last two years has been my Royer DIY with a Peluso CEK-89 capsule.

On the negative side, the first two Peluso CEK-89's (circa 2004) I bought were funky and had to be sent back. I think I had posted here that I thought that there might be some quality control issues with his capsules, but that was a long time ago. His customer service was A+++ though getting things straightened out. The replacement CEK-89 is perfect and is the one I still use. I might get myself a CEK-367 sometime in the near future.

-Chris

Question...if I was to get the G7 boards and shoot for building a U47 mic , which Peluso capsule should I get?