question on replacement (upgrade) parts for the Oktava MK-319

Hey dudes. The list of the replaced parts are as follows:

Q1 - FET Toshiba Audio
R1 - 1G MOX Thick Film Resistor
R2 - 1G MOX Thick Film Resistor
R7 - 1% Metal Film Resistor
R8 - 1% Metal Film Resistor
C2 - COG Monolith Cap
C3 - Tantalum Cap
C5 -  COG Monolith Cap
C6 -  COG Monolith Cap
C7 - Tantalum Cap
C8 - Polypropylene Cap
C9 - Tantalum Cap

Wondering what parts you guys would replace each with? Any help is appreciated.

I found it sounds good as-is. Works well on some sources.

If you don't need the pad and HP-filter, removing them does improve the sound. The myriad of wires going to and from the switches produce quite some stray capacitance. But don't do it, if you don't feel confident about your skills.

There is more going on inside that circuit than you will find posted about on the web.
You can find all kind of things to do to that microphone on the web.  IMO question what you read on the web.

That pretty much goes for any circuit or any kind of information on the web. Unfortunately, these days many people don't use any other source of information anymore. I mean, when you think about it, the internet may obliterate more correct information than it accumulates.

Rossi said:

That pretty much goes for any circuit or any kind of information on the web. Unfortunately, these days many people don't use any other source of information anymore. I mean, when you think about it, the internet may obliterate more correct information than it accumulates.

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Very true. And in this situation, I'd ironically take some internet advice from Gus, and listen to the mic, and decide what you might want to change about it, if anything.

In general. I find the 319 to be relatively dark, thick, with solid bass response. The treble can be quite soft and less detailed than other mics. I have found this works well on bright/harsher sources, and also for bass (more so the valve version of this mic for bass though).

The dominating factor in the sound of this mic is the capsule. Anyone who says they've got it sounding like a U67, etc. is having a laugh. It will always sound like an Oktava.

The circuit allows for a number of mods. I wrote a magazine article (in German) about modding the MK-219/319 mics a couple of years ago and have developed some new mods in the meantime (which I'm not going to divulge anytime soon, though). Plus, you can turn the MK-319 into a tube mic for a couple of bucks, provided you already have a (Chinese) tube mic PSU.

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=7891.msg391355#msg391355

That said, the mic sounds good as is, especially if you factor in the low price.

and have developed some new mods in the meantime (which I'm not going to divulge anytime soon, though).

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Are you planning to sell those mods or just keeping them to yourself?

I have a pair of mk-219 and i found the biggest improvement was to deaden the body of the mic.  It tends to "sing" in sympathy with certain notes which gives it a strange sound.  Once you deaden it, it cleans up considerably.  I did the normal 1G resistors/capsule-fet cap/switch mods but didn't really hear *that* much difference.

I like these for room mics a lot.

I haven't really decided on what to do with those mods, it's a side project I come back to now and then. I might offer them as a service on a small scale in the future.

Yes, the MK-219 body is a big problem, the MK319 is better, but still not great. Maybe someone shoud offer new bodies for those mics. I don't think the (electronic) Dorsey mods really improve the mic a whole lot. It might have been different then, but the FETs used in recent years were low noise and don't have to be replaced. And the 2SK170 doesn't seem to be a particularly good candidate anyway. There's no need for new 1G resistors either. The stock 500 meg ones are fine. Removing the switches out of the Hi-Z area is a good idea, Michael Joly is right about that. But I also think it's a good idea to put those switches to some acutal use instead of just disconnecting them. In my article I showed how to re-implement pad and low cut without sonic compromises (that only works in the MK-319, though). My new "secret" mods also make use of those switches.