[FEELER] unmarked Alctron donor microphones

GroupDIY Audio Forum

Help Support GroupDIY Audio Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Which microphones would you likely purchase for DIY donor body or modding.

  • Alctron GT-2B (short U47 type)

    Votes: 48 45.7%
  • Alctron HT-11A (C12 type)

    Votes: 42 40.0%
  • Alctron MC-330 (small U87 type)

    Votes: 19 18.1%
  • Nice, large U67 type microphone

    Votes: 58 55.2%

  • Total voters
    105

chunger

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 21, 2008
Messages
1,034
Location
Northern California
Hello good DIY folks,

I am needing some donor body options for a few of the currently available mic projects here on groupDIY and am planning to import in quantity a few types of microphones as donor bodies.  These are quality Alctron microphones from their Ningbo, China facility and will be un-marked.  I am checking to see which types people may be interested in to gauge my initial order quantities.  Prices will likely end up being 20%-40% below name-brand retail equivalents.  If I am able to move a few of these, I will likely be able to request in subsequent orders cost-saving DIY and environmentally friendly options like bodies only, etc .  But for now to expedite shipment, I'm not rocking the boat and sticking to their stock oem products.  Reasonable small quantity discounts possible for semi-commercial modders.

The 3 projects I'm working on are:

ioaudio's mk47 which will utilize the GT-2B mic.
p1008066791.jpg



poctop's U87 clone which will utilize MC-330 mic (has the 3 necessary switches)
p584756851.jpg



And the T-11A which I plan to do a direct C12-ish mod with existing PCB with Tim Campbell's CT12 capsule . . . VERY common and economical build.
p844743903.jpg


This microphone does not come from Alctron in Ningbo, and is a bit pricy but seems to be the one most people want.  As of right now, I will need to order some complete microphones which looks to be already updated with key capacitors, a good capsule, and good transformer, and decent EH6072a tube.  I am also negotiating to bring in parts which will consist of body, capsule, capsule mount, and shock mount.  This should be compatible with the U67 clone which is currently under development as well as U87 project.  A revised PCB may be developed for that project to work with this body if I am successful at bringing them in at quantity.

p163618421-5.jpg
 
If poctop gets his U-67 boards out soon, you'll probably see a need for the U-87 style mic body. Not to mention those who still need bodies for his current U-87 project. Let me know when you've got a spare PSU laying around...:)

-James-
 
I'm building mk47 x2 on the GT-2B, so I will definitely be able to kick loose a spare 9 pattern psu.  Timeframe is as mentioned.  Hopefully it's not a big rush.
 
poctop has a better U-67 donor body solution lined up already.  Hopefully he will be able to get that prototyped and the bodies to market smoothly.
 
I could do with two MC-330.. maybe even a GT-2B for a 47FET build - which would have multiple phantom voltages  to select from, which is why I wouldn't mind a tube mic with a PSU.
 
baadc0de said:
I could do with two MC-330.. maybe even a GT-2B for a 47FET build - which would have multiple phantom voltages  to select from, which is why I wouldn't mind a tube mic with a PSU.

But the FET47 is tubeless. Do you just want the switch on the tube PSU for phantom power variation?
 
HellfireStudios said:
baadc0de said:
I could do with two MC-330.. maybe even a GT-2B for a 47FET build - which would have multiple phantom voltages  to select from, which is why I wouldn't mind a tube mic with a PSU.

But the FET47 is tubeless. Do you just want the switch on the tube PSU for phantom power variation?

AFAIK I also get the PSU chassis, cable, IEC entry, XLR connectors.. and a body that looks a bit like you would expect the 47FET to look like.
 
GT2B would surely be the best bet..no? ...with so many building mk47/mk7 types?

What are the dimension of the GT2B body? Hopefully there would be enough room inside for the mk47/mk7 boards, etc.
 
desol said:
GT2B would surely be the best bet..no? ...with so many building mk47/mk7 types?

What are the dimension of the GT2B body? Hopefully there would be enough room inside for the mk47/mk7 boards, etc.

The GT-2B is the same body as t.bone SCT700 and Nady TCM1050 or at least cut from the same tooling.  This is body that ioaudio's example mk47 microphone is built on, so for sure it will fit the mk47 build.  Even the screw holes for the PCB should line up.  I do know that it is highly likely that the TCM1050 comes from the Alctron factory, but the power supply for the b.bone sct700 looks different than the Alctron one, so I am uncertain about its origin.  Pricing at retail is also a step lower on the t.bone my wild guess is it may not be Alctron, but that is just a wild, uninformed guess.  Many of these factories it appears share the same tooling, but what materials are put through and the skill of the operator make a big difference.  In the US,  my Alctron GT-2B option will probably be the same as the t.bone option (once shipping is figured in).  In Europe, the t.bone will likely be cheaper.
 
Someone needs to do a legit body for the 87/67 style mics.  Something that at least has a similar sized head basket and mesh.  The Chinese ones are all to small.  If you are talk to the manufacturers maybe they have something else that works for those. 

I have looked into doing them myself but it is out of my scope for now and it would be impossible to compete with some of these other donor mic prices.

My 2 cents.
 
dandeurloo said:
Someone needs to do a legit body for the 87/67 style mics.  Something that at least has a similar sized head basket and mesh.  The Chinese ones are all to small.  If you are talk to the manufacturers maybe they have something else that works for those. 

I have looked into doing them myself but it is out of my scope for now and it would be impossible to compete with some of these other donor mic prices.

My 2 cents.

+1 please, yes.
 
Yes...but then your talking 2-300 per body...which means, by the time yer done....you may as well have bought the real thing.
 
I have not looked into checking to see if anyone can manufacture a new body type.  That would certainly open up a whole new can of worms, and I don't think I have a deep enough reach into China to maintain QC on a new venture like that with various suppliers, tooling, and development.  Also, we are dealing with small quantities here, and it is often difficult to hold the attention of manufacturers if your product is specialized, you require exacting specifications/standards, and there is not much volume. 

As for the U87/U67 bodies, there is a lot of thought and research going into locating a suitable solution.  For that reason, I'm a bit hesitant to pull the trigger on a large number of these Alctron MC-330's, but I think it will be important to have a few in the pipeline so folks can have something in the interim that they don't have to hack switches into and that has a functional nickel plate finish on it to build the current U87 clone project.

But, with other options possibly pending, trying to figure out how many to order is like playing hot-potato.  You don't want to be left holding a pile of "last week's" go-to bodies, but folks seem to still be scrambling to find a good option to build the U87 clone.
 
dandeurloo said:
Someone needs to do a legit body for the 87/67 style mics.  Something that at least has a similar sized head basket and mesh.  The Chinese ones are all to small.

Not gonna happen any time soon. I believe Neumann still have the design well protected, otherwise the Chinese would have already copied it.
And the U87 is still in production...

Axel
 
Back
Top