Oktava 219/319 mod Questions?

rokus666 · Oct 30, 2012

Hello all,

This thread is dedicated to Oktava 219 and 319 mod.
I got four of these ready to get modified.

My first question is: how to remove the PCB and capsule from 219 body ? It seems it's pretty sturdy and I don't want to break anything...

Anyone done this before???

There will be more questions if I come along some problems. I could also post some photos and samples if you guys are interested.

Thanks

tonycamp · Oct 30, 2012

You need to remove the pad and roll off switch pad and discard the connections or shorten leads and use teflon/silver wire to lower capacitance, other wise the pcb wont slide out of the body. Why remove the capsule? just protect it and leave it on. If you want to put a shock pad under it, do one screw at a time. Also be careful with the flat head screws, the driver loves to pop out and stab capsules!!!

Also if you have phillips head screws, you've got a "fake" oktava.

Whats ur upgrade plan?

good luck

Rob Flinn · Oct 31, 2012

I pretty much did these mods to my MK219's

http://www.recordingmag.com/resources/resourceDetail/316.html

I didn't use shortened teflon/silver wire & didn't removing the pad & HPF switching. This switching is done with sealed reed relays opereated by permanent magnets, which are pretty clean in operation & I never experienced an issues with them, so personally I didn't see the point in removing this function.

I did find adding the caulking to damp the body resonances was quite a positive improvement.

HellfireStudios · Oct 31, 2012

I don't believe the switch removal is permanent. More of a temporary situation to make it easier/possible to access the capsule.

-James-

rokus666 · Oct 31, 2012

tonycamp said:
You need to remove the pad and roll off switch pad and discard the connections or shorten leads and use teflon/silver wire to lower capacitance, other wise the pcb wont slide out of the body. Why remove the capsule? just protect it and leave it on. If you want to put a shock pad under it, do one screw at a time. Also be careful with the flat head screws, the driver loves to pop out and stab capsules!!! Also if you have phillips head screws, you've got a "fake" oktava.

Whats ur upgrade plan?

good luck

The upgrade plan is next:

-First I need to remove the pcb from the body which is kind of hard
-Dampen the mic body by killing resonance with silicon
-remove/chop off the grill bars on the front and back
-install some kind of shock mount between the capsule and the holder????? ???
-remove the capsule plastic screens (both of them?)
-replace the electrical components- Looking at Dorsey BOM but if anyone have other suggestions I will gladly take them

HellfireStudios · Oct 31, 2012

You shouldn't need to shockmount the capsule, if you use a regular shockmount. If you still feel the need to shockmount the capsule, Peluso has a rubber "stem" (similar to the Apex460) between the saddle and headbasket baseplate. The AKG C 414 uses elastic bands to suspend the capsule (too elaborate for my tastes).

-James-

rokus666 · Oct 31, 2012

I guess the mic shockmount should be sufficient.
When removing the plastic cover from the capsule, should I remove the both sides or just the front?

tonycamp · Oct 31, 2012

quote;
The upgrade plan is next:

-First I need to remove the pcb from the body which is kind of hard
-Dampen the mic body by killing resonance with silicon
-remove/chop off the grill bars on the front and back
-install some kind of shock mount between the capsule and the holder??
-remove the capsule plastic screens (both of them?)
-replace the electrical components- Looking at Dorsey BOM but if anyone have other suggestions I will gladly take them (quote

-Pcb slides right out after switches are removed and xlr screw is removed
-be careful how much silicone u use, or you'll be scraping it out later
-do NOT remove/chop off the grill bars on the front and back, even though they are on the sides?? you could carefully run a small bead of rtv silicone on the inside of the side rails to damp
-remove the black plastic resonator discs from both sides, one side at a time putting screws back(and after your done the electronics, they serve as capsule protection)...carefully(flat head capsule punch!!)
-bill sitler sells a kit for $30 some bucks, Dorsey based and a well chosen kit, if you don't want to source yrsfl.

rokus666 said:
I guess the mic shockmount should be sufficient.
When removing the plastic cover from the capsule, should I remove the both sides or just the front?

No need to suspend the capsule, an external shock mount will take care of that, plus the "clamp" action of a properly chosen shockmount, will damp body resonances as well.

Removing the internal headbasket mesh is ?? what ever u want to do

Make sure the head basket bottom ring is metal to metal grounded to the body ring or BUZZZZZ

This is a really easy mic mod, The mic will sound beeeitchn. Dark and sweet, a great "vibe mic"

hope this helps

rokus666 · Oct 31, 2012

It seems so tedious sourcing parts for this mod especially when there is so many options. I rather pay that person to source it for me. 4 micophones would be about 160$ for electronic parts.
Like giving him 100$ for the time of doing for me which is not bad.

I am just ordering:
10 x 2N3819 N CHANNEL JFET - FAIRCHILD
Someone said that russian tranny is slower and this one is fast. I will do a shootout since I got 4 mics.
I'll leave the stock one and put this one in the second mic. Will record some accordion and classical guitar side by side...that should cover all the frequency ranges.

Do I need to change anything with resistors or i can just put in this tranny?

PS:
If anyone wants to help me source the parts from mouser, I would pay him 50 bucks in exchange for mouser cart? I don't know if it's appropriate to post questions like these but if it is, I will remove this from the post...

rokus666 · Oct 31, 2012

Tony, I am not sure I understood what you said here

do NOT remove/chop off the grill bars on the front and back, even though they are on the sides?? you could carefully run a small bead of rtv silicone on the inside of the side rails to damp

I am planning to chop off the front and back of the capsule basket bars (219)???

When people take out the grill mesh, do you take just one layer or leave double as is?
Neumann always had 2 layers and it works well.

tonycamp · Oct 31, 2012

rokus666 said:
It seems so tedious sourcing parts for this mod especially when there is so many options. I rather pay that person to source it for me. 4 micophones would be about 160$ for electronic parts.
Like giving him 100$ for the time of doing for me which is not bad.

I am just ordering:
10 x 2N3819 N CHANNEL JFET - FAIRCHILD
Someone said that russian tranny is slower and this one is fast. I will do a shootout since I got 4 mics.
I'll leave the stock one and put this one in the second mic. Will record some accordion and classical guitar side by side...that should cover all the frequency ranges.

Do I need to change anything with resistors or i can just put in this tranny?

PS:
If anyone wants to help me source the parts from mouser, I would pay him 50 bucks in exchange for mouser cart? I don't know if it's appropriate to post questions like these but if it is, I will remove this from the post...

Yes, I was thinking 319, you are correct on the 219 about the bars, my mistake.
I think you're confusing the tranny and fet, The sitler kit includes a toshiba fet, sounds great. The russian transformer and capsule are awesome in this mic, thats what gives it that chocolatey vibe. do not change the tranny. The mic will sound awesome, trust me. I personally didn't want to source the parts, so i bought sitlers kit, sounds like a zeppelin recording on acoustic through an api. It's a go to mic for some vocals also, especially for the ladies in rock mixes. Very viby and unique, I use it more than most mics i own

rokus666 · Oct 31, 2012

Oh man, I can't wait to start with this...your description of sound makes me own these mics...

On 319, do you take off the top grille ? I was thinking taking the top off ? and have it just as flat top?

Will it make any difference?

Gus · Oct 31, 2012

do a search at this site and do a web search lots of information some good and some ??

tonycamp · Oct 31, 2012

rokus666 said:
Oh man, I can't wait to start with this...your description of sound makes me own these mics...

On 319, do you take off the top grille ? I was thinking taking the top off ? and have it just as flat top?

Will it make any difference?

If you do any headbasket mods at all, remove inside mesh only. not sure it makes that much a difference

rokus666 · Nov 1, 2012

Gus said:
do a search at this site and do a web search lots of information some good and some ??

There are a lot of opinions and grudges on Oktava Mods. Actually, the info is scattered and pretty chaotic.

I was doing a lot of searching and reading. I am just afraid that every thread on Oktava Mod gets contaminated by the professional modders making their sales pitch and the reasons why you should buy their mod instead of doing it yourself. Some of them are even offering sound examples side by side vintage classics like Neumann. I really have to do this mod myself and hear the difference in my studio along my own microphones in my own room.

Gus · Nov 1, 2012

IMO question all the adjustments you find on the web.
Changing the jfet? why?
The penciled numbers on the transformer mean something

tonycamp · Nov 1, 2012

Gus said:
IMO question all the adjustments you find on the web.
Changing the jfet? why?
The penciled numbers on the transformer mean something

agreed, i changed the fet because it came with sitlers kit, otherwise i probably wouldn't have. Is the russian tranny hand made?? The russian writing on it has to add some voodoo sauce

All i know, is the end result of sifting through all the net rhetoric and self modding this mic, is an in the end fantastic result. I love my 319s

rokus666 · Nov 1, 2012

Gus said:
IMO question all the adjustments you find on the web.
Changing the jfet? why?
The penciled numbers on the transformer mean something

Yea, what does the numbers on the transformer mean ?

Also, I have noticed all my four mics have all different components...

And some rusty leaky caps as well...

Fet has some russian cyrilics on it and it looks nice...I won't touch that one...

tonycamp · Nov 1, 2012

rokus666 said:
Gus said:

IMO question all the adjustments you find on the web.
Changing the jfet? why?
The penciled numbers on the transformer mean something

Click to expand...

Yea, what does the numbers on the transformer mean ?

Also, I have noticed all my four mics have all different components...

And some rusty leaky caps as well...

Fet has some russian cyrilics on it and it looks nice...I won't touch that one...

Sitler addresses the four different incarnations of the mics in his kits. I still get the idea that your confused on what an FET is Rokus??

rokus666 · Nov 1, 2012

tonycamp said:
rokus666 said:

Gus said:

IMO question all the adjustments you find on the web.
Changing the jfet? why?
The penciled numbers on the transformer mean something

Click to expand...

Yea, what does the numbers on the transformer mean ?

Also, I have noticed all my four mics have all different components...

And some rusty leaky caps as well...

Fet has some russian cyrilics on it and it looks nice...I won't touch that one...

Click to expand...

Sitler addresses the four different incarnations of the mics in his kits. I still get the idea that your confused on what an FET is Rokus??

Field effect transistor? ??? I am confused...

Oktava 219/319 mod Questions?

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