MXL 960 and V69 circuits & MXL 1" capsule

I've got a 960 on the way; anyone traced the V69 circuit, I want to compare the two w/out having to buy a V69 too. I'll post the 960 circuit after it arrives. 12AT7 in both the 960 and the V69, same 1" capsule.

I've heard clips of the 960 on acoustic gitar and male vox, sounds muffled, like there's substantial HF roll off...

Anyone taken the time to fiddle with this capsule? I know the sound of the 797 in the 2003 is far preferred but I'm wondering if this one can be civilized.

The V69 (except some early ones, I think) have small daughter boards covered with black epoxy. I suppose it's the output stage. So you can't easily trace the ciruit.

V69 is a waste of time. I started to trace it. Tube section of it is not a good tube circuit IMO. I have two with parts upgrades. The XLR connector plastic breaks easy on the ones I have worked on besides mine.

Could be good for the body/capsule and power supply. Use a real tube circuit in it.

Actually, I think the V69 is a very nice sounding mic for the price. It does seem to be more prone to defects, though.

[quote author="Gus"]...Could be good for the body/capsule and power supply. Use a real tube circuit in it.[/quote]I've been thinking about doing that to the 960 since it's much cheaper.

Remember I am picky about microphones.

A very expensive cardiod only microphone uses a capsule that looks like the one in the mxl2001,v67,1006,v69.

The v69 electronics are not that bad for the design limits that were used. I have built stuff with the same capsule/grill with GOOD parts in the circuit I installed solid state or tube.

IMO the better circuits I built sound better with the capsule/grill but its not a great difference. I believe the capsule is more of the limiting part. So IMO the stock circuit is a good match for the capsule for the price and sound. But I don't like good for the price anymore I am looking for best in the world. Sometimes you need to built it yourself.

I think the stock circuit with a few changes is OK not great.

It is hard to explain but a great capsule/grill with very good electronics Is something very nice.

Now I do think a v69 etc as overheads or adjusted for acoustic guitar could be a very nice thing.

I had the whole MXL range for review, quite a while ago. My impression was that the V69 was specifically taylored for lead voals. It certainly is a better vocal mic than any of the other MXL's I tested it against (2001, 1006, 990) and also than most other mics in that price range. It's a one trick pony, though. I don't think it really shines on anything but vocals. I has a somewhat flattering quality, and it does sound more like a tube mic, I think, than some real all tube microphones. My impression was also that the quoted noise figure (14 dB-A) is not correct. Self noise was noticably higher on mine. That said the self noise figures and S/N-figures MXL gives do not correspond on any microphone, at least last time I checked.

Could someone trace this circuit?  I really wanna see what the fuss is all about... I bought one, but it's stuck in America.  I wanna plan some upgrades, but wanna know what I'm messing with... I'm trying to get my feet wet with building, by modding a few mics and I wanna know all I can before I make something go BOOM!

JK, but seriously, I think we could learn a bit from this circuit, I mean why not?!  ;D

Here is a thread, where everybody talk about tracing it, but no one does
http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=21606.0

It's so sad it melts my face. :'(

Could someone please trace this circuit?

Thanks a ton,
Marcos

I'm thinking about tracing my v69 but it's an older one and it sounds quite 2 dimensional... When i get the time i'd rather rebuilt it completly than trace a circuit that MXL replaced because of a bad design....

so anyone have a good suggestion for a circuit that'll be easy to built using the original power supply and capsule? Bear with me i'm a condensor diy noob... only repaired dynamics and ribbons.. .

greetings,

Thomas

Why not rebias the FET, replace ceramics and electrolytics with film caps and swap out the tube for a NOS mullard 12at7 or Telefunken 12ax7 or 12at7?  Idk, what's in the mic or how the circuit is exactly, but from what I read it's a FET to tube to a transformerless output.  One thing i read and suggested in another forum is a capsule swap for a chinse K47 and some said that would probably make it sound better.  Try the RK-47 from www.microphoneparts.com , some guys have been using them with pleasent outcomes.  Just some suggestions.

hobiesound said:

so anyone have a good suggestion for a circuit that'll be easy to built using the original power supply and capsule? Bear with me i'm a condensor diy noob... only repaired dynamics and ribbons.. .

Click to expand...

I bought one of these used for real cheap since it had the dreaded wind noise that seemed to plague some of them.  I gutted it and wired in an ELAM 251 circuit with a Cinemag transformer, but I kept the original power supply and capsule.  I think I had to tweak the heater supply just a bit as well by changing a resistor.  I like what I hear and use it often.

Cheers,
--
Don

mista min said:

Why not rebias the FET, replace ceramics and electrolytics with film caps and swap out the tube for a NOS mullard 12at7 or Telefunken 12ax7 or 12at7?  Idk, what's in the mic or how the circuit is exactly, but from what I read it's a FET to tube to a transformerless output.  One thing i read and suggested in another forum is a capsule swap for a chinse K47 and some said that would probably make it sound better.  Try the RK-47 from www.microphoneparts.com , someone guys have been using them with pleasent outcomes.  Just some suggestions.

Click to expand...

no 12at7 (some miniature tube forgot the name) in it and mine is transformer out.....

greetings,

Thomas

hobiesound said:

no 12at7 (some miniature tube forgot the name) in it and mine is transformer out.....

greetings,

Thomas

Click to expand...

What? How old is your mic? Are you talking about the V69me?  The V69XM has a transformer balanced output, but I've never heard of any others with the transformer coupled version.  Could you please take a photo.

Cheers,
Marcos