Heiserman vs Maiku capsules

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I built one with a heiserman for a friend, and then I built one for myself with a maiku a couple weeks ago.  I didn't compare them directly, but I don't recall any big differences.  both sound great and are very useful. 
 
Have both on order, but be awhile before I get the two mics completed,  for 87 type capsules,  never have been able to get that type capsule to move me the way the m7 types do, but giving it another shot.
one a Schoeps with some filtering and a u87 clone, once built will still take a say year of use before  I could draw any conclusions,  Try both?
 
Thanks Rob and Chips. I just built a D87 with a 3u Audio Warbler 1  capsule, (and Cinemag 13113) which Guosheng says has a smoother top end than a K87, but it takes EQ really well, and it sounds fantastic on my voice. Now, I'm curious to build another one with possibly a Sowter and a Heiserman, or possibly a Maiku so it'll probably be a coin flip, though I have to say my curiosity about the Maiku is strong.
 
Hey,

One thing to keep in mind regarding my capsule is I will support it forever.. I will warranty it as long as you own it. Not sure if it matters to you but my metal work is all done here in the US. Mylar coated in Chicago.. Its truly 100% made in the states.
The  Maiku  is 3U metal so they may sound pretty similar to your 3U capsule..for what its worth. :)

Eric Heiserman
 
tskguy said:
Hey,

One thing to keep in mind regarding my capsule is I will support it forever.. I will warranty it as long as you own it. Not sure if it matters to you but my metal work is all done here in the US. Mylar coated in Chicago.. Its truly 100% made in the states.
The  Maiku  is 3U metal so they may sound pretty similar to your 3U capsule..for what its worth. :)

Eric Heiserman

Eric,
First of all, thank you very much for chiming in here. Though I've never had the pleasure of hearing one of your capsules in person, I have read enough glowing praise about them and heard a few samples and I have the highest respect for what you are doing.

Made in the US does mean something to me as does finding out about your warranty. So, if I am to understand you properly here, you are saying that 3u is manufacturing the Maiku backplates-- and I suppose that makes sense since I wasn't really sure what Asian source was providing them that we hadn't heard about before. I do very much love the sound of this W1 capsule and also 3u's smooth top 87 capsule for flat circuits, but I am itching to see what a more traditional sounding 87 build would sound like on my voice. My Maiku curiosity may be strong, but the case you made on behalf of your product compels me to see the benefits in spending upwards of 40% more for your capsule instead.

FWIW, if I do go ahead and build another D87, there's a good chance you will be hearing from me.

Thanks again.
 
I have both of these capsules currently. If anyone would like to know about freq. response, halve matching, quality control, failure rates and what unlimited warranties mean please email me [email protected]
 
Thanks for the endorsement Tim.,.. ;D
Just to air out what Tim is saying in a very back handed way.. Tim has a very early c12 of mine that he bought second hand.. Honestly not sure from where. It had an issue and Tim wanted me to repair it.  We had a very pilot conversation and he made the request that I ship him a new capsule rather than have me repair the one he purchased second hand. I at that time I expressed that I would rather repair the one with issues so I could help improve my process., etc. But after some pressure I agreed to his original request.  8 plus months pass with me never sending him a new capsule. It was honestly just a low priority and new clients are old ones that were actually using my capsules took precedence.  After some more discussion I told Tim to just please return the capsule and I would be more than happy to repair it and pay for return shipping.. A very reasonable request in my opinion.
Sadly I haven't seen the capsule... The other comments I can only assume are a slight to my current 87 capsule.. To the folks on here that have mics with my 87 and have a problem with matching quality or any other issue please feel free to contact me at [email protected]
 
Eric that's quite a good spin you put on it  but isn't exactly how things went. I still have all our correspondence.
I haven't slighted anyone's product in this thread.  Maiku however might feel differently about your comments. Perhaps they'll chime in.
I do currently have both these capsules and have measured them and have very specific opinions about all the parameters I mentioned. I don't think it's fair as a competitor to publish them here but I'm glad to answer questions by email.
 
Wordsushi, Eric's guess of backplate origin is as good as yours – he's never seen or heard a Maiku in person.

As far as feedback on K87's, the 3U stuff is great, never heard any of Eric's capsules, and my opinion of the Maiku is probably a bit biased ;)

But I'm sure you can't go wrong with any of these.
 
I haven't heard either capsule so let's call this an opinion peice:

I personally don't like capsule comparisons but you have to decide somehow. No matter what there's always a variable that changes in shootouts. I believe I've only heard one capsule shootout where the forum member swapped capsules on the same mic and had the same singer record a test. From that shootout many preferred a Thiersch Blue Line over a Beesneez M7. I listened to it over and over focusing on different aspects. The Thiersch suited the singer but I heard enough to be convinced the Beesneez M7 was the right capsule for me.

The problem though, is that I was building an M49 and the shootout was on an MK47. What if for me the Thiersch or Eric's capsule worked best on the M49 with the tube, output cap, transformer, etc that I selected? You could build an 87 that Eric's capsule sounds better in, then swap the output transformer and the Maiku sounds better.

Here's the thing though. If you buy a Beesneez, Thiersch, Campbell Tx, etc you're getting an extremely high quality capsule and the differences between them will always be there. I believe those differences will be less in quality and more in "taste".

The capsules these guys are churning out for the price they're asking are so over and above what was available a few years ago.

One thing I consider in purchasing is the manufacturers contributions to this forum. Ben Sneezby is a contributor but not to the extent that Tim or Eric are. I tried to find out if Maiku=Banzai and quickly gave up. I believe it is and Banzai is also a big contributor to the forum.

Probably the smartest approach though, would be to keep building mics and buying what you can afford from different manufacturers. Once you have an Elam 251 with a Beesneez CK12 and a C12 with Tim's CT12 you can swap them to see which combo you prefer! Same for an 87 with a Heiserman and another with a Maiku.

 
Delta Sigma said:
I personally don't like capsule comparisons but you have to decide somehow. No matter what there's always a variable that changes in shootouts. I believe I've only heard one capsule shootout where the forum member swapped capsules on the same mic and had the same singer record a test. From that shootout many preferred a Thiersch Blue Line over a Beesneez M7. I listened to it over and over focusing on different aspects. The Thiersch suited the singer but I heard enough to be convinced the Beesneez M7 was the right capsule for me.

I have same mic body with several identical removable headrilles, with different capsules i shootout. I shoot them out by recording various identical pre recorded material through monitors, DIs through guitar cabs, bass amps, pink, white noise. I never move the body, just change the capsule. By the time i get to vocals i have pretty good idea what is going on. Off axis response, PE, pattern tightness and how capsule reacts to different input topologies (specialy tubes + using transformer based pres) are unshootoutable imhbo :)

+ inconsistencies in vintage mics, and you get 50 different ELAM clones that all claim to do the same thing, and none of them sound alike.
 
I for one do not understand what would be wrong about publishing frequencie response graducules of capsules , I don't get it.  I would very much hope the capsule makers are doing this ?  What exactly would be the point of keeping this hidden? Why must the customer be in the dark here? To protect the manufacturer? That's some shoddy customer service if you ask me!
 
chipss36 said:
I for one do not understand what would be wrong about publishing frequencie response graducules of capsules , I don't get it.  I would very much hope the capsule makers are doing this ?  What exactly would be the point of keeping this hidden? Why must the customer be in the dark here? To protect the manufacturer? That's some shoddy customer service if you ask me!

Publishing 0° frequency response graphs for capsules alone might be far more misleading than helpful for the end consumer. The final frequency response curve of a microphone depends to a significant degree on grille acoustics and circuitry. Even if you have a curve of a given finished microphone and a detailed polar diagram it still says little to nothing about sound texture which is a big factor in the whole sonic impression.

Four months ago I brought some tried and proven great sounding microphones over to "Austrian Audio"-Company to measure as an aid for future developments.  However, I think the curves didn´t reflect the mics´ real world sonic qualities in a particularly representative way although no smoothing was used at all. At least the measurements of known AKG models with and without grille may be of some use to them.

High resolution measurements are helpful during the development process.
Mildly smoothed frequency response graphs are a good way of monitoring tolerances in mass production but still are of limited usefulness for end users.
Usual published graphs are a lovely marketing tool for manufacturers, not much more.

Just my personal opinion.
 
Just my personal opinion.

I agree fully. Even when talking to people who deal with microphones on a daily basis, it's hard to convince them that frequency response measurement is virtually worthless. In my opinion, it's good as a manufacturer's quality control, that's it.

And thanks for saving me from typing this long answer - I would have typed 97% the same, only small geographic variations apply :)

Jakob E.
 
Measurements aren't cheap, If you don't have Anechoic chamber and professional measurement equipment you need to pay extra to some institute or company which can do that for you. Then this had to be added to the capsules price.
Each capsule will get a little bit different response in a different circuit, due to many factors like input topology, polarisation voltage, headbasket etc. Which circuit is truly flat and the best for measurements?!?  There's a difference between capsule measurement and whole microphone as a product measurement. Potentially  Banzai would measure response of his capsules in circuit A, you will use it in circuit B and it would much different than you expect.
SInce the standards are to smooth response curve, then everyone just need to do it - otherwise "bare" characteristic would be seen by potential customers as a "something wrong is with that capsule" :D
Smooth frequency response don't say too much.
Is it worth to bother - my personal opinion - NO ;)
 
I heard that there is a new technique to measure mics that could be done without an anechoic room. Some kind of impulse. I suppose it have it's limitations but would be good to know more of it. I will try to ask.
 
At least in theory, the easiest(?) way to get a relatively clean measurement would be in a "big enough" room (so boundary surfaces and reflections wouldn't interfere too much), and with the mic at a "Goldilocks" distance from the speaker, ie. not close enough so proximity gives you a bass bump, but close enough for a good direct-vs.-reflected-sound ratio.
 

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