Removable Microphone Head with tube socket

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ubxf

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Sep 3, 2004
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I have acquired a few microphone capsules over the years and i was thinking of putting them in service. I have a bottle mic and i got a B2 but both are not ideal candidates for different reasons. Would it be ok to use the Apex 460 platform and make a removable head using an octal tube socket ?
 
I have been thinking about this exact thing lately--except the octal part--Not a bad Idea.

they tend to be a tight fit but maybe eliminating some pins would remedy this--you want it tight but how to secure the plug end to the head assembly stronger than the friction fit of the pins?

Ideally the internal top plate would be thick enough acrylic that it could be threaded so screws could be used to retain the head, and molex sockets could be fitted.
another perspex plate could be fitted to the head and have contact pins installed. how to retain this? cut a groove for a split ring...who has a lathe?
if someone could do this they'd sell like hotcakes

a copy of the B2 plastic plug/socket bits would be useful--especially the plug side
 
search for Korby KAT, Lawson Quick Change and there might be more companies
 
yes they have 4 connector plugs that look like an Octal tube socket. Some of them are used on organs as well. Is there any drawback in using that vs direct soldering. Also would it be ok to swap capsules without powering down.
 
thanks Gus that gives a few ideas


ubxf said:
yes they have 4 connector plugs that look like an Octal tube socket. Some of them are used on organs as well. Is there any drawback in using that vs direct soldering. Also would it be ok to swap capsules without powering down.
ideally it would be gold plated contacts, i dont see why hot swapping would hurt--extremely high Z here

edit
kingkorg said:
Huge pop, not sure the FET/tube and whatever is down the line would like it. I did manage to bust couple components this way.
good point! did not consider that; was only thinking that capsule would not mind. mute speakers!
 
shabtek said:
I dont see why hot swapping would hurt--extremely high Z here

Huge pop, not sure the FET/tube and whatever is down the line would like it. I did manage to bust couple components this way.
 
So far i've always powered down to be safe. But i'm also thinking about the expensive tubes that are power cycled and how that can shorten their lives.
 
abbey road d enfer said:
How would that happen?

I haven't researched why it happens but I have observed it many times especially if the microphone is in fig.8
It seems to happen almost exclusively when disconnecting a polarized capsule but the same happens sometimes when you short a polarized capsule.
 
Tim Campbell said:
I haven't researched why it happens but I have observed it many times especially if the microphone is in fig.8
It seems to happen almost exclusively when disconnecting a polarized capsule but the same happens sometimes when you short a polarized capsule.
Strange... What was the damage then ? Collapsing a diaphragm to make it unusable suggests very strong forces at work...
 
abbey road d enfer said:
Strange... What was the damage then ? Collapsing a diaphragm to make it unusable suggests very strong forces at work...
No permanent damage. As soon as the mic is powered down and the charge drained the membrane releases.
I am not saying that it happens every time, just that I have observed it sometimes and my point was why risk it when it is simple enough to power down the mic while changing headbaskets.
 
If you are clever and know about hot swap PCBs in electronics
you might figure out how to use a mechanical switch or electronic sense of a longer pin that safes for the transient even.

The longer pin can engage first and disengage last and go a circuit.
 
Would something like a stand by switch on the power supply be useful or would it also collapse the diaphragm ?
 
ubxf said:
Would something like a stand by switch on the power supply be useful or would it also collapse the diaphragm ?
As long as we don't understand the mechanism that makes diaphragms collapse, we cannot devise a solution. The only thing I can imagine is a dual diaphragm capsule which, when disconnected would put the sum of the negative and positive bias on one diaphragm.
 

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