critterkllr said:
Can anybody comment on the audio quality, build quality, and circuit authenticity of the Advanced Audio microphone line in comparison to the DIY route? The price on these microphones built seem to be less than or only slightly more than sourcing and building yourself. DIY certainly has its rewards, but I'm curious if my time could be spent building other items while still making out with high quality microphones on a limited budget.
Edit: AA has glowing reviews all over, but I haven't found any threads specifically comparing them to DIY in the same price range.
micaddict said:
Anyone seen kidvybes lately?
...someone call?...
...Dave Thomas' Advanced Audio tube microphones are very viable options for those not gifted in the DIY arena skills, but they are in no way to be confused with true "clone-style" recreations of classic microphones...they have model designations that imply performance characteristics reminiscent of iconic classic tube microphones...but, they do not share accurate build similarities, other than, in some cases, capsule-style and/or transformer-style...in fact, all of the AA tube mics share the same CCDA two-stage circuit employing an Electro-Harmonix 6072A dual-triode tube with transformer-couple output...the key differences between models is body/headbasket, capsule choice, and transformer choice...they perform nicely and receive consistantly good reviews in the pro-audio community, but they should not be confused with designs being offered in this community, which clearly attempt to recreate much more accurate and affordable DIY options...
...if the DIY route is outside of your skill range, and purchasing microphones like the AA offerings appeal to you, you would do well to investigate another small company that sources their tube microphones from the very same manufacturing source as AA, share comparable build quality, components and design, yet sell for even less than the AA products...check out Stellar Microphones (either via their own website or via eBay), as they sell their versions for $400-500 (quite a savings over their AA counterparts)...
...I own/use mics from both AA and Stellar (as do some other members of this community) and IMHO they are both excellent options for those who aren't motivated or skilled to partake in the DIY experience (and cannot afford the more costly "boutique" options that sell for thousands of dollars)...what AA and Stellar offer are essentially "pre-modded at the manufacturing level" Chinese product...they are based on Chinese OEM product (like the Apex 460 and Nady 1050), but offer modified circuitry with upgraded components like metal-film capacitors, higher-quality more diverse capsule options (with improved QC), upgraded higher-quality Euro-tubes, Chinese recreations of classic dual-bobbin transformers like the BV8, BV11 and T14, and 9 polar-pattern versatility...great "bang-for-the-buck" for plug-and-play shoppers...it should be noted that these product lines utilize modifications designed by Dave Thomas (AA) and Peter Bloch (Stellar)...both of these gentleman are career audio engineers and offered modding services prior to producing these plug-and-play options...
...I hope this info helps...
