Anyone built the Beesneez DIY C12 Clone Microphone Body Kit?

[lightningbefore]

Hey y'all, newbie here. I've built a few micparts mics in the past and am looking to try something different. I do still appreciate instructions as I further dip my toes in the DIY mic waters.

The Beesneez DIY C12 kit looks like fun, has anyone built it? If so, should I expect to get instructions included with it or just a schematic or just up to me to figure it out? I've reached out to the company already but understand from searching here Ben's very busy and haven't gotten a reply yet.

I'm also open to any suggestions of other great complete kits to consider, I've been digging through threads but have mostly been coming up empty so far.

Here's a link to the full kit I'm eyeing:
https://beesneezproaudio.com/product/body-kit-c12-clone/?wmc-currency=USD

 

[Delta Sigma]

I haven't, but I built a 251 with their body kit and capsule. Very nice body.

 

[lightningbefore]

Amazing, thanks! I ordered the C12 so I’ll update here how it goes.

what other sources/pcb/parts/PSU/guide did you use to build your 251 if you don’t mind me asking (not sure if that’s frowned upon here)?

that’s exactly what I’d want to build next if all goes well with the C12

 

[Delta Sigma]

I used Dany's boards and I got a power supply from Chunger. I used an AMI transformer but when I built C12s I used Moby's T14. I plan on getting another Moby T14 to try in my 251 because my C12s sound so amazing.

 

[lightningbefore]

Do you know if buying a Dany board today still fit the BN 251 body? Or did you get in on the group buy here? FEELER: Beesneez Ela M body for Poctop's PCB

 

[Delta Sigma]

Didn't do the group buy. Not sure if current production is the same as mine.

 

[Clintcleveland]

Hey y'all, newbie here. I've built a few micparts mics in the past and am looking to try something different. I do still appreciate instructions as I further dip my toes in the DIY mic waters.

The Beesneez DIY C12 kit looks like fun, has anyone built it? If so, should I expect to get instructions included with it or just a schematic or just up to me to figure it out? I've reached out to the company already but understand from searching here Ben's very busy and haven't gotten a reply yet.

I'm also open to any suggestions of other great complete kits to consider, I've been digging through threads but have mostly been coming up empty so far.

Here's a link to the full kit I'm eyeing:
https://beesneezproaudio.com/product/body-kit-c12-clone/?wmc-currency=USD

I just ordered their C12 capsule too! I’m excited to hear how your build goes

 

[johnsonic]

My Beesneez c12 kit just shipped Wednesday!

 

[lightningbefore]

Well it’s as I suspected, I hope y’all may be willing to help me…I received everything today but no instructions (I have built a mic parts tube 47 in the past without issues using their newbie step guide).

This is what I got in the box (and body/head/PSU), seems like it could be simple but I have no idea here.

Anyone willing/able to guide me through connecting this or should I just ask Ben for a little more help? I looked at the mega C12 thread guide but that seems very different from what I have here.

 

[johnsonic]

Got mine yesterday too and same state. Doesn't look like a c12 circuit either? Will post back here if I hear back, but could also use some help!

 

[lightningbefore]

Got mine yesterday too and same state. Doesn't look like a c12 circuit either? Will post back here if I hear back, but could also use some help!

Haha we’re in the same boat at least, we got this! Maybe Ben can help give some tips or if anyone here has built one.

Also I’m in the states but the PSU was set to 230, and no wire was included, but I thought it was supposed to have everything that was needed to build it.

 

[johnsonic]

There might be a switch in the back of the power supply to flip to 115…

 

[lightningbefore]

Got it, thanks @johnsonic. Turns out my PSU is the Producer one. While it was offered as an option during the DIY C12 checkout, if you go to the Producer PSU page it looks like it's not suitable for the clone series without modification. I emailed Ben to see if mine was modded to fit with the clone mic already or if I purchased the wrong PSU as we didn't discuss it during purchase.

How's your build going so far? Ben did just send me directions, did you get any? I'll post them here but I'm still trying to make sense of them all. Before I send that, did you happen to get included in your shipment a second 392k Yellow Capacitor and 15ohm Resistor that are not already connected to the board?

This quote and example pic shows them added but I can't find either after quadruple checking all my shipping materials as well as all included component materials.

"On the bottom left of the PCB, you will see a resistor with only one leg connected to the PCB, you need to solder the supplied yellow cap (one leg to the loose leg of resistor and other leg to pin 2 on the tube socket (this is the grid)
You will also join the 2 x capsule centre wires to the loos leg of the resistor and capacitor (these are left off the pcb for noise reasons as fibrglass pcb has a low impedance than the grid circuit)"

Zoomed Pic of Ben's Example:​

(showing the extra cap and resistor at the tube socket):

Full Pic of Ben's Example:​

My Mic:​

(without any connections so far, just attached the PCB - also looks like we'll need to supply some of our own wire from the xlr, kinda a bummer as I thought the kit was 'everything you need - just add solder' but w/e )

 

[johnsonic]

I didn't get the cap or the resistor either - looks like we got the same email!

He did say:

The missing resistor is a 100m and the cap can be anything from 2n to 10n

Can't wait to get this thing built!

 

[kingkorg]

Just in case anyone needs guts image of 888$ "km84 style" mic from the same manufacturer. Accent on the quotation marks.

The "matched pair" had different thickness of the backplate spacers and size of backplate holes.

Any similarity to other 30$ mics is coincidence.

 

[shabtek]

maybe they would not match otherwise

 

[lightningbefore]

I didn't get the cap or the resistor either - looks like we got the same email!

He did say:


Can't wait to get this thing built!

Me too, thanks for the info! What cap/resistor brand and cap value did you go with?

 

[lightningbefore]

Just in case anyone needs guts image of 888$ "km84 style" mic from the same manufacturer. Accent on the quotation marks.

The "matched pair" had different thickness of the backplate spacers and size of backplate holes.

Any similarity to other 30$ mics is coincidence.

Dang, you’re saying they’re the same? How do they sound in comparison to the 30$ mics?

 

[kingkorg]

The circuit is km84, so that might be different, but 800$ worth of difference? This thread reminded me of these, and their common iron starved transformer that has nothing to do with either c12 or km84.

These have the same exact capsule as all of the mxl603 variants. Sound nothing like kk84 capsule.

 

[kingkorg]

maybe they would not match otherwise

Nope, they were as mismatched as possible. One was hypercardioid, the other one cardioid. 3db difference in level. These are stock china capsules, that also were sold here as a part of a infamous km84 kit. They had the same exact issues. Probably due to lack of QC after China factory, which is weird and honestly rude considering the company narrative and pricing. These were found in first edition Pronomic SCM-1 mics.

https://groupdiy.com/threads/pronomic-scm-1.69474/