Banzai's KM84 DIY Body & PCB kit build thread

[TLRT]

It’s on the way, so I’m not sure about that, but I think(and hope) it will fit. I ordered capsules those have 0.5mm post from end of the capsule.

And… yes. I have same problem. I have no idea about sound of real KM84, but mines were not matched at level. ;(

I promise I’ll report back. It will be arrived during next week.

When you have different sensitivity capsules you can play with the fet input cap values. (raising the cap to 8-10pf will reduce the overal gain, or you can leave it our for more gain, however 2pf should be there for the HF roll off"Miller" effect.

 

[Mworthin]

Nothing "funny" about my capsules...they were awful. Live and learn.

Ordered new 3u audio capsules for slotted body. After those are arrived I'll leave some comparison with Maiku one.

So does 3U make an unvented capsule for this diameter thread?

 

[maarvold]

I have no idea what mods you performed.
But in stock form, and I also had access to 3x KM84 to compare (that I used in a lot of recordings over the years) these mics were not even close to the Neumann KM84. The voicing was completely off.
Compared to the KM84 they were bass heavy (and low mids) and with a lack of detail in the high end.
I didn’t find them useful at all and tossed them immediately.

The worst link in the chain is the cheap generic Chinese capsule that has no resemblance whatsoever with the KM84, being it the construction, the frequency response or the Polar pattern.



One thing is for sure, I’m not the only one that found that these kits don’t provide a similar or even close performance to the Neumann KM84, this has been talked by many people in this thread in the past, and there’s actually members that shared they regretted ever buying this.

Although I’m positive that the 3Uaudio capsule that oongbac is getting might provide a big improvement. I hope it could be a solution for members to be able to save their kits and actually build a proper microphone

So I'm wondering which run your mics came from. I bought from run 2, largely because a friend bought from run 1 and I heard his mic on snare and loved it. And I feel exactly the same about the one I built for that purpose. I have a hard time believing we both just got lucky. But I suppose it's possible. I have 2 brand new kits (from run 3) in the drawer that a friend wanted me to build for him--when I get to it, if I feel they are substandard I'll report. So you actually threw your mics in the trash?

 

[Whoops]

So you actually threw your mics in the trash?

Gave them to a friend that is not a professional recording engineer so his standards and needs are not the same as mine.
Also he is not in this forum so he was not attached to the notions of unethical practice and false advertisement that surrounds this commercial endeavor.
It was advertised with "Neumann KM84" written in the sales page, after people started complaining that their DIY mic sounded nowhere near a Neumann KM84 and they felt scammed, the "Neumann" word was removed from the thread's title.

It's well known the capsules have no resemblance to the KM84 capsules, it's also well known they are cheap generic capsules imported in bulk from China and judging by the big tolerances and variations between the capsules it's easy to figure out that no quality control or selection was done.

 

[corgan4321]

Can’t wait to hear your results. I’ve been considering trying out the Warm capsules as well. Somebody in this thread mentioned they would fit. It would be cool to put the Omni capsule on this body

 

[maarvold]

...it's also well known they are cheap generic capsules imported in bulk from China and judging by the big tolerances and variations between the capsules it's easy to figure out that none quality control or selection was done.

Then I'm thinking that something must have changed because I don't believe there were any forum complaints around the time I received my first batch. I was also told--maybe by Banzai himself (I talked to him on the phone a couple of times) that the capsules came from Maiku, but were a bit different than the ones that came right off the line... like he had them do an additional, or different, something to them compared to the regular ones. Pretty sure he also told me he graded them himself--which delayed the ship time of the kits by a week or more if I remember correctly.

Bottom line though is that it is probably a fairly futile endeavor to discuss the sound--at least in this case--of something we can't all hear first hand with our own 2 ears.

 

[oongbac]

Nothing "funny" about my capsules...they were awful. Live and learn.

So does 3U make an unvented capsule for this diameter thread?

There’s some vents in there product picture(except omni), but 3U announced those are for vented body. There was maybe some calculation for that I think.

I think these are compatible with this kit. I tried Micparts and MXL capsule, they all fit(Micparts one has longer post so I have to remove pcb, it has same diameter anyway. That’s why I ordered one that has 0.5mm post). But I’ll test first when 3U capsules are arrived.

 

[Whoops]

I was also told--maybe by Banzai himself that the capsules came from Maiku

Maiku is no one in the capsule business.
Maiku is not a capsule manufacturer, it's just an importer of generic unbranded capsules from China.
Maiku is a relative of Banzai, so they both can say whatever they want.

 

[maarvold]

Maiku is no one in the capsule business.
Maiku is not a capsule manufacturer, it's just an importer of generic unbranded capsules from China.
Maiku is a relative of Banzai, so they both can say whatever they want.

...the plot thickens

 

[oongbac]

I've got capsules from 3U audio.



I like the way they packing things.



Fits like this.



Now time for a comparison. 25cm away from 12th fret. Didn't do anything but level matching and normalizing.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OF_I5mLikKCkXeZatlSfOjFxB_4My464?usp=share_link
You can download files from above.

+Uploaded files with more distance from mics(About 15'').

 

[Ricardus]

I've got capsules from 3U audio.

I got some about a week ago myself. Need to finish the PCB builds and test everything.

 

[oongbac]

I got some about a week ago myself. Need to finish the PCB builds and test everything.

I saw your post at other thread after I ordered. I just got mine today, so I need do some more tests too.

 

[McIrish]

My kits were from batch #2. I ordered two mics with the 3U transformers. After not liking the sound, I bought the AMI transformers. I still didn't like them. Somewhere in this or another thread, I posted the audio comparing them to a real KM84, Oktava MC012, Beyerdynamic MC930. The Maiku capsules sound absolutely noting like a KM84 capsule. Nothing at all. I've had three KM84's on sessions and they all sounded pretty much the same. The Oktava sounds so close to a KM84 that they can be swapped for each other. I know many people will disagree, but I actually did the tests and had people come in for the blind shootout. No one ever picked the cut points in the audio. Nuf said. Back on topic, the Maiku capsules are pretty terrible. The off axis sound is impossibly boomy. Super bassy, in not a good way. The KM84 is anything but boomy off axis. It almost acts as a omni. It does have a wider than normal polar pattern.

Now to check out the audio clips of the 3U capsules. I hope they are good. I'd love to use the mics I built. So far, they have sat in a box since I finished them. The PCB and body are fine. The main problem is the capsule.

 

[Ricardus]

I saw your post at other thread after I ordered. I just got mine today, so I need do some more tests too.

Awesome. I hope both our builds work great!

 

[oongbac]

The KM84 is anything but boomy off axis. It almost acts as a omni. It does have a wider than normal polar pattern.

It's good to know how the original KM84 works. Thank you for tell me that.

Now to check out the audio clips of the 3U capsules. I hope they are good. I'd love to use the mics I built. So far, they have sat in a box since I finished them. The PCB and body are fine. The main problem is the capsule.

In my sample, A=3U and B=Maiku. Maybe it's not that very helpful for you because of poor playing...
I didn't use it long, but so far 3U is more comfortable to me. Maiku one feels bit tinny especially when I'm using pick.

Hope you'll find some resolution!

 

[craigmorris74]

It's good to know how the original KM84 works. Thank you for tell me that.



In my sample, A=3U and B=Maiku. Maybe it's not that very helpful for you because of poor playing...
I didn't use it long, but so far 3U is more comfortable to me. Maiku one feels bit tinny especially when I'm using pick.

Hope you'll find some resolution!

Looks and sounds like the Maiku has way more content below 60Hz, and a less even response in the mids and highs, especially from about 3K and up.

 

[oongbac]

Looks and sounds like the Maiku has way more content below 60Hz, and a less even response in the mids and highs, especially from about 3K and up.

Indeed. There's a dip between about 3K-8K compare to 3U. More obvious with close-miking.

 

[McIrish]

Indeed. There's a dip between about 3K-8K compare to 3U. More obvious with close-miking.

I did a quick listen with earbuds but I want to dive into this in the studio where I know the speakers sound right. Thanks for doing the test. They are very helpful.

 

[mrgrooves666]

It's good to know how the original KM84 works. Thank you for tell me that.



In my sample, A=3U and B=Maiku. Maybe it's not that very helpful for you because of poor playing...
I didn't use it long, but so far 3U is more comfortable to me. Maiku one feels bit tinny especially when I'm using pick.

Hope you'll find some resolution!

Caught this at work, only able to hear in my laptop, but I can already sense 3U are superior, Maiku sound dull and thin. I will consider a pair of these for this year's wishlist. I'll check these again when I'm back at home with the dyn's. Thanks for posting, don't mind your playing

 

[Mworthin]

So the 3U capsules are vented…since the body is vented also, does that have a noticeable effect on the pattern or frequency response?