Feeler: Complete DIY Kits for U87 Clone

[hazer-drum]

Hi everyone,

I’m in the process of building full DIY kits for U87 microphones and wanted to assess the interest of the DIY community for this type of project.

My goal would be to provide all the components necessary to build the mic without the need to scavenge for parts and to simplify the build process by providing detailed instructions.

When I started my first DIY audio projects, I was constantly faced with the challenge of having to find buried information in lengthy forum threads and I felt overwhelmed with all the information.

Hopefully these kits will be able to alleviate these problems and would provide an accessible introduction to beginners with a very small batch of 10 kits as a start.

These kits will include parts from trusted members of this forum, using the best components available for optimal quality:

- D-U87M PCBs by Vintage Microphone PCB Kit
- AMI T13 Transformer by TAB Funkenwerk
- HK87 Capsule by Heiserman Audio
- SYT-5 Mic Body by ShuaiYin Electronics

(Will offer other options for capsules and transformers in subsequent batches if requested)

Please let me know if anybody is interested in ordering some kits and hopefully I will be able to offer more of these in the near future.

Thanks!

 

[Ricardus]

Price?

For me, sourcing the parts is part of the fun, and has allowed me to develop relationships with all sorts of interesting people.

 

[hazer-drum]

Not sure if I'm allowed to talk prices outside of the marketplace but it would be roughly the price of the parts themselves with a small margin to account for packaging expenses.

Totally understand where you're coming from and probably with experience and time, most DIY enthusiast would source individual parts themselves. However for newcomers, I think it could be quite daunting to start from scratch and some people may be discouraged by the effort needed to do research.

I would definitely encourage people to go the full DIY route if they're willing to put the time but I thought it would be a good idea to offer an alternative for those who want to concentrate on the building aspect of DIY.

 

[Icantthinkofaname]

I'd be interested, at least once it includes the option for cheaper capsules like iSK's K67 capsule.

Either way, I'm interested to see it happen even if I don't get one. I really hate these DIY kits going for like $500 and selling a $30 Chinese capsule for $150. They're a good idea for people who don't actually understand electronics, but the mark up is insane.

But if you can't read a schematic then actually building an entire mic might be a bad idea.

 

[Ricardus]

However for newcomers, I think it could be quite daunting to start from scratch and some people may be discouraged by the effort needed to do research.

I agree. There are people who will want to do this.

 

[rockinrob86]

There is a bit of a chicken and the egg thing going on here.

If you can't source parts and work out issues, you probably aren't ready for building a mic yet.  There are plenty of easy, well documented DIY projects out there, and you can learn schematics, troubleshooting, etc with those.

Not a $250 capsule!

Also, at least for me, I buy my parts in batches over time when i get some cash or find good used deals on parts.  Right now I have PCBs, electronics and bodies for U67, 47fet and a pair of 87s.  Not sure when I'll get them done, but I have already covered some of the cost/etc. so the big hits hurt less later.

 

[hazer-drum]

Also, at least for me, I buy my parts in batches over time when i get some cash or find good used deals on parts.  Right now I have PCBs, electronics and bodies for U67, 47fet and a pair of 87s.  Not sure when I'll get them done, but I have already covered some of the cost/etc. so the big hits hurt less later.

I agree that being able to spread the cost of a build over time is a major advantage of DIY, no doubt about that.

Personally, when I embark on a DIY project I aim to source the best parts to build a quality microphone from the get go. There are other kits out there that offer cheaper options and I don’t necessarily think that people are not able to source parts or fix issues themselves.

My vision for these kits is what I would have liked to see on the market at the time and didn’t seem to find. I totally understand that these will not cater to all the different types of DIYers out there but I appreciate the feedback!

 

[hazer-drum]

Took some time to source the parts and write the step-by-step build guide but the kits are finally here!

More info on the white market thread: Complete DIY U87 Microphone Kit by Yuzu Audio