ISK Aluminium Diaphragm Cardioid Capsules

[Recording Engineer]

In 2014 I got a couple samples of 36mm aluminium diaphragm cardioid capsules used in the ISK U99 from Ningbo Shengke Electronics Co., LTD.
isk-audio.com

2015, 2016, 2017 I tried to get a hold of Aseyer Microphones to get some of their capsules. I never heard back from them and I assumed they’re defunct.
http://www.aseyer.com/en/index.asp

I recently realized the ISK U99 36mm aluminium-diaphragm capsules I have ARE the Aseyer CRZ24 capsules!

Fast-forward to now and I’ve finally done something with the sample capsules. Chris Prucher of Barbaric Amplification built me a pair of mics using a transformer-less tube circuit design sent to me by Ralf Falk of Falk Guitars in Germany via a picture of the circuit drawn on a napkin. I’ve still yet to hear them, but Chris says he was surprised he likes them! And with these being his 17th and 18th build for me, he knows I have high-expectations!

 

[Recording Engineer]

Yesterday, I realized the Tascam TM-80 is the ISK AT100 and they both use the 18mm version of the sample capsules I got. They are listed on the Aseyer website as CRZ 1824 capsules and were used in the Aseyer D18P and D18S microphones.

Time to pick up a couple TM-80s and replace the circuit; good chance that capsule will sound pretty good, gonna find out!

Check out the capsules’s supposed response:
http://www.aseyer.com/en/Capsules/prolist.asp?pid=11

 

[kingkorg]

How cool is that! I just wonder if those TM80 capsules are electrets, as TM80 takes 9-48vdc phantom.

 

[Recording Engineer]

Chris has had a TM-80 for probably a year at least, from when he was looking for the best super-duper cheap body he could find for something and I let him know a dealer was selling them off new for $20 or something. We didn’t even realize the capsule it had until I asked him about it yesterday!

 

[Recording Engineer]

You know, it just hit me that you very-well may be right... I remember Chris saying the capsule was just typical cheap-electret, but maybe he was just guessing, as I think he would have instantly noticed the  resemblance.