MXL 603s mod

[Gus]

the layers of grill help cut down on pops without a screen.  Remember who this is marketed to, a good pop filter can cost as much as the microphone.

Look at microphones like the AT4033, AKG C----  there is often foam inside the grill as a cheap pop/spit filter.

 I think this is so the companys don't have to hear people crying about there new microphone poping and cutting out from spit.

 That foam seems to break down and attack the skins with time I don't like foam by a capsule.

 

[Rossi]

Yeah, foam is bad. Funny thing is that it actually doesn't help much to keep plosives off the capsule.

I also hate foam in microphon cases, after a while the stuff more or less dissolves and small particles fall on the capsules the case is supposed to protect.

 

[Guest]

Klaus said pretty much the same thing on his forum about storing the mics in cases with foam...

 

[Flatpicker]

Yes, I always put mine in plastic bags or vinyl zipper cases, and then lay them in the foam. Also, with the Oktava MC012 cases, I always store the capsules with the diaphragm side facing up out of the foam.

 

[Rossi]

I actually had some foam particles on the capsule from a case that was just a few months old. I'm sure it gets much worse when the foam is really old. That rubber foam that they use in many newer cases doesn't seem to dissolve quite as easily. I also put the mics in bags now.

 

[Gus]

I don't like plastic bag. I like to use old clean socks

 

[Rossi]

I wouldn't use a plastic bag either, because humidity could gather in there. I usually use the zippered bags that come with the mics which I leave open or do not close completely. I put the mics on the sides so that, in case anything could still get in there, the particles would not fall flat on the diaphragm.

 

[Category 5]

Well, I modded a couple of 990s today. I used the styroflex on the capsule, and the .22 films on C3 and C4.

At first I though the difference was extremely profound. The before take I made have almost a wierd kind of "phasey" sound to it. THe after takes do not.

After listening back again though, the mic is still very similar. I don;t hear the phasing anymore, but that could have just been from reflections off my desk during the first take (although I could not reproduce it after the mod).

Also, it seems less "trebly" although the mic is still very bright. I can think of plenty of great uses for this mic, from guitars and mandolin to vox, and maybe even cello and violin. It is definitely a lot better sounding than the price would indicate, even more so after the mod.

What's weird is that the high end was more pronounced through the Neve than with the Jensen 990 dual. Usually I find it to be the other way around.

Shane

 

[Flatpicker]

I heard the greatest difference when I listened to the "after" clip 5 or 6 times in a row and then went back to the "before" clip. I really picked up on the differences then!

 

[zebra50]

http://www.omnipressor.com/MicSchLib/MXL603S.jpg

I think there may still be an error in the 603S schemo. I looked inside one of these last night and one of the three electrolytics was rated at 50V, and was something like 47uF (or 4.7?). Can someone have a look and check this?


And those traces on the board do lift easily, don't they :?

 

[Guest]

I'll look at the lytics tonight if no one posts by then.... I've found it pretty interesting comparing the 603 circuit with the original schoeps one... there are some interesting differences in some of the values...

 

[zebra50]

Great. You can see from these pix from the other thread that one cap is different:

http://cakili.image.pbase.com/image/39069409.jpg

Looks like 63V

 

[Flatpicker]

[quote author="zebra50"]And those traces on the board do lift easily, don't they :?[/quote]Yes they do!!!!! :shock:

I'll check the lytic values in my 603s tonight. I drew the schematic for an older version.

 

[stan]

Hi,

my first post here, looks like a high-quality forum with some pretty clever people around :wink:

Anyway, I have both a 990 and a 991, but what type of caps would be best if I can't buy polystyrene? What is polypropylene, because I can get polypropylene caps?

Does anyone know where to get the components in Europe?

Stan :roll: