MXL 960 tube mic mods

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AV

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2018
Messages
18
Hello
Just purchased a used MXL tube mic. All stock components.
I am planning to change capsule for a new one. Any recomentations?
Maybe 797Audio?
 
如果您需要797音频胶囊,可以联系我。我来自中国,我是中国唯一一家小批量销售797音频胶囊的供应商55.jpg66.jpg33.jpg
 
If you need 797 audio capsules, you can contact me. I am from China, and I am the only supplier selling 797 audio capsules in small quantities in China
 
Hello
Just purchased a used MXL tube mic. All stock components.
I am planning to change capsule for a new one. Any recomentations?
Maybe 797Audio?
Please forgive the question (I am new here) but what don’t you like about the stock capsule ?
 
Its cheap. Besides 797 audio, also Maiku are very nice capsules, but I would say their K47 would be a best bet for that mic, don't believe it has deemphasis. Or if you want to stick to k67, try 3U audio's dark k67 version with modified backplates.
 
Thanks for the replys, guys.
This mic has only cardioid pattern so I thinks that I must purchase a K47 one.
Anyone tried the WTG capsules? Maybe not as good as the Maiku...
 
How much tdo you understand circuit design?
Is it the same circuit as the V69?
V69 Mod | Mark-O-Matic

Filter/EQ between stages is what first comes to mind before changing a capsule or caps
If so you might be able to add a LPF between stages and keep the stock capsule.

I have a V69 and I don't understand the design I started to trace mine and stopped IMO not worth the effort except maybe adding a lowpass filter

It appears to be an anode follower charge amp at about a gain of -1 to a GUESS Schoeps? like circuit output circuit.

I would guess you could remove the tube and go to the input JFET(I would change it to a different JFET if it is a 170 and rebias the JFET)and add a lowpass shelf filter in the circuit.

The input is a big distance from the capsule

I am not going to add any design work in this thread the post is just some things to get people thinking
 
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Thanks for the replys, guys.
This mic has only cardioid pattern so I thinks that I must purchase a K47 one.
Anyone tried the WTG capsules? Maybe not as good as the Maiku...
The 960 is a cardioid only mic. Installing a 2 sided (multi-pattern) capsule will not make it multi-pattern.

BTW and FWIW: My first tube mic was the 960 and if you change the stock tube for another then it becomes a good mic. I recommend you start by opening the mic (screw the bottom bell off) and advise what is written on the tube (as it may have already been changed).
 
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How much tdo you understand circuit design?
Is it the same circuit as the V69?
V69 Mod | Mark-O-Matic

Filter/EQ between stages is what first comes to mind before changing a capsule or caps
If so you might be able to add a LPF between stages and keep the stock capsule.

I have a V69 and I don't understand the design I starter to trace mine and stopped IMO not worth the effort except maybe adding a lowpass filter

It apears to be an anode follower charge amp at about a gain of -1 to a GUESS Schoeps? like circuit output circuit.

I would guess you could remove the tube and go to the input JFET(I would change it to a different JFET if it is a 170 and rebias the JFET)and add a lowpass shelf filter in the circuit.

The input is a big distance from the capsule

I a not going to add any design work in this thread the post is just some things to get people thinking
As far as I am aware no one has ever traced the mic circuit. The board looks like a V69.
 
I find it hard to believe the tube change made the microphone any better. The only changes I noticed with a tube change in a circuilt like that was microphonics and noise differences. The charge amp feedback minimizes the "tube sound"
I gave up tracing because I did not think the microphone was worth the effort.
 
Yes. I swapped out the stock Chinese 12AT7 for a NOS Mullard CV4024 (military grade 12AT7) and there was a majour reduction in microphonics and noise. Considering that model is over 10 years old now I would expect any existing stock tube to be kaput.

All I will say about "tube sound" and the 960 is that the tube did compress transients (nonlinear amplitude response) which is all I really want a tube to do.

IMO, apart from the stock tube, the mic was fine (considering its price). It garnered a lot of praise over on the purple forum (FWIW). To noticeably improve it you'd need to replace both the capsule and circuit so I appreciate where you are coming from.
 
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Something to try with that microphone would be to remove the tube
Install a source follower like in the Schoeps microphones very close to the capsule
Add EQ between the SF and next stage
 
Apart from the price, the thing that impressed a lot of folk was that the 960 did not sound bright. Assuming the stock capsule is a single sided K67, it would be interesting to know whether the capsule was tuned to be relatively flat or if there is a filter in the circuit. My guess would be the later.
 
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Thank you guys for all teh info.
Gus, I am a musician. Sadly I do not understand almost anything about electronic.
A technician do the electronic job in my mics.

So, I am considering recapping, change tube or capsule but modding the circuit is difficult.
 
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