New DIY microphone kits, circuit kits, & capsules

GroupDIY Audio Forum

Help Support GroupDIY Audio Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

mparts

Active member
Joined
Mar 26, 2012
Messages
31
We've just launched an all-new and massively updated website, with a directory of mic mods that covers 39 popular inexpensive condensers.

Here are some product highlights:

"Fox 460" mod kit for Apex 460 / T11-A / CTM-100

This is a 3rd-generation Apex 460 mod. It's our best yet -- the most fun to build, and the best specs to date.

Features:
  • Based on a circuit design by Brian Fox
  • Custom, US-made PCBs
  • US-made polypropylene output cap
  • Custom-wound US-made transformer
  • Color-coded, precut & tinned silver/Teflon wiring
  • Choose from U47, U67, C12/ElaM 251 voicing

Benefits:
  • Higher output than stock mic
  • Lower noise than stock mic
  • Much lower distortion than stock mic
  • Dial in the high-frequency rolloff that best suits your capsule

This has been our fastest-selling product. The lacquer is drying on our 3rd production run of transformers, so we'll be able to ship new orders soon.

Here's a before-and-after distortion graph to compare the stock circuit (6% distortion!) to the modified circuit:
f460-thd.jpg


FHX Ribbon Upgrade for Cascade Fathead

Designed by Marik (Mark Fouxman) of Samar Audio, the FHX kit includes a precision ribbon motor and toroidal transformer.

It has a longer ribbon and longer magnets than most of these medium-short ribbon designs, and a shorter front-to-back audio path, and a very small and consistent gap between magnet and ribbon. This gives the motor a wider and more balanced frequency response, and a clearer sound -- while still sounding unmistakeably like a ribbon. Customers say they're able to use the FHX on sources where the Fathead was just too muddy, too midrangey, too thick.

The toroidal transformer gives the mic a wonderful sense of 3D spaciousness, especially in stereo pairs.

fathead-ribbon-motor-upgrade.jpg



"U87 EQ" Circuit mod for Studio Projects C1/C3

If you find your C1/C3 to be too bright, we have a really great fix: an add-on PCB that recreates the corrective EQ curve found in the U87. It is an inexpensive and easy way to take the peaky, sibilant, hyped edge out of the C1/C3.

This kit is in its 2nd generation, with upgraded, US-made polypropylene signal capacitors.

Here's a before-and-after frequency graph of the circuit (note: not an acoustic test, but a signal injection test to demonstrate the circuit's rolloffs):

c1-injection.jpg


The high-frequency rolloff is adjustable via a trimmer on the new EQ board.

S-47, S-87, S-12 Microphone Kits

These kits contain parts comparable to several $1000+ microphones we've seen (at least two of which we're actually supplying parts for, ssshhhh!).

The circuit is our highly optimized take on the Schoeps transformerless design. We supply fantastic parts -- 1% resistors, matched signal caps, a NOS JFET (pre-biased manually for each kit in our shop), and a 3rd-gen PCB design that is built for DIY.

The kit includes:
  • A very nice, unbranded donor body
  • Our custom PCBs
  • 100% of parts needed to build the circuit
  • Internal switch that can be built as either a polar pattern (C/O) or -10dB pad
  • Your choice of capsule (K47, K87, CK12 style)
  • Swivel mount
  • Vinyl pouch

The resulting mic has fantastic specs:
  • 35-50mV/Pa sensitivity (depends on capsule; RK-87 is generally higher output than the RK-47)
  • Very low self-noise, 6-10dBA
  • Extremely low distortion

S47-xray.jpg



Large-diaphragm Capsules

  • RK-47 - based on the Neumann K47
  • RK-87 - based on the Neumann K67/K87
  • RK-12 - based on the AKG CK-12
3capsules.jpg
 
Product looks Good! allot of nice options
I wouldn't mind being able to see the prices more easily [ or together ]
 
Back
Top