Replacement capsule recommendation oktava mk102

[Ploki]

Aight, i think we can all agree that stereotypes are bad and that every manufacturer has bad days

Now, does anyone has any suggestions for Ali capsules that would fit this preamp well?

This guy actually said he can get me a matched pair!
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005133720880.html
and they look kinda cool


Edit:
also fun fact, when i was taking apart MK105 i ripped one of the leads from the caps going to the wiring.
it's also impossible to take apart without removing either XLR cables or capsule cables.

and there's ilke 10 screws you have to remove.
On the flip side, i can now show you guys the board since i don't think it was posted here yet

it looks fairly uncomplicated. sounds great tho

 

[Ploki]

also cosndering my trackrecord with breaking things recently, it figured it might be a good idea to stop taking apart mics that work... :/
not that i can solder back a lead, but sheesh.

Also i just noticed I joined here like 11th of September 2010 for whatever reason but started posting exactly 14years later

 

[kingkorg]

Aight, i think we can all agree that stereotypes are bad and that every manufacturer has bad days

Now, does anyone has any suggestions for Ali capsules that would fit this preamp well?

This guy actually said he can get me a matched pair!
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005133720880.html
and they look kinda cool


Edit:
also fun fact, when i was taking apart MK105 i ripped one of the leads from the caps going to the wiring.
it's also impossible to take apart without removing either XLR cables or capsule cables.

and there's ilke 10 screws you have to remove.
On the flip side, i can now show you guys the board since i don't think it was posted here yet

it looks fairly uncomplicated. sounds great tho
View attachment 136466

Have you tried this contact?

[email protected]

 

[Ploki]

Yeah, i contacted via oktava-shop.com (oktava.eu redirects there) and they replied from [email protected] last year and they told me to swap heads to rule out the preamp (which i did) but they stopped responding afterwards

(They also told me to clean oxidation which i did the first time but then gain dropped by 5dB after reassembly, noise was gone tho)

 

[kingkorg]

Yeah, i contacted via oktava-shop.com (oktava.eu redirects there) and they replied from [email protected] last year and they told me to swap heads to rule out the preamp (which i did) but they stopped responding afterwards

I have had good experience with Ali shop you mentioned. However i still think your, even though damaged, capsules could be better option, simply because metalwork done by those drunk chaps is diferent. They are of higher value. 1db of diference is still considered matched. Some capsules of that type are purposefully punctured for venting. IMHO if you think they still sound good, and you don't hear anything wrong, just go ahead and use them. You can do a pink noise test and see/hear if they differ from each other considerably in frequency response. FWIW i had a u87 with blown rear diaphragm, and it sounded marvelous in cardioid, it had huge low end.

 

[Ploki]

I’ll try a pink noise tomorrow, thanks.

Might get those caps anyway just for kicks, swapping them in the mk105 seems like the easiest job, just have to screw that pin on

Wonder if they’d reskin them if i ask them nicely

I did find a MKL2500 at oktava-shop for 360€ while browsing around, seems like a decent deal might just pick it up

 

[OneRoomStudio]

In my experience Americans are at least as drunk and reckless as Russians, both in the states, and especially abroad. I don't see the point of your post, but there are for sure people whom appreciate Russian manufacturing, and are not biased against it by place of birth, or political indoctrination.

Just like anywhere else there are great people, and there are politicians making us all look like fools. Don't mix up the two.

You’re right, of course. I don’t think @emrr was trying to imply that this was specifically a Russian thing. Having worked at a high-end audio company for more that one “drunk Friday” back in the day, I can assure you drunkenness knows no borders

I also know and respect the work of many Russians (and Swedes and Brits and Kiwis and Indians and Jamaicans, and Slavs, etc, etc). There are great minds everywhere (and some of them get drunk sometimes too)!

 

[emrr]

At risk of waking sleepy dogs, stereotypes have always been the source of much of the worlds comedy, for better or worse. The unwritten implication is that there are also good days.

 

[LevinGuitar]

Edit:
also fun fact, when i was taking apart MK105 i ripped one of the leads from the caps going to the wiring.
it's also impossible to take apart without removing either XLR cables or capsule cables.

and there's ilke 10 screws you have to remove.
On the flip side, i can now show you guys the board since i don't think it was posted here yet

it looks fairly uncomplicated. sounds great tho
View attachment 136466

Seems the same circuit as the old 012 or MK102

https://cdn.imagearchive.com/groupd...5ac7fb4603c87fc7da46952a7c11e04a9751d38731c82

 

[Ploki]

Seems the same circuit as the old 012 or MK102

https://cdn.imagearchive.com/groupdiy/internal_data/attachments/77/77513-19348ab1d815c5b874cd0d3fbde7df14.data?response-expires=Tue, 17 Sep 2024 15:38:53 GMT&response-content-type=image/jpeg&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=I3UPHPWOPY63ZMOGLZFM/20240910/nyc3/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20240910T153853Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=604800&X-Amz-Signature=eafa904ee83714832145ac7fb4603c87fc7da46952a7c11e04a9751d38731c82

interesting!
And considering it's nearly the same capsule - the sound is very different - especially on the top end. but that might be due to the basket being stuffed with something pretty thick.

Seems like an unnecessary complication in design change just for the mic to look cool, considering Mk101 looks similar but fits on the MK012 stick.
(i also have a MK101, but my gf uses it so i'm not gonna tear it apart)

 

[LevinGuitar]

They could use that bigger space to install a voltage amplifier for better s/n or use a mkt for C3 at least