Rode Broadcaster

[LevinGuitar]

There is an official schematic on Rode website
https://edge.rode.com/pdf/page/274/modules/884/broadcaster_product_manual.pdf
It lacks the capsule connection: The front diaphragm is grounded and the backplate is connected to R11 and C1
T1 is J305 fet

 

[Khron]

Connections 4 and 5 go to what, though? And the little Rode black box is the capsule bias oscillator, i'm guessing?

 

[rogs]

Connections 4 and 5 go to what, though? And the little Rode black box is the capsule bias oscillator, i'm guessing?

Used to control the mute (and LED!) Link pins 4 and 5 to activate the mute (and turn the LED off!)

 

[LevinGuitar]

It's for the "On Live" led connection, in case you want to install the 5pin connector that comes with the mic. The stock one have standard XLR connector and the red led is always turned on when plugged in

Rogs was faster xD

Uploaded schemo with voltages. Yes, the "magic box" is an oscilator

As I'm not fan of unnesesary caps, I wonder how to avoid C4 without ruining the biasing of both T1 and T2. The C1 is easy, and I hope without that two it could sound a bit fuller. For now my NT1000 sound more interesting.

Actually, my C4 is 47uf, the C3 is 2.2uf and C2 is 0.15uf. Different version from that schematic

 

[rogs]

I've used a similar configuration for my end address LDC mics ....I used the arrangement on both my OPIC and RF mics.....in BM800 donor bodies
Can be a useful alternative to side address, where more flexible mounting arrangements are required....

My 3D printed 'end address' mount can be obtained from here: 34mm LDC mic bracket by rogs on Shapeways
Item is cheap -- shipping may not be !

( freebie .stl files for item here: 34mm C6 Bracket by rogs )

 

[RuudNL]

I once repaired a Rode Broadcaster. There was a piece of foam in front of the capsule.
It looked like the foam had been touching(!) the membrane of the capsule...

 

[LevinGuitar]

Yes, there is a 1cm or so of foam in front of the capsule, a built in antipop (not bad idea for a broadcasting mic), in my sample is not touching the capsule, the membrane is ok. But the rear foam is losing very much if I open the mic several times.

I rewired the capsule to avoid the first cap and increased C5 and C6 to 4.7uf (chinese 50v wimas) and now it sound close to the NT1000 in terms of curve, and the difference is more due the placement of the capsule in the headbasket.


Edit: with this deemphasis mod it sounds a lot better )

Edit 2: a jumper over C4 is quite safe. The bias of the first fet does not change, the second one, T2, does change but it seems to work even that way. The sound still improves and now its quite far from the original. The NT1000 now sounds a bit muddy in comparison
Also changed C3 to a 1uf MKT, in the probably case someone uses low cut.

 

[Rud]

I have a handful of Broadcasters for podcast studio work and it really deserves more attention. It's not good for anything but spoken word, doesn't have great background rejection, and . I feel Rode ought to make a second generation. What I want from a Broadcaster 2 is a second order cardioid, end-address XLR mic like the Lauten LS-208, but what probably makes the most sense in today's market is a Rode NT1 v5 dual connect iteration.

While I have a strange fascination with end-address condenser mics, the current Broadcaster is a bit love and hate for me. I hate the price and marketing (It just doesn't make sense while the Lauten feels really right at $500-$600) I only have some because they've gone for as little as $100-$150 in the last two year. It is not a versatile mic, the name is an SEO nightmare, and Rode hasn't worked to distinguish it from any other end address options even in their own line. It feels like everyone, including Rode, has forgotten it exists. I hate how hard the Broadcaster is to take down (not as bad as the Heil PR40's wire ****y trap) and I can't imagine how brighter it would sound without the foam in the front. I think there is room for a v2 or even v1.5 of the Broadcaster in Rode's lineup that would serve both the prosumer/streamer and also the pro/podcaster markets.

I rewired the capsule to avoid the first cap and increased C5 and C6 to 4.7uf (chinese 50v wimas) and now it sound close to the NT1000 in terms of curve, and the difference is more due the placement of the capsule in the headbasket.


Edit: with this deemphasis mod it sounds a lot better)

I really like this but I simply cannot be bothered to do it. Would it be possible to increase the value if the foam were replaced by domed wire mesh like the LS-208?

 

[LevinGuitar]

Would it be possible to increase the value if the foam were replaced by domed wire mesh like the LS-208?

I don,t get that, how one thing affects the other?

The biggest change comes from the deemphasis mod from the link, but that is not easy for a beginner. The rest of the changes have less impact, but easier to try. Of course proceed at your own risk.

Safer and easier way to achieve the same goal is to leave the mic as it is and just EQ

 

[rogs]

....... I have a strange fascination with end-address condenser mics ........

Me too! ..... I've used the configuration I described in post #5 on several mics. The 'open frame' style of the BM800 head basket allows for pretty good rear rejection, when cardioid capsules are fitted.
My latest version uses my RF mic circuit , in conjunction with one of Ari's 'flat 47' capsules.
Sounds very nice and - now being a low impedance condenser mic - might be suitable as an outdoor vocal mic.?..
I have a singer/guitarist friend who does outdoor gigs in the summer months, and I'm going to get him to try it out, instead of the SM58 he normally uses for vocals......
Totally different frequency response of course...... Whether it works well as a live vocal mic or not, we shall see?........

 

[MicMaven]

I've used a similar configuration for my end address LDC mics ....I used the arrangement on both my OPIC and RF mics.....in BM800 donor bodies

END-ADDRESS SIDEBAR COMMENT -

Mr. @rogs strikes a sympathetic nerve! I recently built a very low cost end-address condenser microphone for a ham radio operator who likes the look, but not the high price, of end-address broadcast microphones. I purchased a body on eBay.com for $19US. I made a home-brewed a saddle lfrom a ten-cent 1-inch (25 mm) plastic pipe mount, secured to a short piece of scrap aluminum stock with CA glue - at very low cost and practically no effort. Pipe clamps like these have screw mounting holes in their bases, and come in various sizes, including 22mm, 25mm, and 32, mm.

The operator likes the look, and giggles at the low cost compared to commercially produced alternatives. And it sounds pretty good, especially considering the application requires a mere 200 and 3000Hz audio and RF bandwidth! I doubt it could sound bad.

I purchased the circuit on eBay.com. It is roughly comparable to the JLI Alice boards, but not as hot/loud. The mic element is a $9US capsule from JLIelectronics.com.

Oh, and did I mention the operator is thrilled with both its appearance and sound on the air, and also as a computer microphone for other applications such as audio email messages and speech recognition input?

Happy trails to D. James