Soliloqueen's k87(k67) and k47 capsules

[soliloqueen]

That’s about what I was expecting you to say! Ok, so my conceptualization tracks.

It can also sometimes be a good thing to have top end fall off a bit more when there is bleed, but it is subjective and context dependent.

It's honestly best to treat the flat k47 as an entirely different capsule. Someone on RGO described it as a "dark ck12" response which I understand (and it's very flattering). Obviously it doesn't have the pure rear rejection of a ck12 by a longshot in the mids or lows, but that sort of linear and broad off axis response is something the flat k47 shares. But without the actual depth of rejection, which is less than ideal if the room isn't great. It's definitely roomy capsule. It gets wider the further it goes down with all the benefits and detriments of that, which makes it a killer OH and instrument mic. You can get a focused HF sound and the even mid and bass response of an wider cardioid at the same time this way. a flat k47 is currently on permanent OH duty at rancho de la luna for this behavior. It's also fantastic on piano for the same reason. its use cases are very different than a regular k47.

To illustrate this, here's a neumann K47 (blue) vs a flat k47 (red) in 0 and 180 degrees:


so yeah, it's considerably wider. The crossover in behavior in the lower mids is also way more graceful than the regular k47, which is why it doesn't have that kind of throaty ~400hz hump on proximity that the normal k47 has that I often hear on vocals on the m49

 

[Quantum J Audio]

It's honestly best to treat the flat k47 as an entirely different capsule. Someone on RGO described it as a "dark ck12" response which I understand (and it's very flattering). Obviously it doesn't have the pure rear rejection of a ck12 by a longshot in the mids or lows, but that sort of linear and broad off axis response is something the flat k47 shares.

What bodies/PCB’s are you using on these 47 Flats?

I’m building a couple of Dan PCB’s with your standard 47’s. But I also have a couple of the flat capsules too.

 

[soliloqueen]

Accessories done. Shipping most of the rest of the k87s today. Also working on a design for a stocking stuffer for Christmas sales:



Coasters are such an obvious merch idea. Can't believe I didn't think of this before.

 

[soliloqueen]

putting the first 10 in-house metal & plastic (& fr2) prototype capsules up on ebay. i don't have any reasonable use for them since they're out of spec at 5k due to not remembering that i altered the drawings to compensate for the big factory. Maybe you guys can find something fun to do with them.

Also, shipped a huge chunk of k87s yesterday and today. 30 orders. Closing in on having all of them shipped.

 

[untamedfrontier]

I'm assuming they aren't up yet, but is there a keyword to search for other than the brand name?

 

[soliloqueen]

I'm assuming they aren't up yet, but is there a keyword to search for other than the brand name?

they'll pop up here when i can photograph them all individually:
https://www.ebay.com/usr/arienneaudio

They're almost prohibitively expensive to make with in-house parts, not sure how many will actually be made compared to the mass production parts, especially with bakelite rings.

 

[klem]

Yes, the flat k47 is almost a true cardioid. kingkorg tested this. The polar patterns are considerably different than a K47 (at least in pure 180 degree testing, the rear lobe is 6dB quieter and rear response is flatter than the k47). More stable and "correct" i suppose. That's why it hates being in cylindrical baskets so much compared to a regular k47 and why i always warn against it. a regular k47 is too narrow in the high end to pick up the reflections back from a cylindrical basket. the flat k47, being a more true cardioid, can pick them up (detrimentally). It's why I suggest the flat k47 primarily for M49 builds, where this isn't an issue. The flat k47 sounds great in an m49 body and pretty good in a u47 body, but anything smaller it starts to get grody. When I put one in a studio projects B1 it was legitimately unusable. Keep in mind that I am really mean and hyper-sensitive when it comes to sound. It might not be bad to someone else. But overall, it's very much a "scales depending on the attention you pay to the rest of the mic" capsule.

Have you or anyone else here comment on the F47 or K47 in the body of MXL 2001 (and associated) headbaskets? Granted, headbasket is not circular, but not exactly the same spaciousness as an SYT-5.

 

[mrgrooves666]

I use pair of F47 in HL77 body wich, is somewhat similar 87 styled headbasket, with Rogs' opic MP V1, and I really like them. Low end in directional patterns is huge though (promity effect), more so than other mics , don't know if it's the capsule influence in that particular behaviour (Ari has mentioned in conversations it does have some hefty low-end reach), or Rogs' very simple and transparent design, or basket itself... or a mix of all , but some high pass filtering is usually required when I'm using them. With the excesive low end out of the picture, they sound very natural and neutral, lovely really..

 

[soliloqueen]

btw, the only reason things were delayed was that production was delayed. we're in constant production now, so backorders should not be more than 4 weeks at any point from this point onward. just ran out of qc-passing k87s at orders placed mid august 2024, next shipment in ~5 days.

 

[soliloqueen]

we're also doing some k87s at my friend's shop. i made sure the drawings were actually right this time.
Current stage: roughing:


Not sure what'll happen with these.

This also reveals how we get those tiny chamfers on every hole. Someone asked about those. We just make bigger chamfers and then they get shrunk when we take off the rest of the material during final facing and lapping. Pretty sure this is how they were formed on vintage Neumann plates too.

 

[soapfoot]

Have you or anyone else here comment on the F47 or K47 in the body of MXL 2001 (and associated) headbaskets? Granted, headbasket is not circular, but not exactly the same spaciousness as an SYT-5.

I built some and posted clips (much) earlier in the thread

 

[bremusound]

I received my cardioid/omni K87 capsules today! Having two spare electronics of the TLM67 and two TLM103 bodies, i put all this together as „compact cardioid“ versions of the TLM67. Then, i have a pair of Neumann TLM67s for comparison, and all i can say is that @soliloqueen pretty much nailed it! Low end, midrange are absolutely identical to the Neumanns, the high end of all my Neumann K67s are varying a little bit, and the high end of the Ari K87 is definitely within this spread! These capsules are terrific! Thank you very much for making these!

 

[soliloqueen]

Things are proceeding with existing orders comfortably enough that I feel okay doing a Black Friday sale. That starts in about 30 minutes. Anything in stock should arrive before christmas. Anything marked on back order will come in second week of January.

 

[Barry Hufker]

I'm a little confused, where does it say on your Black Friday page what's in stock?

 

[soliloqueen]

I'm a little confused, where does it say on your Black Friday page What’s in stock?

it says on the product pages

 

[soliloqueen]

I'm a little confused, where does it say on your Black Friday page what's in stock?

Shipping before Christmas:

Flat K47 2 and 3-pattern

K47 2 and 3pattern

Probably shipping after Christmas if ordered now:

Both K47s cardioid-only

K87

 

[Barry Hufker]

Thanks for the quick reply!

 

[soliloqueen]

demand for cardioid k47 models has massively oustripped our # of QC failures, so we just started a batch of one-sided flat k47s to fill everyone's orders, lol.

 

[ElSmurf]

Coasters are such an obvious merch idea.

I keep seeing these in wood or bamboo in my head. With the center plate lowered, or rim a little higher, so they are more coastery.

 

[Rob Flinn]

Hello Arienne,

I recieved my capsule yesterday.

Thank you !