Studio Projects Mod for Newbie

[Flatpicker]

[quote author="SlamminSammy"]...if I can ever find more time and maybe some extra money...[/quote]Sammy, we're all looking for that! Let us know where we can find some! :wink:

 

[Flatpicker]

Don't know about others, but I use the term "open" to describe something as being more 3-D or just plain more real sounding. Sometimes, though, you may not want that - depends on your app.

 

[Svart]

Flatpicker, yeah the "open" sound seems more natural, but have you ever noticed that "real" and "natural" aren't necessarily the same thing? :green:

I've heard things in rooms that sounded awful in real life but sounded wonderful through mics(and vice versa!)

 

[Flatpicker]

[quote author="Svart"]...I've heard things in rooms that sounded awful in real life but sounded wonderful through mics...[/quote]Yep. I keep hoping I can find a mic that "lies" so well it could do that for me! :green:

 

[SlamminSammy]

Mr. Moderator-

If this is the wrong place to post, my apologies. Just delete this or move to wherever it needs be. Wanted to mention to those who had helped me that I have a special deal (I think) cooked up for some studio projects mics and pres. I think I should be able to get all models. Please email me with requirements if interested in the details. Thanks again, one and all, for comments.

slamminsammy (at) ix (dot) netcom (dot) com

 

[EEMO1]

so if the c-1 is decent, anyone tried the tb-1? im wondering if it's any good...

-eero

 

[Gus]

tmbg

Did you remove the two caps? Look at the picture of the 2003 in the meta

 

[Esset]

opened my SP B1 during the weekend and took a look at it.

Like the sound of it but would like if it could sound better.

Would just changing the capsule change anything (and is that as easy as it seems, screw and solder clear and put in the new one)?

Does anyone have any pics of the guts on a mic with the caps repleaced? How hard is this to do? Looked at the pics on the MXL 603 mod which seemed pretty simple to do.

 

[mrelwood]

Hello. This is a really old thread, but since it is pretty much the only source for SP mic owners, I'll share.

Just for the fun of it, I just replaced the gate cap on my SP B1 with two polystyrene 510pF's, since I have a bunch of them. First it was really hard to tell the difference since I also had to change the preamp to another of the same kind that does have just a bit smoother sound (do not unplug a mic when the phantom is on!!). I actually changed the caps back. I then realized that I also had sung a bit more quiet in the evening after the mod, and started to hear the difference after making many sound clips.

First I thought that the sound only went darker a bit, but soon found that the originally slightly sharp low-treble had smoothened out, and perhaps even got replaced with a higher treble openness.
The midrange and overall sound is exactly as written earlier on this thread, more "open". The clips before the mod started to sound tight and squeezed in a bad way, where the clips after the mod are a bit more natural, transparent and relaxed.

B1 has it's own nature, that is almost a bit to the direction of an SM57, and that quality is diminished a bit. So, whoever likes that nature of the B1, might not like this mod. And I really need to emphasize, I don't think I would've noticed if someone secretly modded the mic, the difference is _small_. And I will never quite know how it will affect other sound sources than my own voice.

-Aki.

 

[Flatpicker]

[quote author="mrelwood"]...The clips before the mod started to sound tight and squeezed in a bad way, where the clips after the mod are a bit more natural, transparent and relaxed...[/quote]
That?s exactly what sold me on the polystyrenes, but here lately, they?ve been hit or miss for me ? sometimes they sound just like you described and sometimes they are just muddy. Maybe I got into a bad batch, I don?t know. They measure the same as far as capacitance, but they don?t sound the same.

To me, the Panasonic PPS caps sound almost just like the polystyrenes, but are more consistent. The Panasonic polypropylenes are ok too, but lately I?m starting to like the WIMA polypropylenes (FKP2) best for some mics. They seem to have that ?open? (uncompressed) sound, but with more high end, and they don?t loose that ?punch? like polystyrenes do. (Maybe polystyrenes are compressing the highs?) In some mics they are just right, but in others they can be a tiny bit harsh.

Anyways, you can give a condenser many different sounds by changing that one little cap, but it doesn?t seem to be an exact science, even between mics of the same model, so you?re going to have to experiment. No way around it.

 

[mrelwood]

[quote author="Flatpicker"]lately I’m starting to like the WIMA polypropylenes (FKP2) best for some mics. They seem to have that “open” (uncompressed) sound, but with more high end, and they don’t loose that “punch” like polystyrenes do.[/quote]

Whoa, man! It took me a while to locate and order thirty FKP2's, but man am I impressed! The difference from polystyrene to FKP2 is a lot greater than from regular to polystyrene! The annoying part of the 57'ish sound is long gone, and the mic sounds so open and clear! Oh man. That was one good tip!!

I haven't yet tested the FKP2 in others than SP B1, but for that one, it made the difference in the world!

Thanks, Flatpicker, very much!

-Aki.

 

[Flatpicker]

Wow, glad I could be of such great help. :thumb:

Please let us know how it works in the other mics when you try it in them - I've only tried it in the Octava MC012s so far.

 

[kooma]

Old topic, but is there schematics for  B1? It doesnt look like basic "generalchinaschoeps" circuit..

 

[ln76d]

Studio Projects should send you schematic. Write that you need to repair your B1 and should be no problem.