Vintage K47 or new one?

[olivdel]

Hello Everybody,

I need advices
A few years ago I bought a microphone and I've had a vintage k47 capsule on spare (sorry for my bad english).
It need to be re-skinned. I manage to build a diy microphone and I'm asking myself if it's worth it to put this capsule or buy a new one...
Thanks for your answers

 

[ln76d]

Hi,

should i eat today for dinner fried potatoes or boiled potatoes?

It's not clear that you think about new Neumann K47 or chinese K47 or what?

If you think about chinese K47 i think you should go for reskinned Neumann capsule.

If you will not destroy the capsule, you can always use it later in other (even original Neumann) circuit.

So why not?

I'm not the type of collector so for me capule in the drawer isn't worth anything

 

[olivdel]

Thanks for your reply

 

[micaddict]

Have the old one reskinned.
A couple of members here can do that for you BTW.

If you decide otherwise, let me know. 

 

[gary o]

Have the old one reskinned.
A couple of members here can do that for you BTW.

If you decide otherwise, let me know. 

Dont wanna offend anyone but can guys here really do better job than Neumann  or say Theirsch (not sure how to spell his name) Im sure guys here can do good job but ....
I also read somewhere here not sure where, some one was asking best capsule to clone a neumann mic. some one gave the adivce dont use the neumann capsule its too bright..... but surely thats by far the best capsule to use great if you want different sound but he was after the neumann sound

 

[ln76d]

If the "guys" will take much less money than Neumann or Thiersh (he isn't so expensive btw. ) and don't destroy the capsule i think it could be worth to try. It's always a risk of course.
If the price is similar to the Thiersh for example i would go to Thiersh :

I think the Neumann capsule is the Neumann sound

The best way is to try, that's why questions like the main question in my opinion are nonsense.

Subjective feelings about the sound of the capsule can be different for different peoples.

1. What's your hearing condition (how old you are)? Did you ever make any tests?
2. What's condition of the capsule?
3. What's the circuit that you used to determine "the sound of the capsule"

My point is - don't listen someone opinions - listen your capsule!

 

[gary o]

If the "guys" will take much less money than Neumann or Thiersh (he isn't so expensive btw. ) and don't destroy the capsule i think it could be worth to try. It's always a risk of course.
If the price is similar to the Thiersh for example i would go to Thiersh :

I think the Neumann capsule is the Neumann sound

The best way is to try, that's why questions like the main question in my opinion are nonsense.

Subjective feelings about the sound of the capsule can be different for different peoples.

1. What's your hearing condition (how old you are)? Did you ever make any tests?
2. What's condition of the capsule?
3. What's the circuit that you used to determine "the sound of the capsule"

My point is - don't listen someone opinions - listen your capsule!

I think the Thiersh is pretty good deal really & he trusted by neumann to do the correct job to spec so I read, my worry with using anyone else is well I dont have real neumann capsule to compare, as I say Im sure all these guys do a great job and capsules will sound good BUT will they sound the same as neumann....please dont read this as Im knocking these guys Im really not....but for some one in my position Im kinda going in with blind (well deaf) faith.

When people say the new neumanns capsules sound wrong im guessing they have been using capsule that are old & now sound different & their old capsule once sounded like the new ones

 

[ln76d]

When people say the new neumanns capsules sound wrong im guessing they have been using capsule that are old & now sound different & their old capsule once sounded like the new ones

It is some part of true
Some capsules had changed design - for example different diaphragm material or thickness. That's another story

 

[micaddict]

By far the most vulnerable part is the diaphragm (are the diaphragms). So if the capsule gets reskinned, the risk of destroying them seems a moot point. Yes, in theory everything is possible.

The guys I was thinking of actually build whole capsules, so they're used to skinning .
One is Dany Bouchard (poctop). He makes an M7 (the predecessor of the K47).
Another is Eric Heiserman (tskguy). He makes the HK47 (his evolved K47) .

If you contact Dany or Eric, you can either buy their capsule, have your old one reskinned, or both.
They're fellow members, so it seems logical to at least mention them.
Also, "no prohet is accepted in his own hometown". (Luke 4:24)
"The grass is always greener on the far side of the hill".
Etc.

But of course Thiersch reputation is well-deserved. Hard to wrong there.
Are you in Europe?

 

[micaddict]

And I'd like to add a post especially dedicated to fellow members Ben and Veronica Sneesby.  They  make fine microphones in Australia and they are specialized in making capsules. Their K47 comes in different flavors. Ask Ben and he'll tell you.

Their little girl Phelicity has a heart problem and she has been needing very expensive treatment again.
Donating and or buying from them helps them a lot.

 

[Phrazemaster]

So well-put Henke. Thx for your expertise man.

I'd like to add, there's a fabulous German mic tech, Andreas Grosser, who also does great work on mics. I managed to screw up one of my builds, and he is actually rebuilding the mic for me as his version of a U47 clone - so exciting! I may post back once I get it back from him.

Anyway, ain't DIY great?! And ain't it great to have support from fellow members or experts when we screw things up?

Best,

Mike

 

[ln76d]

Anyway, ain't DIY great?! And ain't it great to have support from fellow members or experts when we screw things up?

Naaah... better is to buy micandmod kit and give someone to build, then you can post on FB or gearslutz that you have U47, U67,  C12  or anything else  ;D  ;D  ;D

 

[Phrazemaster]

Anyway, ain't DIY great?! And ain't it great to have support from fellow members or experts when we screw things up?

Naaah... better is to buy micandmod kit and give someone to build, then you can post on FB or gearslutz that you have U47, U67,  C12  or anything else  ;D  ;D  ;D

You won't find a lot of support for mic and mod around here. That particular guy has taken people's designs here without permission, and sells them as his own. I will admit the site is beautiful and the kits are tempting, especially if you don't know the history. But I wouldn't give him my business.

Max, Chunger and others make some terrific kits that will fill some of those slots you mentioned. And I daresay, you will build much higher end microphones with their kits. But that's just my opinion, and of course it also depends on what parts you source for your builds.

I'm absolutely THRILLED with my poctop M49b build. I spent months at it. I had all kinda "gremlins" in it. I rebuilt the whole mic twice. And then it ended up being terribly noisy, so I had to rebuild the PSU totally from scratch from the ground up all over again - now it's dead quiet! With a Sneezby K47 and a real AC701K, this mic sounds just beautiful.

Sure, "plug and play" kits are great and fun, but there's nothing like looking the tiger in the mouth day after day, NOT giving up, and then figuring out the problems and fixing them...hey that sounds like DIY!

 

[ln76d]

That's was ironic example
The guy is a prick, his kits looks like s**t for me.
Even if am not the fan of all the kits with chinese donors, fancy coloured pcb etc.
These mentioned by you are acceptable for me, but micands**t looks mostly like the chinese did s****y copy of it.

 

[Phrazemaster]

That's was ironic example
The guy is a prick, those kits looks like s**t for me.
Even if am not the fan of all the kits with chinese donors, fancy coloured pcb etc.
These mentioned by you are acceptable for me, but micands**t looks mostly like the chinese did s****y copy of it.

LOL!