What if you opened up a Manley Reference C and ...

[kingkorg]

I wo

Tbh i would see it the other way around. They are not fools they like the aound but they dont know that it can be had for MUCH cheaper and maybe cant believe it.
I would say that A LOT of people think chinese capsules are shit and you just cant have good sound for less than a couple thousands. I know many of those people..

I agree. The point was not to bash the capsule, it is a good one. Cardioid C is a great mic. But a 300-400$ one. The selection part is pure bs. I actualy think Treelady believes in what he's saying. It could even be that Manley fell for the "sellection" bs. It could even be true that capsules go through some sort of QC and get graded. In the end it's still a 30$ capsule. And i'm being generous regarding the price.

 

[JohnRoberts]

Hey, thank you all for the f-bomb filled love you've sent. Unlike you, I sign my name to my posts because I'm not a troll who sits in his mom's basement lying about vendors.

1. Have any of you toured the Manley factory?
2. Do any of you know the name of the designer of the capsules and what their company is called or what they make?
3. Do any of you know about libel laws in the United States?
4. Did you send evidence of this to Manley to see if you even had a real Manley mic? (The knock-offs are quite convincing).
5. Have any of you MADE a record? If so, how did you pull that off and post over 1,000 bits here?

Answer these questions with your own name, and proof or STFU.

Behave "Tree Lady" (is that your name?)

We value civility around here.

And King Kong, you be nicer too.

JR

 

[dab0815]

I agree. The point was not to bash the capsule, it is a good one. Cardioid C is a great mic. But a 300-400$ one. The selection part is pure bs. I actualy think Treelady believes in what he's saying. It could even be that Manley fell for the "sellection" bs. It could even be true that capsules go through some sort of QC and get graded. In the end it's still a 30$ capsule. And i'm being generous regarding the price.

I agree. But back to topic. Could you tell me how you installed the capsule saddle in that body? I cant seem to figure it out.. the one from sterling wouldnt fit right because the screws wouldnt fit.. tho i might be able to drill bigger holes in but then the screws still are too short.. and the other one i got from behringer b2 got one screw from the bottom but theres no hole in the middle in the body..

Edit: i think i need one with two screws from the bottom right?

 

[kingkorg]

To be honest i don't remember. I have a lot of those random leftover saddles. I just make adjustments as i go. So it's quite possible i drilled some additional holes, and made other adjustments.

 

[dab0815]

After some thinking ill just drill an additional hole in the middle of where the capsule mount is screwed to. I think thats the easiest / fastest way where i dont have to wait for another capsule mount to be shipped to me..
Could you check in the sphere thread if i got the grounding right too pls? Then i could finish both builds soon. Thx!

 

[dab0815]

ok i did finish the build but the mic output volume is very low and there is no bass.. i did need to extend the capule lead as the lead was too short for the new build. anything i might have missed by extending the capsule lead?
i mean its still the st51 same circuit and capule just resoldered in the new body and the cables extended..

whats also strange is that when i plug it in it takes some seconds for the sound to slowly come up. but it stays ultra low and no bass repsonse at all..

EDIT: seems like my solder skillz are pretty bad. i resoldered everything and now it works. but now i got grounding issues. but im positive ill fix those too.

 

[kingkorg]

You shouldn't extend capsule leads. It increases the noise. If you have to, use teflon wire. However that alone shouldn't cause what you are experiencing. Check soldering again, and clean eventual residual soldering paste. Especially around fet and high value resistors.

 

[dab0815]

You shouldn't extend capsule leads. It increases the noise. If you have to, use teflon wire. However that alone shouldn't cause what you are experiencing. Check soldering again, and clean eventual residual soldering paste. Especially around fet and high value resistors.

yes i know you should avoid that but the capsule lead is way too short.. i will try to put the circuit board highest possible and try to find a way to work with this short mic lead now.. didnt you have the problem that the capsule lead was short when you had build the mic?

 

[dab0815]

Look how short the cable is.. and i desoldered it right from the circuit board. Didnt cut it or anything..

 

[kingkorg]

Ok, just try to rise the board and clean it, there's a lot of residue on it.

 

[dab0815]

I think i cant rise it high enough. The lead is not even 7cm long..

 

[dab0815]

Changing the lead on the capsule will damage it right?

 

[kingkorg]

Changing the lead on the capsule will damage it right?

Don,t do it. It's ok to extend it, just don't go too long.

 

[dab0815]

I just need like 3cm.. but i dont have teflon lead.. do you think its ok if i use some of the lead i took of from the capsule that was in the mic body? That mid size 26mm one..
Or maybe im putting everything back in its original body and use the manley type one for the sphere clone.. but then the headbasket is not the same.. decisions decisions..

 

[mfratus2001]

Engineers bash ceramic capacitors because they change their capacitance value as the applied voltage changes. In a microphone coupling circuit that will not be an issue. But I find them more shrill than any film cap.Teflon wire, PVC wire, silver or copper... none of that matters at all in the few inches available inside a microphone. If you want longer wires on the capsule, replace them with small gauge wire pairs that are twisted together. That controls the hum for the most part.

 

[dab0815]

Ok, just try to rise the board and clean it, there's a lot of residue on it.

i cleaned the board and extended the mic lead a little bit. but iam too stupid to understand how to properly ground a mic,
trying for the whole day now until now (3am) and both my builds humm like crazy. i tried several different ways and checked the solder connection several times. humming/buzzing gets worse when i touch the mic and or headbasket.

right now i have it connected from side of the capsule to mic body and ground on pcb (where it was connected originally in the original body) and also from xlr ground pin to pcb ground where it was originally connected and from pcb ground to mic body.. i have tried only to pcb body like it was original but same result. i think when the capsule was not working correctly i had no humming one time. but i dont know exactly how i connected it then. i think i connected it same as now with the only difference that i didnt connect side of capsule to pcb ground only to the mic body i guess.. but i tried that also already and no luck.. now i ran out of ideas and feeling stupid :/

 

[kingkorg]

It sounds right, but i'll try to suggest you do it this way, and avoid double ground connections to avoid ground loop.

In st51.
Connect PIN1 of male xlr on your mic to 4th pin which is where tightening screw of the XLR is. This way you grounded the body. Make sure screw is tightened, and has good connection to the body. Connect pin1 also to ground of the pcb. Connect capsule backplate to pcb ground, don't connect it to the body. Make sure diaphragm wire is connected to the right side of coupling cap. In the past i made mistake and connected it directly to the fet. Positive lead of the capsule should go the side of the cap that is not connected to the fet.

Check if the transformer is connected right. Primary should be connected to ground and coupling cap, secondary which goes to xlr should not be grounded!

Go through this schematic, it is basically the same as st51. Check if everything is where it should be. Check continuity with a multimeter.

 

[dab0815]

The top of the mic is just glued to the body, you should be able pry it open. Just take care not to damage the finish.

Then you should be able to remove the mesh, and the ground conection.

When you put the top back make sure it has good connection to the rest of the body, and that it's properly grounded.

maybe thats the culprit for my mic to not be grounded properly. did you ground the headbasket like solder a second lead capsule backpalte to it?

 

[dab0815]

It sounds right, but i'll try to suggest you do it this way, and avoid double ground connections to avoid ground loop.

In st51.
Connect PIN1 of male xlr on your mic to 4th pin which is where tightening screw of the XLR is. This way you grounded the body. Make sure screw is tightened, and has good connection to the body. Connect pin1 also to ground of the pcb. Connect capsule backplate to pcb ground, don't connect it to the body. Make sure diaphragm wire is connected to the right side of coupling cap. In the past i made mistake and connected it directly to the fet. Positive lead of the capsule should go the side of the cap that is not connected to the fet.

Check if the transformer is connected right. Primary should be connected to ground and coupling cap, secondary which goes to xlr should not be grounded!

Go through this schematic, it is basically the same as st51. Check if everything is where it should be. Check continuity with a multimeter.

i did connect pin 1 and pin 4 or better left it connected like original. and also left everything like original (transformer and everything) but i might havent screwed the screw out enough to have connection to the body as the xlr insert is hold by the two screws underneath.. i will check that.
reading schematics i will try but i got to tell you that im not really knowing how to so i guess it wont help me a lot..
also i attached the wire from capsule to the same spot as it were originally so it should be ok i think..
i mean im just putting the same mic into another body as my first modding project and i thought it would be pretty easy. but boy was i wrong

 

[dab0815]

ok i checked the screw but it was screwed in and also connected to the body. i also just connected xlr to pcb ground and capsule backplate also to the pcb ground (both how they originally in the st51 were connected.. but still the same..