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

GroupDIY Audio Forum

Help Support GroupDIY Audio Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
If you just search BM-95 microphone, it should show up.
Hey Kingkorg,
My body just showed up. Now i got two questions,
Did/could you open the top somehow Or how did you manage to get rid of the inner second layer mesh of the headbasket?
And how did you ground the capsule? The original was connected to the inner mesh with mine..
 
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.
 
Thanks! I will heat it up with a hairdriyer. That should make it come off a little easier hopefully..
 
It's a really soft glue they used in mine, so it should come off easily.
Yes i heated it up and it was really easy to open..
Do you think it will help to put some absorbing foam like those dirt eraser sponge on the bottom of the head. Like under the capsule?

And what about dampening the body and/or headbasket? I heard the bm800 have bad ringing resonance.. i dont know really how to spot that. Does it ring after the knock? Or is it enough that you knock on the body and you get a ping sound for the body to have a resonance?

Also im thinking about building your sphere clone another body like this as the body i wanted to use hasnf arrived after half a year and i think will never show up and i like the look.
If i build ghe sphere clone in a body like this do you think its better to leave the mesh in because of frequency response? I think ghe original also has double or even triple layer mesh..
Another option for ghe sphere build would be the u47 ali body which should have more similar dimension of the original sphere mic..
 
You could use sponge to minimize reflections. The shock mount kills pretty much all the resonances. Double vs single mesh don't change the response that much. I wouldn't build a Sphere in that body, it would impact the sound too much. I consider this body a great opportunity to build Reference Cardioid, other than that head basket design doesn't work for any of the classic designs.

For Sphere you can look for Nady tcm1050 mic. Now that i finally got my hands on a real Sphere, and got to measure it's response with and without headbasket, i would stick with original dimensions. Any other headbasket will be probably in the same ballpark, but since we know exact capsule used, circuit performance, fr curve, why mess the thing up with the headbasket shape?
 
kingkorg

Well, the capsule in Manley Reference C is cheapest capsule available, found in Sterling Audio ST51 for example. So i wouldn't be surprised if they used 0.1$ cap instead of 0.2$ cap.
edit: please: no personal attacks. simple as that.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Maybe shes the boss lady from manley 🤔🙈
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.
 
The Reference C has been a Feilo capsule from day one. It's the same capsule used in the Langevin CR3A mic that preceded it. Due to tolerances and custom requirements, Manley pays more for that capsule than the retail price of a Chinese tube mic from national vendors.

The Reference Gold mic is a custom David Josephson capsule design.

Steve Haselton designed the circuit.

As for the original capacitor in question, the front side of the capsule feeds the first triode's grid directly. There is a 100pF cap to ground nearby. It was which was changed to ceramic for reliability reasons (the polystyrenes were getting fragile, failing and/or creating noise). That cap is in shunt with signal, not in series with the signal. The parts cost difference between caps is twenty cents.

Of course, you all knew that.

@craigmorris74,
I'm sorry about that; I thought the names were in the profile. PS Borrowed Time Blues sounds cool - the lead guitar tone is particularly outstanding.

Garrett Haines
Violator of manufacturer warranties on behalf of seven audio magazines for the past 23 years.
I know so much about this particular mic because I had to tear one apart for review.
 
I'll correct my statement. Manley uses cheapest possible chinese capsule also used in Sterling mics, but they sprinkle some fairy dust so that they could sell it to fools who are ready to pay. Someone gets some cash to write a positive review on it, in Tape Op for example, and fools do buy it in the end.

Manley also has secret source of noise and distortion free 12AX7, which are also fairy dust sprinkled. Not that they are using it because it's cheapest tube available.

They even went to switching psu in latest edition in order to cut costs!

In the end they use soldering and pcb production technique which is done using feet in order to make it look on the inside as children were making them.
 
Last edited:
Garrett Haines
Violator of manufacturer warranties on behalf of seven audio magazines for the past 23 years.
I know so much about this particular mic because I had to tear one apart for review.
I wonder how you have so much time on your hands having in mind you are busy making all those albums.

Magazines actually buy those mics they are reviewing? And give them to mastering engineers/failed drummers/self thought electronic engineers for disassembly. And then the self thought wannabe expert takes a look at the chinese capsule and says: "Yes, this one is quality selected indeed!" Dude, it takes an anechoic chamber to do that. You took the wrong meds today.
 
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.
Where did i sent fbomb filled love??
Where is your real name??
1. What would that change?
2. What should that change?
Capsule has been identified long time ago with meassurements and all..
3. What should that change?
4. What should that change?
5. What should that change?

Just go to ATK and LISTEN... But then again believe whatever you like idc..
 
I wo
I'll correct my statement. Manley uses cheapest possible chinese capsule also used in Sterling mics, but they sprinkle some fairy dust so that they could sell it to fools who are ready to pay. Some miserable human being gets some cash to write a positive review on it, in Tape Op for example, and fools do buy it in the end.

Manley also has secret source of noise and distortion free 12AX7, which are also fairy dust sprinkled. Not that they are using it because it's cheapest tube available.

They even went to switching psu in latest edition in order to cut costs!

In the end they use soldering and pcb production technique which is done using feet in order to make it look on the inside as children were making them.
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..
 
  1. Have any of you MADE a record? If so, how did you pull that off and post over 1,000 bits here?

I'm a Professional Sound Engineer. I didn't made a record, I made countless of them over the last 15 years. Credits include recording, mixing, mastering and producing.
I can send you my CV and credits list if you like, I can also advise you on some records I worked in because there's a lot I'm sure you would love the music.

I don't have over 1000 posts here, I have over 5000.

I was able to that because in my free time I check this forum and do it as an hobby.
Also it's an hobby that complements and helps my Engineering work, for example I did some maintenance in the previous studio I worked in and I do the maintenance of my gear.

So please don't come here shooting in all directions, your entrance was not polite or respectful, something that is a Forum Rule.

Kinkgorg is a well known and knowledgeable member here.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top