Which Mod is the best to start to professionalize?

[Potti18]

Good evening folks.

First of all i want to say "hello" to all of you, Im new here. I am 29 years old and from germany.

At the moment i make a educ. qualification as an electrician.
I never thought that this would help me with my hobby, but here i am now, to make my first
microphone by myself or at least build a kit or something like that.

1-2 weeks now I am reading a lot on this Board as a guest.
(especially about u87 clones and moddings for akg perceptions and the at2020.)

In my freetime i like to do a lot of RnB and a little bit of rap music.
At the moment i am just using a AT2020 microphone into a Audient iD4
with a Aston mic-screen.
Now is the point where i want to start to professionalize my equipment.
Today i bought some´wood and foam to build my own acoustic elements.
After i finish them i want to start with a better microphone.

I am wondering what is the best bang for the buck at the moment to get a
more professional sounding micrphone?

I read a lot about the MicAndMod U87 DIY Kit, or the AT2020 Mod Kit from mic-parts.
Also what i found very interesting are the threads here about the Manley Ref-C and how you
can make a "clone" from this 3000€ microphone for like 300€.

Im not quite sure what to get and where to start with. My Budget ist like 800-1000€.

What do you think is the best option at the moment? My mind is widely open for a cheaper budget if possible.
I would use this microphone only for vocals.

Greetings

 

[Dylan W]

Hard to go wrong with a U87 for Rap/RnB, they’re one of the best options even at the highest level (Drake, etc). Others can tell you the best current configuration, but one of the AliExpress bodies + a Soliloqueen K87 + one of the many PCB options available + 3U/Moby transformer should get you an outstanding mic for well under 800€.

 

[RuudNL]

I use some U87 clones next to the original Neumann U87 microphones, but I don't hear any difference.
It is not without reason that the U87 is used in almost all studios worldwide...

 

[k brown]

The mod kit for your AT2020 is a good place to start, as the capsule is by far it's weakest component.

For only about $25, you can simply replace the capsule with this: https://www.jlielectronics.com/microphone-capsules/jli-3410au/, which is considerably better than the one in the MicAndMod kit. You will, however have to fashion your own mount for the capsule, as it's larger than the one in the 2020.

Or, you can get the MicAndMod kit and replace it's capsule with the one above; it'll probably fit the kit's capsule mount with little or no modification, and you get the other mod parts as well.

 

[k brown]

The second-weakest component in the 2020 is the transformer, which the mod kit dispenses with entirely, as the circuit is a version of the Schoeps transformerless output one.

 

[ElSmurf]

Hard to go wrong with a U87 for Rap/RnB, they’re one of the best options even at the highest level (Drake, etc). Others can tell you the best current configuration, but one of the AliExpress bodies + a Soliloqueen K87 + one of the many PCB options available + 3U/Moby transformer should get you an outstanding mic for well under 800€.

+1 for this strategy. I built my 87 clone in this body, with a Soliloqueen/Arienne K87, Dany/poctop's PCB and Moby's transformer.

 

[RuudNL]

you can simply replace the capsule with this: https://www.jlielectronics.com/microphone-capsules/jli-3410au/, which is considerably better than the one in the MicAndMod kit.

The capsule in the Mic&Mod kit IS the one from jli !
(And I am 100% sure about that, because I designed the M25 kit for Mic&Mod... )

 

[k brown]

The capsule in the Mic&Mod kit IS the one from jli !
(And I am 100% sure about that, because I designed the M25 kit for Mic&Mod... )

Well, I was trying to recommend the one @kingkorg talks about in this thread (post #39) https://groupdiy.com/threads/lookin...rer-recommendations.80083/page-2#post-1029138 , but now seems to be out of stock on ebay. The JLI3410 I linked to appears to be the same capsule but with a body terminal ring added to it, but maybe it isn't the same.

The MicAndMod M25 kit https://www.micandmod.com/microphone-kits/m25-diy-microphone-kit/ is not a mod for the AT2020; I misspoke - I was referring to the Mic Parts AT2020 mod kit, but both kits use the JLI/TSB2555. I recommended the JLI3410.

The JLI3410, the JLI/TSB2555 used in the kits, and the 'kingkorg' capsule all have the same rear plate, but the 3410 and 'kk' have a completely different front from the 2555, which has mesh and a much smaller front opening. Also, the 3410 and the 'kk' have gold diaphragms, and the 2555 has an aluminized one.

The JLI-3410 is listed as a 34mm capsule, but that's because of the added outer ring.

The last pic below is the 'kk' capsule from the ebay listing.

i've directly compared the 2555 and the 'kk' capsule in the same mic and they sound nothing alike. I've not heard the 3410; I was just going by the photo that it appears to be the same as 'kk' (but the body of the 'kk' does seem to be a bit deeper than the 3410).

In any case, if someone has the Ali link to the @kingkorg capsule, please post it, as that's the capsule I'm recommending, and it doesn't appear to still be available on ebay.

 

[living sounds]

The correct cage geometry (protected by trademark laws) is vital to achieve the characteristic sound of the U87. I don't think the usual clone kits have it (it would be a violation of Neumann's rights).

Yes, Soliloqueen's capsules are at least the next best thing to Neumann's.

I've used the UTM U87 trafo in clones and liked it a lot.

Make sure to use a bad (high ESR) electrolytic at the outpout (before the transformer). I tried upgrading this part to (same size) film and my ears didn't like the result.

 

[k brown]

Here's a larger image of the JLI-3410:

 

[ElSmurf]

Make sure to use a bad (high ESR) electrolytic at the outpout (before the transformer). I tried upgrading this part to (same size) film and my ears didn't like the result.

Any recommendations?

 

[Potti18]

Hey folks,
thanks for your impressions and help so far. How professional does the AT2020 actually gets with the Mod are there any sound examples?
Because with the Mod and an extra capsule + shipping to europe it will cost like between 200-250. Maybe i need to pay some taxes too.

Is a U87 clone so much better sounding or are there any other recommendations?

greetings

 

[k brown]

Hey folks,
thanks for your impressions and help so far. How professional does the AT2020 actually gets with the Mod are there any sound examples?
Because with the Mod and an extra capsule + shipping to europe it will cost like between 200-250. Maybe i need to pay some taxes too.

Is a U87 clone so much better sounding or are there any other recommendations?

greetings

IMHO, the Mic Parts mod is not quite worth the money.

The electronics in the AT2020 are fine; replacing the capsule would greatly improve the sound for very little money.

The next upgrade would be to bypass the output transformer with an impedance-balanced output. If that interests you, I can draw up a schem for what I did in my AT2035 (basically same mic with much better capsule); it's pretty simple.

 

[RuudNL]

IMHO, the Mic Parts mod is not quite worth the money.

IMHO all (overpriced) Mic Parts kits are not worth the money...

 

[living sounds]

Any recommendations?

Neumann use a cheap black Jamicon electrolytic...