why do you build a microphone?

[L´Andratté]

If I'm recording, mixing, mastering, playing all the instruments, usually writing the songs, building the guitars, amps, pedals and cables, building the preamps and recording gear, why would I stop at the mics?!

;D ;D ;D

 

[kamillak]

I started DIYing mics with a G7 (thanks Jakob) in a SP C1 body and a Lundahl tranny.
This got me into classic tube mics and I built clones of the known classics... in the end this often resulted in a lot of original or close to original components. I compare my clones to well maintained originals whenever I can and details count. You maybe remember some of the classical guitar recording demos I posted some time ago with DIY U47 and DIY U87...

There are 4x U87 clones I built for myself. The only thing that remained DIY are Danys PCBs including the Cinemag trannies. The rest - and especially the mechanical parts - are all original parts I mostly bought used here and there over time. (The original capsule and basket did the trick on the U87.)


I am interested in building transformerless solid-state mics.
Of the 3 TLM170 (old version) I own, two are getting used regularly. On the third I managed to damage the fine wires coming out of the transformer of the DC/DC converter because I tried to remove the gluey stuff on the PCB out of curiosity. Silly me... I tried to find schematics on the net but they are of bad quality and none of them carried sufficient info of the inductor. I tried to fix the transformer by counting turns and rewinding but the attempt failed. I assume this is because I mixed up the wires going to the different locations of the PCB.
I also bought a replacement board from Neumann, but you only get the new (lacquered/potted) Versions. These do not fit to the connector inside the old version TLM170... schematics are not available of the new DC/DC boards. Neumann recommends to replace all PCBs inside the TLM170 if this happens. This is were I stopped and put the defective mic onto the shelf. Maybe I'll try to fix it again when time allows...

The TLM170 is one of the most used mics in my collection and I am always surprised of the level of meat and versatility I get from a mic that sounds really boring the first time you hear it but discloses it's power during mixdown.

Looking to my Neumann parts box there are two K89 and a complete TLM170 body that should see some use... I would be highly interested in your design ideas

 

[kamillak]

I started DIYing mics with a G7 (thanks Jakob) in a SP C1 body and a Lundahl tranny.
This got me into classic tube mics and I built clones of the known classics... in the end this often resulted in a lot of original or close to original components. I compare my clones to well maintained originals whenever I can and details count. You maybe remember some of the classical guitar recording demos I posted some time ago with DIY U47 and DIY U87...

There are 4x U87 clones I built for myself. The only thing that remained DIY are Danys PCBs including the Cinemag trannies. The rest - and especially the mechanical parts - are all original parts I mostly bought used here and there over time. (The original capsule and basket did the trick on the U87.)


I am interested in building transformerless solid-state mics.
Of the 3 TLM170 (old version) I own, two are getting used regularly. On the third I managed to damage the fine wires coming out of the transformer of the DC/DC converter because I tried to remove the gluey stuff on the PCB out of curiosity. Silly me... I tried to find schematics on the net but they are of bad quality and none of them carried sufficient info of the inductor. I tried to fix the transformer by counting turns and rewinding but the attempt failed. I assume this is because I mixed up the wires going to the different locations of the PCB.
I also bought a replacement board from Neumann, but you only get the new (lacquered/potted) Versions. These do not fit to the connector inside the old version TLM170... schematics are not available of the new DC/DC boards. Neumann recommends to replace all PCBs inside the TLM170 if this happens. This is were I stopped and put the defective mic onto the shelf. Maybe I'll try to fix it again when time allows...

The TLM170 is one of the most used mics in my collection and I am always surprised of the level of meat and versatility I get from a mic that sounds really boring the first time you hear it but discloses it's power during mixdown.

Looking to my Neumann parts box there are two K89 and a complete TLM170 body that should see some use... I would be highly interested in your design ideas

I did the same to my Neumann TLM170i, damaged the wires and ruined it. I was so angry with myself. Fortunately I have found a mic master in Budapest who rewired it for me and brought it back to life so now my TLM170i is as good as it gets. Works perfectly!! I've already recorded a few vocals with it.

 

[Gus]

Now I am working with IC circuits. This should be fun. I have a number of ideas drawn up. I started on the first build a phantom powered transformer out.
With some of the ICs you don't need to worry about JFET availability and selection.
It is fun to build something that goes against what you sometimes read on the web.

I also think the circuit part is sometimes over emphasized over the capsule grill and a few other things.

The TLM170 has a nice circuit from what I can trace from the hard to read schematic you can find on the web

I have built a few solid state circuits that can be used a microphone tube voltages one is a for the 250/251 like circuit