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Mic mods - have you tried it, or considered it?
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Jacob Ekstroem
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Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 317
Location: A padded room with no windows somewhere in Scandinavia

PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 5:26 am    Post subject: Mic mods - have you tried it, or considered it? Reply with quote

On Gearslutz, quite a few "mic modders" are posting awesome shootouts and samples of modded mics, and lots of people either can't tell the difference between the mods and the opponents, or prefer the mods over the original mic it was modded towards. Some of these modded mics are $100-200 mics like the MXL V67g or Rode NT1a, and they sound fantastic after a $200-300 mod.
An NT1a was modded so close to a vintage U87 most people couldn't tell them apart, or prefered the modded Rode mic. I find that quite interesting...

So have anyone here actually tried a mic mod?
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Jacob - Danish Voice Overs (try it... it sounds really funny, too!)


Last edited by Jacob Ekstroem on Sat Feb 20, 2010 2:36 am; edited 1 time in total
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Dayo
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Joined: 10 Jan 2008
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Location: UK

PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 6:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not tried - but I'm always up for a bit of fun like that.
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CurtZHP
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 8:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just finished modding an MXL 990. With less than five dollars worth of modifications, I was able to improve the sound a bit. Nothing stellar, just better than the stock mic. It basically involved swapping out a few capacitors in the audio signal path and pulling out a layer of grille mesh.

The MXL mics tend to lend themselves to modifications (and tend to be in most need of them!).

Then there's actually BUILDING a mic!
http://www.zerrohouseproductions.com/zhppreamps.html
(scroll to the bottom of the page.)
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Eddie Eagle
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Joined: 23 Apr 2008
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 10:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Check out Klaus Heyne and his forum.
http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/f/33/0/
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Dayo
Cinquecento


Joined: 10 Jan 2008
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Location: UK

PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 10:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just remembered an old NT1 that's been hidden away in the garage for years. It's way too bright for my voice and Emma's, but could be useful again with the mod. I'll drop a note to Mr Joly!
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Jacob Ekstroem
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Joined: 28 Oct 2007
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Location: A padded room with no windows somewhere in Scandinavia

PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 11:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Eddie Eagle wrote:
Check out Klaus Heyne and his forum.


Eddie, Klaus must be the super-modder of them all, but doesn't he usually work with more hi-end mics? If I ever win the lottery, I'll be shopping for one of his "Klaus Heine Edition" masterpieces.

No, the thing I find interesting is the mods done to fairly inexpensive mics, like the ones I mentioned. Apparently you can get very close to a $3000 Neumann with a modded $100-200 MXL, Rode or Oktava... that is interesting!
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Jacob - Danish Voice Overs (try it... it sounds really funny, too!)


Last edited by Jacob Ekstroem on Sat Feb 20, 2010 2:35 am; edited 1 time in total
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CurtZHP
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 12:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The place to go to find out about mic mods is here:

http://www.prodigy-pro.com/diy/index.php
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Bish
3.5 kHz


Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Posts: 3738
Location: Lost in the cultural wasteland of Long Island

PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 1:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jacob Ekstroem wrote:
... Apparently you can get very close to a $1500 Neumann with a modded $100 MXL, Rode or Oktava...

Back in the early seventies, I used to have a good rep with some local bands because I used to take effects pedals, strip out the cheap bits that were easy to get to, and replace with them tighter tolerance (or even mil-spec) components. The result was usually immediately noticeable (especially with noise). Anything that's built down to a price will have corners cut (usually on component quality), and armed with a good soldering iron and a steady hand some of these issues can be rectified.

Improvements? Certainly are there to be had, but taking a $100 mic and getting it "very close" to something fifteen times the price is stretching it a tad (IMHO). Although I'm sure that the production line variations on the $100 mics come into play... get a good one and add some TLC, then the improvements may be significant over the "average" model.
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Bish a.k.a. Bish
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I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls.
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Jacob Ekstroem
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 1:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bish wrote:
Jacob Ekstroem wrote:
... Apparently you can get very close to a $1500 Neumann with a modded $100 MXL, Rode or Oktava...


Improvements? Certainly are there to be had, but taking a $100 mic and getting it "very close" to something fifteen times the price is stretching it a tad (IMHO).


I know... but take the test:
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/gear-shoot-outs-sound-file-comparisons-audio-tests/462141-oktavamod-rode-nt1a-vs-70s-u-87-a.html
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Jacob - Danish Voice Overs (try it... it sounds really funny, too!)
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Bish
3.5 kHz


Joined: 22 Nov 2009
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Location: Lost in the cultural wasteland of Long Island

PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OK, I'll admit it... that was an impressive test. I bounced back and forth between the two and couldn't make my mind up Embarrassed

The donor NT1a is $229 and the kit of parts is currently $329... it makes this a custom $558 mic ... that being said, it still holds up well in the test, and it may well prove to be a very good option at that price point.
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Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
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CurtZHP
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 2:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I dunno. To me, one audio source does not a shootout make.
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Jacob Ekstroem
Club 300


Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 317
Location: A padded room with no windows somewhere in Scandinavia

PostPosted: Sat Feb 20, 2010 2:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bish wrote:
OK, I'll admit it... that was an impressive test. I bounced back and forth between the two and couldn't make my mind up Embarrassed

The donor NT1a is $229 and the kit of parts is currently $329... it makes this a custom $558 mic ... that being said, it still holds up well in the test, and it may well prove to be a very good option at that price point.


Sorry, I believed it to be cheaper - my bad. Still, $550 is half the price of a TLM 103, and 1/6 the price of a U87ai.
The MXL V67g however is a $100 mic, and the mod is $300 from Jim Jacobsen. That's $400 for a mic that rivals a $3000+ Neumann industry standard mic.

And yeah... it IS a pretty impressing test! Regardless of the direct comparison with a U87, that NT1a sounds really good!
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Jacob - Danish Voice Overs (try it... it sounds really funny, too!)
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Tom Test
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Joined: 23 Jan 2007
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Location: Chicago, IL

PostPosted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 2:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jacob, be careful with modding mics. They may not work well for recording voice-over. I had an MXL 909 modded by a very-well known mic modder (whom I'll keep anonymous because I do not wish to badmouth him), but it simply did not work out for me. I paid $350 for the mod, and was disappointed with the results. I also got negative comments from other VO talent as well as a well-known consultant.

I’ve done some voice-over shootouts with this modded MXL 909, my Rode NTK w NOS tube, Studio Projects CS5 and a modded MXL 2003, and – for voice-over, with my voice at least – this modded 909 has consistently been coming in last place. One VO studio expert said “The modded 909 has a pretty aggressive sound in the upper mid-range, not as relaxed or easy to listen to as the NTK or CS-5. The top end is not as defined as the others, either. Not sure if I would find myself using that one much.” Also, three others listeners from the VO biz whom I respect placed it last twice, and 3rd place once.

I'm not sure why this worked out so poorly. It could be that the donor mic, the 909, was not suitable for some reason (though the modder didn't think so). Or perhaps, these mics are modded with an eye towards recording instruments or singers - which is quite different from recording the spoken word.

I also have a modded MXL 2003 that has gotten better comments than the modded 909. I got it for $130 from a modder on eBay. I think it's decent but far inferior (for my voice) than other mics in my closet. I don't know how it compares to a brand-new unmodded MXL 2003a, which has a pretty good rep for VO. I have a feeling I might have liked the new 2003a better than my modded 2003.

So in my mind, it's a real risk to mod a mic for VO. If it doesn't work out, you might have a hard time re-selling it to recoup most of your investment. But if you do go for it, I'd LOVE to hear the results.

(BTW, I know of one other VO talent who frequents this forum who also had a very bad experience modding his mic, and this was from yet another modder with a good rep).
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Tom Test
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CurtZHP
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 3:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like ol' pappy used to say....

"Can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear."
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Dayo
Cinquecento


Joined: 10 Jan 2008
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Location: UK

PostPosted: Mon Feb 22, 2010 5:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tom Test wrote:
Jacob, be careful with modding mics. They may not work well for recording voice-over. I had an MXL 909 modded by a very-well known mic modder (whom I'll keep anonymous because I do not wish to badmouth him), but it simply did not work out for me. I paid $350 for the mod, and was disappointed with the results. I also got negative comments from other VO talent as well as a well-known consultant.

I’ve done some voice-over shootouts with this modded MXL 909, my Rode NTK w NOS tube, Studio Projects CS5 and a modded MXL 2003, and – for voice-over, with my voice at least – this modded 909 has consistently been coming in last place. One VO studio expert said “The modded 909 has a pretty aggressive sound in the upper mid-range, not as relaxed or easy to listen to as the NTK or CS-5. The top end is not as defined as the others, either. Not sure if I would find myself using that one much.” Also, three others listeners from the VO biz whom I respect placed it last twice, and 3rd place once.

I'm not sure why this worked out so poorly. It could be that the donor mic, the 909, was not suitable for some reason (though the modder didn't think so). Or perhaps, these mics are modded with an eye towards recording instruments or singers - which is quite different from recording the spoken word.

I also have a modded MXL 2003 that has gotten better comments than the modded 909. I got it for $130 from a modder on eBay. I think it's decent but far inferior (for my voice) than other mics in my closet. I don't know how it compares to a brand-new unmodded MXL 2003a, which has a pretty good rep for VO. I have a feeling I might have liked the new 2003a better than my modded 2003.

So in my mind, it's a real risk to mod a mic for VO. If it doesn't work out, you might have a hard time re-selling it to recoup most of your investment. But if you do go for it, I'd LOVE to hear the results.

(BTW, I know of one other VO talent who frequents this forum who also had a very bad experience modding his mic, and this was from yet another modder with a good rep).


Mics are so personal aren't they?

Don't know how many times I've bought gear blind without a test in my room on my voice - especially mics. A LOT of time I've regretted it. Had a TLM103 that sounded flat tubby and lifeless on my voice; many swear by it. I'm rather fond of my MKH 416. I know Philip B had trouble making his work for him. My friend Les Woolem loves his SE tube mics, I found one way too bright. Our Lawson L47 suits me, makes Em a tab sibilant. Do I learn my lesson? Er... no. Having heard some of the modded mic soundfiles that are kicking around, they are tempting! And that old Rode is just gathering dust.

If I go for it then I'll certainly post some before and after files.
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