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Post by drbill on Feb 23, 2020 21:07:21 GMT -6
I know these mics were all the rage 5 years ago - especially for those tweaky enough to mod them - but as of late, they seem to have slipped off the radar.
I couldn't resist buying a mint one for $525 awhile back. I like it "OK" but I definitely get the "bright", "zingy" comparisons. I actually like that it's on the bright side as I've got a LOT of more midrange focused mics, but would consider doing an upgrade (capsule or ??) if there were some interesting options.
So....
I know some of you were / are rocking these mics. What capsules / tubes or other mods have you done to upgrade the mic, and what direction did you take it - more classic C12-ish, or more towards the Neumann camp, or ?? For me, I think more 3D and vibey would be a cool direction with less zing, and more open-ness way up top. Any thoughts or stories to share?? Please, no suggestions for Shannon. That ship has sailed for me. Hope he is doing well.
Thanks!!
bp
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Post by Johnkenn on Feb 23, 2020 21:17:04 GMT -6
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Post by tasteliketape on Feb 23, 2020 21:50:41 GMT -6
I would talk to Dave Wheeler in Nashville. He and Heiserman are closely connected and Dave does great work at a VERY reasonable price .
He also know all about Shannon’s mods. and has rescued some mics for people from Shannon.
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Post by tasteliketape on Feb 24, 2020 11:22:56 GMT -6
I just want to add commutation with Dave when he started working on my mic was the best I’ve experienced . He called an discussed exactly what I was after sound wise , then while actually working on my mic I received numerous calls or texts even pictures keeping me informed as to progress or issues.
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Post by jamiesego on Feb 24, 2020 11:43:36 GMT -6
This is great info! I don’t have a CV-4 but I have been thinking about trying some different caps in my UM17.
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Post by lpedrum on Feb 24, 2020 12:27:38 GMT -6
I tried upgrading to a Beezneez capsule in my CV4 but honestly was underwhelmed. So I basically bailed on that mic (still own it though because the resale value plummeted on CV4s) and bought a u48 from Chad at Signal Art. Chad does a lot of mods and I can't say enough about how impressed I was with my dealing with him. I'd put him on your short list of folks to connect with. www.signalartelectronics.com/ |
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Post by drbill on Feb 24, 2020 20:55:53 GMT -6
Thanks for the input guys!!
bp
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Post by dankin on Feb 25, 2020 8:26:14 GMT -6
I've been trying to sale a modded one...ha. No luck. IMO it's just too edgy/peaky even with Shannons mods. I bought mine with it already modded, then had Shannon tweak it some more. Supposedly he put a 269 style capsule in the last time he worked on it for me, I think he originally had put a 251 style in before I bought it, but that was right before everything started falling apart over there. I've often wondered what he actually did, as it sounded even worse afterwards. End result = I've spent too much money on a mic that I still don't like. Lesson learned. Like lpedrum said, the resale on these have plummeted since I bought mine. I wish I would have only paid $525:)
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Post by cowboycoalminer on Feb 25, 2020 17:26:00 GMT -6
Bill I swear I liked mine just as good if not better than after Shannon modded the cap. I found it very usable out of the box and wished I still had it, unmodded btw. That mic was wonderful on female vocals and even male with some eq.
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Post by guitfiddler on Feb 25, 2020 17:45:11 GMT -6
I used to own a CV-4 and a CV-3 out of the box, solid mics with great results IME.
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Post by drbill on Feb 25, 2020 17:47:31 GMT -6
Bill I swear I liked mine just as good if not better than after Shannon modded the cap. I found it very usable out of the box and wished I still had it, unmodded btw. That mic was wonderful on female vocals and even male with some eq. That's kinda what I was thinking, but I haven't really had a solid chance to put it to the fire yet.... |
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Post by BenjaminAshlin on Feb 25, 2020 23:29:48 GMT -6
I guess the reason its a good modding platform is the AMI transformer and NOS EF800. It becomes less expensive if you only need a capsule (ok so its the most expensive part) and a few caps/resistors.
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Post by hadaja on Feb 25, 2020 23:54:18 GMT -6
+1 for Beesneez not working out in this mic. Expensive exercise.
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Post by guitfiddler on Feb 26, 2020 0:35:26 GMT -6
I’ve gone down that path of customizing and found it’s just wasnt worth the added expense, we will see...I have another mic on the bench right now. I guess I don’t learn my lesson
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Post by chessparov on Feb 26, 2020 1:54:47 GMT -6
How do you guys like the CV3, in comparison?
Chris
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Post by hadaja on Feb 26, 2020 2:01:45 GMT -6
I had both i think the cv3 has the same capsule. It sounded very similar to the cv4 but the cv4 had just a little bit more weight to the sound.
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Post by mcirish on Feb 26, 2020 10:30:36 GMT -6
I'm sorry to hear that some others had less than good experiences with modding the CV4. I bought into the hype years ago that it was similar to a U47. It was nothing like a U47 in sound but the electronics is very similar to one of Oliver's U47 designs based on the EF800 tube. So as a platform to experiment with, I think it is great. I had both a Beeznees K7 and M7 capsules. Their M7 must have been defective because I never got it to sound right. The K7 worked out well for me for a specific application. I had an alto singer who needed a mic that can tame some of the pointed frequencies. In this case, the K7 worked fantastic and I use it all the time for this. I have no idea if various K7 capsules have fluctuated in their sound. I just know it worked for me. I'd even been thinking of picking up another used CV4 for modding with a TC C12K. It would be a fun experiment if cash freed up. I think the electronics in the CV4 are just fine. The capsule is going to be the biggest factor. YMMV
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Post by mike on Feb 26, 2020 12:14:54 GMT -6
I liked and found my CV4 useful out of the box, and years later also put a Bees Nees K7 Cap in it that I like even better.
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Post by tskguy on Feb 26, 2020 13:20:44 GMT -6
That mic will do better with any known good capsule as long as it isn't a 67 or 87 style.. It would be to bright for most ears. I have heard one with a Heiserman hk12 that sounded fantastic.. Wave did that one  |
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Post by Tbone81 on Feb 26, 2020 14:50:25 GMT -6
I had a CV4, and I was strongly considering modding it, BUT after auditioning an ADK tc-67 I decided to sell it and keep the ADK. The ADK was way cheaper than modding the CV4, in fact I came out ahead on that deal, and the sound of the ADK was sooo much better than the CV4 that it was like whats the point.
Anyway, I listen back to the tracks I recorded with the CV4 and they're still very nice, but I always felt like it was hit or miss with that mic.
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Post by guitfiddler on Feb 26, 2020 18:05:16 GMT -6
I had both i think the cv3 has the same capsule. It sounded very similar to the cv4 but the cv4 had just a little bit more weight to the sound. What he said👆🏻 |
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Post by drbill on Feb 26, 2020 19:11:25 GMT -6
That mic will do better with any known good capsule as long as it isn't a 67 or 87 style.. It would be to bright for most ears. I have heard one with a Heiserman hk12 that sounded fantastic.. Wave did that one That's probably the direction that I'd want to head towards.... <thumbsup> On the LDC vocal mic front, I of course have the Heiserman 47Tube , an MK47, Older model 87, Innertube 87, Gefell UM70's, an RMS 269, TLM170, Joly tube 47, the TNC ACM1200 that did so well in that Mic shootout I did on GS and a bunch of the usual suspect Ribbons / Dynamics. What I don't have is anything pointing towards C12 or 251 territory. That's kinda why I picked this mic up knowing that it would be brighter. I definitely don't want / need to try to push it into the Neumann-esque camp. |
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Post by drbill on Feb 26, 2020 19:28:55 GMT -6
Wow! Dave sounds like an amazing guy, and great mic tech. I hope he stops by and shares a little bit about the CV4 / Heiserman C12 style capsule mod he did. That would be great. |
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Post by tskguy on Feb 27, 2020 9:55:06 GMT -6
We can make that happen..... He is pretty swamped at the moment with all of the Shannon drama. PM me and we can at least get the ball rolling, I know you would be very happy with that mic after Wave and Heiserman have our collective way with it. |
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wave
Full Member
Posts: 46
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Post by wave on Mar 2, 2020 8:01:51 GMT -6
Wow! Dave sounds like an amazing guy, and great mic tech. I hope he stops by and shares a little bit about the CV4 / Heiserman C12 style capsule mod he did. That would be great. The CV4 is a great modding platform. it's fairly well made, the headbasket is pretty open and the Bv8 style TX with the EF800 is a great match. For the 251 (CK12/HK12) style I like to: 1. Add Heiserman Hk12 (heavy dep preferred) 2. Change output coupling to NOS PIO or FIO type 3. Change B+ RC cap to different dielectric 4. Change cathode bias scheme 5. Client taste depending, raise anode resistor to set a different gain profile (think vibey saturation) 6. Test, test, test 7. Make records They end up sounding pretty awesome. I've done them in this flavor and in 47 flavors. A 269 flavor is doable too with the right shunting -Dave |
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