|
Post by markfouxman on Nov 24, 2017 0:45:43 GMT -6
Before AES decided that San Francisco doesn't rate a convention anymore I always made a point of asking the AKG reps about reissuing sopme of their classics (Sennheiser, too). They always gave me mealymouthed excuses except the last time when I asked why their then new "D12VR" didn't resemble a D12 in any way, and one of their guys told me that it would cost too much in labor to duiplicate the original cartridge assembly with its hand-tensioned diaphragm. IOW, they just did not want to tell you the whole story: the market is so small that they would not want to get into complications of original capsule design while they already had all the molds for plastic bodies and stash of perhaps thousands of backplates for inferior white teflon capsule design. Why to bother if the company already has established name and market? Best, M
|
|
ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,934
Member is Online
|
Post by ericn on Nov 24, 2017 11:37:48 GMT -6
Before AES decided that San Francisco doesn't rate a convention anymore I always made a point of asking the AKG reps about reissuing sopme of their classics (Sennheiser, too). They always gave me mealymouthed excuses except the last time when I asked why their then new "D12VR" didn't resemble a D12 in any way, and one of their guys told me that it would cost too much in labor to duiplicate the original cartridge assembly with its hand-tensioned diaphragm. IOW, they just did not want to tell you the whole story: the market is so small that they would not want to get into complications of original capsule design while they already had all the molds for plastic bodies and stash of perhaps thousands of backplates for inferior white teflon capsule design. Why to bother if the company has name and market? Best, M You forgot the important part " besides the marketing guys say if we spend a quarter of that much on marketing we will sell twice as many!"
|
|
|
Post by johneppstein on Nov 24, 2017 17:22:46 GMT -6
IOW, they just did not want to tell you the whole story: the market is so small that they would not want to get into complications of original capsule design while they already had all the molds for plastic bodies and stash of perhaps thousands of backplates for inferior white teflon capsule design. Why to bother if the company already has established name and market? Best, M Mark, there is no such thing as a plastic version of the D12/D12E capsule. The "E" did have a plastic outer frame to hold the front and rear screens in place, but there were no interior changes. The original had a metal frame, swivel mount, and pigtail. The "E" had a black plastic frame and a "stick" that took the place of the swivel and which fit a mic clip and contained the output connector. Internally they are identical, with a massive and heavy cartridge assembly with a screw mounted, retensionable diaphragm superficially resembling a conderser. Very superficially. The D12E was discontinued in the early '80s and "replaced" with the football shaped D112, which is an horrible microphone that bears no resemblance to a real D12, "E" or not. Neither does the (relatively) new D12VR, which does not have the room for anything remotely resembling a D12 cartridge and features phantom powered onboard EQ. These are DYNAMIC microphones, BTW. Perhaps you have the D12 confused with some other microphone? The C12, perhaps? BTW, considering the astronimical prices (for a dynamic mic) D12s in working condition are going for these days, the "too expensive" excuse just doesn't hold up. www.coutant.org/akgd12e/
|
|
|
Post by markfouxman on Nov 24, 2017 23:48:24 GMT -6
IOW, they just did not want to tell you the whole story: the market is so small that they would not want to get into complications of original capsule design while they already had all the molds for plastic bodies and stash of perhaps thousands of backplates for inferior white teflon capsule design. Why to bother if the company already has established name and market? Best, M Mark, there is no such thing as a plastic version of the D12/D12E capsule. The "E" did have a plastic outer frame to hold the front and rear screens in place, but there were no interior changes. The original had a metal frame, swivel mount, and pigtail. The "E" had a black plastic frame and a "stick" that took the place of the swivel and which fit a mic clip and contained the output connector. Internally they are identical, with a massive and heavy cartridge assembly with a screw mounted, retensionable diaphragm superficially resembling a conderser. Very superficially. The D12E was discontinued in the early '80s and "replaced" with the football shaped D112, which is an horrible microphone that bears no resemblance to a real D12, "E" or not. Neither does the (relatively) new D12VR, which does not have the room for anything remotely resembling a D12 cartridge and features phantom powered onboard EQ. These are DYNAMIC microphones, BTW. Perhaps you have the D12 confused with some other microphone? The C12, perhaps? BTW, considering the astronimical prices (for a dynamic mic) D12s in working condition are going for these days, the "too expensive" excuse just doesn't hold up. www.coutant.org/akgd12e/Sorry for my dyslexia, of course, I meant C12VR, with its CK12 Teflon capsule version and PCB, vs. original brass ring CK12 and point to point wiring. Never had experience with D12 (or for that matter with any other dynamic microphones with exception of ribbons), so cannot comment there... Best, M
|
|
|
Post by johneppstein on Nov 25, 2017 12:30:01 GMT -6
Mark, there is no such thing as a plastic version of the D12/D12E capsule. The "E" did have a plastic outer frame to hold the front and rear screens in place, but there were no interior changes. The original had a metal frame, swivel mount, and pigtail. The "E" had a black plastic frame and a "stick" that took the place of the swivel and which fit a mic clip and contained the output connector. Internally they are identical, with a massive and heavy cartridge assembly with a screw mounted, retensionable diaphragm superficially resembling a conderser. Very superficially. The D12E was discontinued in the early '80s and "replaced" with the football shaped D112, which is an horrible microphone that bears no resemblance to a real D12, "E" or not. Neither does the (relatively) new D12VR, which does not have the room for anything remotely resembling a D12 cartridge and features phantom powered onboard EQ. These are DYNAMIC microphones, BTW. Perhaps you have the D12 confused with some other microphone? The C12, perhaps? BTW, considering the astronimical prices (for a dynamic mic) D12s in working condition are going for these days, the "too expensive" excuse just doesn't hold up. www.coutant.org/akgd12e/Sorry for my dyslexia, of course, I meant C12VR, with its CK12 Teflon capsule version and PCB, vs. original brass ring CK12 and point to point wiring. Never had experience with D12 (or for that matter with any other dynamic microphones with exception of ribbons), so cannot comment there... Best, M That's what i thought. The D-12 series (there were several mics built with the same head) is one of the more interesting Dynamic mics I have encountered. Originally intended as a broadcast mic it became famous as THE European kick drum mic during the '70s. There are also pictures of The Beatles using it for vocals and guitars. The original D-12 was discontinued once (along with all the other variants in its line (D20, D25, D30*, D45*) and then brought back by popular demand as the D12E, only to be discontinued again. *- dual cartridge, multipattern dynamics
|
|