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Post by Guitar on Jan 17, 2018 11:09:17 GMT -6
I figured some of you guys would want to see this.. It's my D-251 that I've been prototyping for 2 years now, finally finished. Special credit goes to jakeharris for getting me pointed in a better direction when I was starting to give up. I got it sounding really good on my voice. Bright but not too sibilant, and balanced from low to high. I'll be building more mics in the future, using different capsules, etc, but I think this one can be put to bed and used now.. this is my original design, not built from a kit. Some specs include: ADK GK-12d capsule Cinemag CM-13114 output transformer Sprague TE-1501 coupling cap (NOS) same as TFunk USA fancy resistors and caps (Dale, Ohmite, Elna Silmic, Xicon, etc) EH 6072a tube selected for low noise and microphonics. Might need to call on bowie. Extended bass response compared to vintage ELAM 9 polar patterns (capsule is cap coupled to tube using C-12 polarizing scheme) also still using the starter-cable (would prefer Gotham).  |
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Jan 17, 2018 11:14:02 GMT -6
Great to here ! Congratulations!
But I'm still adding a
for now!😁
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Post by Guitar on Jan 17, 2018 11:22:46 GMT -6
hahaha, thanks ericn just adding the window dressings at this point and the bows and stars You wouldn't BELIEVE how many times in the past year or so I have said, "Hey, maybe it's done." It's like a bad relationship or something, but it got turned good. Guess that's how she goes. |
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Post by bowie on Jan 17, 2018 11:33:48 GMT -6
Congrats! I like that emblem BTW. Custom work?  What output cap did you go with? I find this is a fun area to experiment with. Look forward to hearing it on your next project. |
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Jan 17, 2018 11:44:49 GMT -6
hahaha, thanks ericn just adding the window dressings at this point and the bows and stars You wouldn't BELIEVE how many times in the past year or so I have said, "Hey, maybe it's done." It's like a bad relationship or something, but it got turned good. Guess that's how she goes. When it comes to DIY mics are funny more like instruments than gear, there is always something. Some people I respect as mic guys, have classified me as a mic guy and yet I have resolved even with the M49 reproductions bodies I have to go to Shannon when I have funds, need and desire for something special. It's just easier less time consuming and less chance of me breaking something if I can tell him what I want and let him go do his magic! That little Moto cross maniac is responsible for the sound of so many mics I lust after for me it just would be silly to go another route! Don't get me wrong to anybody who's willing to go down that rabbit hole has my envy and respect, I just realized for a guy without a yard I have way to many wabbit woles (think Elmer Fudd)! |
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Jan 17, 2018 11:45:53 GMT -6
Buy that thing a Rycote mount!
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Post by Ward on Jan 17, 2018 11:52:52 GMT -6
I need to ask the nagging question that everyone's thinking about . . .
Does the closet full of shirts work well as a bass trap and improve the sound of your 251 build?
:-D
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Post by Guitar on Jan 17, 2018 11:55:03 GMT -6
Congrats! I like that emblem BTW. Custom work? What output cap did you go with? I find this is a fun area to experiment with. Look forward to hearing it on your next project. Sprague TE-1501 electrolytic NOS manufactured in USA sometime between the 70s-80s I "reformed" them with 9 and 24 volts for a few minutes before exposing them to the full plate voltage. It didn't explode... haha. Previous to that I had an Axon polypropylene film style cap. It was so "transparent" that the high end was like razor blades. The old electro smoothed it out quite a bit. From unusable, to usable, actually. It's still rather bright, but that's just how it's going to be with this capsule. Bit of a sizzle on top. Hey, it's my bright mic. Cutting through, and whatnot. I've got other mics with different colors. Listening to Johnkenn 's 251 hang files, it sounds more similar to the Upton than any of the vintage or mod mics. |
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Post by Guitar on Jan 17, 2018 11:55:51 GMT -6
I need to ask the nagging question that everyone's thinking about . . . Does the closet full of shirts work well as a bass trap and improve the sound of your 251 build? :-D I've often wondered the same thing... although there is quite a bit of bass trapping in the ceiling here already. |
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Post by Guitar on Jan 17, 2018 11:56:31 GMT -6
Buy that thing a Rycote mount! I was just looking at those! I do have a better spider mount it's just not on the stand right now...oops. |
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Jan 17, 2018 12:01:47 GMT -6
Buy that thing a Rycote mount! I was just looking at those! I do have a better spider mount it's just not on the stand right now...oops. Buy the Rycote other than OEM Neumann and a couple of others designed for specific mics I can't Imagine putting a mic I value in these " protective mounts" shock mounts, I'm shocked they stay mounted! |
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Post by Vincent R. on Jan 17, 2018 12:17:08 GMT -6
Very cool. I can’t wait to hear some samples.
I’m also curious why you chose the ADK capsule over something like the Tim Campbell. That’s not a judgement, just wondering how you made that decision. The ADK Capsule in my RMS269 sounds pretty stellar.
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Post by Guitar on Jan 17, 2018 12:30:43 GMT -6
Very cool. I can’t wait to hear some samples. I’m also curious why you chose the ADK capsule over something like the Tim Campbell. That’s not a judgement, just wondering how you made that decision. The ADK Capsule in my RMS269 sounds pretty stellar. I'll get a sample for you guys in a minute... I decided to take a shot at the ADK GK-12d because Dennis Dreadstone (kidvybes) RIP, recommended it to me. It was also slightly cheaper than a Campbell or BeezNeez at the time. Also I was having patience issues trying to get through Campbell waiting list (not his fault of course). I just never seemed to have the cash at the right time. Also the BeezNeez sales process was confusing the hell out of me. Now that I understand it better, I think I'll be able to get one, eventually. I think my next build is probably going to be a C-12 with the BeezNeez capsule. At least that sounds good to me at the moment. I'd like to do an ADK GK-251d build eventually as well, however adding that one up, it would be expensive to go with my planned parts. Then I'd have 2 'versions' of a 2-5-1. I had also gone the Peluso route in the past (CEK-12) and ultimately was not pleased with those. ADK was the other "mid price" option, so it made sense at the time. Honestly I did have to battle the high end on this capsule, but eventually arrived at the Goldilocks formula inside the head amplifier to make it sound correct, to my ears. |
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Post by Guitar on Jan 17, 2018 12:53:20 GMT -6
Here is a quick sound test:
Wiley Audio D-251 sound test 24-96 FLAC
The guitar is an R80 ribbon mic re-ribboned with 1.8u ribbon material. It needs to be EQ'd but I left it alone so this sound example can be presented with no processing at all. No limiting either. This is just the raw sound off the mics. I bet you've never heard a Taylor sound this dark, haha. Mic placement probably not ideal. Voice is 251 - CAPI 312 circuit (currently out of stock of Neve pres for the moment) guitar is R80 into FiveFish NK-72DI with Gary Barnett's GAR-918BC Jensen-style op amp conversion is Presonus DP88 at 96K / 24 bits file is presented as a lossless FLAC you might have to download it and play it with some sort of media player or DAW. It's one of my standard voice tests a Beck song "Lost Cause." |
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Post by drbill on Jan 17, 2018 13:02:37 GMT -6
Congrats! Bet it feels good to have it finally "finished"! But who's kidding who....DIY mics are NEVER finished. Hahahahaaaa!!!  Have fun using it! bp |
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Post by Johnkenn on Jan 17, 2018 13:16:09 GMT -6
Want to hear my current iteration of the Upton?
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Post by Guitar on Jan 17, 2018 13:40:00 GMT -6
Want to hear my current iteration of the Upton? Oh yeah! Absolutely! |
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Post by Vincent R. on Jan 17, 2018 14:39:09 GMT -6
Want to hear my current iteration of the Upton? Oh yeah! Absolutely! Ditto. |
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Post by reddirt on Jan 17, 2018 17:28:14 GMT -6
Are you intimating the dog did you a favour John?
Congrats on the build Monkey xx - great work.
Cheers, Ross
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Jan 17, 2018 20:46:11 GMT -6
Want to hear my current iteration of the Upton? Well Dah! Hell ya! |
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Post by guitfiddler on Jan 18, 2018 3:44:10 GMT -6
Nice sounding mic!
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Have fun using it! bp
