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Post by drbill on Sept 28, 2022 18:00:20 GMT -6
Should also be checking out Extinct Audio microphones right now too. Great UK made mics from a ribbon expert. Amazing value. Nice tip! I've been interested in those for awhile. re: the original question.... I can't think of a single reason not to buy a pair of 4038's other than being homeless or your wife finding out about it.  |
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Post by the other mark williams on Sept 29, 2022 9:47:51 GMT -6
Should also be checking out Extinct Audio microphones right now too. Great UK made mics from a ribbon expert. Amazing value. Nice tip! I've been interested in those for awhile. re: the original question.... I can't think of a single reason not to buy a pair of 4038's other than being homeless or your wife finding out about it. And most especially if your wife finding out about it leads to you becoming homeless… |
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Post by paulcheeba on Sept 29, 2022 14:23:16 GMT -6
Some AeA’s sound better.
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Post by bgrotto on Sept 29, 2022 22:23:03 GMT -6
Just rolled the exchange/shipping/duties dice on a rather large purchase from KMR. Here's hopin' I didn't totally bone myself. If I didn't miscalculate, this is the deal of the decade.
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Post by thehightenor on Sept 30, 2022 1:42:16 GMT -6
What would be the main target sources for a pair of 4038's?
Piano, Drum OH, Orchestral settings?
My first reach is AEA ribbons, I'm haven't had any experience with 4038's.
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Post by drbill on Sept 30, 2022 6:51:49 GMT -6
they sound wonderful on open, not too busy piano's, and drum overs as well if cymbals are too splashy.
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Post by ulriggribbons on Sept 30, 2022 10:02:12 GMT -6
Its probably just me and goes into the pile of things people dig that I don't... but still, I'd love to hear about those 30ohm versions. Maybe there's still hope!? Most of what you hear as a difference is related to increasing the impedance mismatch between the microphone and mic pre. Plugged into the same mic pre, at the same gain settings, the 30 ohm version is lower in output ( I believe roughly 12dB lower), and more constrained in its frequency response. There is a familiar low end bloom in a properly working 4038 that I didn't hear in the 30 ohm version. This is also the case with some other ribbon mics that are 30 ohm output. The Western Electric 639 also has a low output impedance 30/50 is often referenced (as well as its counterpart, the STC 4033a), as well as Reslo and some others. Stewart at Xaudia sells a matching transformer for these mics that very much helps the situation. I didn't have a chance to try it on a 4038, but I have used them with my other 30 ohm ribbon mics here, and they make the mic sound so much more full frequency, and the passive gain certainly helps make them more useful! This heading more into the weeds on ribbon mic operation/loading than I wanted, so I'll try to reel things in. Over the years, I've had several 30 ohm 4038's come into the shop with the customer complaint that they don't sound like their other 4038's. Changing out the output transformer for the 300 ohm version resolved the problem. So I don't know that I would recommend buying a 30 ohm version, as they would sound lower output and muddier than the 300 ohm version, just be aware that they are out there. My original point was that 4038's are super consistent, unless you have one with the different output transformer. Regards Jon |
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Post by Quint on Sept 30, 2022 10:05:39 GMT -6
Just rolled the exchange/shipping/duties dice on a rather large purchase from KMR. Here's hopin' I didn't totally bone myself. If I didn't miscalculate, this is the deal of the decade. Tell me more about that you did here. PM is also fine, if you prefer. The current exchange rate also kind of grabbed my attention, but I wanted to make sure that I did it right. |
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Post by EmRR on Sept 30, 2022 11:20:51 GMT -6
Its probably just me and goes into the pile of things people dig that I don't... but still, I'd love to hear about those 30ohm versions. Maybe there's still hope!? Most of what you hear as a difference is related to increasing the impedance mismatch between the microphone and mic pre. Plugged into the same mic pre, at the same gain settings, the 30 ohm version is lower in output ( I believe roughly 12dB lower), and more constrained in its frequency response. There is a familiar low end bloom in a properly working 4038 that I didn't hear in the 30 ohm version. This is also the case with some other ribbon mics that are 30 ohm output. The Western Electric 639 also has a low output impedance 30/50 is often referenced (as well as its counterpart, the STC 4033a), as well as Reslo and some others. My original point was that 4038's are super consistent, unless you have one with the different output transformer. Regards Jon This is interesting in the way it contradicts the idea marketed with super high-Z preamps being for ribbons, given that moving to a 30 ohm ribbon does that, on paper at least. The WE are known to be made for matching rather than bridging loads, and I can attest to WE 30 ohm and Shure 30 ohm ribbons sounding thinner/brighter into an input expecting 150-250. I had a Presto preamp with 30/250 switching built in, so I'd use those mics with that pre for better results. In that case with the Shure 300, setting both to 30 moves the step-up gain from the mic to the pre, or leave them both 250 and the mic is doing the work. both sound relatively the same then. |
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Post by ulriggribbons on Sept 30, 2022 12:23:48 GMT -6
Agreed.
For those wondering what we are on about, typical modern mic pre design uses a bridging concept for how impedances are handled, as opposed to matching, for maximum signal transfer between devices.
Ballpark 10X higher impedance for the destination vs. the source. For example, a 300 ohm output mic would like to roughly a 3K input impedance in the mic pre, for maximum voltage transfer.
What I suspect is going on in this case is that the electrical loading is resulting in a reflected impedance back upon the ribbon, resulting in a mechanical damping. The lack of highs and lows with the mismatch can be thought of like an equalization circuit with a very narrow Q set in the midband.
We use a similar setup as an actual control on the seismic sensors I work on, to control oscillation.
Hope this helps
Regards
Jon
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Post by bgrotto on Sept 30, 2022 12:44:40 GMT -6
Just rolled the exchange/shipping/duties dice on a rather large purchase from KMR. Here's hopin' I didn't totally bone myself. If I didn't miscalculate, this is the deal of the decade. Tell me more about that you did here. PM is also fine, if you prefer. The current exchange rate also kind of grabbed my attention, but I wanted to make sure that I did it right. Happy to share here. I simply went to KMR Audio (an audio dealer in the UK), and found some UK-made equipment that I wanted. The price in GBP is nearly what you'll pay in USD. For example, a matched pair of Coles is 1657 GBP. In USD, this ends up being just north of 1700. Compare that to a pair of Coles at Vintage King pushing 3k. Anywho, added to cart, paid the money, am now waiting on shipment. Save about $3k last night. Feeling real good 😎 Now, there's a chance some of that $3k I saved will get eaten up by DHL admin fees and duties costs. But it will only just barely eat away at that, so it'll still end up a massive win on my end. I already own a 4038, as mentioned, which I can now sell because I've bought a matched pair. The going rate for a used 4038 here in the US is preeeeetty damn good, so I'll actually be able to cover most of my purchase of the pair when I sell the single mic. It's so insanely good it feels fake and I'm waiting for it to come crashing down around me. |
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Post by Quint on Sept 30, 2022 13:33:59 GMT -6
Tell me more about that you did here. PM is also fine, if you prefer. The current exchange rate also kind of grabbed my attention, but I wanted to make sure that I did it right. Happy to share here. I simply went to KMR Audio (an audio dealer in the UK), and found some UK-made equipment that I wanted. The price in GBP is nearly what you'll pay in USD. For example, a matched pair of Coles is 1657 GBP. In USD, this ends up being just north of 1700. Compare that to a pair of Coles at Vintage King pushing 3k. Anywho, added to cart, paid the money, am now waiting on shipment. Save about $3k last night. Feeling real good 😎 Now, there's a chance some of that $3k I saved will get eaten up by DHL admin fees and duties costs. But it will only just barely eat away at that, so it'll still end up a massive win on my end. I already own a 4038, as mentioned, which I can now sell because I've bought a matched pair. The going rate for a used 4038 here in the US is preeeeetty damn good, so I'll actually be able to cover most of my purchase of the pair when I sell the single mic. It's so insanely good it feels fake and I'm waiting for it to come crashing down around me. Nice deal on the 4038s. So there wasn't some kind of trick to paying in GBPs or anything like that? I didn't know if they'd find a way to somehow screw you on the currency conversion or something. Did you pay in GBP or USD? |
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Post by bgrotto on Sept 30, 2022 13:46:45 GMT -6
Happy to share here. I simply went to KMR Audio (an audio dealer in the UK), and found some UK-made equipment that I wanted. The price in GBP is nearly what you'll pay in USD. For example, a matched pair of Coles is 1657 GBP. In USD, this ends up being just north of 1700. Compare that to a pair of Coles at Vintage King pushing 3k. Anywho, added to cart, paid the money, am now waiting on shipment. Save about $3k last night. Feeling real good 😎 Now, there's a chance some of that $3k I saved will get eaten up by DHL admin fees and duties costs. But it will only just barely eat away at that, so it'll still end up a massive win on my end. I already own a 4038, as mentioned, which I can now sell because I've bought a matched pair. The going rate for a used 4038 here in the US is preeeeetty damn good, so I'll actually be able to cover most of my purchase of the pair when I sell the single mic. It's so insanely good it feels fake and I'm waiting for it to come crashing down around me. Nice deal on the 4038s. So there wasn't some kind of trick to paying in GBPs or anything like that? I didn't know if they'd find a way to somehow screw you on the currency conversion or something. Did you pay in GBP or USD? I paid in GBP. The currency conversion is generally handled by the payment processor (in my case, it was AmEx, but if I'd have used my bank card, it would have been my bank, if I used paypal, it would have been PayPal, etc). Worth mentioning btw that different processors have slightly different rates (usually within a few tenths of a percent of each other though) |
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beyer160
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On Location
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Post by beyer160 on Sept 30, 2022 14:23:36 GMT -6
I paid in GBP. The currency conversion is generally handled by the payment processor (in my case, it was AmEx, but if I'd have used my bank card, it would have been my bank, if I used paypal, it would have been PayPal, etc). Worth mentioning btw that different processors have slightly different rates (usually within a few tenths of a percent of each other though) Amex Gold doesn't charge fees for currency conversions, but others do. Call your credit card provider and ask what fees they charge and what rate they're using- the rate on XE.com won't be exactly what you get, and it changes at midnight UTC. I've got two channels of AML 1084 on the way, we'll see if the taxman comes looking for a cut... |
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Sept 30, 2022 15:46:21 GMT -6
I paid in GBP. The currency conversion is generally handled by the payment processor (in my case, it was AmEx, but if I'd have used my bank card, it would have been my bank, if I used paypal, it would have been PayPal, etc). Worth mentioning btw that different processors have slightly different rates (usually within a few tenths of a percent of each other though) The other thing to make sure you find out especially if the rate is moving when do they convert, I remember getting phone calls from guys who were outside the US and were pissed because they thought we had changed the price. It was the CC provider doing the conversion 24 hours later! |
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Post by dok on Sept 30, 2022 22:07:13 GMT -6
Just looking around on KMR... you can get a DAV BG8 for £1,082.50, now that is pretty tempting in dollars!
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Post by din on Oct 3, 2022 8:40:55 GMT -6
Thanks for this thread! Wish I thought of this when I first heard news of the GBP crash on NPR. I may have missed the nadir of the GBP conversion to USD, but still got a damn fine deal on a pair of Coles w/ 4072 stand adapters and the stereo bar. Came to around $2,316 shipped. That would've been around $3,704 from Vintage King. Holy cow!
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Post by Quint on Oct 5, 2022 13:42:50 GMT -6
I paid in GBP. The currency conversion is generally handled by the payment processor (in my case, it was AmEx, but if I'd have used my bank card, it would have been my bank, if I used paypal, it would have been PayPal, etc). Worth mentioning btw that different processors have slightly different rates (usually within a few tenths of a percent of each other though) Hmm... This might be a good time to get some Beyer M160s from KMR or Thomann or wherever overseas. I bet they're stupid cheap right now. Anybody know some other reputable European dealers? |
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Post by indiehouse on Oct 5, 2022 15:33:29 GMT -6
Tell me more about that you did here. PM is also fine, if you prefer. The current exchange rate also kind of grabbed my attention, but I wanted to make sure that I did it right. Happy to share here. I simply went to KMR Audio (an audio dealer in the UK), and found some UK-made equipment that I wanted. The price in GBP is nearly what you'll pay in USD. For example, a matched pair of Coles is 1657 GBP. In USD, this ends up being just north of 1700. Compare that to a pair of Coles at Vintage King pushing 3k. Anywho, added to cart, paid the money, am now waiting on shipment. Save about $3k last night. Feeling real good 😎 Now, there's a chance some of that $3k I saved will get eaten up by DHL admin fees and duties costs. But it will only just barely eat away at that, so it'll still end up a massive win on my end. I already own a 4038, as mentioned, which I can now sell because I've bought a matched pair. The going rate for a used 4038 here in the US is preeeeetty damn good, so I'll actually be able to cover most of my purchase of the pair when I sell the single mic. It's so insanely good it feels fake and I'm waiting for it to come crashing down around me. Matched pair of 4038’s are now 1989 pounds at KMR. In 5 days they increased over 300 pounds? Geesh. |
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Post by bgrotto on Oct 5, 2022 20:20:39 GMT -6
Happy to share here. I simply went to KMR Audio (an audio dealer in the UK), and found some UK-made equipment that I wanted. The price in GBP is nearly what you'll pay in USD. For example, a matched pair of Coles is 1657 GBP. In USD, this ends up being just north of 1700. Compare that to a pair of Coles at Vintage King pushing 3k. Anywho, added to cart, paid the money, am now waiting on shipment. Save about $3k last night. Feeling real good 😎 Now, there's a chance some of that $3k I saved will get eaten up by DHL admin fees and duties costs. But it will only just barely eat away at that, so it'll still end up a massive win on my end. I already own a 4038, as mentioned, which I can now sell because I've bought a matched pair. The going rate for a used 4038 here in the US is preeeeetty damn good, so I'll actually be able to cover most of my purchase of the pair when I sell the single mic. It's so insanely good it feels fake and I'm waiting for it to come crashing down around me. Matched pair of 4038’s are now 1989 pounds at KMR. In 5 days they increased over 300 pounds? Geesh. The price is unchanged; you’re looking at the VAT price. |
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 16,107
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Post by ericn on Oct 5, 2022 20:34:36 GMT -6
Matched pair of 4038’s are now 1989 pounds at KMR. In 5 days they increased over 300 pounds? Geesh. The price is unchanged; you’re looking at the VAT price. Yeah I was looking at something the other day on a site from England and I could not get it to display the price without VAT. Took 3 emails. |
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Post by opr on Oct 6, 2022 3:36:17 GMT -6
What's not to love about the 4038(My personal favorite) The ultra thin 0.6 micron ribbon and a toroidal transformer make for a very detailed unique sounding ribbon mic. But be very careful with them as they are also very delicate.
I've repaired quite a few and the 0.6 micron Al floats in the air if you let it go!
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Post by phdamage on Nov 10, 2022 17:04:19 GMT -6
Got these today! No customs fee!!
They’re admittedly smaller than I expected but just as heavy as I expected
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Post by phdamage on Nov 10, 2022 19:17:21 GMT -6
def had to watch a youtube video to see how to take the mount out
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Post by bradd on Nov 10, 2022 21:27:18 GMT -6
Yes, the mount is a major pain in the ass, but seems to have gotten easier in the year plus I have had mine. I love the depth/reach of these mics. They are far and away my favorite overhead mics. They do a better job of representing the entire kit than anything else I’ve used.
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