JJ Audio Mics

I haven't used one, but overall their guiding principles are respectable. Assuming you're talking about the Dutch; that's the one of theirs I know the most about. Which are you looking at?

I'm leery of anyone who touts the Tim Campbell as the best CK12 made---then their premiere mic selling for $1250 use something else and charge $150 upgrade for the best thing made? Really? How about you just charge $1399 and put the capsule YOU say is the best one of it's kind in it.

....you really think someone paying $1250 for a single can't afford the $1399?

It's a weirdly low rent psychology. So, you'd rather sell them a mic for $150 less that you KNOW is inferior? Really? Hoo-kay...I bet he makes a LOT more when he sells one without the TC cap. That's the only real explanation I can come up with. He's usually using a 10cent capsule that fell off a ship...there's no consumer/engineer side reason to have an inferior version for 10% less. That's, IMO, a tell about where this guy's motivation is at.

...well. I'd have to respectfully disagree...it's been Jim's style of doing business from the get-go, to offer "a la carte" based modifications referencing some of the classic designs...It may have worked somewhat to his detriment, since I believe Jim is more than capable of building mics comparable to the best being made these days, but he has chosen rather than offering only fully spec'd top-of-the-line models, he likes to allow his customers to detail the builds as per their pocketbooks and sonic requirements......

...I've owned/used a few of his mics and his work is quite good...where Jim really excels is his ability to tweak his circuits to make the best of whatever capsules, trannies and tubes are chosen for a build, allowing the client to request very specific voicing needs...I believe he feels he can cultivate his clientele by offering low and mid level modifications, while educating and ultimately whetting their appetites for the best he can offer...Jim has made his rep more as a "modder" than the proprietor of a "boutique" line of microphones...lack of serious capitalization is probably at the heart of his decision to run his biz this way, but he's a very honest, helpful (always sharing mod details on the forums) and respectful guy...and his mics sound good...even some of those with the "10cent capsules that fell off a ship"...

...best to evaluate JJ Audio by the quality of their work rather than any differences you may have with their business model...just my .02c...

Hey John...... have you looked at doing a DIY kit? They've got some good ones on GroupDiy. Save you a ton of coin too.

Strangely enough, I agree with you on the first part of this.

The second part..  Well..  Capsules aren't hard to make.  Machines can stamp them out by the millions with tolerances better than the originals they copy.  The problem is two fold.  Lets take the Apex460 for example, (since the Dutch is just a 150$ 460 with 200$ worth of mods) and look at the capsule and circuit.

1. Capsule is K67/K87 type... but the mic doesn't have any kind of high end rolloff/de-emphasis circuit like the U87 has.  This leads to that hissy "chinese" mic sound.  It doesn't mean the capsule is bad at all, it just means that it was put in the wrong design.  To make it sound decent, add a 220pF cap from anode to ground to roll off some of those highs.  The ELA251 does this..

2. Chinese capsules are made just like any other capsule and are perfectly good capsules EXCEPT that nobody takes the time to properly tension them.  If someone were to figure out how to retension these chinese capsules, they'd sound just as good as any other out there.

Now, on to the circuit of the 460..

It uses a hybrid CCDA (Constant current draw amp), not a plate follower or cathode follower like the C12 or C60.  This apparently is the same circuit used in the Soundelux U95.. Which was made by Chinese 797 audio, who also makes the 460 and the Telefunken AK47  (http://recordinghacks.com/articles/telefunken-m16-and-apex-460-comparison/)  which people paid an arm and a leg for but didn't know it was just a 460 with some paint.  

The transformer is perfectly FINE.  The problem IS already known!  The 12AX7 doesn't have enough ass to push that transformer around.  Change this to 12AY7 or 12AT7 for more of the goods.  Secondly, the output anti-EMI/RFI caps are totally the wrong value.  They form a damn tank circuit which gives a peaking to the high frequencies which adds more siblance to what the mismatched capsule already adds.

You could change the capsule to a C12 style and forgo the EQ cap.  That's what I did, I changed the capsule to C12, lowered the value of the output caps, jammed a 12AY7 in there and changed the coupling cap to 'styrene type.  Now I have folks begging me to sell them my mic.  One that's worth around 300$ total.


Anyway, the jist is that the 460 is a great mic with a couple of mods. 

No - I absolutely love my Mic Rehab CV4...it started off as trying to get close to Jeff's 251, but we've tweaked it 5 or 6 times since then...As far as buying vintage - that's just my gas talking. I don't need anything in particular, but there are lots of things I want.

Hey Jim, welcome to RGO, it's nice here compared to more violet leaning forums 8)

I have one. It sounds like a u87 I. . A really good one

The mod that I do on the V67 style circuit is based on the Vintage U87i that powers the capsule on 48v. That means there is no DC to DC converter that raises the polarization voltage to 60v. Thus the mic is not as loud and not quite as bright. I was fortunate when I first developed this mod to find an original U87 schematic tucked away in the case of a Vintage U87 that I was servicing for a friend. This schematic was different from all of the schematics posted on line and had different values of some of the capacitors and resistors in the feedback system. The sound of this U87 rendition is slightly darker than the schematic posted online. This does not change the classic Neumann midrange that is controlled by the .47uf feedback capacitor.



By changing these capacitors I can change the top end of the mic. I can tune the top end to suit the capsule. For instance, Larry over at ADK microphones has his GK67 capsules tuned to slightly attenuate the top end. I adjust the capacitors to accommodate this frequency response. The Neumann capsules and most of the Chinese variants, are brighter.



The transformers in these mics also make a difference. With the stock transformer, the mic sounds very close to the U87i. I found that the stock transformer had slightly more low end but was less focused. When the mic has the Jensen or the AMI transformer, it becomes more focused and slightly more detailed in the low end.

kellendustries 

I am sorry that your request fell through the cracks. I have PMed you with contact information.





Jim Jacobsen
JJ Audio

Thanks for the info Jim.  When I check your website, I am finding conflicting info.  I can't quite ascertain the cost of this.  Is it $300 for a kit to DIY. $600 to send you the mic and you convert it to a cardioid only U87 type mic with a new grey tube (getting rid of the ugly green thing), $750 to do all the above and have the same multiple patterns as a U87i? 

Please clarify that for me (and others, as we're all potential customers here).

Next, you mention being able to "tune" the topend of the various capsules.... do you offer options for this mod?  Do you tune the various different capsule options or the stock one?  Can a potential customer ask for a specific tuning for the high end? 

Many thanks in advance for your replies!

I would have to recommend the www.vintagemicrophonepcbkit.com/index.html D-87 as a probable alternative if you are the DIY type. I bet you could save some cash is what I mean, and the best part you get to do it yourself.