Rode NTK Mods?

[EleKtriKaz]

Just wondering if anyone has modified an NTK. I did a search and didn't come up with anything. Any thoughts?

[still4given]

What kind of mod do you have in mind? Mine sounds great stock.

Blessings, Terry

[Flatpicker]

I've yet to see a <$500 mic (and often times higher) that couldn't benefit from upgrading the capacitors in the signal path. Replacing poor to mediocre capacitors with high quality ones does to your sound what cleaning your dirty glasses does to your vision.

[EleKtriKaz]

Yeah, it sounds great stock...I'm just wondering if it can sound better. Flatpicker, I don't know anything about capacitors...except maybe the flux capacitor...but that probably won't help in this case.

What kind of capacitors? Is this easy to do? How much do capacitors cost?

Thanks for the info

[Flatpicker]

Originally Posted by EleKtriKaz

What kind of capacitors? Is this easy to do? How much do capacitors cost?

Simply put, capacitors are used to couple one part of an amplifying circuit to another because they block DC and pass AC. In an amplifier, whether it be a mic head amp, preamp, or power amp, you have a DC voltage, which powers the thing and an AC voltage which is the signal you are amplifying. When the signal passes from one stage to the next, the capacitor keeps the DC on the previous stage from entering the following stage with the signal (this would screw up the amp real bad).

Think of it like this – If DC was the water in a river and the signal was a boat, a capacitor would be kind of like a dam with a lock that lets the boat go from the higher water to the lower water with out harm. Notice I said “without harm”. If the lock were poorly constructed the water might run out too fast, or it might be too narrow or something – all of which could damage or “distort” the boat.

Caps work like this too. Some types pass signals with less distortion than others. By distortion, I don’t mean the kind you hear from an electric guitar. I simply mean the signal isn’t exactly like it was before it went through the cap. We might hear this as a smearing of the highs, or maybe a less “clear” sound. By replacing these caps with better ones, the signal can come out the other side like it went in..

Most low priced condensers skimp on the quality of these components. The cost difference is only a few bucks, but the sound improvement is tremendous! But, if you spend $5 in Chinese parts it equates to about $100 in retail price (about 20X), so that’s why they don’t do it.

The trick to replacing caps is knowing which ones to change and to have enough experience so that you don’t rip traces off your circuit board in the process. It’s not all that hard, but then again I know some inexperienced folks who have ruined good boards, so it’s best to practice your soldering skills on an old radio or something first and get good at removing parts with a solder sucker and solder wick.

A schematic would be best, but if you could post some close-up pics of the Rode’s insides, someone might be able to tell you which ones to change.

[riley357]

I did a Google search for "Rode NTV mods" and came up with a guy that was replacing caps in NTK's.

He is also replacing the Jenson transformers in NTV's with a custom-wound transformer of his own design, which doesn't seem like a very good idea to me.

[still4given]

Originally Posted by riley357

I did a Google search for "Rode NTV mods" and came up with a guy that was replacing caps in NTK's.

He is also replacing the Jenson transformers in NTV's with a custom-wound transformer of his own design, which doesn't seem like a very good idea to me.

OK, I did the Google search and I think this is the article you spoke of. You have to pan down the page to RODE. Since the NTK has no transformer he didn't change that on the NTK. From what I read, he says the RODE mics are pretty much "state of the art" as they come from the factory. He said he got the most change by changing the tube, however this mainly reduced some "compression" he was hearing, which you may or may not like.

Blessings, Terry

[c7sus]

Yeah, that's the guy. Did you look at those preamp kits? For $600 I think the guy could do a lot better than a fucking breadboard.

[Rossi]

I haven't seen a "naked" NTK yet, but I've examined the newer NT2000 and K2 models. I don't suppose there's anything in there that should be upgraded. The NT2000 (solid state) has SMD electronics. So it would be very difficult to mod anything. Fortunately, the electronics look high qualiy; actually very impressive. There's film capacitors, btw. The K2 looks very solid, too. The elctronics are much simpler, but just as clean. To my eye, Rode's electronics are as good as it gets these days.

[Middleman]

Sell your NTK, buy an NT2000. Best thing you could do with your time and money.

[EleKtriKaz]

sounds great middleman...this thing is a piece of crap anyway...

[c7sus]

Originally Posted by EleKtriKaz

sounds great middleman...this thing is a piece of crap anyway...

Send it to me. I'll even pay the shipping.

[EleKtriKaz]

I was just kiddin'...I love my NTK...it's my only mic for the time being. I don't know what I'd do without it.

[Dio24]

Just out of interest...does anyone out there own an NTK and a K2? Have you compared the circuits? From what I can see they are very similar. I'm interested in finding out how exactly they differ.

[Middleman]

They are not the same, first of all different capsules. There is significant differences in the circuit based on the variable patterns and other features not found on the NTK.

Do they sound the same? I don't know, but I will in a few weeks!

[Dio24]

I just found it interesting that the new NTKs are being produced on the K2 circuit board.

[Flatpicker]

Originally Posted by Dio24

I just found it interesting that the new NTKs are being produced on the K2 circuit board.

Hmmm... sounds like the K2 is just a multi-pattern, dual diaphragm version of the NTK.

[Dio24]

Well isn't that why its called the K 2?

[comandante]

Вump!

I was searching for NTK's schematic and found a hand drawn one at

DIY Factory

This guy's mod was all about replacing caps. What I am interested in is modifying circuitry to eliminate the two humps at 5 and 12 khz that are responsible for NTK's glare many people are unhappy about.



Any of DIY gurus to look at the diagram and tell which circuit might be in charge for high frequency boost?

[Gus]

the chart has more to do with capsule and the capsule grill interaction than circuit design or cap changes.

There is more to what I did then what I gave away: however the capsule/grill EQ is still there.

Now I have a modded nt1000 and a modded K2 the NT1000 sounds better at a distance( I think it is the same capsule as the NTK) The K2 seems to have a different "tuning" with its capsule it also has a different grill. I like my K2 it sounded OK stock I am not a fan of the 6dj8 in standard microphones so a different tube is installed in mine and a few caps changes.

[comandante]

I also changed the tube to NOS and did some cap work on my NTK. The sound got softer and cleaner but the original essy character is still there.

I doubt that the boost only has to do with cap/grill design. At least K2's chart is all the same, exactly with the same peaks.

[Gus]

First I did not use a nos 6dj8 type (6922 etc)

Why do you doubt the capsule grill part?

FWIW I have two microphones with the same simple 1 fet circuit I built. The FETs were matched IDSS bias up with the same value resistors etc. I sort them from a bag of 1000

Same type 32 mm MXL capsules both from v67s I bought at the same time. One in a v67 body grill, one in a piece of machined fence post differnet Dia and grill open area. Sound very different if I move the capsules the sound stays with the body grill.


FWIW I post about stuff I do/did

SP wrote about posted about grill capsule interaction years ago. If you look at neumann microphones look at the grill designs. Look at a 414 grill.....

[PhilGood]

I would listen to Gus about this stuff.

I've followed his work on other forums and he knows exactly what he's talking about.

[Gus]

I should add don't believe me, test it yourself. I mean this in a good way.

I don't trust what I read on the web. So if I can test something I will. I bought a brauner VM1 just to learn. I have bought other cheap/expensive microphones just to test/learn I bought a K2 to check it. Then I bought a lathe and started to make parts to build microphones. I have also worked on some friends very good microphones.

IMO most of the sound is linked to the capsule but microphones are funny it seems every thing counts.

[comandante]

Originally Posted by Gus

First I did not use a nos 6dj8 type (6922 etc)

Why do you doubt the capsule grill part?

You know "souns different" is pretty vague term. If we change a part of a mic and it sounds different, how can you tell that this subtle change is exactly that peak at 12 khz or is it something else. Judging on listening or measuring are two different worlds. Did you measure the freq responce?

I have no expirience with K2. Can you tell me, why K2's and NTK's charts are virtually the same if they have different capsule and grill design?

I'm talking about a 6 db peak at 12 khz. Which part of 1'' capsule can produce such a strong acoustic resonance?

After all, modding is a tricky bastard. You can't AB compare what you had before with what you have. It's that easy to fool youself

PS I like your never-trust-what-the-others-say-try-it-yourself attitude