My review of Joly modded MXL603

[omtayslick]

Many of you may have seen my glowing comments about my OktavaMod Oktava 319 on this BBS. I am really thrilled with the way Michael's work brings these mics to life and makes them serious recording tools.

A while back I picked up an MXL603 at MF's "stupid deal of the day" pricing. Although I wasn't really in the market for one of these I figured at that price why not give it a try. I'm now very glad that I did. I found that I liked the "colour" of the little mic on acoustic guitar, but I also found that it had a few shortcomings. Specifically, it could be strident and screechy in the top end if you weren't careful with it, and the low end and low mids were a little cloudy sounding.

A few weeks later, Michael Joly, who did such a wonderful job on the Oktava 319, began offering a mod for the MXL 603 on his site. When I read his description of what to expect from the mod, he seemed to be addressing the very shortcomings that I was hearing in this mic. So my little MXL made a trip to Springfield, MA., and back.

I recently found time to put my newly modded MXL 603 to the test on a couple of acoustic guitar tracks.

Here are my findings.

This mic is still a very high output, bright mic. But now it is bright in a very nice, better behaved fashion. The cloudiness and mud in the lower mids and lows are gone. The mic is much more articulate in these ranges, allowing the tone and stringy organic sound of the guitar to shine through. The lows and mids have been "unmasked". It is your classic lifting of a blanket off the sound. The mic still retains all of it's original character and color, but better, with more clarity, and the ability to really cut through a mix.

I play a 25+ year old Martin D-35, and with most micing situations it is nessesary for me to roll off a little of that big Martin low end. Not so with this mic. No EQ needed.

I am very pleased with the results, and without reservation recommend this mod.

[drBill]

Cool. Thanks for the report. Doesn't sound like it turned it into a KM84, but instead brought out the better aspects of the mic. I found them un-useable on AC Gtr (Actually the 604's), and put them away, but maybe there's hope yet. As long as I need a bright SDC. Thanks for the review.

[BudgetMC]

Doh! I got a couple on that stupid deal, and found them pretty unappealing... I then sold them at cost to a friend who was looking for some cheap SDC's. I guess I'll pass the info on to him!

Thanks for the report!

[omtayslick]

Originally Posted by drBill

Cool. Thanks for the report. Doesn't sound like it turned it into a KM84, but instead brought out the better aspects of the mic. I found them un-useable on AC Gtr (Actually the 604's), and put them away, but maybe there's hope yet. As long as I need a bright SDC. Thanks for the review.

Yeah, I'd say that's true. The most dramatic thing was the way it unmasked the lower mids. It's still pretty bright. Real nice for acoustic lead parts.

I used it alongside an SM81 (my usual go-to for acoustic) on the same Martin guitar, and the combination of the two was pretty cool. SM81 for the meat and potatoes, with the MXL adding the spice.