Changing tube in my SE Electronics Z5600a

M

Melsi

Padawan
I recently purchased the SE Z5600a mic (using focusrite platinum voicemaster pro pre-amp), and have discovered screechy top end, and have been told that if i replace the tube it will improve the sound completely, i was recommended the RCA 5751 tube, but i literally dont have a clue how to change the tube or unscrew the mic of anything like that, could anyone help?

Thanks
 
...as many vintage NOS tubes become more scarce and the prices rise, other more available tube variations are being recognized as alternatives...the 5751 is a military variation of a 12AX7 tube...it's lower "gain factor" of 70 as opposed to the 12AX7's rating of 100 make it an interesting option...along with the 5751 there is also the 7025...low microphonics and rugged construction make these tubes good for audio applications, but in my experience, both of these 12AX7 variations are best used in guitar amps, or in some tube based mic preamps...

...for microphone applications the proven standard for upgrading stock manufacturer tubes (of the 12A_7 family) is the 6072 (a military grade 12AY7)...and of the 6072 tubes, the GE 5-Star Black Plate is the one most recommended (here and on other audio BB sites)...they are still readily available as NOS (vintage) at reasonable pricing and also available newly manufactured as with the Electro Harmonix 6072A...any of these would be preferable to the 5751 (IMHO) for a microphone application...

...as for replacing the tube in your sE mic, the procedure is pretty simple...unscrew the bottom of the body, slide off the body casing and carefully remove the stock tube from the tube socket...replace with the upgraded tube and reassemble the mic casing..."burning in" the new tube is optional (some say it makes a difference, others disagree)...search this site for more information, as this procedure has been discussed in depth many times in the past...happy tube "rolling"... ;)
 
...that would be my advice...I use that tube in both my sE5600 and my Cascade V55 (manufactured by sE using components from both the Gemini and 5600) with excellent results...keep an eye out for the "triple-mica" version or the GE JAN 6072/6072A...all very nice tubes in a mic application...many of the original Euro-vintage tube microphones utilize the 6072... ;)
 
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i ordered GT -5751-M and i am going to order the GE 5-Star Black Plate and then compare.

Thanks for all your help!
 
kidvybes said:
...that would be my advice...I use that tube in both my sE5600 and my Cascade V55 (manufactured by sE using components from both the Gemini and 5600) with excellent results...keep an eye out for the "triple-mica" version or the GE JAN 6072/6072A...all very nice tubes in a mic application...many of the original Euro-vintage tube microphones utilize the 6072... ;)
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Since Melsi is in the UK, would a good Mullard be a possibility?
 
homestudioguy said:
Since Melsi is in the UK, would a good Mullard be a possibility?
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...better than the stock tube, but not up to the GE's quality in that particular application...I have several Mullard tubes (the Cascade V55 comes with a vintage Mullard) but the GE was still an improvement...shouldn't be a problem to have tubes shipped abroad, as I have purchased many Siemens and Ampex tubes from European sellers on eBay...the GE is the tube to buy hands down... ;)
 
kidvybes said:
...better than the stock tube, but not up to the GE's quality in that particular application...
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Interesting, as many GEs dual triodes were made in the UK and considered desirable over the American varients. Likewise, the same thing with the Euro made Amperex valves, which were considered highly desirable over the versions made in Hicksville, NY, especially the *PQ*s out of Holland.

BTW, I am quite fond of the GEs and have used them in many circuits over the years. Yet, I still prefer the construction and sonic characteristics of teles, mullard and siemens, over the GE. Just a preference, of course.
 
Melsi said:
hmmm so whats it gonna be the 6072 or 5751?
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If it were me I would go with a GE five star 5751. Or if you have some money to spare, look for a telefunken ECC83 by a reputable seller.
 
Melsi said:
hmmm so whats it gonna be the 6072 or 5751?
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...if you research the 5751, as I stated earlier, you'll see that is a recommended alternative to the 12AX7, thus a very viable option in guitar amps and mic pres that originally utilized the 12AX7 tubes...

...I have tried the GE 5-Star 5751 in my mics and although somewhat similar, the lower gain factor of the 6072 (45) makes it a better choice in microphone applications...the lower the tube's gain factor, the more preamp gain is needed to get volume up to par when recording...the low microphonics (noise) that is characteristic of good quality 6072/6072A tubes combined with that lower gain factor are what make the 6072 the best of the 9-pin 12A_7 variants in a microphone application (IMHO)...

...if the 6072 is good enough for the Elam, Tele, Lawson and Manley Reference mics, it's good enough for me (and my sE)...as I stated earlier, the 5751 has become more popular due to the increasing scarcity of other variants (such as the NOS 12AX7 and 6072)...

...the choice of course is yours... ;)


sound125 said:
Interesting, as many GEs dual triodes were made in the UK and considered desirable over the American varients. Likewise, the same thing with the Euro made Amperex valves, which were considered highly desirable over the versions made in Hicksville, NY, especially the *PQ*s out of Holland.

BTW, I am quite fond of the GEs and have used them in many circuits over the years. Yet, I still prefer the construction and sonic characteristics of teles, mullard and siemens, over the GE. Just a preference, of course.
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...that may well be, but when it comes to the 6072/6072A, all of the GEs (both 5-Star and JAN variants) that I own (about 2 dozen) are marked "Made in the USA"...

...on the other hand, many tube mics like the RODE NTK and K2 use a 6922, in which case the Siemens and Amperex versions (German and Dutch respectively) are the preferred variants (E88cc for example)...

...in my experience, what works well in amplifier circuits (such as a guitar amp) most often doesn't translate to use in microphone applications and vice versa...as I've said before, that's IMHO...my $.02 if you will... :D
 
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