Components that make a difference

[wheelema]

Alan Hyatt (duck!) noted in another thread, regarding another mic, that...

...the tube in them is a micro mini tube. They are not socketed in either, they are just wired in...

and

...the reason they can do this, is the tube does not get hot...it barely gets warm to the touch. So that is why they do not sound like a tube, because the tube they use really can't do much...

and

they use the very cheap transformer outputs so they are a bit noisy and add more distortion that you need

Perhaps this is not the right forum to ask this, or perhaps not the right BBS, but...

Is there a (relatively) accessible resource that a non compos mentis such as myself can use to understand some of what goes into making a microphone? Or do I have to get a BSEE (or subset thereof) to have a shot at understanding when a mic is a great value, or just a great opportunity to help someone out with their car payments?

 

[Dolemite]

You've come to the right place.

read this thread

Keep in mind that there are much more fundamental concepts that you need to understand before you get to things like tubes (which are only found in a small percentage of mics) and transformers.

 

[Mark H.]

Dolemite,

When I click on your link, it opens new email addressed to the board. Would you post it again or perhaps edit the link?

Wheel,

You just need ears and eyes (or ears and hands), not a degree in electrical engineering.

Gather up everyone's opinions; over time, certain trends emerge that are very useful. More and more forum participants are also beginning to post sound clips, which is great.

As for the GT mics, at the fire-sale prices they're going for today, there are some real bargains to be had. The build-quality issues cut both ways. When the GT AM62, for instance, was competing in price against Neumann and Audio Technica 40XX series, you'd spot the difference in build quality in a second. But when they're going for a third of the price and still producing competitive sound in some cases, well, that's a different matter.

In GT's defense, their own literature says the tubes they use are military. We all know that isn't the US Department of Defense mil-spec they're referring to, right?

Best wishes,

Mark H.

 

[tubedude]

The most knowledgable person around about mics and thier components is Stephen Paul, and he is fairly accessible and willing to answer questions... but beware, his answers are so technically in depth that they are almost bizarre. The dude is a mic freak-a-zoid. He has a forum elsewhere, and he also has a website. Look around.

 

[Dolemite]

Fixed link:

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=27030

I dunno how that link changed to mailto, but it did. I swear it worked when I posted it.