jake-owa
Banned
That mic sucks for a ribbon...whatever you do, DO NOT give it to me.
People don't give good mics away.
People don't give good mics away.
homestudioguy
Well-known member
mshilarious-thanks for doing this. 
It was fun to watch it progress.
northsiderap-have fun with your new mic!
BG/HSG
PS-hey everybody, please stop by my website!
I'm almost at 5000 hits
OK, Call me shallow and needy.
But visit my website too!
mshilarious-thanks for doing this.mshilarious said:
It was fun to watch it progress.
northsiderap-have fun with your new mic!
BG/HSG
PS-hey everybody, please stop by my website!
I'm almost at 5000 hits
OK, Call me shallow and needy.
But visit my website too!
R
rsolinski
New member
Nice job northside! Good to see a fellow DIY enthusiast pick up a cool, vintage microphone. Put it to good use my man and post a sample or 2..
Cheers,
Ray
Cheers,
Ray
D
Diffusion
Future Astrophysicist
looks like ez_willis the "essay ninja" just lost his title...
northsiderap
New member
Awesome
Thank you very much!!!!
Just to be fair, all who submitted an essay get time in my studio if they are in Northern Michigan!
I will surely post clips of the mic.
Thank you very much!!!!
Just to be fair, all who submitted an essay get time in my studio if they are in Northern Michigan!
I will surely post clips of the mic.
D
Diffusion
Future Astrophysicist
i would laugh my ass off if mshilarious just came out and said.............. "Just Kidding!"
northsiderap
New member
That would.
Make these people cry.
Make these people cry.
Tim Brown
New member
I think you should just give it to me because I can tell you what the fruit in the garden of Eden was. 
Let's see.
Why should your give me this ribbon microphone.
I once had a Beyer ribbon microphone. I rented it out to somebody who claimed they knew all about them. Sadly, he was a liar; he used it to mic a kick drum with, and that was the end of that. It still worked but it sounded like....you know how Brian Johnson, the singer from AC/DC sounds? Imagine a Microphone that makes everyone sound like that - including instruments.
I sold it to a local singer, but I wish I had hung onto it, because I didn't know they could be repaired. (this was around 1992)
Tim
Let's see.
Why should your give me this ribbon microphone.
I once had a Beyer ribbon microphone. I rented it out to somebody who claimed they knew all about them. Sadly, he was a liar; he used it to mic a kick drum with, and that was the end of that. It still worked but it sounded like....you know how Brian Johnson, the singer from AC/DC sounds? Imagine a Microphone that makes everyone sound like that - including instruments.
I sold it to a local singer, but I wish I had hung onto it, because I didn't know they could be repaired. (this was around 1992)
Tim
mshilarious
Banned
OK here are the test results! After doing the tests, and looking at the mic again, I think I have an idea of what the issue is. But let's just look at graphs:
Here's the 330 against the Shure 55SH. The specs for the two show almost the same sensitivity, so I figured it was a useful benchmark.
Uh oh! The 330 is down about 9 dB
I'm not sure what to make of the 40Hz peak on the 55SH. The room is under construction, so it isn't treated at the moment, could be a weird resonance. There is a 60Hz spike too, dunno why, everything is running off the same outlet, and I can't HEAR a ground loop hum, and the test signal is way louder anyway 
Could be the resonant frequency of a poorly tuned ribbon, but it's there in the 55SH too
You can see that the bass and treble roll off faster in the 330 than the 55SH. That meets spec, but unfortunately the 330 is unable to make up the bass with proximity effect (these tests are 2 ft). I didn't bother to include that graph, it looks no different. Maybe it isn't supposed to have proximity effect, maybe I am an idiot. But my 315 has a really nice sounding one
Here's the 330 against the Shure 55SH. The specs for the two show almost the same sensitivity, so I figured it was a useful benchmark.
Uh oh! The 330 is down about 9 dB
I'm not sure what to make of the 40Hz peak on the 55SH. The room is under construction, so it isn't treated at the moment, could be a weird resonance. There is a 60Hz spike too, dunno why, everything is running off the same outlet, and I can't HEAR a ground loop hum, and the test signal is way louder anyway Could be the resonant frequency of a poorly tuned ribbon, but it's there in the 55SH too You can see that the bass and treble roll off faster in the 330 than the 55SH. That meets spec, but unfortunately the 330 is unable to make up the bass with proximity effect (these tests are 2 ft). I didn't bother to include that graph, it looks no different. Maybe it isn't supposed to have proximity effect, maybe I am an idiot. But my 315 has a really nice sounding one
mshilarious
Banned
Wait, I forgot, here's a test of the monitors, a bit of calibration if you like. Note the lack of a 40 or 60 Hz peak:
rayc
retroreprobate
Is this still knuckle dragging?
Well done to the winner, better fortune to the others & on with life.
Now where did I put that lottery ticket?
Cheers
rayC
Well done to the winner, better fortune to the others & on with life.
Now where did I put that lottery ticket?
Cheers
rayC
mshilarious
Banned
Finally the 300 vs. 315. Well I dunno what to say. Looking at the ribbon, I think maybe it's too close to the magnets, a little too wide. It really is a bitch cutting foil to that close of a tolerance, lemme tell ya. Also maybe it is too tight, hard to say. I suppose it's also possible the magnets are weak.
Bottom line, it performs -9dB below spec, but the response curve otherwise seems to match spec. This pup will need LOTS of gain. Right now it's at 94dBSPL = -68dBV; spec is -59dBV. Spec on the 315 is -61dBV and mine seems to be there.
That's all folks! The mic goes in the mail tomorrow
Bottom line, it performs -9dB below spec, but the response curve otherwise seems to match spec. This pup will need LOTS of gain. Right now it's at 94dBSPL = -68dBV; spec is -59dBV. Spec on the 315 is -61dBV and mine seems to be there.
That's all folks! The mic goes in the mail tomorrow
ez_willis
.
Diffusion said:
Actually my other user id is northside rap, sucka!
northsiderap
New member
Alter Ego
I do have some thin thin silver foil. If I ever get good at cutting this 1um stuff maybe I'll give it a re-ribbon.
Right now, I'm seriously doubting that I'll get good at cutting the 1um stuff.
A Question:
How do you ascertain that it is indeed 94dbSpl reaching the diaphragm of the mic that you are measuring?
Only if you pay me royalties
I do have some thin thin silver foil. If I ever get good at cutting this 1um stuff maybe I'll give it a re-ribbon.
Right now, I'm seriously doubting that I'll get good at cutting the 1um stuff.
A Question:
How do you ascertain that it is indeed 94dbSpl reaching the diaphragm of the mic that you are measuring?
mshilarious
Banned
northsiderap said:
It wasn't. I was standardizing to that level by comparing to a reference, in this case the 55SH.
Anyway, I could have simply placing an SPL meter at the same place as the ribbon, but I don't like listening to white noise @ 94dBSPL
The kids were in bed, and the studio is still under construction (no door!), so I tested all mics at about 72dB.In order to get the dynamics to the same level as the Apex 220, I added about 18dB of gain (actually 34dB to the dynamics and 16dB to the Apex, to get the Apex and 55SH back to the level of the white noise). Thus the relative level of the Apex and 55SH is not correct, as it has been normalized. But the relative levels of the dynamics are all accurate.
northsiderap
New member
Frequency Plotting
Your frequency graphs are much more user friendly than my Cool Edit Pro graphs! I don't seem to have that much control over zooming,etc. All I get is 'log' or 'linear' graph.
I always get caught with my face three inches from the monitor while trying to frequency analyze that boomy string on an acoustic or the thud in a snare...
Your frequency graphs are much more user friendly than my Cool Edit Pro graphs! I don't seem to have that much control over zooming,etc. All I get is 'log' or 'linear' graph.
I always get caught with my face three inches from the monitor while trying to frequency analyze that boomy string on an acoustic or the thud in a snare...
Marik
Pro Microphone Design
mshilarious said:
Mshilarious,
First of all, what distance from the source were you measuring the mics? If it is closer than at least 4' the proximity effect in fig8 can explain more bass.
On the other hand, you might just overtightened the ribbon. What frequency did you tune it? For the size of ribbon these mics use it should be somewhere between 25-40Hz.
The lower output in 330 is most likely due to weakened magnets. Changing them to Neodymiums should be the answer, and can boost output by at least 9-12db.
There is no such thing as ribbon too close to the magnets. The less clearance the better bass response. If you could make 50um (less than average hair thickness) it would be wonderful. Practically, however it would not be possible.
I make 200um, which still gives very good results. This will also depend on the material you are using for the foil.
northsiderap
New member
The Mic Arrived!
The mic arrived today!
My studio is packed up already, as I have a end-of-week recording session in a neighboring town. I will post clips as soon as I get home and unpack.
mshilarious, you rock!
I hope noone minds - it's coming apart right away too. It sounds like something is loose in there, and I'm going to want to visually inspect the magnets and all.
I do have some extra neodymiums laying around. If they fit, I might give it a try. You DO have to crank the gain on these. I was pushing @65 db before I got comfortable listening to it.
Luckily I have just the preamps for the job... Packed up right now.
The mic arrived today!
My studio is packed up already, as I have a end-of-week recording session in a neighboring town. I will post clips as soon as I get home and unpack.
mshilarious, you rock!
I hope noone minds - it's coming apart right away too. It sounds like something is loose in there, and I'm going to want to visually inspect the magnets and all.
I do have some extra neodymiums laying around. If they fit, I might give it a try. You DO have to crank the gain on these. I was pushing @65 db before I got comfortable listening to it.
Luckily I have just the preamps for the job... Packed up right now.
mshilarious
Banned
Marik said:
Ah . . . trying to remember, probably about 2'.
I didn't measure it (had no measurement gear back then), I would guess on the high end of that range. Tensioning the ribbon was for me by far the trickiest part. I destroyed a couple of ribbons seating them. Also, the Shures have no mechanism for adjusting tension.
Is is possible to easily remagnetize them?
mshilarious
Banned
northsiderap said:
It's easy to get apart--just remove the four screws in the grille, then pop off the rubber horn, and unscrew the two big screws, that will remove the magnet assembly. When I rewired it, I should have left enough wire to move the assembly off to the side.
It's tougher to get to the transformer, that's in the lower housing and it's a tight fit.
The loose item is probably the rubber horn. I actually left it out when I used the mic, since it seemed to make little difference in tone, and I didn't care about off-axis rejection. It will just need a couple of drops of glue to stay put, ideally glue that is easy to remove. Shure's glue was a pain in the ASS to get apart.
The horn is too big to contact the ribbon, so there should be no damage. Before you toss the ribbon, it might be worthwhile to hear what Marik has to say about remagnetizing.