Large Diaphragm Dynamic

  • Thread starter Thread starter snow lizard
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snow lizard

snow lizard

Dedicated Slacker
I've got a question. Maybe some of the DIY'ers and more knowledgeable folks could help me out here.

I've heard for a long time that these mics are all large diaphragm dynamics:

Beta 52
D112
SM7
RE20
421
441

If there are any other examples that could be added to the list, that would be great.

I'd like to know the actual diaphragm size of each of these. Also, the size of an SM58 just for reference. Manufacturers seem to be pretty good at leaving this detail out of their specifications, so this might make an interesting database of sorts.


Thanks,

sl
 
No exact info from me, but I can give you some input:
Beta 52 and D112 are kick/bass mics. Not really usefull for most other stuff.
SM7 and RE20 are vocal/guitar/bass mics. They can be used as kick mics sometimes.
441 and 421 are not large diaphram if you ask me. They might be a little bigger than your average SM58 but not as big as an SM7 or RE20. I would think the 421 is a mid sized mic and the 441 is a small sized one.
 
snow lizard said:
I've heard for a long time that these mics are all large diaphragm dynamics:

Beta 52
D112
SM7
RE20
421
441

If there are any other examples that could be added to the list, that would be great.

I'd like to know the actual diaphragm size of each of these. Also, the size of an SM58 just for reference. Manufacturers seem to be pretty good at leaving this detail out of their specifications, so this might make an interesting database of sorts.
Click to expand...


What do us DIY'ers look like ... your personal secretaries?

Why don't you do some personal DIY and look it up yourself, dickhead?

.
 
chessrock said:
What do us DIY'ers look like ... your personal secretaries?
Click to expand...

Anyone with experience taking mics apart and using a vernier would do.

chumpcock said:
Why don't you do some personal DIY and look it up yourself, dickhead?

.
Click to expand...

I intend to, but I don't own an SM7, 421 or D112, plus there might be some other mics that I'm not aware of that fit into this category. Also, I'm not quite sure how to take my 441 apart. If you don't have the skills, that's fine.


sl
 
i think what chess meant was look it up under the schematics of each particular mic... or even do a google search for large diaphragm dynamic mics. you don't have to take them apart to know if they have a large diaphragm. plus, i'm pretty sure chess has the skills to take a mic apart... if that's what you were leaning toward with that statement. any schematic or details list for these mics will/should say their diaphragm size.

good luck.

Jacob
 
I DID hear that you do a mean Bette Midler impersonation and that you look ravishing in drag.


chessrock said:
What do us DIY'ers look like ... your personal secretaries?

Why don't you do some personal DIY and look it up yourself, dickhead?

.
Click to expand...
 
Jacobi1211 said:
i think what chess meant was look it up under the schematics of each particular mic... or even do a google search for large diaphragm dynamic mics. you don't have to take them apart to know if they have a large diaphragm. plus, i'm pretty sure chess has the skills to take a mic apart... if that's what you were leaning toward with that statement. any schematic or details list for these mics will/should say their diaphragm size.

good luck.

Jacob
Click to expand...

Thanks Jacob. I think I know what he meant.

I have to admit that I'm at a loss for how to take apart the RE20 and the 441. The RE20 seems to have a very tiny set screw on the front grill. It's difficult to see, but it could be a super small jewlers phillips (which I don't have handy at the moment of course). There's no obvious way to take the 441 apart other than a snap ring in front of the XLR connector - I'm more interested in the grill. This is a very old mic that works good, but it might benefit from being cleaned if I could find out how to dismantle it.


sl
 
Big Kenny said:
Why is this important to you?
Click to expand...

It was a long time ago, but I thought that someone pointed out that there really isn't such a thing as a large diaphragm dynamic, manufacturers have never classified them that way, and the whole point is irrelevant. Nonetheless, certain mics have grown a reputation for being large diaphragm.


sl
 
The capsule in a beta 52 isn't any bigger that that of a 57.
 
Halion said:
No exact info from me, but I can give you some input:
Beta 52 and D112 are kick/bass mics. Not really usefull for most other stuff.
SM7 and RE20 are vocal/guitar/bass mics. They can be used as kick mics sometimes.
441 and 421 are not large diaphram if you ask me. They might be a little bigger than your average SM58 but not as big as an SM7 or RE20. I would think the 421 is a mid sized mic and the 441 is a small sized one.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input.

So far I've measured a Beta 52, an SM58 and a Beta 57A. They all have different capsules, but the outside diameter of all of them is 1.2 inches, give or take. The grill of the 441 is 1.125 inches, so it follows that the capsule is smaller.


sl
 
chessrock said:
What do us DIY'ers look like ... your personal secretaries?

Why don't you do some personal DIY and look it up yourself, dickhead?

.
Click to expand...

I was medium interested in this post having just shuffled around some LDD mics. I picked up a beyer m99 and sold my atm25 to cover part of the cost. Thought maybe there was an off chance somebody might make an interesting observation about one of the big coils. Nope, as usual its somebody saying something natsy to the poster and a bunch of follow ups trying to sort out the fall out. Even though I have been home multitracking for almost 20 years, I am a consumate amateur and thought this place would be a good spot to ask some questions that are too remedial for tapeop or to work through a few issues that the pros got past during their interships. In all the dumbass posts I have made on tapeop(quite a few) or even psw, I have never been treated the way you home-recordists routinely treat each other. You do realize this is "Home Recording dot com", the theorhetical bottom or the audio tech food chain? I'm not thinned skinned and I am looking forward to being called a dickhead after this post, its just that I dont want to sift through 8 posts of name calling just to find out that this is the one and only place that people totally love the rode nt1a. If you think someone is a moron or wasting our collective time, consider not responding to their post so that the rest of us wont be lured into reading either (I know this is all a little hypocritical).

Oh yeah, and 10 gold stars to "Sweetnubs", at least his/her insults are funny.

sweetnubs said:
I think it's the most awesome mic every made. It's phenomenal! Especially because if I don't tell you it's phenomal my rep points will go down. Get an audio buddy to go with it, they are amazing!
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lancebug said:
You do realize this is "Home Recording dot com."
Click to expand...

:rolleyes: I've found that most people who use this phrase have the intellectual capacity of a tube of toothpaste.

Thanks for chiming in, though.

.
 
chessrock said:
:rolleyes: I've found that most people who use this phrase have the intellectual capacity of a tube of toothpaste.

Thanks for chiming in, though.

.
Click to expand...

dear chessrock,
do you know how to open an re 20?
 
snow lizard said:
It was a long time ago, but I thought that someone pointed out that there really isn't such a thing as a large diaphragm dynamic, manufacturers have never classified them that way, and the whole point is irrelevant. Nonetheless, certain mics have grown a reputation for being large diaphragm.
Click to expand...

snow lizard,

I have good news and bad news for you. The bad news is that I managed to get an old 421 open about 9 months ago but I don't remember how I did it. The good news is I can tell you about the diaphragm/coil unit and compare it to an Sm-58 unit that also sits in pieces in my room.

If you measure the diameter of the top of the 58 (the plastic piece with seven holes evenly spaced around the perimeter which covers the diaphragm), it comes to 30 mm (1 1/8"). If you measure the length of the capsule, it comes to about 38 mm (1 1/2").

The 421 is huge in comparison. In terms of length, it is only slightly longer than the 58 diaphragm/coil unit, but is about 40 mm wide. Look at them side by side, and the 421 unit is huge compared to the Sm-58.

Another interesting point is that the diaphragm of the shure, as far as I can see, spans the width of the capsule head. On the 421, sitting dead center is a shallow plastic ring which is scalloped in two places and bowl-like on the inside. At the bottom is a hole about 5 mm (3/16") across. Beneth this is the exposed part of the diaphragm. Even if the diaphragm is the same width as the plastic ring covering it, it is only 20 mm while the 58's looks to be closer to 30mm.

It makes me wonder if the term "large diaphragm" was just borrowed from the terminology of condenser mics even though it isn't all that accurate for dynamics. Maybe "large magnet/coil" would be a more accurate description.
 
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