Mic modification question for Marik

[DC-XPL]

Hi Marik,

Awhile back you posted a thread where you modified a Nady TCM 1050 tube microphone. You also posted sound files comparing the results. Your modification sounded excellent! I have this mic and have been relatively pleased with it. A few questions if I may:

1. How much of an improvement can I expect if I just swap the stock tube out for a NOS GE 5 star 6072?

2. I'm not at all mechanically inclined, so I could not perform such a modification myself (beyond the tube swap). Would you be willing to perform the modification on my microphone? Of course we could work out details regarding compensation at a later date.

Thanks!
DC

 

[Marik]

DC,

There were two versions of this Nady, older (without tube socket, little different hardware and PCBs) and newer (with the socket and body is about 10mm longer). Both shared exactly the same schematics. If you have the newer one, you can easily swap the tubes and see if you like it. Just be very careful pulling tube out of socket--the wires are very thin and it is very easy to break them. My guess, you will immediately hear some improvement (the stock uses 12AT7, which IMO is unsuitable for microphone use).
The older model had particularly bad trafo, due to its very poor lamination material. They changed the lamination in a newer version, but its quality is still far away from Lundahl amorthous core iron. The transformer replacement along with circuit reworking gives the most improvement.

If you want me to work on this mic, please PM me.