Mxl V77

[mrface2112]

Well, the man in brown just delivered my V77. I'm at work, so i'm gonna have to wait til i get home to play with it, afterwhich I'll post a couple thoughts over the next few days.

First impressions: it's shiny and it's heavy. Seriously--I really didn't expect it to be that heavy. I'm gonna have to invest in some better stands.


cheers,
wade

 

[kidvybes]

Wade...I don't know how handy you are, but you might want to think about modding the mic (down the road)...this would mean replacing the soldered tube fitment with a socket that would allow for the swapping of tubes:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=055-500 (you use only the socket)
...that and an NOS GE 5-star 6072 tube (about $10-20.) will improve the mic's top end and smooth out the bottom a bit...
...a little solder, a small bit of your time and your V77 will really "shine"...
...anxious to hear your impressions...D.

 

[mrface2112]

Thanks for the tips and the link. I was going to do a search (or more likely just PM you and ask ) about changing the tube, b/c i recalled that it was soldered into place and not socketed from some posts a while ago (and had confirmed that when i opened the bugger up). changing the tube would indeed be a handy thing to have the ability to do for obvious reasons.

i think i'll live with it as it is for a while, and i'm SURE i'll give it a mod in a few months.

looking forward to getting home this evening.....


cheers,
wade

 

[mrface2112]

well, i gave it a run on a quick clean guitar track. tele into silverface champ, neck pickup, m-audio tampa for preamp.....VERY nice. round tone, clean and very full. not a lot of "tubeyness" or color, but smooooooth. i know.....nothing that hasn't already been said about this mic.

it's just about perfect on its own, but matched with a 609, it nears tone heaven. makes me wish i'd played the take better..........

as i suspected, this is a great mic for a low-wattage tube amp.

baby permitting, i'm gonna give it a run on some vocals later tonight. i don't expect to like it much on my vocals (which are usually desperately in need of some "coloration" ), but i have a friend on whose voice i KNOW it'll excel.

still.......just from the sound it's giving me from the tele/champ combo, it's a keeper for sure.


cheers,
wade

 

[gbav]

hey sorry to but into this conversation, i also own this mic. How hard would it be to do this mod? im a bit..electrnoically challenged. That sounds perfect though, had to ask.

sorry again , looking forward to hear more of your thoughts on the mic.

Take care
gary

 

[mrface2112]

gary, glad you've joined in....it's been a bit of a one-sided convo so far.

from the looks of it, it doesn't seem to be that hard of a mod. but you'd have to be pretty decent with a soldering iron, though.....if you're not, i'd prolly recommend you don't bother. it's not a "first mod" for the inexperienced.....i'd hate to see you render your mic useless. you might want to put together some basic electronics kits (or a model railroad ) first.


what do you like your V77 on?


cheers,
wade

 

[gbav]

Hey there. Ive used it alot on certain vocalist and it works great, on me it sounds a bit to harsh high end wise which is why that mod sounded pretty appealing. Other than that ive had alot of luck throwing it pretty much on any not incredibly distorted amp. And ive got away using it on acoustic guitars before with a random small condenser.

Ill have to look into that, if i can't do that mod i might know someone who can help or at least talk me through it.

thanks alot, by the way..i saw the link to the tube socket piece. Know of a good place to purchas the actual tubes online?

 

[kidvybes]

Know of a good place to purchas the actual tubes online?

Try these (reputable sellers), and of course , there's always Ebay:

http://www.tubedepot.com/nos-6072a-jange.html
http://www.partsconnexion.com/catalog/NOSTubes.html
http://tubeman.com/item219.htm
http://kcanostubes.com/content/estore_list.asp?category=15&catname=12AY7/6072
http://www.audiotubes.com/audtube.htm

...I used one of the cryo-treated GE 6072 tubes (from Tubeman) in one of my modded V77s...very nice!

...and for the bargain minded, the Electro-Harmonix version has actually gotten some good reviews (definately a step up from the stock Chinese tube!):
http://cgi.ebay.com/12AY7-6072A-12A...ryZ64629QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[PhilGood]

...and for the bargain minded, the Electro-Harmonix version has actually gotten some good reviews (definately a step up from the stock Chinese tube!):
http://cgi.ebay.com/12AY7-6072A-12A...ryZ64629QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I am using the Electro-Harmonix 12AY7 in my Ela M clone project mic. Its funny, I bought them to be the tubes to run while I was checking voltages, 'cause they were cheap and I didn't mind blowing them out while working on it. Then after several listenings, I found that I liked them over the NOS tubes I was trying. There's only very subtle differences, but the EH tubes are very good sounding. I wonder how they will hold up over long durations, but at around $10 for a replacement, I doubt I'll sweat it too much.

 

[kidvybes]

I am using the Electro-Harmonix 12AY7 in my Ela M clone project mic. Its funny, I bought them to be the tubes to run while I was checking voltages, 'cause they were cheap and I didn't mind blowing them out while working on it. Then after several listenings, I found that I liked them over the NOS tubes I was trying. There's only very subtle differences, but the EH tubes are very good sounding. I wonder how they will hold up over long durations, but at around $10 for a replacement, I doubt I'll sweat it too much.

...that's good to know...I've read some very positive feedback in reference to these tubes on the Tube Asylum website, but specifically about their use in audio preamp circuits, not microphones per se...your input is the first I've read that specifies their performance in a microphone application...excellent!