Philgood Mic Modding

  • Thread starter Thread starter kojdogg
  • Start date Start date
kojdogg

kojdogg

bollocks redux!
Just want to give bigups to Philgood here. He has done some mic modding for me and I've been very happy with the results. He worked some wonders on a Nady TCM-1050 doing the Peluso capsule/Cinemag Transformer/Upgraded cap thing. It was the older version and another tech wouldn't touch it because the tube was soldered in and the circuit was laid out much differently than the newer versions. No problem for Philgood-- he installed a tube circuit and found a way to mount the transformer to make both parts fit. IMHO, he did a far better job with it than that guy up north who is famous for doing it, in far less time and for far less money (for labor-- I sourced the parts). He also did the Zener diode mods to the power supply (which the afforementioned Canadian dude doesn't offer).

I asked him a little while back to finish up a partially completed Royer mod for me. It turned out that the first person to take a shot at it had done a piss-poor job on it. Phil solved many problems-- essentially having to undo most of the first dude's work and then do it over to make it work. He communicated with me at every major step, which allowed me to opt for some enhancements in this particular mic, which should elevate it way past the run of the mill Royer modded mic (or the Mojave MA-200's that the design evolved slightly into). At his suggestion, he switched mics from the typical MXL2001 used to an M-Audio Nova, then at my request, he installed a Peluso CEK-367 capsule. I would have been happy to use the capsule in cardoid, but he was able to install a switch into it to make it work in cardioid and omni (much like a Pearlman TM-1). He used a 6205 tube heated more like an EF14 tube (as used in a U47) instead of the typical 5280 tube. He also swapped in some premium components not found in other Royer mods or Mojaves. For all this work he charged a very, very fair labor rate.

I've only tested it out so far to make sure it works, which it certainly does. It sounds great-- I have been using a BLUE Kiwi and a BLUE Mouse (both of which I recently purchased) a good amount in the past week to do some vocal tracking and it's right there with them in quality, but different in sound.

I would offer, in a completely unsolicited testimonial, that if you need some mics modded and if you, like me some months ago, have no idea who to turn to, see if Phil can fit you in. He does awesome work!

As a DYI fan, but moron, I gotta say it's awesome that folks like Philgood, Mshilarious, and others frequent this board and make their products/services available to us here :D.
 
...Phil is most definately one of the GOOD GUYS!...and a most knowledgeable and talented fellow as well...really...he is...;)
 
I fix computers and cook chili too.







Thanks for the kind words! Hope you get good use out of it!:)
 
I fix computers and cook chili too.







Thanks for the kind words! Hope you get good use out of it!:)

No problem man-- thank you! I can't wait to put the mic through its paces and give it a proper trial (something that may take a little bit with my 9-5 and increasingly domesticated life).

Viewers of this thread-- really, getting a mod-able mic, sourcing the parts yourself and then having a skilled tech do this stuff is a great way to get a killer mic and to spread the cost over time :). Philgood here, and I neglected to mention Michael Joly of Oktavamod before (he doesn't really need my hyping though as Oktavamod has justifiably blown up), among others do awesome work. I love the BLUE's I got, but the Philgood mics I have/had (the Nady is sadly gone to another home) and the Oktavamods are every bit as cherished and have their own sound and personality.

You know I'm serious when I use proper capitilzation :D
 
being the lazy bastard that i am (:D), i never got around to using the info on a diy tube mic that philgood shared with me. just a thumbs up to philgood for sharing. could you give me a kick in the ass phil?
 
Man with all this talent here, maybe we could pool this talent and do a group-design-buy. Lundahl, Cinimag, and Peluso have offered me considerable discounts for their components used in the manufacture of mics. The engineers I work with in China are very capable and built my ACM-310 to my specs. I only wish I had more knowledge because I'm sure it could have been much better.
 
Man with all this talent here, maybe we could pool this talent and do a group-design-buy. Lundahl, Cinimag, and Peluso have offered me considerable discounts for their components used in the manufacture of mics. The engineers I work with in China are very capable and built my ACM-310 to my specs. I only wish I had more knowledge because I'm sure it could have been much better.

...now you're talkin'!...that's the ticket...Hey Phil!...design the mic of your dreams, draft the schematic and Chance will source the components and contract the manufacturing...count me in!...;)
 
Man with all this talent here, maybe we could pool this talent and do a group-design-buy. Lundahl, Cinimag, and Peluso have offered me considerable discounts for their components used in the manufacture of mics. The engineers I work with in China are very capable and built my ACM-310 to my specs. I only wish I had more knowledge because I'm sure it could have been much better.

...now you're talkin'!...that's the ticket...Hey Phil!...design the mic of your dreams, draft the schematic and Chance will source the components and contract the manufacturing...count me in!...;)

I don't speak for Phil obviously, but I just want to point out that if he has designs on actually designing and selling his own microphones someday, this is kind of a lot to ask in that, a.) he won't be able to recover any investment costs involved in the design, and b.) by sending that design to China where there aren't intellectual property protections, he's basically handing that design over to the factory to then sell to whatever company N*dy, T*l*f*nk*n, etc. (:D) that wants it.

I think it's an awesome idea, but I wonder if for now we could put together a group buy for the components and then take a number with Phil :)
 
There are very little if none at all intelectual Property rights on Curcuits even in the US or canada, Unless you are useing a curcuit topology that is totally new and never done before and then it can be patended but with mics and amps and most other gear the curcuits usually are fairly basic in that there isn"t usually anything totally new and never done before in them.....

But even if curcuits could be protected from others stealing them the change of a couple components would in essence make it a different curcuit....


:D
 
That may very well be the case in practice if not in spirit. I would imagine that the companies that are importing Chinese manufactured mics are doing well enough that they can do without the donated R&D efforts though, where they can coopt the circuit design simply by placing a bigger order and by giving the factory a significant amount of other business.
 
I'd send him some work, but I'm afraid he'd get all emotional and start crying. :p
 
Things in China have changed a lot in the last 2 years. Because of the many group buys (?), the brand names have threatened to stop doing business and switch manufactures. This happened with our first GB here. All the brand names complained because we were getting our mics (same as theirs) for a fraction of the brand name price. Now the major mic manufacturers WILL NOT sell to outsiders. (I tried LOL) Shiny Box uses some out sourced components which are widely known, can be done by anyone, and improves the mics considerably. I was/am expecting to see the ACM-310 rebranded, but perhaps they will honor the design, or maybe greed will rule.
 
...on another note...Hey Phil...that signature tag is worthy of some big-ass typeface:

No matter how fine she is, somebody somewhere is sick of her bullshit.


...so true!...;)
 
Back
Top