The first thing to do is ditch the yoke mount, which is not fit for any job, and get a decent shockmount from eBay China for about $10. rival commercial microphones costing over $1000. Replacing a mic's capsule is the easiest mod, in most cases, and often the most effective -- especially for transformerless microphones. Our FHX ribbon motor and toroidal transformer were designed and are manufactured in the US by Samar Audio Design, recognized experts in ribbon microphone technology. In other words, the motor is flawed in ways that a new ribbon won't fix. Saturday, August 18th, 2007 in Tools by des. I have two Apex 205 microphones, the cheap Chinese ribbon mics appearing in amateur mic collections everywhere. Recognizing that the world's best ribbon microphones are designed as a complete system -- with a ribbon, motor, and transformer all built to complement one another -- we have conceived a completely new Fat Head microphone... that happens to fit inside the body of the Fat Head that you already own. If you have never soldered before, we do not recommend this mod. Replacing the transformer in a low-cost ribbon microphone can indeed improve the mic's sound. These products really do represent premium studio microphones in DIY kit form. It includes a custom ribbon motor and transformer that are comparable in quality to what you'd find in ribbon mics costing over $1000. Ribbon mic mod – part 1 – Apex 205. And even if you manage that, the ribbon is installed in a motor whose magnets are too short, within a gap that is too large (and probably not even). Instead, we painstakingly optimize each circuit, testing multiple component brands and values, until we meet our stated performance goals for each circuit. Garenteed to make you mic perform at it's very best! Everything related to Ribbon Microphone DIY and mods. A ribbon mic is a very simple device - there's just a ribbon motor, consisting of the thin ribbon (foil) and two magnets, and an output transformer It follows that the two most common mods for these mics are upgrading the ribbon, and upgrading the output transformer. Vintage and modern ribbon mic repairs, mods and upgrades!At Open Plan Recording I provide ribbon microphone repairs and modification services, for anything from vintage classics to modern production models. Our microphone mods can increase a mic's output level by 10dB or more, while lowering the noise floor by the same amount. We're sure there are true "golden ear" engineers who can hear that the $80 beeswax capacitor has more "depth" than the $40 polystyrene film-and-foil capacitor.... but our circuit mods don't require golden ears, or faith. The specs on our transformerless circuit kits (which fit dozens of "donor" microphone bodies from MXL, CAD, Apex, Nady, t.bone, etc.) In this instructable, we will re-ribbon an MXL R144 mic, and replace the stock transformer with and upgraded transformer. No-Cost Ribbon Mic Mods GUIDE; If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. It features a very short audio path, to improve the microphone's high-frequency response. Most parts presented here are locally hand-crafted in our labs in Latvia, EU. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. It performs pretty well even when built carelessly. What separates a $100 microphone from a $1000 microphone? The FHX is an upgrade kit for the Fat Head family of ribbon microphones. This type of transformer is found in many premium ribbon microphones, as it provides lower noise and superior imaging. Our microphone mods can increase a mic's output level by 10dB or more, while lowering the noise floor by the same amount. It includes a custom ribbon motor and transformer that are comparable in quality to what you'd find in ribbon mics costing over $1000. "This thing sounds amazing. A ribbon mic is a very simple device - there's just a ribbon motor, consisting of the thin ribbon (foil) and two magnets, and an output transformer It follows that the two most common mods for these mics are upgrading the ribbon, and upgrading the output transformer. If the Chinese factory used a cheap, undersized output capacitor, chances are we didn't have room to install a proper film cap in that space. The brand name is a piece of it, certainly. Even when most cheap microphones had leaded components on the circuit board, we found that our upgrade parts selection process suffered from a lack of physical space on the stock circuit board. The FHX is an upgrade kit for the Fat Head family of ribbon microphones. A mic's frequency response can be altered subtly or aggressively, in service of a specific sonic goal. Inexpensive ribbon microphones have for years provided a fantastic sonic contrast to condenser microphones. To show the results of the mod, I recorded samples using both the modded 205 and a stock version of the same mic. Yet there are still meaningful ways to upgrade an inexpensive microphone, resulting in audibly superior performance. Friday, August 17th, 2007 in Tools by des. We have kits for CAD microphones and the Studio Projects C1/C3 microphones that augment and upgrade the stock circuits. In the early days of microphone modding, it was possible to "swap capacitors" or upgrade a few critical components and end up with a nicer microphone. Ribbon Mic Kits. It houses high-strength, rare-earth magnets that are longer than those in the microphone's original motor. But it is, at best, half a solution. Just as we've seen with inexpensive condensers, low-cost ribbon microphones suffer from the need to meet a price point. Yesterday, I described a simple modification on the Apex 205 ribbon mic. ". The FHX motor is known to fit the Cascade Fat Head, Fat Head II, and Fat Head BE. Soldering the signal wire onto the ribbon motor requires an unusual procedure and special care. While it is possible to upgrade components on a surface-mount circuit board, it is very difficult, and beyond the reach of the average DIY aficionado. If the audio signal from the ribbon is compromised, a better transformer can't fix it. Ribbon Microphone Upgrade for MXL R144: 2nd in a SeriesHello, this is my second in a series of DIY ribbon mic upgrades. Once you're going to the trouble to upgrade a microphone, we want to upgrade all the parts that matter! For these reasons, most of our circuit mods include our own custom circuit boards, plus 100% of the parts needed to populate those boards. We do not plan to make more unless customers express interest. ", "I'm really kind of blown away at how great this thing sounds. In some cases, it is possible to make meaningful mods to the existing circuit. We suggest this only when the circuit has "through hole," also known as leaded components. Aluminum Foil. Also, removing parts from a cheap imported PCB is risky. from restorations to modifications and repairs. Even those compromised implementations are still not the biggest problem that the mic has. But even then, we don't offer simple "capacitor swap" mods. The process is detailed in the installation guide, and is within reach of anyone with a decent amount of soldering experience. Apex 205 Ribbon Mic Mods and Re-Ribboning INITIAL MODS. Installing a new ribbon in these microphones can help correct the worst of the problems that we've seen, such as stretched, loose, and saggy ribbons. Below you'll find specific mod options for over 40 popular (and inexpensive) microphones. We select the best, match parts where it matters, and bundle a comprehensive suite of components with the new circuit board. Ribbon microphones are finally coming back into vogue these days after a long, unexplainable hiatus from the recording studio. Scroll down, or click to jump ahead: AKG | Apex | Audio-Technica | Avantone | BadAax | BLUE | CAD | Carvin | Cascade | Fame | Focusrite | Gauge | Golden Age | Groove Tubes | M-Audio | MCA | Monoprice | MXL | Nady | Neumann | RODE | t.bone | Sterling Audio | Studio Projects. A mic's frequency response can be altered subtly or aggressively, in service of a specific sonic goal. It is a solid design (pioneered by Schoeps) and although modern implementations are compromised in multiple respects, the circuit is surprisingly resilient.