Wednesday 27 June 2018

DIY Ribbon Microphone Kits [Retro Fit]

After many years of fixing, fabricating and studying. I kept acquiring some great 'looking' mics - I say great looking due to fact they sounded ....  'consumer' if that's not too harsh [the ones that were still working that is] poor mass / cheap dynamic and crystal  mics hiding in an iconic shell.

While I have been used to modifying and fabricating dynamic capsules, condensers, and ribbon motors to tyre iron them in.

Between labour costs and machine time for the fabrication, made them one off pieces and not really that cost effective, and  even on occasion sacrificing a perfectly good microphone as a donor.

Which brought me to the question -  if only someone could produce an off the shelf kit ?

A way of redeeming these iconic looking mics and getting them to sound as great as they look without costing the earth.

The Basic Kit

1- 1" Ribbon Motor - fitted with a 1.8micron thick 99% pure aluminum - rca style corrugated
1- 1:34 Ribbon Microphone Transformer

£100 g.b.p [plus shipping

- coupled together create a microphone with output impedance of 600 ohms



alternate wiring options - build your mic, your way



Parts bespoke to microphone shell
 - Keeping stress /drilling gluing to a minimum / to get the best results by optium parts positioning

motor mount - to hold that ribbon motor safley 

Kits currently available 

Mini Rca looking Pill microphone





badged Kent / Eagle / Realistic / Crown / Argonne and manny many more


Centralised and symmetrical [full fig 8] pick up pattern
The original grill works well ; in functionality acousicaly

Turns the mic from a 'look alike' to a sound alike!









Kit Includes 
1 -  1" Ribbon Motor 
1 - ni34 transformer 
1 - ribbon mount holder [included screw bolts to fix motor to the mount] 

£130 gbp [plus shipping] 

Fitting time around 60 to 90 minutes [soldering experience necessary] ; not supplied mic cable or xlr plug , motor mount is designed to be fixed via existing holes and screws in the original mic - so no need for damage [or modification] to the shell 

Realistic 33-999 – Aret DM120



The ribbon motor and mount sit well secured in the top half of the head and gives the mic a true figure 8 pattern. Along with this the transformer is secured adequate distance away from the motor and mounted 90 degrees off axis of the magnetic field. The combo creates a microphone that sound like it belongs. The fine holed grill is usable and functional and ideal even for close mic'ing.





 Kit Includes

1 -  1" Ribbon Motor 
1 - ni34 transformer 
1 - ribbon mount holder [included screw bolts to fix motor to the mount] 
1 - transformer locator 

£130 gpb [plus shipping] 

Fitting time around 60 to 90 minutes [soldering experience necessary] ; not supplied mic cable or xlr plug , motor mount is designed to be fixed via existing holes and screws in the original mic - so no need for damage [or modification] to the shell


Calrad DM-16 [chrome 50's style]



Cardioid pick up patern ; ribbon motor mount has custom designed rear acoustic labyrinth to deal with rear axis rejection.




With zero compromise to higher mid's / high frequency’s as the motor still maintains good [short distance] front to back distance. Keeping a fairly high set roll off frequency, so no need to artificially boost within the transformer [like some very will known cardioid ribbon mics available]

conjunction with this the Transformer is held in a good location ; as far away from the ribbon motor as is possible within the mic shell – keeping magnetic interference at a minimum

if a Beyer m260 and a Shure 330 had a child ; it would grow up wanting to be this mic!



kit incudes :

1 -  1" Ribbon Motor 
1 - ni34 transformer 
1 - ribbon mount holder [included screw bolts to fix motor to the mount] / acoustic labyrinth 

£140 gbp [plus shipping] 

Fitting time around 60 to 90 minutes [soldering experience necessary] ; not supplied mic cable or xlr plug , motor mount is designed to be fixed via existing holes and screws in the original mic - so no need for damage [or modification] to the shell


With all the above 'kits' - support via email /phone available & if needed xlr plugs and cables

Saturday 2 June 2018

Ribbon Microphone Repair - Refurb & Modification


Location & Services

Based on the North Devon Cornish border offering a unique bespoke service Servicing, Repair, Refurbishment & Restoration :
Re Ribbon to original specifications / mod upgraded.
XLR Conversion original connector replacement
Magnet field strength ; checking tolerances; replacing : upgrading
Mods, Upgrades & Custom Builds
Transformers
Custom Ribbon Motors
D.I.Y. Kits
impedance matching
magnet replacement

Service and repair of : Altec [western electric] , Beyer, B&O, Cadenza – Simon Sound Services, Electro Voice, EMI [HMV] , Film Industries M8, Geloso, Grampian, LEM, Lustraphone [Grundig] , RCA, Reslo, RSA, STC, Sure, Tannoy , Toshiba...plus many others

Repairs done in house : Effective quotes can only be done after receiving the microphone. Free 30 minute assessment of your mic to prior to any work commenced



Workshop & Lab

Equipment list {not a full comprehensive list }

Various 'multimeter', Oscilloscopes, Gaus / Tesla Meter, Impedance bridge, Tone & generators,

Cnc Transformer / Coil Winder & Small Hand Winder.

Mini Cnc Router / Milling machine

3D Printer

Medium sized Lathe [6” chuck 3' bed

Milling machine / Pillar drill & Mini Milling Machine

Custom built tools for ribbon corrugation, instillation & tensioning.

Small testing chamber – for frequency sweeps frequency response curves

Various mixing desks / studio monitors / reference mics /


Beyer M260 in for a referb

Rebuilt Altec 639 

 Rebuilt RCA 6203 & 74B 

custom transformer wind

BBC Spec Reslo RB - with XLR
Cadenza / Reslo / Lustraphone - New ribbons and magnets & transformers
RCA 74B - new ribbon & new brass mic stand base


Finding that Connector.... convert to XLR?


Sometimes it can be a harder quest to find an audio connector from bygone days and pre the standardisation of the marvellous  XLR connector.
Some do appear from time to time , but again they can fetch a financial premium because of the hens teeth factor. With attempts to be sympathetic to the original microphone adaptations can be made to make interconnection simplified.

Some machining can be done from existing options to fit [mod an existing plug] or originals can be manufactured from brass aluminum or even 3d printed

Grampian 3pin made from scratch 3d printed ABS plastic with brass pins 
 

Neutrik plug re-machined to fit within the Reslo RB ribbon mic
 

Monday 7 December 2015

FOR SALE Refurb'd Vintage Ribbon Microphones

For Sale Regular stock Refurbished Vintage Ribbon Microphones 

Cadenza [Rocket] Ribbon microphone – Simon Sound Services
 avail around £155 [GBP] 


 

fully refurbished
  • replaced ribbon [1.8microns]
  • replacement custom wound transformer [300ohm impedance output]
  • XLR conversion

Improvements & modifications reduced noise & increase output and sensitivity
3 month warranty on ribbon & 6 month warranty on mechanical parts

  • shock mount available

Reslosound RB [Reslo] Ribbon Microphone
 avail around £175 [GBP]




fully refurbished
  • replaced ribbon [1.8microns]
  • replacement custom wound transformer [300ohm impedance output]
  • XLR conversion

Improvements & modifications reduced noise & increase output and sensitivity
3 month warranty on ribbon & 6 month warranty on mechanical parts

Film Industries M8 Ribbon Microphone
avail around £165 [GBP] 


 


fully refurbished
  • replaced ribbon [1.8microns]
  • replacement custom wound transformer [300ohm impedance output]
  • XLR conversion

Improvements & modifications reduced noise & increase output and sensitivity
3 month warranty on ribbon & 6 month warranty on mechanical parts

Lustraphone VR53 Ribbon Microphone
avail around £175 [GBP] 



 
fully refurbished
  • replaced ribbon [1.8microns]
  • replacement custom wound transformer [300ohm impedance output]
  • XLR conversion

Improvements & modifications reduced noise & increase output and sensitivity
3 month warranty on ribbon & 6 month warranty on mechanical parts

Thursday 16 October 2014

Vintage Microphones : What's the deal ?

Today there are many microphones (most of which are really great) on the market, at budgets to suit everyone. So why buy a 'Vintage' unit? There is no definitive single answer to this question. Some classic microphones hold a unique place in audio history being an amalgamation of engineering meets art, some hold there own unique charm; either visually or acoustically. Owning a piece of audio tech history is a honoured, trusted and priviladged position of custodian. 

Some would give the reason of Limited supply. Unlike the more than often abused marketing term (ltd edition) our units are truly limited, llimited to the numbers sold in the past bygone years during thier production. There are no more being made. 

I have heard the phrase 'Investment' . The past decade has seen retail and auctions sales set new records with regards pricing of microphones and vintage audio equipment as they gain in desirability. truth it is highly probably that if a unit was bought today & kept in good serviceable working order it could be sold in the future (short or long term) for a profit. - subject to current trends continuing, growth in audio tech. 

What ever the reason is please feel free to browse our current stock list, and feel confident that you are buying from people that hold a passion about 'our passion'.  

Latest deals in our buy with confidence through our ebay shop 

DIY Ribbon Microphone Kits [Retro Fit]

After many years of fixing, fabricating and studying. I kept acquiring some great 'looking ' mics - I say great looking due to fact ...