R/E/P Community

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 5   Go Down

Author Topic: SM57 mod  (Read 26106 times)

McAllister

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1145
Re: SM57 mod
« Reply #15 on: December 06, 2005, 09:00:46 PM »

I am so very stoked about this.

Please post more of your findings, Terry; esp. about a replacement transformer.


M
Logged
Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.

Vertigo

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1334
Re: SM57 mod
« Reply #16 on: December 06, 2005, 09:52:02 PM »

Yeah, I definitely do NOT recommend clear-coating with any paint that contains acetone. This will cause the original paint to bubble and crackle and destroy the finish.

I only boiled mine for about a minute and pulled the transformer out by the wires with a pair of needle nose pliers. All of the glue came out in one nice glob with no mess.

I got rid of all the wire and rebuilt the harness with leftover Mogami (quality wire never hurt anything).

I'm loving the sound! The gain loss is no big deal, although it will probably have an impact when using this mic with pre's that color more as the gain is turned up (like a GR). This could be good or bad, depending on the sound you get.

To me it's sounding like an ideal snare bottom mic, or maybe kick and toms. And the clearing up of the high end is tempting me to mod another one and see how they sound on overheads...

Terry - you've got to post a pic!!

Wink

-Lance
Logged

compasspnt

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 16266
Re: SM57 mod
« Reply #17 on: December 06, 2005, 11:09:31 PM »

DivideByZero wrote on Tue, 06 December 2005 18:18

Nice! Exciting! I am interested in what other transformers do for it.



McAllister wrote on Tue, 06 December 2005 21:00

I am so very stoked about this.

Please post more of your findings, Terry; esp. about a replacement transformer.




Somebody has to tell me (us) what the output impedance is of the bare capsule.  So far, I haven't found it anywhere.  That would determine the input side of the transformer.  The necessary output impedance of the trans is easy.

Vertigo wrote on Tue, 06 December 2005 21:52



Terry - you've got to post a pic!!




Hopefully will find time tomorrow.  Big Blue.
Logged

Tidewater

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3816
Re: SM57 mod
« Reply #18 on: December 07, 2005, 04:16:41 PM »

12-13Ω on a bare 545 (57) capsule.


M
Logged
Time Magazine's 2007 Man of the Year

compasspnt

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 16266
Re: SM57 mod
« Reply #19 on: December 07, 2005, 06:30:08 PM »

Cool, thanks.  We tried measuring one today (sometimes inaccurate) nand came up with 18.  Sounds like the right area to start in.

Today I did an actual 545s.  A bit more to go tomorrow morning, and I will post on that one.
Logged

trebor_zaid

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 81
Re: SM57 mod
« Reply #20 on: December 07, 2005, 08:14:58 PM »

The red is nice. But nothing compares to my new Sponge Bob 57 paint job!!!!! It sounds the..........well........the SPONGIEST!

Next up, the Smurf 57 w/ special Smurfette mod! Giving her more "top" and "bottom" end! Laughing
r
Logged

CAROne

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7
Re: SM57 mod
« Reply #21 on: December 08, 2005, 03:11:04 AM »

This thing was killer on snare. I just wish I had better pre's.  Mine are just.....barely.....adequate Rolling Eyes

Probably should rethink the finish as well.  The strip of masking tape with "Wannabe SM7" just isnt going to cut it. Especially after the spongebob mod. Very Happy

Cheers,
Dave
Logged
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Dave Opalecky
Crowass Recording
http://www.crowass.com
"No, it really did sound that way going in to the mic.  Don't blame me!"

Tidewater

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3816
Re: SM57 mod
« Reply #22 on: December 08, 2005, 10:46:14 AM »

Chrome.


M

Logged
Time Magazine's 2007 Man of the Year

compasspnt

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 16266
Re: SM57 mod
« Reply #23 on: December 11, 2005, 01:53:09 PM »

OK, I have been warned not to make this post, and perhaps indeed I shouldn't...the thought was that it might instantly drive up the used (read "eBay") price of certain microphones...but hopefully not...

I have now done my "de-transformerisation" of the venerable Shure 545S.  This was one of the mics that we always used to use for things like snare back in the pre-57 days.  In fact, this mic recorded the snare on "I'll Take You There" and "Respect Yourself."

I have three of these little guys, and once the trans-x mod mania had started, I took a new look at them.  Two were in "perfect," like-new condition, but one already had a broken on-off switch and a few scratches.  I normally don't like to modify or change in any cosmetic way any of the old "vintage" gear, but since I had two others, the 57 mod had worked well, and one 545 was already not perfect, I decided to give it a try.  The downside of all of these mics (to me) was that the connector is an old 4 pin Amphenol screw-on connector.  I don't have any of these cables anymore, so I haven't been using the 545's for that reason.  I decided that, in addition to taking out the transformer, I might as well change the output to an xlr at the same time.  And as long as I was doing that, then why not install the R
Logged

Tidewater

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3816
Re: SM57 mod
« Reply #24 on: December 11, 2005, 02:35:20 PM »

This can only mean two things:

1. It's about to become hard to find a non-modded 57.

2. Shure has a new model coming out at the $175 price point.

heh.. oh, and three: Finally! Terry will have better sounding snares!  Very Happy

Sounds like success.


M
Logged
Time Magazine's 2007 Man of the Year

maxdimario

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3811
Re: SM57 mod
« Reply #25 on: December 11, 2005, 06:59:46 PM »

the transformers in hand held mics are real cheap.

you need not lose signal level...if you have the right input transformer... in the preamp.
Logged

McAllister

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1145
Re: SM57 mod
« Reply #26 on: December 11, 2005, 07:43:23 PM »

     I modded a 57 yesterday, then A/B'd it with a stock one. As I've never used an SM7 I cannot say if it sounds like one, but it did sound. . . well, not better necessarily, but different. Gone was some of the 57 honk, a deeper bottom was there, and a lower output. Damned good.
    I've spoken with pal Brad Avenson (local tech & mic builder: Avenson Audio is he) about building a remote transformer box. he's going to test the input and output of a stock 57 then make a replacement. I will keep you posted. In the meantime I might grab one of those Rode boxes.
    I'll be using the new 57 on drums (kick? we shall see) in the next few days. Will report back.

Thanks everybody. I LOVE stuff like this.

M
Logged
Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.

McAllister

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1145
Re: SM57 mod
« Reply #27 on: December 12, 2005, 11:10:32 PM »

Used mine last night on a bunch of b.vocals (mine). Sounded great. I don't have a bunch of great dynamic mics, but I have some good ones. As far as vocals go (or at least my vocals on this particular song), this mic was best in show.

I'll keep you posted on drums, too.

M
Logged
Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.

Tidewater

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3816
Re: SM57 mod
« Reply #28 on: December 13, 2005, 01:47:16 AM »

Snare monster, toms foolery! It's going to kill!


M
Logged
Time Magazine's 2007 Man of the Year

maxim

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 5828
Re: SM57 mod
« Reply #29 on: December 13, 2005, 05:30:33 AM »

terry wrote:

"Like an SM7, only better"

and quite a bit cheaper!

i'm definitely going to try this one
Logged
Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 5   Go Up
 

Site Hosted By Ashdown Technologies, Inc.

Page created in 0.085 seconds with 20 queries.