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[Jeff4h]

Ive read some claims lately that the capsule is 90% of the sound and some people have taken Peulso capsules which are supposed as good or very close to the capsules they copy and are putting them in mics like the aphex 460 which I guess has a circut close to the u47 and claiming they sound close to a real 47. I put a Peluso akg capsule in a V77 and it sounds much much better. Then I dont have anything to compare it to. It seems to good to be true that you can buy a $200 dollar mic do a $200 dollar mod and have a U47 or a C12

[Vertigo]

Having done a lot of mic mods lately, I'd say it's about a 50/50 relationship - capsule versus electronics, with the quality of the capsule being the primary limitation of how good the mic can sound.

It's a lot like the mic/pre relationship. You can run a great mic through a bad pre and get a bad sound, or you can run a bad mic through a great pre and get a good sound. But a great mic through a great pre will generally sound great. I think the same is true of the mic/electronics relationship - a great capsule with great electronics will sound great.

The sound of a U47 (or any other mic) comes from a lot of different factors - the capsule, the circuit design, the components, the grill, etc. A copy of a U47 capsule in a V77 body with apex 460 electronics is NOT going to sound like a U47. But that doesn't mean that it won't be a great mic, or even share a few sonic similarities with the 47.  

I used my tube-modded MXL 2001 just last night - it has a Chinese copy of a U67 capsule, with modified U47 electronics. It doesn't sound a thing like a U47 or a U67, but it's a fantastic mic. And on this particular vocalist's voice the sound was just blissful.

So don't be afraid to experiment - just don't expect to get a $400 U47 out of it.

-Lance