R/E/P Community

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Pages: 1 [2] 3 4   Go Down

Author Topic: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)  (Read 24576 times)

J.J. Blair

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12809
Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #15 on: September 09, 2008, 10:55:55 AM »

Jack, well, I can't agree with your tech on the cost, as I used about $100 in parts.  

The capsule that was in Barry's mic was a new Neumann K47.  This would be the first I've heard of them using reskinned K47s.

And as far as the capsules that Robert Crash sells, they are reskinned by Siegfried Thiersch.  
Logged
studio info

They say the heart of Rock & Roll is still beating, which is amazing if you consider all the blow it's done over the years.

"The Internet enables pompous blowhards to interact with other pompous blowhards in a big circle jerk of pomposity." - Bill Maher

"The negative aspects of this business, not only will continue to prevail, but will continue to accelerate in madness. Conditions aren't going to get better, because the economics of rock and roll are getting closer and closer to the economics of Big Business America." - Bill Graham

seedyunderbelly.com

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2465
Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #16 on: September 09, 2008, 12:45:03 PM »

Hi JJ

How did it compare with a real U47?

-j

J.J. Blair

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12809
Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #17 on: September 09, 2008, 02:22:34 PM »

seedyunderbelly.com wrote on Tue, 09 September 2008 09:45

Hi JJ

How did it compare with a real U47?

-j


John, I have an original U47, serviced by Bill Bradley, which is a really great sounding example of a 47.  I've A/B'd against other vintage 47s as well as new clones, and it always stood up with the vintage ones, and was always better than the clones.  It's not one of the magical 47s, but it's a really good one.  

When I got Barry's mic, I preferred mine to his.  However, when I was done with Barry's mic, I liked the sound of it better than my 47.  I'd been waiting for this one record to get finished, so I can do all the same things to my mic that I did to Barry's.  We keep having to go back and grab vocals in spots on songs, so I'd been leaving it in order to keep the tone consistent.  

That record is finished though, so it will probably happen this week, as soon as I get my M49s off my bench.  

Bill had done some things I find curious, such as increasing the voltage on the PSU, and using a 2.2
Logged
studio info

They say the heart of Rock & Roll is still beating, which is amazing if you consider all the blow it's done over the years.

"The Internet enables pompous blowhards to interact with other pompous blowhards in a big circle jerk of pomposity." - Bill Maher

"The negative aspects of this business, not only will continue to prevail, but will continue to accelerate in madness. Conditions aren't going to get better, because the economics of rock and roll are getting closer and closer to the economics of Big Business America." - Bill Graham

Tricatel

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 11
Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #18 on: September 09, 2008, 02:41:16 PM »

Hello JJ,

I do not exactly recall the list, but from what I remember.

Wrong plastic connector (fits but creates noise over while)
Wrong (low impedance) plastic used for all components.
Wrong connector blades.
Wrong tube socket.
No heat sink resistor.
Wrong PSU.
Wrong surface plating (nickel will stain with time)
Mostly wrong everything.

It is hard to believe that the cost for the update parts is less than $100 and I do not want to think about the work cost.

In any way only a Neumann is a real 47!!!

Jack

Logged

Barry Hufker

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 8228
Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #19 on: September 09, 2008, 06:23:48 PM »

J
Logged

J.J. Blair

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12809
Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #20 on: September 09, 2008, 07:10:37 PM »

Jack, T-USA is not longer using the FLEA bodies.  I believe the new ones are currently made in China, but the connectors on this mic were fine.  

That non heat sinked drop resistor was a major issue that I posted about already, and as I said, I think they are changing it as a result of my making a stink about it.
Logged
studio info

They say the heart of Rock & Roll is still beating, which is amazing if you consider all the blow it's done over the years.

"The Internet enables pompous blowhards to interact with other pompous blowhards in a big circle jerk of pomposity." - Bill Maher

"The negative aspects of this business, not only will continue to prevail, but will continue to accelerate in madness. Conditions aren't going to get better, because the economics of rock and roll are getting closer and closer to the economics of Big Business America." - Bill Graham

wwittman

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7712
Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #21 on: September 10, 2008, 02:44:20 AM »

wwittman wrote on Sun, 07 September 2008 18:35

out of curiosity,

between the original Telefunken US mic and its upgrades, plus the costs of the mods JJ did... what's the TOTAL cost of the mic?







?
Logged
William Wittman
Producer/Engineer
(Cyndi Lauper, Joan Osborne, The Fixx, The Outfield, Hooters...)

Tricatel

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 11
Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #22 on: September 10, 2008, 09:11:01 AM »

Hello JJ,

please check out Mr. Thiersch webpage, he worked as a development engineer at Gefell.
http://www.thiersch-mic.de/stm_geschichte.html
However, his skinning work leaves much to be desired for.
The M7s he does either PVC or Polyester suck compared to original Berlin or Gefell.
The 87 capsule he did for me was not useable at all, a 54 he did was O.K. at least for the price.

Here is a quote of the Telewackers web-page:
Telefunken USA's Platinum Series microphones are the award winning, historically correct replicas of the originals. Each microphone system represents a meticulous reverse engineering of the original classic equipment. Hand Built and assembled in the USA.

So were is the made in China fits into all that?

Jack

Logged

MI

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1292
Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #23 on: September 10, 2008, 09:47:16 AM »

wwittman wrote on Wed, 10 September 2008 02:44

wwittman wrote on Sun, 07 September 2008 18:35

out of curiosity,

between the original Telefunken US mic and its upgrades, plus the costs of the mods JJ did... what's the TOTAL cost of the mic?







?


J.J. Blair wrote on Tue, 09 September 2008 10:55

Jack, well, I can't agree with your tech on the cost, as I used about $100 in parts.


So $100 in parts...but figure a few hours labour? If you had to hire a tech to do it figure at least $75 / hour?

J.J., can you please advise where you bought the parts?

Barry, is it not the V series you bought? The M is EF14 tube.

$9,995 VF14 -  http://www.telefunkenusa.com/products/show_product.php?item= 7&cat=mics

$6,995 EF14 -  http://www.telefunkenusa.com/products/show_product.php?item= 12&cat=mics

Has anyone tried their new VF14 tube?

MI
Logged

J.J. Blair

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12809
Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #24 on: September 10, 2008, 10:20:58 AM »

Jack, thanks for the correction regarding Thiersch.

Regarding Barry's mic, it was a U47-M, but it did indeed have a VF14.  It was not marked with a "V."  IIRC, the plate said "U47-M serial no. 0087."

I've criticized T-USA many times for the use of the phrase "historically correct."  But it's not like the FTC is going to sue them for misleading advertising or anything, so...
Logged
studio info

They say the heart of Rock & Roll is still beating, which is amazing if you consider all the blow it's done over the years.

"The Internet enables pompous blowhards to interact with other pompous blowhards in a big circle jerk of pomposity." - Bill Maher

"The negative aspects of this business, not only will continue to prevail, but will continue to accelerate in madness. Conditions aren't going to get better, because the economics of rock and roll are getting closer and closer to the economics of Big Business America." - Bill Graham

Jørn Bonne

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 129
Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #25 on: September 11, 2008, 05:42:07 AM »

Barry Hufker wrote on Wed, 10 September 2008 00:23

J
Logged

Jørn Bonne

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 129
Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #26 on: September 11, 2008, 05:52:39 AM »

Hi JJ

Been following your U47 investigations and try-outs with great interst. Good work.

Would you care to name the resistors and capacitors you ended up using in Barry's mic? Brand, type and value in the respective positions.

Did you closely follow the values in one of the known U47 schematics or did you deviate in some positions to get a particular performance?

Would be much appreciated!

Thanks

JB
Logged

J.J. Blair

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12809
Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #27 on: September 11, 2008, 09:43:38 AM »

I used all  carbon comp resistors on the ladder, in the same values prescribed in the schematics.  A couple different brands.  The capsule bias resistor and grid shunt resistor were 100MΩ and 200MΩ respectively, and I used NOS carbon spiral resistors made by TRW.  I used NOS, military issue, paper in oil caps in the C3 and coupling cap position, both at 1
Logged
studio info

They say the heart of Rock & Roll is still beating, which is amazing if you consider all the blow it's done over the years.

"The Internet enables pompous blowhards to interact with other pompous blowhards in a big circle jerk of pomposity." - Bill Maher

"The negative aspects of this business, not only will continue to prevail, but will continue to accelerate in madness. Conditions aren't going to get better, because the economics of rock and roll are getting closer and closer to the economics of Big Business America." - Bill Graham

Jørn Bonne

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 129
Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #28 on: September 12, 2008, 12:02:01 PM »

Good one! Thanks.


What brands of carbon comps do you recommend?


What's a good source for the NOS paper in oil caps?

JB
Logged

J.J. Blair

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 12809
Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #29 on: September 13, 2008, 02:33:23 AM »

You can do one stop shopping at surplussales.com.  They have NOS Allen Bradley carbon comp resistors.  You may or may not prefer them to carbon film or metal film.  The originals were not carbon comps.  The metal film are supposed to be quieter, but the sonic signature of carbon is more in line with the vintage mics, from what the various design gurus have told me.

They have high quality JAN paper in oil caps by West Cap, in 1
Logged
studio info

They say the heart of Rock & Roll is still beating, which is amazing if you consider all the blow it's done over the years.

"The Internet enables pompous blowhards to interact with other pompous blowhards in a big circle jerk of pomposity." - Bill Maher

"The negative aspects of this business, not only will continue to prevail, but will continue to accelerate in madness. Conditions aren't going to get better, because the economics of rock and roll are getting closer and closer to the economics of Big Business America." - Bill Graham
Pages: 1 [2] 3 4   Go Up