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Author Topic: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)  (Read 24590 times)

Jørn Bonne

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Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #30 on: September 13, 2008, 10:05:44 AM »

Thanks again.

I am interested also in hearing about your work on your own U47 when you get started on that.
Will be interesting to see if you can take that to the next level as well, and maybe even turn it into one of the magic specimens. Good luck with that!

JB
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J.J. Blair

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Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #31 on: September 13, 2008, 11:29:44 AM »

I actually did the transformation the other day, but on mine, I used a Hovland in the coupling cap.  I let it burn in for a couple days and used it on a vocal last night.  I'm going to listen to that vocal with that same singer against some previous stuff, and see what happened.  
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Jørn Bonne

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Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #32 on: October 20, 2008, 06:57:13 AM »

I guess you've used your refurbed U47 on a few things now, JJ. How has it turned out? Did you get a marked improvement changing out the caps and resistors?

Saw what you wrote about your 47 being upstaged on a particular singer by your refurbed M49:

 http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/0/23754/16/4796 /#msg_23754

Wonder how the 47 would do with a similar new K47 and Oliver transformer?

JB
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George_

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Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #33 on: October 20, 2008, 04:45:01 PM »

why are you using carbon? they have wide tolerances in specs...

?

is it really worth to modify a T? they used to have pretty cheap stuff.. is it better now?

cheers
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George Necola

Larrchild

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Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #34 on: October 20, 2008, 11:29:07 PM »

Quote:

why are you using carbon? they have wide tolerances in specs.

I don't think that is a problem. You check them with a meter first.
Their problem is they are measurably noisier.
But so what?
They sound great.
Sing louder.
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Larry Janus
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George_

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Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #35 on: October 21, 2008, 01:57:49 AM »

Larrchild wrote on Tue, 21 October 2008 05:29

Quote:

why are you using carbon? they have wide tolerances in specs.

I don't think that is a problem. You check them with a meter first.
Their problem is they are measurably noisier.
But so what?
They sound great.
Sing louder.

also the temperatur behaviour of carbon is a prob.. and the noise of course.

Wink

but.. whatever works.. oh.. no.. that is another forum Wink
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George Necola

Larrchild

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Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #36 on: October 21, 2008, 02:03:50 AM »

If you mean they change value under load, that may be true.
And may be why we sometimes like them. Smile
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Larry Janus
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George_

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Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #37 on: October 21, 2008, 02:34:48 AM »

...aha.. Cool
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George Necola

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Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #38 on: October 21, 2008, 03:37:34 AM »

That is more of a guitar amp coloration effect. Using carbons in the plate resistor.
In this case, as a grid resistor, it's not under any real current stress, but I suppose it's utterly non-reactive nature is what is being heard.
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Larry Janus
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Barry Hufker

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Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #39 on: October 21, 2008, 11:13:36 AM »

J.J. modified my T-USA 47.  He and I wanted the same goal: to make it sound as close to an authentic U47 as possible.  All parts decisions were based on sound.  The result is a wonderful sounding mic which is superior to the one I started with.  It is a gorgeous, silky sound.

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J.J. Blair

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Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #40 on: October 23, 2008, 10:29:54 AM »

BTW, I don't find the noise to be an issue at all.  And yes, like Larry said, I measure all components before installing them, making sure I find the ones with the value I want.
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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

kats

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Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #41 on: October 23, 2008, 11:14:32 AM »

Hey JJ, I have the new head basket from T-USA for my U47AE. It looks perfect, just like the originals!

And no, I don't think I'll do a review swapping baskets Smile

But when I do have a chance I'll review the mic with some sound files against some originals.

I will say this right now though. I'm extremely pleased with the mic and it gets used as a stereo pair with one of our 2 originals as it sounds closer to "stock" than our second U47 (which has a K47 rather than an M7 that our other original houses).

That being said, I believe that the elephant in the room with the T-USA U47AE (that houses their VF14K tube) are the capsules themselves - moreso than anything else component wise).

I was not happy with the original capsule it shipped with and it did not pair well with our M7 U47 (it sounded a bit too dark, or dull). I discussed this with T-USA and they kindly sent me the plots of a new batch of M7's and based on my experience with the original capsule it shipped with, combined with what I felt would mate it closer to our original, I chose a new one.

Obviously there's only so much you can tell from a plot - but I must be lucky. It was as dead on a match you could ever wish for. Even my parter (who actually owns the original) admitted he couldn't really tell the difference. And trust me, that stubborn fella would have loved to say the opposite.

I also know that Aramando (who posts on PSW under Del Cosmos) received his "AE" housing a capsule from the same batch (of 6) T-USA M7's that I chose from had the same expereince as me compared to his original U47's.

Herein lies the problem (IMO). What is a U47 supposed to sound like? For all of us, it's supposed to sound like our favorite original that we have become accustomed to. but there's only a select few that really know what those originals sounded like new in box.

Maybe the first capsule they sent me was actually a better representation? I doubt it, but how can I really know?

Anyhow, let me wrap up by making the point I want to make. When your spending this kind of money on a mic - know what you want to hear and why your buying it. Don't buy a copy 47 because you've heard U47's are great mics. Buy it because you want a specific sound that you know well. If the mic doesn't measure up, work with the company you bought the mic from and get it right.

Keep in mind that their idea of the perfect U47 sound might be different than yours just as there is varience is sound between the originals. Keep in mind that there will be a varience in sound between the capsules the company manufactures, and God forbid, you may have a more acute sense of sound than the manufacturer.
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Tony K.
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danickstr

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Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #42 on: October 23, 2008, 09:08:42 PM »

We know exactly what a fantastic U47 sounds like in the most important context of all...on the music we love that it was used to record.

But other than that, I think your post is very relevant.
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kats

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Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #43 on: October 24, 2008, 04:09:31 PM »

danickstr wrote on Fri, 24 October 2008 02:08

We know exactly what a fantastic U47 sounds like in the most important context of all...on the music we love that it was used to record.

But other than that, I think your post is very relevant.


OTOH, without knowing the processing involved on those vocal tracks, it would be difficult to determine what the mic alone should or did sound like raw.
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Tony K.
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Entertainment is a bore, communication is where it's at! - Brian Jones 1967

DarinK

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Re: T-USA U47M (Modified by J.J. Blair)
« Reply #44 on: October 24, 2008, 04:49:21 PM »

kats wrote on Fri, 24 October 2008 13:09

danickstr wrote on Fri, 24 October 2008 02:08

We know exactly what a fantastic U47 sounds like in the most important context of all...on the music we love that it was used to record.

But other than that, I think your post is very relevant.


OTOH, without knowing the processing involved on those vocal tracks, it would be difficult to determine what the mic alone should or did sound like raw.



Even harder to know without having heard the sources live in the room at the time before they even got to the mic.  I've only worked with really great folks a couple of times, but it's always amazing how "well-produced" the voices sound a capella.

But I've never heard a good U47 make anything sound worse.
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