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[compasspnt]

If someone can post the exact "detransformation" method, I'll try it and report...I have lots and lots of 57's, mostly from about '83-84.

[Ryan Leigh Patterson]

Let us know bout the detransformerization process....

I always like tranny's.... oops, I mean transformers but I'd be willing to try this on  at least one 57 (or 58)

BTW, just today I used a 57 to hammer a stiff mic stand boom adjustment, it was an old 57, but a 57 non the less.  Really, who needs a hammer when you've got a 57

[Johnny B]

Somebody around here will know about taking out the X-frmrs...

[Michael Kabell]

The volume of air behind the capsule on an SM57 is part of the acoustical circuit. If you remove the transformer, you are messing with a finely tuned acoustical circuit, and it won't work as well. It won't create an unravelling of the space-time continuum, but it'll be a poorer mic.

[Jim Williams]

One way to do it is remove the capsule, (which by the way, doesn't "couple" to the body acoustically), unsolder the 2 wires and then remove the xlr connector. Throw the body into a pot of boiling water. After a few minutes, the hot glue will soften and then you can pull the transformer out. Now, take a look at that transformer. Ever seen such a pos? Be glad you tossed it away.

Now, wire up the 2 pins on the capsule to the xlr connector. I don't remember polarity, so you can check it against a stock 57 by putting the two mics together and matching gain. Pan to center and if they add, a-ok. If they cancel, reverse the wires for correct polarity.

Notice the large low end, somewhat like an SM-7. Notice the clearer top end, that's cause you removed that crap transformer.

Older Unydyne III's should be kept stock as they are rare and sound so much better than the Mexican 57's.

I noticed the sonic changes on these back in 1990. I called a shure engineer I knew for an explanation. He told me no changes were instituted, but original stampers and dies were sent down to Juarez. If you know about record pressing, stampers wear out and need to be changed regularly. As far as I know, old stampers and dies are still being used. This was the main source for the sonic changes in the mics.

[archtop]

wasn't there some other goofy mod floatin' around, where you take the plastic front
off and tape the sides of the capsule or  or some shit, I can't remember.

[compasspnt]

Thanks for the info Jim.

And Richard, yes, this may be goofy...but who knows?

I'll give it a try (with a newer one, of course...I'd never do this to my 545's or 548's!), and see what happens.

A full report will follow in a few days.

Maybe this will be the magic 0-100kHz mic that JohnnyB has been searching for!


EDIT on Dec 14, 05:  Well, I did it to one 545 after all, and then liked it so much I did a second one.  See 57 Mods thread.

[josh]

taping up the vents would tend to make it much more of an omni.

[copperx]

I live in Juarez, and thankfully I can get 57s at a discount price direct from the factory. I'll be trying that mod ...

So Jim, is a transformerless 57 a better overall 57, or just for certain purporses, such as miking drums? I love that midrangey stuff the 57 gives me ... is that gone with the mod?

Oh, and I must ask ... why the hell does it have a transformer for in the first place? just for the +12dB?

[Johnny B]

compasspnt wrote on Fri, 18 November 2005 17:46

Maybe this will be the magic 0-100kHz mic that JohnnyB has been searching for!

LOL.  

I doubt that, but it may another cool tool for people to derive some benefit from.

I like it when people can experiment with certain devices that if it all goes wrong and results in failure does not cost them an arm and a leg, but if, at the end of the day, the experiment works, they have another good tool in their arsenal.

Jim, were you serious about using boiling water to get the transformer out?

And if the stock x-frmer is of the less than stellar variety, do have any suggestions for replacements to try?

[compasspnt]

Johnny B wrote on Wed, 23 November 2005 11:28

Jim, were you serious about using boiling water to get the transformer out? And if the stock x-frmer is of the less than stellar variety, do have any suggestions for replacements to try?

2 good questions.  From JB no less...



Just kidding...

[Jim Williams]

Boiling water will work pretty fast. Picking out small pieces of hot glue will take more time.

It's pretty small in there so a Jensen or Lundall isn't going to fit in there. You could make a small box with an XLR in and then put a transformer in the box. That way you could use a good one and use it with other stuff while still having that transformerless mic.

[Tidewater]

I looked it over last night, the boiling makes sense, or throw them on an Hibachi, turning every couple minutes.

The Hibachi thing is a joke. Uhh.. torch would do it.

Open 57s intrest me. Imagine how lame that must seem to a theoretical physicists, or say, a woman.

Oh well.


M

[CAROne]

Jim Williams wrote on Fri, 18 November 2005 09:59

One way to do it is remove the capsule, (which by the way, doesn't "couple" to the body acoustically), unsolder the 2 wires and then remove the xlr connector. Throw the body into a pot of boiling water. After a few minutes, the hot glue will soften and then you can pull the transformer out. Now, take a look at that transformer. Ever seen such a pos? Be glad you tossed it away. Now, wire up the 2 pins on the capsule to the xlr connector. I don't remember polarity, so you can check it against a stock 57 by putting the two mics together and matching gain. Pan to center and if they add, a-ok. If they cancel, reverse the wires for correct polarity. Notice the large low end, somewhat like an SM-7. Notice the clearer top end, that's cause you removed that crap transformer.

OK. Here we go. I had a junker 57 that I got tossed in with another piece of gear a while back.  This mod was ridiculously easy to do.  I unsoldered the capsule and xlr wires and took a heat gun to the mic body.  3 minutes later I'm holding the transformer (covered in hot glue) by its little wires. 5 more minutes of wiring and its in the kick drum.  The output definitely drops off. So, we tied it to a stock 57 and let the games begin.

The main thing I heard was the expanded low end, and a bit of scoop in the mids.  A little work on placement and this thing is going to kill.

After trying out on snare...well lets just say I know which mic to use now.  We A/B'ed the mod against the stock, and my drummer was blown away with the sound.  Put back a tad of the scooped mids and wow! This thing sounds great.

Its not the second coming mind you,  but I definitely see applications for this one in the near future.

Cheers,
Dave

[maxim]

jb wrote:

" ..."common" and "ubiquitous." "

perhaps, common in the other meaning of the word?

you mean, i can actually get top end out of a 57?!