R/E/P Community

After 72 hours of leaving the mic uncovered in a well ventilated room, the smell has dissipated. 
I no longer smell anything, so I think it's all good.

I agree in principle, but VM&P vapor near polyester capsule? I see no problem.

Don‘t use any kind of solvents close to the mic capsule.

If you ever watched the diaphragm crinkle and loose tension ONLY FROM THE VAPOR you know what I mean.

A rubber eraser usually removes stuff like the mentioned.

Thanks for the quick reply, Klaus and thanks for the tip on naphtha.
Yes the smell is from the very odius Goo Gone.

Hello Paul,
Is the smell from the (very odious) Goo Gone, or from something else?

On the topic of Goo Gone: I use a solvent that works as well or better than that oily, smelly Goo Gone, and leaves no smelly residue. It does not even harm guitar tops when removing a glued-on pick guard:

The padding on the shock mount for my SoundDelux 251 slipped and left a small deposit of glue gunk in the very bottom edge of the mic body face. I used a touch of Goo Gone to remove it, wiping it off repeatedly with clean shop towels. However, there is still a residual smell coming off the mic. I am afraid to put it back in its case for fear the smell might intensify in the closed case and cause harm to the mic capsule or other parts. When in its case, I store the mic in a plastic bag.

Should I be concerned? How do I get rid of the smell (which is very light and would not be noticed by a singer a few inches from the mic)?

The above replies are why I love this forum!
Thanks to both Klaus and soapfoot for sharing their knowledge!

Klaus—if your last (pre-P.S.) sentence was addressed to me, first thank you for the kind words. I own two mics that utilize AC701s and thankfully both are behaving themselves at this time, so if (when?...) I find myself needing to no longer leave well enough alone, then I'll consider installing the Phaedrus and reporting back.

I look forward to seeing if any other forum readers have any experience with it.

I see two problems with the way Phædrus advertises its 6D-H3:

1. It is not a tube, as soapfoot stated, but a solid-state emulation. I find it troubling that a manufacturer refers to a solid state device as a tube and uses terms germane to tubes ("heater voltage", "triode", etc.) when the common definition of a tube is, per Wiki:

A vacuum tube or electron tube is a device that controls electric current flow in a high vacuum between electrodes to which an electric potential difference has been applied.
It utilizes thermionic emission of electrons from a hot cathode for fundamental electronic functions such as signal amplification.

2. This solid state device is advertised as a direct replacement, therefore claimed equivalent in performance, to the AC701 triode.
All tube emulations I have heard, including those made by Phaedrus, sounded pedestrian to me. They will pass common function tests with more or less noise associated with it, and may be ok for beginners not familiar of the timbre and dynamic behavior of tubes. I.e. a perfect starting point for DIY's.

But there are better and cheaper alternatives in that category, like the 6S6B, a Russian military type triode tube. (Neumann uses what looks like a relative of that tube in its M49V.)

In the end I question the idea of installing a tube simulation in any of the most revered, iconic, breathtaking mics ever made- those originally designed and optimized for the Telefunken AC701.

Knowing your excellent ears and discrimination for good sounds, I encourage you to buy one of these simulations, install it and report back with what you hear.

P.S.: I also invite anyone who has personally heard and compared solid-state emulations to post his/her experiences.

It's left vague in the manufacturer's literature, but you should be aware that this is not a vacuum tube, but rather an equivalent-circuit substitute utilizing semiconductors.

Earlier today I learned of a company that is apparently currently manufacturing an AC701 replacement tube: http://www.phaedrus-audio.com/6D-H3%20triode.htm. Has anyone had any experience with these tubes?