Micropone Building?

[Canucker]

any recommendations on sources for microphone parts/kits? Thinking of doing something higher end but hey I'd love to hear about the cheap stuff too!

[Blitz Krieg]

Ribbon or Condenser?  surely not dynamic?

[Canucker]

Wouldn't mind hearing about peoples thoughts on any or all. The Neumann U87 (Large Diaphragm Condenser) is probably what I'm going to be building since there is so much info on them and various kits are out there http://www.diyrecordingequipment.com/5345/how-to-build-vintage-u87/ 
I really don't have anything of a mic collection to speak of so thats why I thought I'd collect info on any and all.

[bool]

Theres a Yahoo microphone builders group. I suggest you search/look-up that group ("micbuilders" or something) and join. I don't have info here right now, but do some search and you'll find it.

[Gus]

I have built a number of condenser microphones solid state and tube.  First question most of what you find on the web about DIY microphones. 

bool's post  about the yahoo group is a good one. IMO good information at that site

[Canucker]

I have built a number of condenser microphones solid state and tube.  First question most of what you find on the web about DIY microphones. 

bool's post  about the yahoo group is a good one. IMO good information at that site

Which builds did you find most useful and which did you find most troublesome? I question everything on the internet, always ;-p

[Gus]

A better question is what are you looking for in a microphone.

Have you heard a real Neumann u87?  There are a few different circuits in them.  I have repaired a few u87s and the clones might not sound the same
Why do you want a u87?
Microphones are interesting circuits because of the interaction between circuit parts and what is after the microphone(cable and preamp input).  A lot has to do with the capsule and grill interaction it is a form of EQ.  the transformer can matter if it is a transformer out microphone.  Sometimes with a microphone circuit the transformer does not matter as much

I don't "copy" microphones I build what I want or design.  Sometimes I machine the body sometimes I change the circuit out and or capsule in a microphone sometimes I adjust the circuit in a microphone

What do you want to spend?

some microphones from 2004
first is a tube microphone with a twist on the tube biasing.  EF86 triode plate out to a AMI transformer with a MBHO CK12 like capsule
second is a JFET KM8X like circuit capsule from a MXLV6 IIRC
Machined both of the bodies
I have built adjusted more microphones and have a number of designs simed that I should build and test

[tubegeek]

Machined both of the bodies

Damn right you did. Nice nice nifty nice nice.

[Canucker]

Why do I want a U87? Well first off there is a ton of info on them and a number of places that have parts/kits. Every reveiw I've read rates them very highly. A friend who works full time in a pro stuido said that that was the mic they started every vocal session with and next to never changed to another mic. I have yet to hear anything negative about this mic.

[Gus]

Why do I want a U87? Well first off there is a ton of info on them and a number of places that have parts/kits. Every reveiw I've read rates them very highly. A friend who works full time in a pro stuido said that that was the mic they started every vocal session with and next to never changed to another mic. I have yet to hear anything negative about this mic.

Ok if you want to get close to a U87. You need a good capsule that is a Neumann or as close as possible to a real Neumann , a grill, mesh, capsule enclosure design that is a replica of a real U87,  A transformer that works like a real u87.

U87s are nice microphones.

I have built a few microphones one test I did was buy 1000 JFETs used a set of measurements of what I liked that number JFET to measure and then found a as perfect a match two I could get out of the 1000
I them built two matched circuits as close as possible, matched all the parts and the circuits biased the same with the same resistors.  Used two of the same type capsules
One circuit was installed in the Jfet circuit in the picture the other in a MXLV67 body

The microphones sound different and if I switch the capsules the microphones very sound close to what they did with the first selection of capsules. The capsule, grill mesh and shape , capsule height etc. part seems to be setting a lot of the sound.  More of the "sound" seemed to follow the grill capsule
Mesh has % open area so there are internal reflections that add and subtract and also there can be one or more layers of mesh with different reflections.  The the capsule height and shape of parts inside the grill that cause changes.

The next part that matter is the transformer and its interactions with parts before and after.

So if you want to build something like a u87 find the closest matching grill capsule environment assembly you can.