Topic: Oktava MC-012 MODs

[Chuck]

Any word on the mod?

-Kevin

I got the Oktava's cheap ($99/pair) on sale at Guitar Center. I'm going to do some tests on the new bodies with my matched pair of caps before I do the mod. I'll probably record a CD played through my speakers at a measured distance etc... so i have a reference recording before doing the mod. Maybe even record some pink noise through the speakers too.  After that I'll order the parts, do the mod and re-record the same music and pink noise and do some listening tests.

Let me know if anybody has any better ideas on how to evaluate the un-modded vs. modded microphones before I start testing. I'll probably do the tests on the un-modded bodies over the weekend.

[Flarnet]

Sounds like an excellent plan - music for subjective testing and noise for objective.
Do you have a way of setting exactly the same volume on your amplifier and/or preamp? If they are to be used inbetween the tests that is.

If you the full mod (and replace the FET), can you do an ambient recording before/after using lots of gain? To see noise improvements.

May I suggest using white noise so that we can get a frequency response chart right away without having to compensate?

[Chuck]

Sounds like an excellent plan - music for subjective testing and noise for objective.
Do you have a way of setting exactly the same volume on your amplifier and/or preamp? If they are to be used inbetween the tests that is.

If you the full mod (and replace the FET), can you do an ambient recording before/after using lots of gain? To see noise improvements.

May I suggest using white noise so that we can get a frequency response chart right away without having to compensate?

Yes, I have the ability to do all the tests you mentioned. The ambient recording is a good idea too.

[blu666z]

I can't wait to see how this works.  Thanks for the time and effort.  Now, if I could get Guitar Center to figure out where my mics are I will be set.

-Kevin

[wbrisette]

Of course, once someone does this mod and has the recordings to compare with the un-modded microphones, we will never know whether is is worth doing.

There is no doubt that the modification will sound better. Scott Dorsey did the article on modifying the Marshall mics and that modification really made a difference. The problem becomes at what point does it not really become a cost savings. Scott was selling the PCB & transistors needed for the Marshall modification for something like $40 or $45 per mic. Pretty much what he was paying for them. However when you toss in the cost of the Marshall mics $300 per pair you're at close to $400. For a wee bit more you can get some nice AudioTechnica LD mics and you don't have to modify those.

Of course all that said, with the current $99.00 two for one sale, you almost can't go wrong with the Oktava 012 mic. While personally I'm not super impressed with the Oktava sound, for $99 it's not a bad sound. Let's see 10 pairs of Oktava mics, or one pair of SR-77's? ;-)

Wayne
               
               

[spoogles]

is this the 1997 DATheads posted mod or some new mod?

[Chuck]

I opened up my Guitar center Oktavas last night.
They both have the BC capacitors mentioned in the article. They have  identical parts. So I will have less stuff to replace.

My "matched" Oktavas, on the other hand, both have different capacitors then each other, which concerns me a bit.

I want to keep one pair as "stock" and mod the other pair, just in case I like the "stock" sound better.

I'm planning on ordering the parts this weekend for the mod. I'll post with the results.

[Cooker]

My "matched" Oktavas, on the other hand, both have different capacitors then each other, which concerns me a bit.

That would concern me too. Glad i went with the GC cheapies. Good luck with the mod, post your results!

[JP Gerard]

Lower noise, yep, my MK012s are as quiet as my KM84, same sensitivity... If you can live with a bit less headroom, you could change the FET gain and win a few dBs in s/n ratio, but it really isn't necessary: with better caps, the noise floor is low enough for most apps.

JP

[blu666z]

Thanks again for your effort on this.  +T

-Kevin

[Chuck]

Mod update:

I couldn't find a "one source" retailer for all the parts to do the mod, so I had to order from several places. Digi-Key had the .25 watt 1000M resistors on back order until December, so I went with the .5 watters. They are bigger and more expensive than the .25 watt, but they will work.

I've also been in contact with Scott Dorsey, the author of the article in Recording Magazine. He has been very helpful. If this mod turns out to be a major improvement and lots of people start doing it, I suggest we call it something like the the "Dorsey Mod."

I also had to order twenty of the 2SK170BL FET's as a minimum, so I'll have lots of extras in case someone else wants to do the mod. These were the hardest items to find too. I made a recording today using my un-modded Oktava MC012's with the matched capsules I have.

The rest of the parts should be here this week, so I hope to have time to mod the microphones soon after.

[Brian]

NOICE!!!! I might have to look into this.  Altough I keep telling myself I need to save 625 for a pair of ADK TLs

[rreidiii]

Where can I get a copy of the article?

[teamakg]

http://www.cs.fredonia.edu/~sisa1297/stuff/OktavaMC012Mods.pdf

[MattD]

Please save that locally to TS.com in the archive!