Topic: Oktava MC-012 MODs

[rreidiii]

Thanx!!

[dlantelme]

looking forward to hearing the results of your mods

[spoogles]

http://www.cdipietro.com/oktava/oktava-mod.pdf

todd( dr.phoB ) got a copy and did a rescan on that article.
hosted above.

[Chuck]

I just had a terrible, terrible experience with www.globalpartssupply.com!

They quoted me a price of $9.90 for (20) 2SK170-BL FET's. To be used in the Oktava mod.
When the parts came, the bill was for $218! I've bought lots of parts from lots of places. (I was a purchasing agent  for a machine shop for 6 years). But I have never been treated as bad as I was from this place.

When I got Global on the phone the woman told me she quoted $9.90 ea.! (I have the actual e-mail she sent that stated $9.90 was the total for (20) parts!) She also told me if I returned them she would charge me a 25% restocking fee which equals $49.50! The woman was beligerant and uncooperative. I suggest to anyone looking for parts... DO NOT use Global Parts Supply!

It's a good thing I used my credit card on this purchase.

So, my modded Oktava's are going to take a little longer than expected.

[Simp-Dawg]

chuck i would call them back immediately and ask to speak to a supervisor....don't let that bitch give you bad service, you are their customer, they quoted you a price AND YOU HAVE IT IN WRITING and now they won't honor that AND want to charge you to have it returned!  that would not fly in my book, not for one second, i would have had her boss on the line so fast her head would spin.

[dr.ph0b]

i just ordered 40 from bdent cause the minimum order was $15. so if anyone needs some i can hook u up for cost.

[blu666z]

Definately give them a call Chuck.  If you can produce the email, they have NO foot to stand on.

-Kevin

[Lee]

screw them, you have it in writing.  You may have to send the stuff back, but they can't charge you for it.

[Chuck]

screw them, you have it in writing.  You may have to send the stuff back, but they can't charge you for it.

Yeah... My credit card Co. is behind me. I called them. They said return the stuff with return reciept requested. If they don't refund all my $$ they will take care of it for me.

I am going to call the Better Business bureau on them though.
She tried to justify the $$ because of supply and demand. These parts go for $.60 at www.arrow.com. This woman is crazy if she thinks I'm going to spend $9.90 ea.!

I just hate it when stuff gets to be a hassle. You just can't trust people anymore.

[Chuck]

Yeah...
I'm also trying to track down a source for those set screws that break on the MC012's. I think hex drive would be better than the slot drive. The threads are unusual on those set screws. 60 turns per inch.

[dr.ph0b]

ok.. i modded one of my mc012's, so i could do a comparison with the other un-modded one. maybe a bad way to do it? but here is the results:

http://philzone.routeflap.net/audio/uploads/oktava-mod

txt file will have info on it. im thinking about offering to do them for people if the demand is there

[Simp-Dawg]

ok.. i modded one of my mc012's, so i could do a comparison with the other un-modded one. maybe a bad way to do it? but here is the results:

http://philzone.routeflap.net/audio/uploads/oktava-mod

txt file will have info on it. im thinking about offering to do them for people if the demand is there

i read your txt file, i see you modded the msp pair from the sound room.  you noted it, but i want to reiterate that the fmsp's from taylor do not necessarily benefit from that mod.  i would only do them on a "disposable" pair from guitar center or elsewhere that are not hand-picked and matched precisely already.
please don't take this personal, but i think that was a dumb move.  not to take away from a successful mod and your efforts in creating a test, but i must admit it seems a little futile to me.  
taylor gets his mics from the factories with the highest quality control and he himself has a high standard in picking which mics he sells, especially with the matched stereo pairs which go through rigorous testing both at the factory and again when he gets them.  i posted a thread with some of his comments in it awhile ago, you may be able to find it if you search for it.
the cheapie gc oktavas most likely came from factories with lower quality control standards.  in some cases the people on the assembly line would run out of certain parts and just grab whatever was around to complete the circuitry of the mic.  now, this isn't so much the case anymore, as i have been told that quality control has been upped in many of the factories since the flood of the low cost oktavas.  
anyways, the gc oktavas likely have inferior or incorrect components which will benefit from the mod.
check out calico's comments on this board, i think he is doing the comparison the right way.  he has a fmsp, and picked up a pair from guitar centar as well to mod.  he hand picked the gc mics and found 2 that he believed were sonically equivalent, by his ears.  he's working on this mod now and will be able to provide a test comparing the sound room fmsp's, the un-modded gc oktavas, and then the modded ones.  i think this test will yield the best results especially with 2 controls to compare the mod to.
 :twocents:

[dr.ph0b]

yes, i know how he picks his mics, i mentioned that in my txt file that he tosses a very high percentage, etc etc.  I personally dont think this was a 'dumb idea' to modify a sound-room pair.  its still getting some of the vital parts upgraded, and its not like its a hard modification to perform anyway.  in addition, i know someone else who has a msp from sound-room that doesnt have identical parts in both and one of them has the C3 and C4 caps that leak.  i think its incorrect to assume that ALL sound-room mics dont need to be touched.  and if they are modified and dont benefeit from it, at least you  know that you have all new quality parts installed. i see only benefeit in that and no harm.  someone is actually sending me a pair from GC that badly need help, so im anxious to work on those too. i actually havent even used my mc012's in a year since i got my 4v setup, but i kept them cause they are great mics, and now they are modified with known quality parts.

i think this is a "your milage may vary" issue. but u can only improve your mics by doing a modification, not worsen them.  

[Simp-Dawg]

yes, i know how he picks his mics, i mentioned that in my txt file that he tosses a very high percentage, etc etc.  I personally dont think this was a 'dumb idea' to modify a sound-room pair.  its still getting some of the vital parts upgraded, and its not like its a hard modification to perform anyway.  in addition, i know someone else who has a msp from sound-room that doesnt have identical parts in both and one of them has the C3 and C4 caps that leak.  i think its incorrect to assume that ALL sound-room mics dont need to be touched.  and if they are modified and dont benefeit from it, at least you  know that you have all new quality parts installed. i see only benefeit in that and no harm.  someone is actually sending me a pair from GC that badly need help, so im anxious to work on those too. i actually havent even used my mc012's in a year since i got my 4v setup, but i kept them cause they are great mics, and now they are modified with known quality parts.

i definitely see your point, and it's good that you have had some practice performing the mod so you can do it on other mics.  i just think there's more to be gained in modding the non-sound room mics... although if you found yours to have differing components, then all the more reason to do it.

i think this is a "your milage may vary" issue. but u can only improve your mics by doing a modification, not worsen them.  

true...unless you really botch it up good!

[spoogles]

I am the person who DR.Phob Speaks of with the insides totaly dif and only one has the mod done. so just because it comes from sound room means nothing.