Author Topic: Custom mod work. What does the community need? (Read 8417 times)

Unitmonster · « **on:** January 05, 2006, 04:51:44 PM »

Hi all,

Strange post but I thought I might be able to help a few of you out and possibly help my family as well.
My uncle is a long-time electrician who got into a hobby of building and doing custom mods for guitar amps a few years ago. He's got a good ear for tone and obviously knows his way around a circuitboard. Recently the mine he worked at announced it is shutting down and he's going to be out of work after that.

He's starting into a bit of paid custom-shop work for tube amps and I thought I'd tell him about our community to see if he might be interested in offering his expertise to people on the board for taper-related custom work, since there seems to be a shortage of people doing it these days.

What I was wondering is if you could give me an idea of the type of work that people be wanting done. I don't want to step on other people's turf here (for example, I know there are already a few guys who do custom cables), but given the recent troubles with certain Freelancers, and Oade's apparent backlog of work, are there other things needed?

Some things that came to my mind were:
- Making active mics
- Modding preamps
- custom batt boxes

anything else come to mind? Any thoughts?

bconnolly · « **Reply #1 on:** January 05, 2006, 04:55:54 PM »

That post in the Pre-amp forum about modding the PS-2 and the AD-20 into one box... there was mention of adding VU meters to the UA-5.

That right there would be a nice mod.

cpatch · « **Reply #2 on:** January 05, 2006, 04:56:18 PM »

See http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=56998.0

Craig

Unitmonster · « **Reply #3 on:** January 05, 2006, 05:05:36 PM »

yeah, that's what reminded me actually. I had talked to him about it over Christmas and it slipped my mind. Possibly something he'd be into trying. I'm basically trying to put together a bit of an inventory of possible jobs that he'd be expected to be able to do and tell him about it so he can decide if this would be his kind of thing or not. He's a pretty major perfectionist so I don't think he'd want to get involved if he wasn't 100% sure that he'd be good at it.

F.O.Bean · « **Reply #4 on:** January 05, 2006, 05:17:32 PM »

actives for the 480's

Krispy D · « **Reply #5 on:** January 05, 2006, 05:26:16 PM »

anyone ever make actives for the cheap oktava 012 mics? ken at oktava said it wasn't possible but it would be cool if someone could do it...

thegreatgumbino · « **Reply #6 on:** January 05, 2006, 05:28:41 PM »

Quote from: Bean on January 05, 2006, 05:17:32 PM

actives for the 480's

Ditto, but I'll add for the 460's / 480's

Unitmonster · « **Reply #7 on:** January 05, 2006, 05:45:35 PM »

thanks for the input guys! Any other ideas more than welcome. I"ll pass this stuff by him via email and see where it goes from there.

Nick Graham · « **Reply #8 on:** January 05, 2006, 05:55:16 PM »

Quote from: Krispy D on January 05, 2006, 05:26:16 PM

anyone ever make actives for the cheap oktava 012 mics? ken at oktava said it wasn't possible but it would be cool if someone could do it...

I would think that for the amount of $$$ it would take to make actives for the MC012 you could easily upgrade mics entirely.

Krispy D · « **Reply #9 on:** January 05, 2006, 06:02:55 PM »

Quote from: Nick Graham on January 05, 2006, 05:55:16 PM

Quote from: Krispy D on January 05, 2006, 05:26:16 PM
anyone ever make actives for the cheap oktava 012 mics? ken at oktava said it wasn't possible but it would be cool if someone could do it...

I would think that for the amount of $$$ it would take to make actives for the MC012 you could easily upgrade mics entirely.

good point. just trying to stretch what's already in the gear bag...

Nick Graham · « **Reply #10 on:** January 05, 2006, 06:07:27 PM »

Quote from: Krispy D on January 05, 2006, 06:02:55 PM

Quote from: Nick Graham on January 05, 2006, 05:55:16 PM
Quote from: Krispy D on January 05, 2006, 05:26:16 PM
anyone ever make actives for the cheap oktava 012 mics? ken at oktava said it wasn't possible but it would be cool if someone could do it...

I would think that for the amount of $$$ it would take to make actives for the MC012 you could easily upgrade mics entirely.

good point. just trying to stretch what's already in the gear bag...

Certainly no harm in that.

spyder9 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 05, 2006, 06:38:00 PM »

Quote from: Bean on January 05, 2006, 05:17:32 PM

actives for the 480's

Ditto.

Chuck · « **Reply #12 on:** January 05, 2006, 06:42:48 PM »

Quote from: Bean on January 05, 2006, 05:17:32 PM

actives for the 480's

Word!

johnw · « **Reply #13 on:** January 05, 2006, 07:34:48 PM »

Quote from: Chuck on January 05, 2006, 06:42:48 PM

Quote from: Bean on January 05, 2006, 05:17:32 PM
actives for the 480's

Word!

Dubble werd!

Didn't someone even have the active cables all machined out? Maybe sickrick? I know I saw a picture.

IowaClint · « **Reply #14 on:** January 05, 2006, 07:57:01 PM »

John,
I think we may have seen the same pics. I think it was over in the oade forum. They had machined the both end and had wire connecting them. I think that was as far as they got.
Clint

johnw · « **Reply #15 on:** January 05, 2006, 08:32:40 PM »

Nope it was here. JAH was the one who made them.

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=47484.15

bluegrass_brad · « **Reply #16 on:** January 05, 2006, 08:34:11 PM »

He posted here as well. They were looking sweet. He just needed to finish the electronics in the part that the caps goes on. I think it was jah, or something like that. Here is another vote for actives for 460/480 series.

thegreatgumbino · « **Reply #17 on:** January 06, 2006, 08:35:51 AM »

It is JAH. He's been working on them for a while. I think he's gotten them to work, but not to his satisfaction. He's still ironing out the kinks with the electronics.

Nick (builder of the Nbox) said he's going to start working on some actives for the 460's/480's this year as well.

poorlyconditioned · « **Reply #18 on:** January 06, 2006, 11:17:19 AM »

Quote from: johnw on January 05, 2006, 08:32:40 PM

Nope it was here. JAH was the one who made them.

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=47484.15

Where is the heat shrink tube and duct tape

Wow, those look great!

I've been thinking of doing this, but haven't got around to it. I wouldn't be as neat either.

Richard

Sanjay · « **Reply #19 on:** January 06, 2006, 11:23:57 AM »

Quote from: poorlyconditioned on January 06, 2006, 11:17:19 AM

Quote from: johnw on January 05, 2006, 08:32:40 PM
Nope it was here. JAH was the one who made them.

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=47484.15

Where is the heat shrink tube and duct tape

Wow, those look great!

I've been thinking of doing this, but haven't got around to it. I wouldn't be as neat either.

Richard

Those seem to be like the AKG actives I have, but with a recepticle end for the ck61 ect. Seems he used a lemo plug

bluegrass_brad · « **Reply #20 on:** January 06, 2006, 11:54:12 AM »

Quote from: thegreatgumbino on January 06, 2006, 08:35:51 AM

Nick (builder of the Nbox) said he's going to start working on some actives for the 460's/480's this year as well.

Cool, if he figures something out, at least we know Nick will be around awhile without vanishing.

F.O.Bean · « **Reply #21 on:** January 06, 2006, 04:23:19 PM »

Quote from: bluegrass_brad on January 06, 2006, 11:54:12 AM

Quote from: thegreatgumbino on January 06, 2006, 08:35:51 AM

Nick (builder of the Nbox) said he's going to start working on some actives for the 460's/480's this year as well.

Cool, if he figures something out, at least we know Nick will be around awhile without vanishing.

qft, id be ALL over that

aberg · « **Reply #22 on:** January 06, 2006, 10:49:43 PM »

Maybe way down the road, when all of this gets ironed out and 480 actives start being regularly built, I'll part with my km184's.... for now I think I like them too much, hah!

Sanjay · « **Reply #23 on:** January 06, 2006, 11:18:00 PM »

Quote from: aberg83 on January 06, 2006, 10:49:43 PM

Maybe way down the road, when all of this gets ironed out and 480 actives start being regularly built, I'll part with my km184's.... for now I think I like them too much, hah!

quoted for posterity

thegreatgumbino · « **Reply #24 on:** January 07, 2006, 07:43:50 AM »

I'd love to see the AKG 460/480 actives be nothing more than extension cables from the bodies and the caps. That way the JW Mod 460 bodies could still be run. I think the AKG Nbox would be great as well, but I want he option to run the caps remotely from the bodies.

Zaphod · « **Reply #25 on:** January 07, 2006, 10:49:46 AM »

How about a nice 24/96 (or 48) A/D to replace the discontinued SBM-1's for all the stealthers?

bconnolly · « **Reply #26 on:** January 07, 2006, 07:32:15 PM »

Quote from: Zaphod on January 07, 2006, 10:49:46 AM

How about a nice 24/96 (or 48) A/D to replace the discontinued SBM-1's for all the stealthers?

Microtrack is calling your name

True, it's not as nice as having an outboard 24/96 A/D but it works damn well for stealth.

Zaphod · « **Reply #27 on:** January 08, 2006, 09:35:55 AM »

Quote from: mojomonkee on January 07, 2006, 07:32:15 PM

Quote from: Zaphod on January 07, 2006, 10:49:46 AM
How about a nice 24/96 (or 48) A/D to replace the discontinued SBM-1's for all the stealthers?

Microtrack is calling your name

True, it's not as nice as having an outboard 24/96 A/D but it works damn well for stealth.

Only a matter of time my friend

Roving Sign · « **Reply #28 on:** January 08, 2006, 01:55:05 PM »

One mod that might be nice for the U-A5 camp...this one is functional - not a sonic mod...

How about a "solo" function for the peak light?

As it is now, the UA5 has only one peak light for both channels...so one can't be totally sure which knob to reach for...(unless you have some downstream metering - )

So - each channel would need some sort of push button switch (momentary?) that - when pressed - would send only that channel through the peak light circuit.

Might be an aid in level setting...

Brian Skalinder · « **Reply #29 on:** January 08, 2006, 03:36:23 PM »

Quote from: Roving Sign on January 08, 2006, 01:55:05 PM

How about a "solo" function for the peak light?

FWIW, the Beachtek SVU-1 and -2 are both excellent solutions for UA-5 metering - they provide the same metering as the V3 (0 > -27 dB in -3 dB increments if you ignore the labelling on the LEDs).

setboy · « **Reply #30 on:** January 08, 2006, 05:06:00 PM »

how about that three-wire batt box for the people that cant/dont want to make it

and the 480 Actives would be sweet

rustoleum · « **Reply #31 on:** January 10, 2006, 09:08:17 AM »

Quote from: Bean on January 05, 2006, 05:17:32 PM

actives for the 480's

T.J. · « **Reply #32 on:** January 15, 2006, 01:22:37 PM »

Quote from: rustoleum on January 10, 2006, 09:08:17 AM

Quote from: Bean on January 05, 2006, 05:17:32 PM
actives for the 480's

this would be tempting

audBall · « **Reply #33 on:** January 15, 2006, 01:29:07 PM »

I'll throw in my votes for the 3-wire bbox and any type of active mods for mics. Those 480 users are itchin' for it....I don't blame `em.

NJFunk · « **Reply #34 on:** January 16, 2006, 10:03:08 AM »

Preamp upgrade and actual (instead of just promised...) P48 phantom for the Microtrack.

Jhurlbs81 · « **Reply #35 on:** January 16, 2006, 08:31:41 PM »

60v power supply for schoeps.

sullen · « **Reply #36 on:** January 18, 2006, 08:31:40 PM »

Another vote for akg actives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

leehookem · « **Reply #37 on:** January 18, 2006, 10:12:16 PM »

AKG actives please

rockumal · « **Reply #38 on:** January 19, 2006, 03:52:02 PM »

Warm mod for line in on a DA-P1 would be worth $$$ to me