| Mojave MA-200 Mod? [message #395323] |
Sun, 04 January 2009 22:11  |
 tuchel
Messages: 138
Registered: December 2004
Location: Los Angeles |
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I get a fair amount of animation style vocals recorded at my place. In most cases these are actors pushing their throats to the limit and the sound comes out extra bright. I researched and bought 2 mics to capture these vocals - one was the Mojave MA-200. It works quite well, but I was wondering if there was a mod to address top end above 10k. I contacted Mojave, and they are checking into my request. Anyone aware of a mod for this mic?
The other mic, a Crowley & Tripp Naked Eye Roswellite, might end up being perfect for this application, but I'd like options.
Thanks;
Terry
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| Re: Mojave MA-200 Mod? [message #395340 is a reply to message #395323 ] |
Mon, 05 January 2009 05:00  |
rodabod
Messages: 341
Registered: December 2005
Location: London |
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With the standard capsule, I might try adding a low-pass filter as would be used to "correct" the response of the capsule in for example the Neumann U87 and U67 mics.
There is a slightly crude way of implementing this if you have some simple test kit and are capable of simple solder work.
Roddy Bell
BBC / Siemens
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| Re: Mojave MA-200 Mod? [message #395370 is a reply to message #395323 ] |
Mon, 05 January 2009 10:13 |
Jim Williams
Messages: 915
Registered: May 2005
Location: beautiful carlsbad, CA |
Gold Member |
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Simply reducing the coupling caps by 1/2 will reduce the low end by one octave. It's a wide roll-off as it's a 6 db/octave response. Other causes for a screaching top end are the common use of mono ceramic coupling caps. The use of high end polystyrene or polypropylene film and foil caps does reduce stridency while still opening up the 15~20k hz details.
Jim Williams
Audio Upgrades
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| Re: Mojave MA-200 Mod? [message #395381 is a reply to message #395379 ] |
Mon, 05 January 2009 11:09 |
rodabod
Messages: 341
Registered: December 2005
Location: London |
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I was under the impression it was Royer's standard 5840 plate-out circuit that was used in the Mojave MA-200. I think the cathode-follower circuit was used in his SDC mod.
Either way, the HF rise of K67-type capsules has been discussed here and elsewhere before, and will naturally sound bright if they don't have the de-emphasis filters like you find in some of the Neumann designs.
I think a simple solution that might be worth trying would be to load the plate output with a cap in parallel with the transformer or to bypass the plate resistor with a cap. I have tried the former, and whilst I think it should increase distortion, it seemed to work quite well in my opinion.
Roddy Bell
BBC / Siemens
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| Re: Mojave MA-200 Mod? [message #395390 is a reply to message #395384 ] |
Mon, 05 January 2009 11:18 |
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| Barry Hufker wrote on Mon, 05 January 2009 12:12 |
Something I've done every so often is to wrap bandage gauze around the grille. Usually one layer does the trick. It may not be attractive but it does the job quite nicely.
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Ooh. Photo please?
I like this common sense solution.
Oktava-modding in reverse...
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| Re: Mojave MA-200 Mod? [message #395418 is a reply to message #395323 ] |
Mon, 05 January 2009 12:48 |
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Cool. My joke about the Oktava mod (such as 319, etc.) is that one of the first things they do is remove a layer of inner "gauze" from the inside of the grille.
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| Re: Mojave MA-200 Mod? [message #395423 is a reply to message #395422 ] |
Mon, 05 January 2009 13:08 |
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Tomas Danko
Messages: 4602
Registered: May 2004
Location: Stockholm, Sweden |
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| Martin Kantola wrote on Mon, 05 January 2009 19:06 |
| tuchel wrote on Mon, 05 January 2009 04:11 |
I get a fair amount of animation style vocals recorded at my place. In most cases these are actors pushing their throats to the limit and the sound comes out extra bright. I researched and bought 2 mics to capture these vocals - one was the Mojave MA-200
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To me the Mojave is especially bright, so it sounds you got some bad advice there. Rolling of top with EQ is not exactly the same thing. Think the microphone needs a different capsule.
At the mellow side of the spectrum you could even try ribbons (Royers) or dynamics (SM7), but there are also condensers without both the typical built in ("Chinese") HF or classic presence boost, but surprisingly few. Actually working on such a new design at the moment.
Martin
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This is another of those times where an older Neumann U87 (not U87Ai) often is just the ticket, and a reason for it being widely used within animation/VO. And also one of few times when the U89 can sound good, actually. 
"T(Z)= (n1+n2*Z^-1+n2*Z^-2)/(1+d1*z^-1+d2*z^-2)" - Mr. Dan Lavry
"Shaw baa laa raaw, sidle' yaa doot in dee splaa" . Mr Shooby Taylor
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| Re: Mojave MA-200 Mod? [message #395463 is a reply to message #395423 ] |
Mon, 05 January 2009 15:37 |
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| Tomas Danko wrote on Mon, 05 January 2009 14:08 |
...And also one of few times when the U89 can sound good, actually.
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Now that is taking things too far...
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| Re: Mojave MA-200 Mod? [message #395492 is a reply to message #395323 ] |
Mon, 05 January 2009 17:40 |
strangeandbouncy
Messages: 80
Registered: July 2008
Location: UK |
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Hi,
I just used a Crowley + Tripp Mercenary Edition "roswellite" ribbon mic at Dean St before Xmas for the first time. It is a revelation. Absolutely astonishing. I was completely blown away. I used it on Kick drum(yup! a ribbon SAFELY on the Kick!), Gtr cabs, Bass CAb, and on some group bvs. I didn't try it on the lead, 'cos we haven't got there yet! I'll bet it's amazing there too . . .
My stock "problem solver" for really really harsh or sibilant vocals is the venerable Beyer M160 ribbon mic, especially for female vocals. The artist I am working with at the moment has by far the most impossible sibilance I have yet encountered in 25 years of recording. Not one of my vast collection of mics was any good at all with him. I tried every combination of mic and pre, and in the end ordered an M160 out of desperation( I didn't actually OWN one!) He sounds absolutely AWESOME on it. Only £280 to boot . . . . Only other option is the M130, if you prefer fig 8. The only problem is actually persuading many artists that they can possibly be sounding good on such an insignificant looking mic, when there are big old tube condensers in the room . . !
Kindest regards,
ANdyP
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| Re: Mojave MA-200 Mod? [message #395618 is a reply to message #395323 ] |
Tue, 06 January 2009 05:27 |
miics
Messages: 64
Registered: August 2008
Location: Border Ranges,NSW, Austra... |
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if you want the mic to sound great, get rid of the crappy transformer and Capsule or if you don't want to go that far, try a k47 capsule either original or aftermarket. it will fix your woes.
cheers
Ben Sneesby
ben@beesneezmicrophones.com.au
www.beesneezmicrophones.com.au
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