We've been experimenting with vacuum tube microphones since the early days. Our
first success came with the amplification of a
Radio Shack condenser element
sitting
in front of a 12AX7 circuit.
A couple of years ago we got the bright idea to buy cheap mics and use their capsules
for designs of our own. "Why not," we thought. They were cheaper than cheap so
for a hundred bucks or less we had ourselves a decent sounding condenser.
We've had a real good run cannibalizing Oktava products.
The cat and me like Russian
microphones. Some of our favorite orchestral vinyl,
comrade, is the wonderful result
of these devices.
At a certain point, we decided we had to make our own microphone shells, something to
call our own. After all, the mics were sounding like a mic should and we were actually
selling a few here and there. One can have such a thing fabricated at a machine
shop--for a crazy price--or do the work themselves.
Of course, we chose the latter and set to work.
The machining, from stock 6061 aluminum, of a microphone body, is illustrated in the
following three sections. The design choice is obvious, the methods basic machining.
After working on mics, tearing them apart and reading the literature, there's only so
much one wishes to do the first time out. Later, we took to designing our own microphone
bodies such as our patented
RoboSpacecat 6072-L ©.
Section One ®
Cleaning up the 2" blank, cutting out the condenser area, various screw holes.
Section Two ®
Fabricating supports, end pieces, boring out the hole for the Neutrik connector.
Section Three ®
The tube socket assembly, final fit, a couple of other parts.
