Basically no-one makes these hands-on videos -- helping the new blood of engineers -- either because they don't have the legitimate old school experience or they're sadly too gone to speak in full sentences anymore. Step forward Dave. Legend isn't the word. Your work is creating a body of easily-accessible and honestly-presented knowledge that needs to be on the radar of anyone interested in the practicalities (and engineering problems) of live sound. Fantastic.
Thanks Dave, I really enjoy listening to, and soaking up, the tips and tricks that you have picked up over the years. Mic repair is something I haven't tried before and something I will now give a red hot go as I have a couple of old mics kicking around. Thank-you.
Some years ago I bought a Beyer M260 with missing head screws. I contacted the Beyer support and they sent me some. I think I payed for them, but it was pretty straight forward to get them.
I like these mic disassembly videos, if for nothing else just to catch any hidden screws or clips for future reference. As to the M88, I like it on bass guitar if I'm mic'ing the bass amp.
The timing for this video was great - really practical to get a sense of how long something mike take and shows your thought process. You mentioned screwdrivers - what was the set you had there?
Very interesting ! Some more mic repair videos please. Speed / Level of Detail is good. 2 Mikes in 25 minutes 🙂 1:10 You can get sets of very small size metric screws on ebay (M1.0 M1.2 M1.6....) for repairing watches, glasses, cameras, or mobile phones
After a few years it is just another day at the office (or on the road), but I would have to guess, or assume a lot of silly things without those workshops. Thank You.
Another Tech Tip: I use a dab of Hot Melt glue to stabilize tiny wires all the time because it holds them firmly in place and can be easily removed with a drop of 91% Isopropyl alcohol...
Cool! I once burned out an audio interface while troubleshooting an SM58. I forgot to turn off the phantom power and I think I shorted out the interface... be careful haha
@@DaveRat I'll admit, I've had a similar experience with certain make & model of mixers where one or more channels are dead because of phantom power being on and something shorted. An Allen & Heath MixWizard 16:2, for example, at my church has just channel 15 dead. All you'll hear is static and nothing else from whatever you plug into the channel. I kinda expected the same result from consoles made by Peavey, but Allen & Heath? Really??
Hi Dave. What about taking a beta 57 or 58 and scoop out at the board. Would the sound be similar? Is it just psychology taking big mikes for big instruments? I think a Neumann KM 184 has much more low bass although it will not handle the level in a kick.
The beta 52 may be adding some chamber resonance from the oversized housing. That said, adding artificial mic based lows is not my favorite thing. And yes, the EQ circuit can be pretty well copies by console eq
Maybe a Shure ing could chime in and answer better the question but the capsules are similar with the beta 57/58 but not identical, if you look close to the b52 capsule you will notice that the rear vents are different and that not have cloth (less air resistance I think, better bass response). Apart from the chamber the black rubber helps with decoupling the capsule from mechanical vibrations.
Yes the capsules should be different I'm somewhat familiar with these things from my work with audix. The d6 is very similar to the om series. The beta 52 capsule is very similar to the beta 5758 capsules more than the SM. Altering the resistance cloth over the porting will change the lows end. And changing the shock mounting for a higher vibration environment is logical. Mainly as a manufacturer using the same magnet structure and many of the same parts for multiple microphones is a desirable and financially beneficial decision. In this case using a version of the beta 57/58 capsule and altering it for more low end and then adding an EQ circuit seems to be what they did
Hey Dave, what black and yellow precision screwdriver set are you using? Looks like Dewalt colors but wasn't sure. Also, was this video the slower less "chopped up" version? I like this pace a lot.
About the pace and length of the videos, what you have been doing is great. You have some good detail real-time, but I don't feel like I'm watching glue dry.
Pro tip, Visit your local phone or laptop repair shop. Many of those small screws are metric and common in the industry. phones and laptops both use black screws most of the time, so even the color is correct. Most likely an M2 size.
great advice and I actually keep a big pile of screws from old phones and laptops and other things I've taken apart over the years . And none of them match these darn beyer screws. I was sure I would be able to find something close even if I had to grind it down and make it shorter or it was silver or Philips or hex, but I have yet to find a match
Love the videos! I was curious though, how would I go about diagnosing a modern LDC that I dropped on the ground to see if I broke it? I guess it it sounds good, it’s fine?
If you have another and measurement software you can run pink throu a speaker and compare. If you have 3, then setting up a null test with 2 good ones and then swapping in the dropped one is a way to do it without measurement gear and hear what's going on. I think the vid is called, when vovlcal mics go bad. Where I show how to null test.
What do you prefer to mic with an M88? I have thought about buying a few for drum duty, but the Beyer boundary mic so far has been quite pleasing for kick duty.
Yes the m88 will really warm up a kick especially if it's flappy and add punch to any kick. That said that super fine voice coil wire will break if used on a drummer with a heavy foot. I'm not positive that it's different but they did make a tour group version of the m88 and it's possible that TG version had a more robust voice coil wire and dealt with kick better. Someone may know that real answer to that and whether that is myth or reality
@@DaveRat Hypothetical scenario: If you had nothing but M88 mics for use on instruments and vocals, which revision would you use? The m88 has had some changes over the decades, though...
Hey hey Todd yeah I like the d6 which is a very clear mic and has that built-in EQ similar to a beta 52. I usually used a beta 91 on the inside and selected a mic for the vent depending on the sound of the drum. I would select from a d6, re20, m88, or even I used an sm7 for a tour but I don't recall who. The trick is to use big sounding mics on small drums and mics that don't add low end on big boomy drums
I am pretty happy with my Wiha kit I bought while touting in Germany maybe 20 or more years ago. Ifixit is an interesting collaborative and make some good stuff. Maybe check out Wiha Tools, started in 1939 they make nice stuff. www.wihatools.com/pages/about-wiha
Distilled water and q-tips and a delicate touch can clean diaphragms. Cleaning foam with soapy water and q-tips and isopropyl alcohol on clogged fine mesh grills will get a mic closer to the new mic sound.
I love it. Fast cuts for these types of videos would not be to my taste. Of course, if you spent 20 seconds looking for the right screwdriver, and didn’t talk to us while, then sure, Cut that. Can’t Think of anything that you could do better. 👍🏾
Interestingly, ‘one-legged’ has become a common term for stage techs and mixers to describe a super-thin sound even though it virtually never actually means what it implies. Any balanced floating source with only one ‘leg’ connected will have zero output.
if it is a transformer output, that may be true. But with active electronically balanced outputs and inputs, there actually is signal and it usually sounds thin and is that one legged sound people refer to. And also, even with mics which are truly floating balanced sources, pin 2 or pin 3 disconnected will often give the low gain, no lows, one legged sound. Test it, it's easily shown. Just to be extra sure, I just walked in the other room while typing this response and tested a beta 58 with pin 2 disconnected and sure Shure enough. One legged sound exactly as expected. With active balanced outputs and inputs, one legged (pin 2 or 3 not connected) will often result in full range sound but 6 db down. Test for yourself and get back to me.
@@DaveRat Thanks, Dave, I’ll check it out. Apparently, there is some degree of ground reference going on in those mics. I often forget almost all of my mic use is powered.
Yes, active outs and many mics have some reference and/or the active balanced console audio pin 2 and 3 inputs are not fully isolated from ground. Which I actually think is the more common scenario.
It surprises me that manufacturers aren’t eager to sell screw packages. They have to know it’s a problem for their users, and a problem keeping their products from being seen and heard. Such parts are readily available for Apple devices for example.
Basically no-one makes these hands-on videos -- helping the new blood of engineers -- either because they don't have the legitimate old school experience or they're sadly too gone to speak in full sentences anymore. Step forward Dave. Legend isn't the word. Your work is creating a body of easily-accessible and honestly-presented knowledge that needs to be on the radar of anyone interested in the practicalities (and engineering problems) of live sound. Fantastic.
Thank you Kirk!!
Slow and real time. I appreciate your videos.
Awesome and thank you
Super helpful series! the pacing feels natural. Interesting look into the beta microphones, I recently had one fail on me. Thanks DR!
🔧🤙🔧
Already said it, I'm 100% for real time videos, I can't miss any drop of wisdom from you.
Thank you! Yes, this vid was recorded a while back and just releasing
My SM52a repair customer and I thank you!!
Perfect!!
Thanks Dave. Nice trick with the pin short. Your pace is meditative and interesting.
Thank you
Thanks Dave,
I really enjoy listening to, and soaking up, the tips and tricks that you have picked up over the years.
Mic repair is something I haven't tried before and something I will now give a red hot go as I have a couple of old mics kicking around.
Thank-you.
Yes! Adventure into mic fix!
Some years ago I bought a Beyer M260 with missing head screws.
I contacted the Beyer support and they sent me some. I think I payed for them, but it was pretty straight forward to get them.
Very cool and thank you. I have had less luck, but the mics I have contacted them about were older and discontinued.
I like these mic disassembly videos, if for nothing else just to catch any hidden screws or clips for future reference. As to the M88, I like it on bass guitar if I'm mic'ing the bass amp.
🤙👍🤙
Thanks, Dave! Cool video! Don't change tempo/cutting up.. I love tour style!
👍🤙🔧
I like the pace of this series.
👍🤙👍
Such a cool series, thanks for sharing. I hope you have a crack at those KSM mics you showed in part 1!
🤙👍🤙 will do
I love your videos! So amazingly informative and interesting! Thank you! Keep them coming!
Awesome and thank you Kevin!
The timing for this video was great - really practical to get a sense of how long something mike take and shows your thought process.
You mentioned screwdrivers - what was the set you had there?
Watched the whole thing, really cool, was just right as it is!
Hey Hey Hannes Frischat cool cool
perfect pace Dave
👍🤙👍
Very interesting ! Some more mic repair videos please. Speed / Level of Detail is good. 2 Mikes in 25 minutes 🙂
1:10 You can get sets of very small size metric screws on ebay (M1.0 M1.2 M1.6....) for repairing watches, glasses, cameras, or mobile phones
After a few years it is just another day at the office (or on the road), but I would have to guess, or assume a lot of silly things without those workshops. Thank You.
Awesome and thank you!!
Awesome, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge.
YOU'RE THE FKING MAN!
Infinite love & gratitude from Colorado!
Very good. I have one of this beta 52a for repair. Thanks
Invaluable info, sir!
🤙👍🤙
Toni from Brazil! Got my like!
🎤🎤🎤🔧🔧🔧🎤🎤🎤
Muito bom. Estou com um desse beta 52a para conserto. Obrigado
Obregado!!
Keep the vids the same.
Dave I am also a A-1 love your work!!! What model is the Midas bored on the wall?
So cool I used to run a Yamaha PM 4000
Midas h3000
1:24 DIAMONDS!!! 🤩🤩🤩🤩
🔧👍🔧
Another Tech Tip: I use a dab of Hot Melt glue to stabilize tiny wires all the time because it holds them firmly in place and can be easily removed with a drop of 91% Isopropyl alcohol...
That's a great way to do it
Cool! I once burned out an audio interface while troubleshooting an SM58. I forgot to turn off the phantom power and I think I shorted out the interface... be careful haha
Yeah, it happen, I will cover this topic more
@@DaveRat I'll admit, I've had a similar experience with certain make & model of mixers where one or more channels are dead because of phantom power being on and something shorted. An Allen & Heath MixWizard 16:2, for example, at my church has just channel 15 dead. All you'll hear is static and nothing else from whatever you plug into the channel. I kinda expected the same result from consoles made by Peavey, but Allen & Heath? Really??
Hi Dave.
What about taking a beta 57 or 58 and scoop out at the board. Would the sound be similar? Is it just psychology taking big mikes for big instruments?
I think a Neumann KM 184 has much more low bass although it will not handle the level in a kick.
The beta 52 may be adding some chamber resonance from the oversized housing. That said, adding artificial mic based lows is not my favorite thing.
And yes, the EQ circuit can be pretty well copies by console eq
Maybe a Shure ing could chime in and answer better the question but the capsules are similar with the beta 57/58 but not identical, if you look close to the b52 capsule you will notice that the rear vents are different and that not have cloth (less air resistance I think, better bass response). Apart from the chamber the black rubber helps with decoupling the capsule from mechanical vibrations.
Yes the capsules should be different I'm somewhat familiar with these things from my work with audix. The d6 is very similar to the om series.
The beta 52 capsule is very similar to the beta 5758 capsules more than the SM.
Altering the resistance cloth over the porting will change the lows end.
And changing the shock mounting for a higher vibration environment is logical.
Mainly as a manufacturer using the same magnet structure and many of the same parts for multiple microphones is a desirable and financially beneficial decision.
In this case using a version of the beta 57/58 capsule and altering it for more low end and then adding an EQ circuit seems to be what they did
Hey Dave, what black and yellow precision screwdriver set are you using? Looks like Dewalt colors but wasn't sure. Also, was this video the slower less "chopped up" version? I like this pace a lot.
Not sure of the brand on the black and yellow kit, it's not a great set. My preferred list are made by Wiha
About the pace and length of the videos, what you have been doing is great. You have some good detail real-time, but I don't feel like I'm watching glue dry.
Thank you Jim! Good to hear as this pace is what I prefer as well
Pro tip, Visit your local phone or laptop repair shop. Many of those small screws are metric and common in the industry. phones and laptops both use black screws most of the time, so even the color is correct. Most likely an M2 size.
great advice and I actually keep a big pile of screws from old phones and laptops and other things I've taken apart over the years .
And none of them match these darn beyer screws. I was sure I would be able to find something close even if I had to grind it down and make it shorter or it was silver or Philips or hex, but I have yet to find a match
Great stuff!!
😁⚡🤙
Love the videos! I was curious though, how would I go about diagnosing a modern LDC that I dropped on the ground to see if I broke it? I guess it it sounds good, it’s fine?
If you have another and measurement software you can run pink throu a speaker and compare. If you have 3, then setting up a null test with 2 good ones and then swapping in the dropped one is a way to do it without measurement gear and hear what's going on. I think the vid is called, when vovlcal mics go bad. Where I show how to null test.
What do you prefer to mic with an M88? I have thought about buying a few for drum duty, but the Beyer boundary mic so far has been quite pleasing for kick duty.
M88s don't last too long on kick but they add amazing low punch. M88 is the mic of magic warmth
Love the M88 on kick!
Yes the m88 will really warm up a kick especially if it's flappy and add punch to any kick.
That said that super fine voice coil wire will break if used on a drummer with a heavy foot.
I'm not positive that it's different but they did make a tour group version of the m88 and it's possible that TG version had a more robust voice coil wire and dealt with kick better.
Someone may know that real answer to that and whether that is myth or reality
@@DaveRat Hypothetical scenario: If you had nothing but M88 mics for use on instruments and vocals, which revision would you use? The m88 has had some changes over the decades, though...
I have not used the various provisions enough to know so I would just use the best looking ones
@@DaveRat I prefer the O.G. revision from the 60's or 80's, before they went to the current revision.
Yeah, I have not opened a modern one but and sure there are cost cutting manufacturing changes
ok I really want to see a whole video about b52 circuitry now :O
Hmmm, I will ponder that. Maybe do listen of the beta 52 with the EQ removed
What are your preferences on kick mics? I really like the D6 on a rock kit.
Hey hey Todd yeah I like the d6 which is a very clear mic and has that built-in EQ similar to a beta 52.
I usually used a beta 91 on the inside and selected a mic for the vent depending on the sound of the drum.
I would select from a d6, re20, m88, or even I used an sm7 for a tour but I don't recall who.
The trick is to use big sounding mics on small drums and mics that don't add low end on big boomy drums
hey dave , can i get a little help, cant find your video, it is about sa subwoofer a compact sub ithink its at 15" can you send me the link thanks
Hmmm, not sure which vid you are looking for. Maybe the eaw microsub?
Hi... great vid... I have a beyerdynamic tg v90r - Have you opened one? Thoughts?
I have not opened one of those
If U want to learn the details your pace is just fine!
🤙👍🔧
Hey Dave I would recommend you check out the IFixit line of tools for Electronics they are better quality
I am pretty happy with my Wiha kit I bought while touting in Germany maybe 20 or more years ago.
Ifixit is an interesting collaborative and make some good stuff.
Maybe check out Wiha Tools, started in 1939 they make nice stuff.
www.wihatools.com/pages/about-wiha
I use ifixit all the time, very nice, but the weha stuff looks like it can reach deeper, which is a definite plus
🤙👍🤙🔧🔧🔧
Awesome! Keep it tight :)
🤙👍🤙
Can you 'brighten up' a dull sounding mic?
@DarkTrap Studio I mean by cleaning the capsule or something
Distilled water and q-tips and a delicate touch can clean diaphragms. Cleaning foam with soapy water and q-tips and isopropyl alcohol on clogged fine mesh grills will get a mic closer to the new mic sound.
🤙👍🤙
That was brilliant that!!!
enjoyed it
🤙🤙🤙
I love it.
Fast cuts for these types of videos would not be to my taste. Of course, if you spent 20 seconds looking for the right screwdriver, and didn’t talk to us while, then sure, Cut that.
Can’t Think of anything that you could do better. 👍🏾
Thank you Nick!!
Thanks a lot papa
👍🤙👍
M88 that’s what a great mic looks like inside,proper design not just a capsule on a cheap metal stick.
Interestingly, ‘one-legged’ has become a common term for stage techs and mixers to describe a super-thin sound even though it virtually never actually means what it implies. Any balanced floating source with only one ‘leg’ connected will have zero output.
if it is a transformer output, that may be true. But with active electronically balanced outputs and inputs, there actually is signal and it usually sounds thin and is that one legged sound people refer to.
And also, even with mics which are truly floating balanced sources, pin 2 or pin 3 disconnected will often give the low gain, no lows, one legged sound.
Test it, it's easily shown. Just to be extra sure, I just walked in the other room while typing this response and tested a beta 58 with pin 2 disconnected and sure Shure enough. One legged sound exactly as expected.
With active balanced outputs and inputs, one legged (pin 2 or 3 not connected) will often result in full range sound but 6 db down.
Test for yourself and get back to me.
@@DaveRat Thanks, Dave, I’ll check it out. Apparently, there is some degree of ground reference going on in those mics. I often forget almost all of my mic use is powered.
Yes, active outs and many mics have some reference and/or the active balanced console audio pin 2 and 3 inputs are not fully isolated from ground. Which I actually think is the more common scenario.
I found that some fingerboard (mini skateboard) screws will fit
Super cool! That is exactly the kind of cool way to find an unrelated things
Nice metcal iron 😃 I love mine
Yes, so good!
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
👍🤙👍
It surprises me that manufacturers aren’t eager to sell screw packages. They have to know it’s a problem for their users, and a problem keeping their products from being seen and heard. Such parts are readily available for Apple devices for example.
Agreed, but they would rather you send it back so they can tell you it can't be fixed
I bet that J48 has a transformer that’s broken free of its circuit board… had lots like that when they’ve been dropped!
J48?
The radial DI, next in your pile!
Ha! Maybe, have not looked yet and thank you
Long videos are good, chopping adds suspance like in a TV series.
👍🤙👍
Thanks What Y do is Exelent ;-)
Wonderful and thank you
Wanna come to our shop and troubleshoot some stuff for us? : )
I actually would enjoy that of time was not so short and distances not so long
Slow and real time
👍🤙👍
Appropriate pace. Don’t change anything.
🤙👍🤙
Appropriate pace. Don’t change anything.
Thank you