[Hallicrafters] Microphones for Hallicrafters

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On 6/22/05, Freeberg, Scott (STP) <Scott.Freeberg at guidant.com> wrote:
<snip>

> Its incredible actually, spending only $4 for a mic element that sounds as good as the original.

It is if it works out. There are a lot of old mics out there that will
eventually take a dirt nap due to element aging, being dropped, severe
temperature changes and so on. Would be nice to know there are ways to
repair them. I'm not a big fan of the new wave of 'classis' knockoffs,
simply because the originals are so much more appealing aestetically,
quite often work just fine, and are often priced less.

We live in a world of generalizations and opinions/interpretations,
even when it comes to mic elements. Maybe the new elements really do
work better, or maybe the original had been on its way out for a long
time and never sounded as good as it should have, so anything would
sound better. There's no real way to know what standards folks use for
comparison. Even a new-out-of-the-box D-104 element might not sound as
it should. On air reports help, but one person's ear won't necessarily
agree with the next and so on.

Best thing to do is set up your mics to be tested through a monitor
that you can hear and go from there. Make as many comparisons as you
can, and find something that *you* like the sound of. I have a fair
collection of old mics and I just know that when the time comes to try
them out, the ones I like the looks of the most will probably sound
the worst. The AM and vintage gear crowds have done very well at
adapting to changes and the absence of parts by innovating and trying
things out.

And of course, reporting our findings is what helps others and keeps
this all going. I was thinking along the same lines as Scott when I
read about the Mouser element substitute recently: if this is true, it
sure will be great. The more people who use these things, the more
we'll discover.

That Turner is an old timer! It's almost as amazing that it lasted as
long as it did. Something to do with that saying "they don't build 'em
like they used to"?

~ Todd  KA1KAQ