Oktava Microphone Modification Services
"...upgrade the inexpensive Oktava 012 mic from
good
to phenomenal"
Recording Magazine
This
modification is based on the original mod for Oktava MC012 or MK012
microphones, as described in the September 2003 issue of Recording
Magazine.
The modification replaces all the critical electronic parts with
higher
quality parts, making a good microphone sound even better. It improves the high
and low end response, detail, and lowers the noise level. If your microphones
are not in good working order
before the modification there may be an reasonable additional repair
charge.
If you would like to do
the modification yourself, all the parts are available in kit form with
complete instructions, which include an OFFICAL reprint of the original
Recording Magazine modification
article. (one set of
instructions per order).
The full Magazine is not
included.
Brand new
012 mics benefit just as much as older ones.
On searching the internet I find a
significant amount of
confusion on this
topic. Many speculate that brand new
012’s have all the improvements already incorporated, so the
modification will
have no effect on performance. This is
simply not true. Here are the facts, based on years of experience
working with
these microphones. New mics have two basic changes in addition to
serial
numbers. (1) New mics are slightly longer to accommodate a new style
XLR base.
(2) Oktava no longer uses any wet-slug
capacitors in the 012. Old mics
typically used wet-slug caps for C3, C4, and C5, and sometimes even C2.
These
wet-slug caps are prone to leakage and can even damage the circuit
board. Most
new mics use BBC caps, like the ones in the kit, for C3, C4, and C5.
But
beware; even brand new mics can use different brands of lower quality
and
various values. The majority of the sound improvement comes from the
changes on
the front of the board, where Oktava has made no improvements. In fact
I see
more variation of factory parts than on older mics. So YES, the sound
improvement from modification is just as evident on new mics as older
ones!
The modification is only for true Russian made Oktava's. True Russian Oktava 012's came with the 10db pad and the metal mic clip and can be labeled MC or MK 012. Only newer ones (2002) have serial numbers. Click HERE for more info on fake Oktava 012's.
Good soldering skills are required to
perform the
modification. The Circuit board is small and delicate and can be easily
damaged. If you do not feel comfortable doing the modification
yourself,
you should send your mic(s) in for modification.
A
difference you can Hear!
"Greetings
from Australia.Thought i'd drop you a line and confirm the 012 mod is a
must
for all 012's .It's cheeze & chalk difference!! .Amazing clarity
compared
to the original .I will not be parting with these mic's ever.Even the
tech who
did the mod was amazed!!In fact i might buy 2 more Oktava 012's and
respective
mod kits regards Robert b Dillon Aria Award winning Recording
Engineer:Blues&Roots. Melbourne Australia"
Robert B. Dillon
Joseph Bregande
The kit contains
the
following parts, individually packaged and labeled:
- R1 - 1G Thick Film Resistor
- R1 - 1G Thick Film Resistor
- C1 - 820pF COG ceramic capacitor
- C2 -
10uF 25v Tantalum capacitor (optional
C2 Film by-pass capacitor now also included!)
- C3 - 68uF 63v electrolytic capacitor
- C4 - 68uF 63v electrolytic capacitor
- C5 - 47uF 40v electrolytic capacitor
- Q1 - Toshiba Audio FET
- Q2 - Toshiba transistor (no longer using the Fairchild 2n5087, see notice below)
- Complete
Instrucions including the offical article reprint.
NOTICE: Fairchild has changed the production process of the 2n5087 transistor. Transistors made after mid 2005 will not work in the 012 circuit. Use of these new 2n5087 transistors results in lots of noise!
US domestic shipping is FREE regardless of the number of kits purchased. Available to addresses worldwide: International shipping is a fixed $4 regardless of the number of kits purchased.
For the modification service, return USPS Priority Mail
shipping is a fixed $9 for the first microphone and $2.50 for each additional
microphone. This includes $200 USPS insurance for each microphone. The modification service is available internationally,
please send an email for a return shipping estimate.
Sales tax
added to sales in Massachusetts.
If you do not want to use the shopping cart please send an email.
-NEW- I now offer a Premium Modification Service for the 012. The premium mod provides a slight improvement over the standard mod for those who want the very best. I do not offer the premium mod in kit form due to the additional complexity of the mod.
Quantities
can be changed in the shopping cart.