Custom Shop Mic User Information

Thank you so much for trusting your sound to my microphones. Here is a bit of information about your mic.

Which side is the Front?

Most of my builds and upgrades do not have a visual indicator of which side is the front. My convention is for the front to be the same side as the XLR Release Tab.

  • RS/47 Front Side Orientation
  • MXL990 Front Side Orientation

What’s Inside?

If your mic has an optional internal pattern switch, you must open the mic to access it. This switch can put your mic into Omnidirectional (all around) pickup pattern. When in omni mode, there is a modest drop in signal level. This is normal and expected. Most of my mics open by unscrewing a ring at the bottom of the mic. Even if your mic doesn’t have the switch, it’s always fun to open it up and look at all the pretty discrete components!

Pattern Switch on a BM800 style mic.

When opening and resealing the mic, please follow these hints:

  • Unplug the mic first!
  • On some mics, it is more difficult to flip the switch with a finger. If in doubt, use a pencil or other small non-conductive object.
  • There are some exposed wires on the switch. Try to avoid touching them and getting any oils from your skin on them.
  • When you re-seal the mic, some bodies have a notch in the top of the cylinder which must mate with a key under the capsule. Normally this is on the front side
  • Once everything is aligned, screw the bottom ring back on and tighten it down securely. The cylinder should not feel loose or rattle at all as it needs to make a good grounding connection for shielding.

What if I plug it in and Phantom Power is already on?

Aside from making an annoying pop in your speakers, no damage should happen to the microphone thanks to some protection diodes in the circuit.

Weak Phantom Power

Some low-end audio interfaces and mixers which will remain nameless but rhyme with “behringer” can have very low phantom power voltage. Many mics simply will not power up or will drastically under-bias the capsule and FET. My jaSb circuit has a slightly fancier voltage regulator than most low cost mics and should work perfectly as long as your phantom power is over 12 volts. On a good day, my Behringer test unit puts out around 14 volts for Phantom.