Stonker or stinker?
 

No-one is more aware of the old 'you get what you pay for adage' (or the
various issues with cheep Chinky stuff) than I am, but my
curiosity/interest in a valve microphone has had me punting a relatively
paltry £132 (inc. postage) on this little lot:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWN:IT&ih=011


Haven't had it going yet but the *apparent* VFM is beyond ludicrous by
normal 'valve microphone' standards - if nothing else, at 5 kg for the
whole thing (inc. the PS) the weight of the package was a shock:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show...0Mic%20Kit.JPG


So far, the view inside is more or less what I expected and is not at
all disappointing:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show...0Inside-01.JPG

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show...0Inside-02.JPG


I will probably post some clips shortly, in case anyone is interested -
my guess (if it works at all) is it'll be at least OK and the 'magazine
review' would end up summat like this: "Not up there with the best and
not recommended for professional use but, at the price, this Oriental
offering cannot be entirely discounted by someone wanting to add the
warmth and versatility of of a valve microphone to their Home
Studio...." ??

We shall see....

Stonker or stinker?
 

"Keith G" wrote


I will probably post some clips shortly, in case anyone is
interested - my guess (if it works at all) is it'll be at least OK and
the 'magazine review' would end up summat like this: "Not up there
with the best and not recommended for professional use but, at the
price, this Oriental offering cannot be entirely discounted by someone
wanting to add the warmth and versatility of of a valve microphone to
their Home Studio...." ??


OK, stick the word 'multi-pattern' in where you think it would have done
the most good...

Stonker or stinker?
 

On Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:03:24 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:

No-one is more aware of the old 'you get what you pay for adage' (or the
various issues with cheep Chinky stuff) than I am, but my
curiosity/interest in a valve microphone has had me punting a relatively
paltry £132 (inc. postage) on this little lot:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWN:IT&ih=011


Haven't had it going yet but the *apparent* VFM is beyond ludicrous by
normal 'valve microphone' standards - if nothing else, at 5 kg for the
whole thing (inc. the PS) the weight of the package was a shock:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show...0Mic%20Kit.JPG


So far, the view inside is more or less what I expected and is not at
all disappointing:

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show...0Inside-01.JPG

That picture is a little worrying. The solder should have wetted all
the way through those holes to form a slight fillet on the component
side of the board. Can't think why that hasn't happened. The
components are very substantial looking, though.

http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/show...0Inside-02.JPG


I will probably post some clips shortly, in case anyone is interested -
my guess (if it works at all) is it'll be at least OK and the 'magazine
review' would end up summat like this: "Not up there with the best and
not recommended for professional use but, at the price, this Oriental
offering cannot be entirely discounted by someone wanting to add the
warmth and versatility of of a valve microphone to their Home
Studio...." ??

We shall see....



Stereo, with your best "other" mic on the other channel, please! Place
them close together, both facing forwards - ta.

d

--
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

Stonker or stinker?
 

"Don Pearce" wrote


That picture is a little worrying. The solder should have wetted all
the way through those holes to form a slight fillet on the component
side of the board. Can't think why that hasn't happened. The
components are very substantial looking, though.


I know what you mean, but it seems very common and I hafta say I don't
worry about seeing solder on the 'component side' of the board if there
are no tracks there. (You usually can't solder both sides under the caps
in any case...)


Stereo, with your best "other" mic on the other channel, please! Place
them close together, both facing forwards - ta.


Nosso fast - if I include the surprisingly good Samson USB mic, there
are now 6 different mics to compare and I don't know which is the best!
That's the point of a comparison - I was/am planning to record Swim on
the clart (in different pairs to keep down the incidence of variation in
her playing) and was going to post the clips to elicit opinion as to
which was 'best'..!

Also, due to a lack of anything (name, plastic blob, paint spot or
whatever) to indicate the 'front' of the mic, I have to mess around (in
'cardioid pattern, I suppose) to find the 'front' of the new mic!

More anon....

(Meanwhile, Classic FM plays 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' on an hourly
basis....)

Stonker or stinker?
 

On Tue, 28 Aug 2007 13:08:21 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:


"Don Pearce" wrote


That picture is a little worrying. The solder should have wetted all
the way through those holes to form a slight fillet on the component
side of the board. Can't think why that hasn't happened. The
components are very substantial looking, though.


I know what you mean, but it seems very common and I hafta say I don't
worry about seeing solder on the 'component side' of the board if there
are no tracks there. (You usually can't solder both sides under the caps
in any case...)


If the joint is heated properly it should flow though by capillary
action - you don't actually solder both sides.


Stereo, with your best "other" mic on the other channel, please! Place
them close together, both facing forwards - ta.


Nosso fast - if I include the surprisingly good Samson USB mic, there
are now 6 different mics to compare and I don't know which is the best!
That's the point of a comparison - I was/am planning to record Swim on
the clart (in different pairs to keep down the incidence of variation in
her playing) and was going to post the clips to elicit opinion as to
which was 'best'..!

tricky one that. And I'm afraid a clart is absolutely the wrong
instrument for the job - its tonal and harmonic range is just too
limited. The piano would be a much better bet.

Also, due to a lack of anything (name, plastic blob, paint spot or
whatever) to indicate the 'front' of the mic, I have to mess around (in
'cardioid pattern, I suppose) to find the 'front' of the new mic!


You're just going to have to talk to it nicely and find out which ear
is deaf.

More anon....

(Meanwhile, Classic FM plays 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' on an hourly
basis....)


The mind boggles.

d

--
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

Stonker or stinker?
 

"Don Pearce"

That picture is a little worrying. The solder should have wetted all

If the joint is heated properly it should flow though by capillary
action - you don't actually solder both sides.



** The Chinese do - wherever a via is really needed

12 year olds with bare feet, standing on a dirt floor in a big galvanised
iron shed with a diesel gene droning on outside copying sample PCBs.




........ Phil

Stonker or stinker?
 

On Tue, 28 Aug 2007 23:06:05 +1000, "Phil Allison"
wrote:

"Don Pearce"

That picture is a little worrying. The solder should have wetted all

If the joint is heated properly it should flow though by capillary
action - you don't actually solder both sides.



** The Chinese do - wherever a via is really needed

12 year olds with bare feet, standing on a dirt floor in a big galvanised
iron shed with a diesel gene droning on outside copying sample PCBs.

True enough - I suspect the 12 year olds are the ones approaching
retirement age, though.

d

--
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

Stonker or stinker?
 

"Don Pearce" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 28 Aug 2007 23:06:05 +1000, "Phil Allison"
wrote:

"Don Pearce"

That picture is a little worrying. The solder should have wetted
all

If the joint is heated properly it should flow though by capillary
action - you don't actually solder both sides.



** The Chinese do - wherever a via is really needed

12 year olds with bare feet, standing on a dirt floor in a big
galvanised
iron shed with a diesel gene droning on outside copying sample PCBs.

True enough - I suspect the 12 year olds are the ones approaching
retirement age, though.


I haven't been to China and I haven't seen for myself, but I
suspect/hope the views expressed above are not true or, if they are, I'm
pretty certain they won't last for long. Here's a few 'galvanised iron
sheds' to be going on with:

http://www.diytrade.com/directory/gl...s_Factory.html

http://www.best-portable-dvd-player-...m/about-us.htm

http://kwanwa.en.alibaba.com/aboutus.html

http://www.besa.org.uk/besa/news/view.jsp?item=313

http://trumpxp.en.alibaba.com/

http://www.business-in-asia.com/suzhou.htm


What pious Westeners need to realise is that *today* much of the food
they eat and the clothes on their backs from even from respectable,
big-name UK stores is produced by what we in the UK would class as
'slave labour' - so much so, in fact, that we import slaves into the UK
for our home-produced food and goods!

No-one is more aware of the Human Rights issues in China ( and, worse,
the Animal Rights issues) but my view is that it's better to have the
work and low pay for now than no work at all - after that things can
only get better (hopefully) as standards start to climb. Let's face it,
there's never going to be a shortage of cheap labour in places like
China and India and no nation can go from the 'middle ages' to the
planet's *leading economic superpower* without some pain!!

For a *non hollywood* movie insight into modern China with its economic
contrasts, watch 'Not One Less' (from Zhang Yimou of 'Hero', 'House Of
The Flying Daggers' and 'Curse Of The Golden Flower' fame) - quite the
best movie I have *ever* seen!!

On the microphone front - been through the 1st phase (nasty, tinny sound
at 'normal' levels) and the 2nd phase (prolonged, self-generated noise
not unlike the landing beach scenes in Saving Private Ryan) and now in
the 3rd phase (strangely quiet again and back to the original tinny
sound)!! I'm letting it have its head for the moment - it's going to be
a bit of a challenge and if anybody was considering going the same
route, I would say keep your hand in your pocket, atm!!

Question - I have a mic amp here which I don't *think* supplies phantom
power - what would happen if I try it and the mic gets phantom power it
doesn't need/want?

Stonker or stinker?
 

On Tue, 28 Aug 2007 15:07:34 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:


"Don Pearce" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 28 Aug 2007 23:06:05 +1000, "Phil Allison"
wrote:

"Don Pearce"

That picture is a little worrying. The solder should have wetted
all

If the joint is heated properly it should flow though by capillary
action - you don't actually solder both sides.



** The Chinese do - wherever a via is really needed

12 year olds with bare feet, standing on a dirt floor in a big
galvanised
iron shed with a diesel gene droning on outside copying sample PCBs.

True enough - I suspect the 12 year olds are the ones approaching
retirement age, though.


I haven't been to China and I haven't seen for myself, but I
suspect/hope the views expressed above are not true or, if they are, I'm
pretty certain they won't last for long. Here's a few 'galvanised iron
sheds' to be going on with:

http://www.diytrade.com/directory/gl...s_Factory.html

http://www.best-portable-dvd-player-...m/about-us.htm

http://kwanwa.en.alibaba.com/aboutus.html

http://www.besa.org.uk/besa/news/view.jsp?item=313

http://trumpxp.en.alibaba.com/

http://www.business-in-asia.com/suzhou.htm


What pious Westeners need to realise is that *today* much of the food
they eat and the clothes on their backs from even from respectable,
big-name UK stores is produced by what we in the UK would class as
'slave labour' - so much so, in fact, that we import slaves into the UK
for our home-produced food and goods!

No-one is more aware of the Human Rights issues in China ( and, worse,
the Animal Rights issues) but my view is that it's better to have the
work and low pay for now than no work at all - after that things can
only get better (hopefully) as standards start to climb. Let's face it,
there's never going to be a shortage of cheap labour in places like
China and India and no nation can go from the 'middle ages' to the
planet's *leading economic superpower* without some pain!!


My thoughts on child labour tend towards the pragmatic. If they aren't
building mics, the alternative is usually prostitution. Doing nothing
when your family is starving is not an option.

For a *non hollywood* movie insight into modern China with its economic
contrasts, watch 'Not One Less' (from Zhang Yimou of 'Hero', 'House Of
The Flying Daggers' and 'Curse Of The Golden Flower' fame) - quite the
best movie I have *ever* seen!!

On the microphone front - been through the 1st phase (nasty, tinny sound
at 'normal' levels) and the 2nd phase (prolonged, self-generated noise
not unlike the landing beach scenes in Saving Private Ryan) and now in
the 3rd phase (strangely quiet again and back to the original tinny
sound)!! I'm letting it have its head for the moment - it's going to be
a bit of a challenge and if anybody was considering going the same
route, I would say keep your hand in your pocket, atm!!

Question - I have a mic amp here which I don't *think* supplies phantom
power - what would happen if I try it and the mic gets phantom power it
doesn't need/want?



It looks like the mic has a transformer output, so it shouldn't matter
whether there is phantom on the line or not. Best to turn it off,
though. As for the strange sounds, it may be that the mic has picked
up some condensation in transit - or was it sealed with some silica
gel?

d

--
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

Stonker or stinker?
 

"Keith G"
"Phil Allison"

** The Chinese do - wherever a via is really needed

12 year olds with bare feet, standing on a dirt floor in a big galvanised
iron shed with a diesel gene droning on outside copying sample PCBs.

True enough - I suspect the 12 year olds are the ones approaching
retirement age, though.


I haven't been to China and I haven't seen for myself, but I suspect/hope
the views expressed above are not true or, if they are, I'm pretty certain
they won't last for long.


** He says - arguing foolishly from a position of self admitted ignorance.

Wise up and ask someone who has really been there and seen the conditions
first hand - as I did.

Performing light assembly by hand in dirt floor sheds is nice work under
nice conditions, for rural China.

For the opposite - check out the Chinese factories making tubes for
compact fluorescent lamps, the ones we are now told are so efficient &
planet friendly we HAVE to use them, like it or not.

There is liquid mercury and its toxic compounds lying all over the floors.

17th century hat makers had it good.




....... Phil