DIY Audio Stuff

First, I must mention the best DIY pro audio board on the web, "The Lab".

My projects are/have been:

• Neve 1290 clone

• RCA BA31A clone

• My own preamp design

• Gyraf G1176

• Jensen JE990 discrete op-amp - built one. It works. Haven't used it for anything yet.

• Fairchild 660 rough clone - I built it by following half of the 670 schematic but substituting some tubes.

• LA4 rough clone - improved audio path, high-speed opto compression mode - haven't finished it yet

• My own SSM2081 feedback compressor design

• Neve 2254 Compressor - nice compressor.

• Gates M6629 Modifications. This schematic is UNMODIFIED. C24 to .1uF film, C27 to .22uF, C26 to 1uF, and R62 eliminated for more useful settings.

• Figuring out how the Lexicon ARU chip works.

• Some of my observations on reverbs

• Processing on some reverbs I like

• Altec M53/201a Mic Schematic

This part is not for the faint of heart..... but if you want to build your own microphone capsules, here are a lot of bread crumbs here to help you along. This has taken me about two years of work.

• Vacuum Evaporation for microphone diaphragms

• Some Strange DIY Capsules

• Other Capsules (Not mine). Here you'll find photos of an M7, Sony C37/38, and some disassembled AKG and Apex mics.

• DIY Copper Tube Mic. This mic is based on one of my DIY'ed M7-copy capsules.

• Making the M7 copy capsules. You'll find a photo of machining the backplate in here....

• Debenham, Stebbings, and Robinson mic capsule. Nice capsule to DIY. You can search for the article and it gives plans with dimensions.

• Tensioning a diaphragm.

• Chambered capsule experiments. I'm slowly understanding this type of capsule. It's quite a leap from knowing about acoustic resistances and compliance, to actually getting a capsule to sound good.

• Some new mic building photos (NEW!!!)