Coles 4038 vs. OktavaMod Apex 205 as Drum Overhead
Juan Lardizabal of Thirteenth Floor Recording and an instructor at The Los Angeles Recording School ran a number of tests of my stock Coles 4038 against an Apex 205 I modified for him. Both mics were placed side-by-side 4 1/2 feet above the snare, centered on the kit and angled slightly toward the player. Signal from each mic fed to Avalon AD2022 preamps then straight into Pro Tools. Juan summed up his tests by saying "Your modified Apex 205 will make people think twice about spending thousands on a Coles 4038."

Coles 4038 wav file
OktavaMod Apex 205 wav file

Tamra Spivey, Lucid Nation & OktavaMod
“I am a problem singer for engineers. I'm a girl who sings like a guy. I have a big powerful voice but I like to whisper and bellow sometimes in the same sentence.” With that post to GearSlutz.com, Tamra Spivey, lead singer of the LA-based experimental rock band Lucid Nation spelled out the challenge in her search for the ultimate vocal chain.

Writing in her myspace blog Tamra said “We made the decision to turn our rehearsal space into a recording room. We want to be able to make archival quality recordings right where we are. It's the only way to fully capture our freestyle experiments and the unexpected jams that happen when our musician friends drop by.”

To make that happen, Tamra and her band mates spent a couple of months trying out big name / classic mics, preamps, compressors and EQs. Near the end of the process she settled on a specially-selected OktavaMod MK-219 PE through a vintage Telefunken V72, Retro Instruments Sta-Level and Pultec tube EQ. “For rock this is our go to chain. For my voice through this vocal chain with our style of music the OktavaMod 219 PE cut through the mix better and provided the kind of ring on my vocal that makes me grin” she said. For Lucid Nation’s mellower music, Tamra says her “OktavaMod 319 sounds like a four thousand dollar mic at a tenth of the price”.

Rehearsal Vocal Tracks
To get a sense of the vocal sound Tamra is talking about here are a couple of samples taken from rehearsal reference recordings – “four or five SM57s scattered around the room, not even set up right, facing odd corners or lying on the floor” she said. Both vocals are the OktavaMod MK-219 PE through the V72 -> Sta-Level -> Pultec chain. Additional recording notes by Tamra Spivey.

"Declaration" - “Drummer Lafrae Sci, guitarists Justin Citron and Ronnie Pontiac were playing the song for the very first time. This is what LaFrae played learning it! I liked the beat so much I never found a drummer I liked playing the song with better. So I decided to put vocals on this.”

"World's Guiltiest Pleasure" - “Here's a sample of a current recording unlike the former problem case. This is not even a rough mix it's only a unity gain bounce.”

I have a friend who is an accomplished artist among the Christian community here in the Northwest. He has a lot of very nice equipment including Neumann U87 & M149. I was bragging about my MK-219 and how I loved the sound, so he invited me over to Portland to record my vocals there and compare my MK-219 to his U87 & M149.

We tweaked the Avalon to the correct settings and started with the U87, then we went to the M149, and then we plugged in the MK-219. You see, he’s a type of guy who reads price tags and buys based on reviews. If it costs a lot, and has great reviews it must be good. You should have seen the look on his face after we listened to our recordings. My $65(mk-219)+$200(mod) was easily holding its own against the great studio favorite U87. When compared to the pricey M149, the MK-219 sounded just a bit less “creamy” than the M149, but then again, you had to play with the roll off settings on the M149 which complicated the test a little. I found that the MK-219 was very similar to the M149 set to dip at 100. The thing is you usually roll off those frequencies using EQ in your sequencer to eliminate any muddiness in the song, so unless I am to record an opera signer (forget about it), I didn’t find the M149 to have a leg up on the MK-219.

When I left my friend’s studio, he had a look of dissatisfaction on his face. Who wouldn’t? You’ve got an ugly $270 handicap that just gave your top of the line Neumann lineup a run for its money. I am very pleased with the modification. I’m definitely recommending your work to everybody and their grandmother." - Alex Lukyanov

MK-103 now available for purchase. Click here.
MK-104 now available for purchase. Click here.

Click on the thumbnail to view a large real-time spectral analysis shot of an MK-319 being set-up on the test bench. The screen shot shows the output signal of a modified MK-319. The large spike represents a 1kHz tone injected into the FET at a level corresponding to 125dB SPL at the capsule. 2nd harmonic distortion at 2kHz has been nulled almost all the way down into the noise floor during set-up. A small level of 3rd harmonic at 3kHz is visible. Some low level 60Hz is visible because the board is out in the open on the test bench. The very high frequency, low level spikes are ambient EMI noise. THD is under 0.02%.

As impressive as those specs are, here's the remarkable story - notice the shape of the noise floor. The self noise of the OktavaMod MK-319 PE is mainly centered between 20Hz and 500Hz. Noise in the critical upper midrange and lower HF range is 15dB lower than main low frequency noise - right when the human ear gets most sensitive to noise the OktavaMod Premium Electronics FET exhibits a declining noise floor. This FET noise spectrum is also advantageous because many sound sources have the bulk of their acoustic energy centered in the low to mid range with a fall-off in energy in the upper mids to high end (cymbals etc. are exceptions). With declining sound source energy in the HF range, an electronic circuit should have a noise floor spectrum that declines as well to maintain an excellent S/N ratio through the HF range.

The microphone circuit under test shown in this plot exhibits a 95dB or better dynamic range from 4kHz to 20kHz - essentially equaling the theoretical dynamic range of a 16 bit digital recording. If a recording with this dynamic was played back in a room such that peaks were reproduced at 125dB SPL and average RMS levels were 100dB SPL the MF-HF noise floor of the microphone would fall some 20dB below the ambient noise floor found in a typical, quiet residential environment.

Perhaps the OktavaMod Premium Electronics upgrade should be called the "no audible noise" upgrade.

Evidence Audio™ Cable Available from OktavaMod
Thanks to the insistence of a golden-eared client who introduced me to Evidence Audio, I've been using the company's IGL copper wire in my Premium Electronics upgrade to Oktava mics since mid September 2006. I'm really impressed with the sonic improvement Evidence Audio's IGL copper conductors make in the critical capsule-to-FET signal path. Now you can extend that improvement from the output of the mic to the input of your preamplifier.

When I first heard Evidence Audio wire I wrote Tony Farinella, president of Evidence Audio and said "Evidence Audio revealed a more pristine and correlated harmonic sound. It actually sounded like the harmonics were related mathematically (which they are of course) with very rich moving inner melodies on strummed chords. The cheap cable in comparison does not sound aligned in the same way. It was bright, but was missing the harmonic intelligence of the Evidence Audio cable. This is not a simple EQ difference, because I'll bet if measured both cables on a spectrum analyzer their frequency responses would be the same. This is a qualitative improvement related to phase alignment as a function of frequency that makes recorded sound resemble more closely what the ear would hear if it was in the same location as the mic.” (Click photo for larger view).

Now OktavaMod has become a dealer for Evidence Audio™ - I'll be offering their Lyric HG XLR mic cables as an accessory to my microphone upgrade modifications. Please write and ask for my price list and FAQ.

Metaphysics of Microphones – The Tula Influence
There is no denying the influence of geographic place upon the activities and tools of music production. “Brill building”, “Mersey beat”, “Muscle Shoals”, “Memphis Recording Service” - a long list of place-names famous for their influence on sound production could be drawn up. In this article I’ll explore the influence of Tula, Russia and the people who live there on the sound of Oktava microphones.

But first, understand that my argument is a metaphysical one - I believe there exists inherent characteristics within microphones unexplained by simple physics or electrical circuit models. In my view, the spirit of a place and the people who live there affect the sound characteristics of the microphones produced in that place, by those people. The “ghost in the machine” has a birthplace and parents.

There is a city in Russia whose inhabitants have demonstrated some notable and consistent characteristics for some 860 years. A kindness and hospitality extended to guests, an essentially peaceful disposition but also skilled in the craft of weapons metallurgy for the protection of the citizenry. Tula is located practically in the center of Russia, 200 km from Moscow. The exact founding date of the city has been lost in the distance of the centuries, but the first recorded mention of the city dates from 1146, one year earlier than Moscow. Once a small fortress on southern approach to Moscow, “Tula-ers” early realized the necessity of a native armaments industry to protect their geographic interests and independence.

In the early years, small workshops employed talented masters in the production of broadswords and firearms. In fact, when Tsar Peter the 1st determined the need for a defensive metal work industry he chose Tula for its location. All the necessary ingredients were close at hand; rich natural resources of dense woods, flowing rivers abundant minerals; and of course skilled craftspeople with able fingers and clever brains. With hard work comes well-earned rest – Tula-ers engaged their skills in metallurgy in the production of ornate tea samovars, the tea from which still helps to wash down the unique Pyranik or “spice cookie”. So we see industriousness in metallurgy where qualities of strength and firmness manifest combined with the “soft” pleasantries of tea and spice cookies.

Fast forward to the early 20th century. The founding of the Soviet radio industry in the Tula Radio Factory in 1927 has grown into a successful enterprise, along the way creating a unique brand of electro-acoustic research and development – JSC Oktava (photo).

When I use Oktava microphones I hear the psychic resonance of Tula and its people interpreted in sound – strength, power and independence merged with just the right blend spicy sweetness. To my ears, this sounds like a powerful midrange presence with a subtle top end spice of natural-sounding treble– a sound unique to the microphones of Tula.

Denis Kusmenko, who worked four years at the Oktava factory in Tula, is the son of Oktava Technical Director Vladimir Kusmenko. Denis and his wife Natalia Kusmenko operate Oktava-Online, the world’s largest distributor of Oktava microphones. In addition to OktavaMod supplying modified mics to Oktava-Online, OktavaMod will become an official dealer of Oktava products and will offer select Oktava microphones with acclaimed OktavaMod upgrades.

This is great news for Oktava fans in the both Europe and US. Instead of purchasing new microphones from Oktava-Online in Germany and sending them to OktavaMod in Massachusetts, Europeans can now buy new, modified mics directly from Oktava-Online and avoid extra shipping costs. US customers can now get great deals on new, modified mics directly from OktavaMod. The business association of Oktava-Online and OktavaMod will also increase information flow from Tula to the West about Oktava products and its history. Look for in-depth stories about Oktava in my future newsletters. I regard this development as a great honor and a recognition of the value OktavaMod brings to the Oktava brand. I’m really looking forward to developing a strong business relationship that will enhance the “Oktava Experience” for customers.

Inside A Mod – The Floating Dome
The Floating Dome was developed to increase the open area of the MK-319 headbasket to reduce lateral sound reflections between the capsule and headbasket side bars. While the fist step is to carefully remove the side bars with a high-speed cutoff wheel, that is just the beginning. After the side bars are removed I completely disassemble the headbasket and grind smooth all contact surface points and the area where the side bars used to be found. The headbasket is then re-assembled, checked for 0 Ohm contact resistance from base to grille cylinder to top to grille dome and then secured with epoxy cement. In addition to reducing lateral reflections within the headbasket, the Floating Dome guarantees excellent RF immunity by ensuring continuous shield conductivity throughout the headbasket.

Summer '06 Promotion - FREE International Return Shipping
From now until the Fall (that would be Sept. 21 in New England) international customers who send their MK-219, MK-319, MKL-2500 or Alctron ribbons mics to me for mods valued over $149 will get FREE return shipping. I’m well aware that it costs more for international customers to send their mics to me. I'd like to return your vote-of-confidence and pay 100% of the return shipping.

Great Drum Sound: MK-219 Omni PE and MK-219 PE as OH
A few weeks ago Ross Orton from South Yorkshire in the UK sent his three MK-219 mics over the pond to me for mods. Here’s his story… “All mics worked straight from the crate (thanks for packing them well) so no problems there. My first mic of choice for the test was the 219 omni mod, position about waist height roughly 4 foot from the drum kit. I used 2 other mics in this test an SE3300 and a rode K2 valve mic placed either side of the 219, (In my opinion not great mics but still more expensive than the MK-219 including your mod!) all mics going into the same pre's and the same recording device.

"WOW! it just blew them away" was the first thing I said to the other 2 engineers who happened to be in the control room at the time (they whole heartedly agreed) this is a really smooth sounding mic it really does sound like a classic fet mic. The mid frequency is tight and punchy the bottom is low and full but controlled and the highs smooth and true, The omni pattern offers a lot more depth and an openly natural sound, this is going to be a fantastic ambient and acoustic mic just what I need Thank you.

The next test was to try the other 219's as over heads in a stereo configuration whilst leaving the omni mic where it is. (making sure I throw the se and K2 out of the window) WOW! again this is a massive sound I can tell you, I've been playing drums for 19 years and recording drums in this very same room for 2 years now and I've never had results like these not even off 6 mics never mind 3, the depth , clarity, tone and control from these mics is really something to brag about, just standing there and listening to these mics with no added compression or EQ is a real pleasure.

With ' nowt tecken out! (translated means, oh natural!)' as we say in Yorkshire. Something else I noticed too, when I've tried this set up before with the 219's I used to get pretty bad phasing problems but not any more, everything sounds like you actually stood in the room, this is a natural balanced sound.”

Premium Electronics Option - Now includes Evidence Audio wiring upgrade

For two years OktavaMod.com customers have written to describe the substantial performance upgrades they hear in their microphones for affordable prices. To achieve this high price-to-performance ratio, mods offered up to July 1, 2006 address the primary mechanical and signal path issues compromising the sound of Oktava mics. Thanks to the interest and feedback of current clients for my original mods I have been able to push the boundaries of my work. Ongoing research shows additional issues can be addressed in: the power circuit, low-cut circuit, attenuation circuit, FET impedance converter device selection, FET calibration and the AC bypass portion of the FET gain/bias circuit.

Starting July 1, 2006 a Premium Electronics option for all MK-219 and MK-319 mods will be available in addition to the original mods. You now have a choice of modification level to fit the demands of your particular recording applications. Customers who purchased mods prior to July 1, 2006 should know their Oktava microphone upgrade remains an excellent price / performance value. The testimonials found on this site are responses to my original modifications. As a way of saying thank you to existing customers I will offer a discount on the new modifications should you wish to pursue them, please contact me for details.

The Premium Electronics option details

Power circuit – The large diaphragm capsule in the Oktava MK-219/319 is powered directly from the 48v phantom supply in the mic preamplifier. The polarizing voltage impressed upon the capsule diaphragm partially determines microphone noise floor and gain stability. The stock circuit does condition the phantom supply source somewhat, but the cheap electrolytic capacitors used in the power circuit have been shown to affect supply rail purity initially and these effects only get worse as the caps age. The Premium Mod Option replaces these electrolytics with premium non-polarized capacitors. The result is a more pure and stable DC supply so the output signal generated by the moving diaphragm is more a function of the sound waves striking it and less a function of power supply variances and electrolytic capacitor artifacts.

Low cut and attenuation circuit – For some time now I’ve advised clients not to use the low cut and attenuation switches on the 219/319s. The way these features are implemented in the Oktava mics can best be described as “brute force”. A cheap ceramic capacitor is placed in shunt across the capsule to accomplish attenuation and a frequency-depended feedback circuit is used to reduce gain at low frequency to accomplish the low-cut function. Shunt capacitor attenuation is bad news for HF clarity and the feedback circuit of the low-cut function introduces audible phase shifts. Even if the switches are left in the flat frequency response and normal gain positions the issue of stray capacitance remains. Though the parts associated with the low-cut and attenuation circuits are not active, circuit board wiring is still tied to the sensitive high impedance sections of the mic circuitry. Therefore the Premium Electronics option completely removes attenuation and low cut circuitry to eliminate sources of stray capacitance that rob HF detail. PC board traces will be physically cut to electrically isolate sensitive high impedance portions of the microphone. Cutting PC board traces allows in-air, point-to-point wiring of the FET input with no contact to PC board surface for best sound. If you absolutely must retain use of the attenuation and low cut switches better quality components can be installed for additional charge in these two circuits.

FET impedance converter – The Premium Electronics option features an upgraded version of the same FET type used in late ‘60’s Neumann FET mics. Analysis of data sheets from several manufacturers and extensive listening tests point to a superior FET for this application. This device will be individually biased for minimum distortion and noise using a spectrum analyzer. You’ll get classic 60’s FET input / transformer output sound but with the lower noise, faster transient response and lower distortion of a newly manufactured device. Finally the electrolytic cap used in AC bypass portion of the FET circuit will upgraded to a non-polarized Black Gate capacitor to eliminate distortion arising from the non-linear operation of the stock polarized capacitor in this circuit.

Starting Sept 19, 2006 all Premium Electronics upgrades will include Evidence Audio wire for ultimate transparency and detail in the critical capsule-to-FET location. When I first heard Evidence Audio wire I wrote Tony Farinella, president of Evidence Audio and said "“Evidence Audio revealed a more pristine and correlated harmonic sound. It actually sounded like the harmonics were related mathematically (which they are of course) with very rich moving inner melodies on strummed chords. The cheap cable in comparison does not sound aligned in the same way. It was bright, but was missing the harmonic intelligence of the Evidence Audio cable. This is not a simple EQ difference, because I'll bet if measured both cables on a spectrum analyzer their frequency responses would be the same. This is a qualitative improvement related to phase alignment as a function of frequency that makes recorded sound resemble more closely what the ear would hear if it was in the same location as the mic.”

The cumulative effect of the Standard mods plus the new Premium Electronics option is a stunning improvement to Oktava large diaphragm condenser mics. The premium modifications raise the performance of Oktava LDC mics far above their inexpensive mass production origin. These individually hand-tweaked mics now more closely resemble expensive boutique microphones in component quality, electro-mechanical construction, signal path purity and most importantly – sound. But unlike boutique mics, these benefits are available at a price even budding engineers can afford.

The major change you would hear would be in the off-axis sound – the room sound. Frequency Dependent Omni-directional Tuning should be thought of a modification of spatial energy. This would be especially apparent when used in stereo pairs. L-R difference information – the stuff of stereo – can be manipulated to create either warmer, more midrangy, more “scooped’ or brighter ambient sound fields while the on-axis sound remains relatively unchanged. A side benefit of frequency dependent omni-directional tuning is improved on-axis transient response in the band(s) where the omni options are implemented.

Who is this mod right for? If you have a good-sized collection of Oktava mics and some of them don’t get used much you might want to consider the Omni mod. The Frequency Dependent Omni Mod is a “flavor” mod offered for your consideration for a secondary mic – keeping at least one Oktava LDC with a stock cardioid pattern is recommended.

Joel has quite a collection of mics – lots of new and vintage units he uses regularly at Studio G. So I’m hoping he’ll provide new answers to the question – “What classic mics does a modified Oktava LDC resemble?”

My shock mounting of the capsule effectively isolates sources of the “boink” from reaching the capsule. This dramatically reduces in-harmonic mechanical resonances by 20dB-30dB in the critical midrange. This means you will hear more midrange clarity and make more accurate recordings. Capsule shock mounting now comes with all mods for the MK-219, MK-319 and MKL-2500.

The cathode follower is a very fast transient response circuit with nearly infinite headroom that is almost impossible to clip. It has a righteous sparkle and fundamental-to-harmonic alignment that is very powerful and alluring. The cathode follower topology was used in the classic Sony C37, some early Altec mics, the current small diaphragm DPA (B&K) mics and is the preferred topology Dave Royer uses in his new tube-based ribbon mic.

The plate load on the other hand provides more of that "rounded" soft clipping of transient signals that we occasionally associate with the "tube" sound.

Both topologies have their supporters and detractors. Some people don't like cathode followers because they don't hear enough of the "tube distortion sound". I actually am quite fond of the cathode follower in the MKL-2500. They make a great acoustic guitar mic - you get the bigness of the large diaphragm condenser capsule, quick transient response of the cathode follower and harmonic richness of the output transformer. Accurate, but slightly colored. The plate load model on the other hand exudes a certain "fatness" and larger-than-life quality.

I modify both flavors of the MKL-2500. The headbasket, capsule and capsule shock mounting are the same in each version. But I replace different (inferior) capacitors with high quality units. The cathode follower model has two poor-sounding electrolytic caps replaced by Black Gate capacitors while the plate load model has inferior ceramic and electrolytic caps replaced with silver mica and Mylar units.

The before / after audible difference is dramatic in both models.

As layers of headbasket grille mesh increase in number so does protection from these environmental factors. In fact, some microphones are so well protected with up to four layers of wire mesh its amazing that sound can even reach the capsule. Well it does, but not without being affected.

Headbaskets with multiple layers of wire mesh create a more closed acoustical space around the capsule. Cup your hands around your mouth and speak for a quick demonstration. Multiple layers of mesh increase opportunities for sound to be reflected, refracted and cause frequency response peaks and valleys as well as disturb the time domain performance of the capsule / headbasket system.

Of course, we love some microphone because of these “anomalies”- the legendary U47 for example. The much-loved presence peak of this mic is due in part to headbasket effects. I would never suggest removing layers of grille material in a U47 (or any other classic multiple layer headbasket mic), these layers of wire mesh are part of the signature sound of these mics. But Oktava large diaphragm condensers are another story.

One of the great advantages of working with Oktava mics is that I am at liberty to experiment and make modifications because I don’t have to preserve some particular manifestation of a sonic Holy Grail. After much experimentation, I have concluded that a single layer headbasket sounds best in the Oktava LDCs and offers perfectly acceptable RF and AC noise immunity in most applications where these mics are used.

I’m not alone in preferring the sound of the single layer headbasket. The legendary AKG-C12 and modern classic Manley GT Gold are both one-layer headbaskets. Like the designers of these high-end mics I prefer to skate fast over thin ice an err on the side of sonic transparency and am willing to position my mics for minimum AC hum pickup if used in a high EMI environment. This is similar to the single-coil Stratocaster player putting up with more hum than the hum-bucking equipped Les Paul player to hear more of the pure "belltone" harmonics of the strings.

As for the argument that the headbasket exist in part to protect the capsule from vocalist spittle I would suggest using a mic’ing technique where the mic capsule is aimed at the singer’s mouth but from perhaps 15 to 20 degrees off-axis of the face to allow breath pops and spittle to fly past the mic capsule.

And regarding the supposed compromised mechanical stability of the microphone headbasket when grille layers are removed – you’re not using these as hammers are you?

For several weeks, I thought I could tell the difference between a Russian or Chinese built MK-319 by looking at the logos. Turns out I was wrong. On 2/22/06 I worked on a 319 that came in a hard plastic case not a a pouch (a sign it came from the earliest Russian production runs), serial number N04621 but had the "flat" surface-screen-only logo that I thought indicated Chinese origin. When I opened it up I saw all silver Russian electrolytic capacitors and the early version metal case FET. A Russian MK-319 for sure.

Until the former distributors come forward and tell us more about the exact dates and serial numbers they had produced in China, I'll continue to look at the insides of Oktava MK-319 mics to determine their authenticity.

But what about the sound of the copied Oktava MK-319 mics? They are not bad mics. The quality control is actually quite consistent. However, the capsules are missing that special lower-midrange magic that some have called "Neumann-esque". The proximity effect "Q", amplitude and center frequency is not as sharp, pronounced and advantageously located in the frequency spectrum as with the original Russian-built mics. In a way, these copies are "flatter" but not as "flattering". They actually work pretty well for recording acoustic guitar when you want the large diaphragm bigness but also want to avoid some of the boom of proximity effect. Because my acoustical and electronic modifications occur outside the capsule physically and after the capsule electronically, they will work on the Chinese-manufactured mics. Just like the Russian originals, these mics benefit from having the extra head grille mesh removed, the resonance discs removed, the capsule base diffusers installed, the signal path components upgraded and the body damped. All of these changes result in a mic that is more clear and present with better HF extension and lower transient smearing - whether it started life in Tula Russia or the People's Republic of China.

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