Updating a Vintage/Retro Microphone
by audioguy666 in Circuits > Audio
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Updating a Vintage/Retro Microphone
My goal was to take a cool vintage mic and make it useful again with modern equipment. There are several retro looking modern microphones available, but I am a DIY musician (aka cheapskate) .
What I used :
What I used :
- Vintage Turner Crystal Mic (ebay $35)
- Older Shure unidyne microphone as a donor mic. Really wanted a beta 58.( had it sitting around)
- Mic Cable
- Black packing foam
- Heat shrink various sizes
- Soldering gun
- wire
Disassembly
Disassemble the old mic. The Great thing about old things is that they are built with screws and not plastic and glue.
Unscrew everything.
I didn't get a picture of the Shure donor mic, but is essentially an older commercial sm58. First undo the plug side and cut the wires. Unscrew the "ball" windscreen and pull the mic cartridge out. It will be tight fit, pull gently wiggling it out.
On the vintage mic you will also need to cut out all wires and remove the cartridge. I also removed the switch.
Unscrew everything.
I didn't get a picture of the Shure donor mic, but is essentially an older commercial sm58. First undo the plug side and cut the wires. Unscrew the "ball" windscreen and pull the mic cartridge out. It will be tight fit, pull gently wiggling it out.
On the vintage mic you will also need to cut out all wires and remove the cartridge. I also removed the switch.
Assembly
Clean everything first while you have it apart!
I ran a new wire through the housing. Next I soldered the new mic cartridge in and attached the ground to an existing screw in the housing. I cut some foam from an old tool case a little larger than the grill opening and put a slit in the center Then slid the ne mic element into the foam. Compress the foam and shove it into the housing. I robbed the windscreen foam from the Shure and installed it flat on the vintage grill. Screw it all together!
instead of trying to fit a new connector in the old mic shell i chose to direct wire. I cut the female end off of my donor mic cable. I drilled out the old connector to the size of the cable. I put some heat shrink around the cable for strain relief. Next solder and heat shrink the XLR cable to the cable you ran inside, don't forget to put the heat shrink on first! Screw it all together!
I ran a new wire through the housing. Next I soldered the new mic cartridge in and attached the ground to an existing screw in the housing. I cut some foam from an old tool case a little larger than the grill opening and put a slit in the center Then slid the ne mic element into the foam. Compress the foam and shove it into the housing. I robbed the windscreen foam from the Shure and installed it flat on the vintage grill. Screw it all together!
instead of trying to fit a new connector in the old mic shell i chose to direct wire. I cut the female end off of my donor mic cable. I drilled out the old connector to the size of the cable. I put some heat shrink around the cable for strain relief. Next solder and heat shrink the XLR cable to the cable you ran inside, don't forget to put the heat shrink on first! Screw it all together!
Finished
Plug it in and try it out. Congrats you just made something cool.