Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Sennheiser MD21, MD211 N and Pleiades V6 or Pleiades filters to Sony TC-D5 Pro


The MD21 is an amazing microphone (the MD21 HN was used from its low impedance out). On these experiments it seems to have sounded even better than the MD211. All it needs is a shunt inductor around the value of 140mH (there is already a shunt inductance from the internal transformer of HN which should be around 800mH?, so an MD21 should possibly be terminated with a lower inducatnce than 140mH) and it is ready to possibly sound better than mics with 4 more zeros for singing or instruments.


Connected to the Pleiades V6 prepreamp it sounded amazing as the primary inductance is 140mH. With 140mH there is an almost perfect balance for male voice without bass heavy response. Amazing mid and treble detail too. Amazing loud sound with the V6 prepreamp singing with it.


The MD211 sound great too but is a bit more bass light terminated with 140mH.


 So it was time to experiment by terminating it by various values of inductance and feeding the Sony TC-D5 directly.


With 160mH-330mH more bass is there.


The MD211 has amazing treble detail, more than the MD21.


But the MD21 still sounds better?


Connected to the BBC 200Ohm to 600Ohm step up transformer feeding the TC-D5 it sounded amazing too.


When the chain was mic - Pleiades V6 - Sony TC-D5 Pro the sound was with more treble detail, more loud, less noise if there was any noise.


On previous Pleiades V6 experiments many more great mics were tried on male singing voice. Such as MD441 U3, Re-15, Paso 980, SM58 Mexico, Unidyne III (vintage SM57), Grampian ribbon GR1/L, D190.


Although it is all subjective opinion the mics that really sounded as there was no mics , no electronic chain  amazing natural sound were the;


Re-15 with its low cut and
MD21


The Grampian too is amazing, see the Pleiades V6 signal path  needed on a previous euroelectron post for 2-3in mic distance. Amazing deatail.The MD211


The 635a, it could be 3rd.


The Unidyne III sounded great too.


The Paso 980.It is a very natural sounding mic.


The MD441. It can be much more up on the list. It is more difficult to find the right low cut turnover frequency according to mic distance to compensate for the proxiity effect.


D190


It is very interesting how low noise the battery powered Pleiades V6 electron tube booster preamp is.. When nothing is connected one hears very little hiss. Making you wonder, is it on? Then the RE-15 is connected and you get scared by how loud, clean, natural, low noise it sounds. Same for the other mics.


On most of these mics there was almost no s problems at all even though the treble detail was amazing....


Signal path, setup:


mic - Pleiades V6 - Sony tC-D5 Pro - Sennheiser HD580


or


mic - Pleiades filter - TC-D5 Pro - HD580


or


mic - BBC 115mH:382mH - TC-D5 Pro - HD580


Reference:


Pleiades V6 schematic














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