#microphone build

Turns out that whole hyper-persnicketyness about solder rosin and high impedence connections is actually really important, as I discover why a previous DIY microphone - an Austin OTA-1 ribbon mic - was a lot noiser than it needed to be.

Oh no, it's another microphone build report! This one is the micparts RK-47 capsule and 990B DIY circuit board.

This is a long one, so it has to be in two parts.

I thought I was going to be posting about a new microphone I built today! I was pretty sure I could get the kit construction finished and even make a couple of recordings.

And I could’ve, but no, I had to have one of those "comma but only after removing the fuse" moments, wherein on page 24 of the assembly instructions it talks about connection sealing material and special kinds of thread-locking fluid which aren’t strictly necessary but are definitely good to use, if, you know, you just happen to have them around, and if you don’t, well, you can add them later but EVERYTHING WILL EXPLODE.

Particularly the connection sealing material. Apparently.

None of this was in the components and tools list up front. Of course. So thanks, now I get to order all that stuff, which I already have, and it’ll get here Wednesday. (No, it’s not at the local hardware. I did check!)

Anyway, the photo shows how far I got, and where it’ll be until Wednesday.