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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Shure 440SL questions.
Shure 440SL questions.
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belfast_harper
169 posts
Sep 01, 2010
9:39 AM
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I just received my 440sl today, I bought it untested and the good news is that the mic works. I have a few questions that I thought I better ask before I damage the mic.
I am trying to get the mic off the stand, but I am not sure how to get the plate that the mic sits on off the mic.
There seems to be a large brass screw holding the plate on, the screw looks like you are supposed to use a coin to turn it, but it wont move. Can anyone tell me if this a screw before I start applying too much force to it?
There is also a small hole on the bottom of the mic, I think that I read somewhere that filling this hole in will reduce feedback. Is this a good idea?
The mic also has a silver disk behind the screen, I think I read somewhere that it improves the tone if you remove the disk, is that true?
Is a switchcraft connector the the best connector to try and fit? I am going to have to try and fit the connector my self to keep the cost down and so I can have the satisfaction of building my own mic, is this possible with out specialised tools?
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Last Edited by on Sep 01, 2010 9:42 AM
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N.O.D.
152 posts
Sep 01, 2010
3:17 PM
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There seems to be a large brass screw holding the plate on, the screw looks like you are supposed to use a coin to turn it,
That or a Large screw driver
There is also a small hole on the bottom of the mic, I think that I read somewhere that filling this hole in will reduce feedback. Is this a good idea?
Not Sure Haven't done it to mine
The mic also has a silver disk behind the screen, I think I read somewhere that it improves the tone if you remove the disk, is that true?
the silver dic is to filter out unwanted back ground noise and is supposed too allso reduce Feedback
Is a switchcraft connector the the best connector to try and fit?
Yes
I am going to have to try and fit the connector my self to keep the cost down and so I can have the satisfaction of building my own mic, is this possible with out specialised tools?
touchy if you havn't done it befor or arn't very good with tools you will have to buy a tap and drill bit to suit the connector best bet get some one to do it if you are unsure of what to Do:)
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Greg Heumann
756 posts
Sep 01, 2010
5:53 PM
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"There seems to be a large brass screw holding the plate on, the screw looks like you are supposed to use a coin to turn it, but it wont move. Can anyone tell me if this a screw before I start applying too much force to it?"
Unscrew the plate from the stand. Put hold the plate (upside down) in a strong vise. Now with a WRENCH on your BIG screw driver you'll be able to unscrew that screw. It is, to put it nicely, a bitch. Make sure the mic doesn't swing into the vise and scratch the paint.
"There is also a small hole on the bottom of the mic, I think that I read somewhere that filling this hole in will reduce feedback. Is this a good idea?"
Yes. There should be one vent hole, as small as possible. More makes feedback worse.
"The mic also has a silver disk behind the screen, I think I read somewhere that it improves the tone if you remove the disk, is that true?"
Is this disk attached to the front of the element? I've never seen any other kind on a Shure mic. If it is, and you can see the "normal" element front underneath it (with holes in a circle around the center, but toward the outside) then the disk can be removed. If you don't see that inside, then do not remove the disk - it IS the front of the element, nothing behind it but diaphragm.
"Is a switchcraft connector the the best connector to try and fit? I am going to have to try and fit the connector my self to keep the cost down and so I can have the satisfaction of building my own mic, is this possible with out specialised tools?"
It can be done but the result will be very poor. I've seen several "wrong ways" - the most common of which is to turn or grind the threads off of the connector until it is small enough to fit in the existing hole, then they try to hold that in place with the set-screw. Doesn't work. So they glue it. Ugly mess, won't last.
To do the job properly you're going to need to drill and tap the hole for the connector threads. That thread is 3/8-32, if my memory is correct. You'll have to special order the tap, it will run you $30 or so. Now, you need a set of number drills to enlarge the hole to the right size for tapping. Next, you need a secure way to hold the mic while you drill it. Easier said than done due to the unusual shape. The metal is VERY soft and will grab the drill bit. Don't try to do this by hand - you can get hurt, or hurt the mic. I have built special jigs for this purpose. OK - you have it drilled and tapped? Now the 2501MP connector only screws in up to its knurled portion, which is ugly. Need to turn that portion off of the connector. How to hold the connector to do this without damaging the threads? Collet Chuck with metric collets. OK, now the connector is in. You need a place to attach a ground wire inside the mic. You can drill and tap one of the internal casting sprues for a 4-40 screw.
THAT is how to do it right, which is why people gladly pay me and other pros who have invested in the tooling $35 to do it for them. But sometimes you just have to do it yourself to figure that out.
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/Greg
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belfast_harper
170 posts
Sep 02, 2010
1:56 AM
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Thanks for the advice.
It is possible that I might know someone who has the right tools for the job, but I will still run the risk of doing a crude job.
I like to be able to know how do things my self but I don't have a supply of mics to practice on so I will think about sending it away.
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bacon-fat
18 posts
Sep 03, 2010
4:06 AM
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I had Greg fit a connector to my 520SL and it was worth the expense.
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