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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Questions about a Shure 520D bullet mic
Questions about a Shure 520D bullet mic
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BlueDoc
14 posts
Jan 12, 2011
9:30 PM
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Having now learned my lesson about the last bullet mic I wanted to buy, I am ready to proceed to the next one. A guy I know has a Shure 520D for sale which he has added a volume control to. From everything I've read, older bullet mics are supposed to be hotter than the new ones, but this one sure isn't. I have tried it out with my amps, and it seems WAY quieter than my 520DX--it's so quiet, in fact, that I can't get any breakup in the tone no matter how tightly I cup, how hard I blow, and how much I turn up the amp. (I am a beginner at cupping mics, but I am able to get some decent results with the 520DX, and so I doubt if the issue is my technique.)
I can think of three possible reasons why this mic is so quiet:
1) The 520D is a dual impedance model, and this particular mic is wired for low impedance;
2) My friend made some mistake in his wiring when he added the volume pot;
3) The element is a dud to begin with.
The correct diagnosis may be a combination of some or all of these possibilities. I know there's some issue with the volume pot wiring, because the last time I tried it the mic wouldn't work at all until my friend jiggled the pot and adjusted the nut that holds it in. He thinks there may be an intermittent short circuit. But even when he got it to work as well as it ever does, the mic was way too quiet.
I am interested in buying this mic only if I can get it at a price that would make it reasonable to take a chance on getting it to work right. I think he wants $100 for it, but he is willing at this price to fix the short and rewire the element for Hi-Z if it needs that.
So I have several questions for the forum:
a) How good are 520D mics, compared with the other Shure bullets, when they're working properly? Should I be fussing with this mic in the first place, or looking for a good deal on a different model?
b) How much would a 520D with a volume control knob be worth, if it were working properly?
c) What's a reasonable price to pay for the mic in its current condition, assuming that it just needs a little rewiring? And what would be a reasonable price to pay, assuming it's a dud?
d) If the problem is that it's currently wired for Lo-Z, should it be rewired for Hi-Z, or should I keep it Lo-Z? If it were kept Lo-Z, I could presumably plug it directly into a modern PA--but would I be able to get a good "Chicago" sound that way? Or, I could plug it into my amps using an impedance matching transformer (I just bought one of these transformers to use my amps with a couple of other low-impedance mics that I have.) In that case, would I change the mic's cable to XLR (it's currently wired with what appears to be a 1/4-in guitar cable) or try to find another transformer that has a 1/4-in female jack?
I realize that this is kind of a long list of questions, and I'm sorry for venting my newbie gear anxieties. (One of my New Year's resolutions was to emphasize gear less and emphasize playing more... as soon as I get just one mic or maybe two that I really like. And maybe another amp. :-)
But if any of you are inclined to put in your 2 cents, I would really appreciate your collective wisdom.
Cheers,
Mark
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MrVerylongusername
1486 posts
Jan 12, 2011
11:22 PM
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I think 1) is the most likely, 2) a possibility 3) not really. Why not open it up and look to see if it's wired low-z. see here
Compared to a DX the D model really isn't bad. No idea of 2nd hand values though.
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jbone
470 posts
Jan 13, 2011
3:42 AM
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i wonder if 4) the volume pot is the right value, and wired in correctly?
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rharley5652
360 posts
Jan 13, 2011
3:24 PM
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The dual-Z element will be a 99S556 ,.Look at what the VC impedance is ,.should be 100-250K for Hi Z,.Lower than 100 for Low Z,.
"it's currently wired with what appears to be a 1/4-in guitar cable"
Tells me it should be set at Hi Z if it's a 99S556.
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Simply Unique Kustom Mic's By Rharley
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BlueDoc
15 posts
Jan 13, 2011
10:28 PM
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Thanks for your responses. I will try to buy the mic off my friend at a price cheap enough that I can afford to tinker with it, or else pass your advice on to him so he can fix it up.
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rharley5652
364 posts
Jan 14, 2011
12:54 PM
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@BlueDoc,.
520D & the 520DX are good mics,..
If i were you I'd open that 520D up an see if it indeed does have the 99S556 element,.
It may be someone replaced the original element whith a cheaper Non-Shure element that's on it's last leg?
That being that case,. not having the shure element ,.I would still buy the 520D (around 40-70 bucks is going rate on ebay for a D shell) an replace the cheaper element with a Shure Hi Z ,.
Good luck,.
If ya need help wiring contact me <>
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Simply Unique Kustom Mic's By Rharley
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BlueDoc
20 posts
Jan 14, 2011
9:28 PM
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Thanks rharley,
It's definitely a Shure element (I opened it up once), but I don't know if it's a 99S556.
-M
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rharley5652
368 posts
Jan 14, 2011
11:26 PM
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@ BlueDoc,.
The 99S556 dual-z has 3 wires coming out of the element,.use the top 2 leads,.
Holding the element with the writing (Shure Bros ,BLa-Bla _bla) upside down,. the left lead is +
I doubt the element's is bad !
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Simply Unique Kustom Mic's By Rharley
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