Tube swap for Rode K2
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CultureSonic
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skythemusic
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I've been wondering this myself. I have a K2 that I'm really happy with, but it would be great to get it sounding even better. I've also been wondering if it will be obvious when it is necessary to change the tube or if it will go gradually.
What are the rest of you using your K2 for? What preamps do you like with it?
I've mostly used it for female vocals and sax. I've really liked it on the right singer and it's amazing on sax. It's also been pretty good as a drum overhead for a fairly open sound. I've tried it on acoustic guitar a number of times, but I've never found it to sound great. I usually use it with a Summit 2BA-221 or a EH 12AY. On sax, I've used a TL Audio Ivory 5001 and the Summit.
Adam
What are the rest of you using your K2 for? What preamps do you like with it?
I've mostly used it for female vocals and sax. I've really liked it on the right singer and it's amazing on sax. It's also been pretty good as a drum overhead for a fairly open sound. I've tried it on acoustic guitar a number of times, but I've never found it to sound great. I usually use it with a Summit 2BA-221 or a EH 12AY. On sax, I've used a TL Audio Ivory 5001 and the Summit.
Adam
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frshwtrbob
- audio school graduate
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Babbling about my tube swapped Rode K2 pair
I got a great deal on a pair of K2's that are one serial # apart and swapped the factory tubes for a NOS 60's Telefunken and a NOS 60's Philips Mini Watt.
The Philips has a bit more mids and the Telefunken has a bit more highs.
Ive used them seperatley on acoustic guitars at a distance of 12 inches from the neck/body joint. I've also used one more towards the sound hole & in tandem with a SM81 aimed at the 12th fret. I'm also happy with the sound I've gotten on clean Electric guitars, Handclaps, Tambourine, Fingersnaps, Room Sound, pointed out the window for nite crickets, capturing live thunder, & Voice. The previous owner used both for overheads in a drum room.
The multi functionality which is adjustable by the 9 ? position dial is very useful to fatten up the sound (going in between cardoid and omni positions) or thin out the sound (in between Cardoid and figure eight)
Over driven guitars haven't been a strength - at least with my placement techniques or maybe because it's just hard to beat my older MD421 and SM57 off axis and in tandem.
The NOS tubes are expensive and MAY NOT really worth the bread you have to pay but I did it and it's over and there's no turning back.
They are finicky when it comes to humid weather. You need to keep them wrapped/stored with silica gel packs to prevent pops and rumbles during recording if they get "wet" over time. Mine arrived during a rainy spring month and I didn't know about the tendency of LDC's to have this moisture problem.
The Rode customer service is FANTASTIC, period.
Some complain about the mic being too honest or not colorful enough. I've heard of them being to nasal for a few owners as well. I especially like mine due in part the great deal I got for 2 (620 shipped to my door) but also because they sound really GOOD to me - for my taste - I mean ears.
To tell you the truth, I've never even heard them for more than 1 sitting with the factory tubes. I was convinced they NEEDED to be swapped - so I did it pronto - seeing as how I got the mics for cheap.
FWIW, Mine are being run thru a Great River Me-1NV and a FMR RNP with 2 RNC's.
I've been following the general advice to warm the K2 up for 30 minutes before I record.
I do like them at least enough to respond to this old thread.
The Philips has a bit more mids and the Telefunken has a bit more highs.
Ive used them seperatley on acoustic guitars at a distance of 12 inches from the neck/body joint. I've also used one more towards the sound hole & in tandem with a SM81 aimed at the 12th fret. I'm also happy with the sound I've gotten on clean Electric guitars, Handclaps, Tambourine, Fingersnaps, Room Sound, pointed out the window for nite crickets, capturing live thunder, & Voice. The previous owner used both for overheads in a drum room.
The multi functionality which is adjustable by the 9 ? position dial is very useful to fatten up the sound (going in between cardoid and omni positions) or thin out the sound (in between Cardoid and figure eight)
Over driven guitars haven't been a strength - at least with my placement techniques or maybe because it's just hard to beat my older MD421 and SM57 off axis and in tandem.
The NOS tubes are expensive and MAY NOT really worth the bread you have to pay but I did it and it's over and there's no turning back.
They are finicky when it comes to humid weather. You need to keep them wrapped/stored with silica gel packs to prevent pops and rumbles during recording if they get "wet" over time. Mine arrived during a rainy spring month and I didn't know about the tendency of LDC's to have this moisture problem.
The Rode customer service is FANTASTIC, period.
Some complain about the mic being too honest or not colorful enough. I've heard of them being to nasal for a few owners as well. I especially like mine due in part the great deal I got for 2 (620 shipped to my door) but also because they sound really GOOD to me - for my taste - I mean ears.
To tell you the truth, I've never even heard them for more than 1 sitting with the factory tubes. I was convinced they NEEDED to be swapped - so I did it pronto - seeing as how I got the mics for cheap.
FWIW, Mine are being run thru a Great River Me-1NV and a FMR RNP with 2 RNC's.
I've been following the general advice to warm the K2 up for 30 minutes before I record.
I do like them at least enough to respond to this old thread.
Last edited by frshwtrbob on Fri Sep 25, 2009 7:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Dakota
- re-cappin' neve
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I have an NTK. Can be great, but frustratingly unpredictably hit or miss. It's usually the fizz/fuzz in the upper mids that only shows up on some sources that makes me curse and pull it back off the stand. Did some research, got NOS late 60's / early 70's amperex bugle boys. The mic's problems went away. It's now just kind of sweet and open and present whenever I fire it up. People seem to like the telefunkens for the most generalized useful character for those mics, I'll try that next when I get to it.
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oldguitars
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frshwtrbob
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oldguitars
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frshwtrbob
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oldguitars
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