Any mods for an older GT model 1A?

jmpizzoferrato · Post by **jmpizzoferrato** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 7:08 am

i was looking at my GT yesterday and was just thinking about some quick and easy mods..

for one i need a new tube. does anyone have any suggestions? is it as easy as popping in the new tube and firing up the mic?

i was also wondering about a transformer upgrade. could it be done?

Max · Post by **Max** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 3:46 pm

If you use the search function you will find a couple of tube recommendations for the MD1.
I was thinking about replacing the capsule in mine. The capsule in the new MD1B is a proper LDC and the capsule in the old one looks pretty small and cheap. The way the capsule is mounted inside the mic would make replacing it not too difficult. It doesn't sound bad though. I've always heard people say that the circuits in the old MD1 were better than the new ones and GT claims that they've improved the capsule design.
Something tells me that the old circuit with the new capsule might sound really good but I might be completely wrong.
I might contact GT about this as I'm curious what they will say about it.

joel hamilton · Post by **joel hamilton** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:18 pm

jmpizzoferrato wrote:i was looking at my GT yesterday and was just thinking about some quick and easy mods..

for one i need a new tube. does anyone have any suggestions? is it as easy as popping in the new tube and firing up the mic?

i was also wondering about a transformer upgrade. could it be done?

Forget about the xformer. That mic sounds amazing with the right tube in it. I love love love the original GTMD1a. I owuld never sell mine, even with a ton of super duper mics these days... Just try out a bunch of different old tubes. I found a tube in an old TV set at the dump, and popped that in there. It is a sylvania something or other, and it ROCKS in that mic. I have like 4 or 5 different 12ax's in the case for my GT that I bring with me, but I like the sylvania "landfill" model I have been rocking for years now. Amazing.
Yes, just pop the tube in. I would suggest turning the mic off before swapping tubes, though...

jmpizzoferrato · Post by **jmpizzoferrato** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 10:48 am

im totally gonna throw an old mullard in there and check it out.

im very interested in the capsule replacement thing. the stock capsule is so tiny. i'd imagine one of their newer, larger ones couldn't suck.

joel hamilton · Post by **joel hamilton** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 8:03 pm

jmpizzoferrato wrote:im totally gonna throw an old mullard in there and check it out.

im very interested in the capsule replacement thing. the stock capsule is so tiny. i'd imagine one of their newer, larger ones couldn't suck.

Bigger in this case = NOT better. For real. Try one of the reissues. They are poop logs on fire compared to the original. I hate to say it, but they F'd up IMO. The original is incredible. The reissue is just another version of overly bright condenser mic with no character worth talking about. Less mass= better transient response. Couple that with the shape of the mic and the electronics and everything and you have a winner already. Swapping the tube certainly made a huge difference in mine, but I would NEVER rip that kick ass capsule out of there for anything. I seriously love that mic.. Maybe they will do a reissue of the REAL MD1a... Maybe I should lobby for it...

I would buy one. or three...

Max · Post by **Max** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 1:02 am

I guess you're right. I've never had any complaints about how the smallish capsule sounded. Generally my alarm bells start to ring as soon as a manufacturer starts calling a reissue "new and improved".
I've tried a couple of tubes that didn't work at all in my MD1. I've had a NOS Valvo 12AT7 in there that sounded horrible. You'll have to try a couple and decide what sounds good.

joel hamilton · Post by **joel hamilton** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:01 pm

Max wrote:I guess you're right. I've never had any complaints about how the smallish capsule sounded. Generally my alarm bells start to ring as soon as a manufacturer starts calling a reissue "new and improved".
I've tried a couple of tubes that didn't work at all in my MD1. I've had a NOS Valvo 12AT7 in there that sounded horrible. You'll have to try a couple and decide what sounds good.

Interesting. WHat are you basing "smallish" on? COmpared to LDC's? this is not an LDC! Nor are mics like the KM series of neumann, or earthworks, or may other small or mini diaphragm microphones.. and those sound nice to me. Is it the fact that it is side address? that fooled a lot of people into thinking that the GT must be an LDC. I love the fact that it has this unique capsule, with a tube mic body... if ANYTHING is "the poor man's U67" then the original GT 1a is it without a doubt. I have put up a U67 right next to it... it is different, but just as "good" for sure.
I have all kinds of fetishized microphones, and the GT winds up on many records I do as the main vocal mic. Knowing that I could choose ANY, I mean ANY serious vocal microphone off the shelf, like 3 diferent U47's, 3 M49's, blah blah... I really love the MD1a is what I am saying I guess..

pandemic · Post by **pandemic** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:05 pm

if ANYTHING is "the poor man's U67" then the original GT 1a is it without a doubt. I have put up a U67 right next to it... it is different, but just as "good" for sure.
I have all kinds of fetishized microphones, and the GT winds up on many records I do as the main vocal mic. Knowing that I could choose ANY, I mean ANY serious vocal microphone off the shelf, like 3 diferent U47's, 3 M49's, blah blah... I really love the MD1a is what I am saying I guess.. Smile

God I have to get mine going!!!!!!!

trodden · Post by **trodden** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 5:21 pm

pandemic wrote:
if ANYTHING is "the poor man's U67" then the original GT 1a is it without a doubt. I have put up a U67 right next to it... it is different, but just as "good" for sure.
I have all kinds of fetishized microphones, and the GT winds up on many records I do as the main vocal mic. Knowing that I could choose ANY, I mean ANY serious vocal microphone off the shelf, like 3 diferent U47's, 3 M49's, blah blah... I really love the MD1a is what I am saying I guess.. Smile
God I have to get mine going!!!!!!!

no you sell it to me!

i had a chance to buy one or TWO of the original md1a's like 5 years ago for $300 a piece... i had no money.

jmpizzoferrato · Post by **jmpizzoferrato** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:18 pm

wow. this is great. i've always loved this mic. i traded a broken moog opus 3 for it years ago and havnt regreted it since.

anyway.. what tubes would you recomend trying? i have an old RCA lying around.. i could pop that in it and see what happens. eventually i'd love to get a NOS tele or something.. any thoughts on that?

pandemic · Post by **pandemic** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:19 pm

One Here on Ebay!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Groove-Tube-Mic-MD- ... dZViewItem

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Any mods for an older GT model 1A?

Any mods for an older GT model 1A?

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