TNC mic "lineage"?

[premiumdan]

MicOp:

Bought a TnC ACM-100 mic a while back.
Anybody have info/specs about this item?
Curious if this mic is being sold by other brands, also.
It has a lollipop shape with screw on/off grilles front and rear.

Thanks.
-Dan

[Nick Sevilla]

MicOp:

Bought a TnC ACM-100 mic a while back.
Anybody have info/specs about this item?
Curious if this mic is being sold by other brands, also.
It has a lollipop shape with screw on/off grilles front and rear.

Thanks.
-Dan

Hi,

I own a pair of ACM 1200, and a pair of ACM 300s. as well as a pair of your ACM 100s. These are ribbon mics, very similar to the Cascade Fathead ones. I have not compared the two though... so I cannot say how similar they are, other than the outside construction.

I think you should go over to the PSW forum, and ask Terry or Chance (T n C) the owners, as to what circuits they used to inspire them to build yours. THey're pretty active over there.

I know they are now offering mods for the 1200 series, to give them different "flavors"... I personally like mine exactly the way they are, as they complement my large collection with their own type of sound.

Cheers

[premiumdan]

These mics are LDC, not ribbon.

Some of the other TnC mics are "versions" of the Nady/ART ribbon, Royer
ribbon, and Apex/Carvin tube LDC, but this little gold mic is a curiousity...

[Nick Sevilla]

These mics are LDC, not ribbon.

Some of the other TnC mics are "versions" of the Nady/ART ribbon, Royer
ribbon, and Apex/Carvin tube LDC, but this little gold mic is a curiousity...

Oh, that mic. Well, I'd still ask Terry n Chance over at PSW forums. THat where the original Group Buy originated from, last year.

I'll have to open my ribbon mics and see what number they are, I'm almost sure they are ACM-100s, but I might be wrong.

This one to me looks like a modded Oktava with slightly larger capsule. But it might sound totally different...

[premiumdan]

Their www addresses were down and I've heard that Chance has had a bad
health sitaution in recent months. I can't prove or disprove this info, only
that I tried to contact him probably 6 months ago and have not heard back.

Yeah, I was thinking along the lines of Oktava and a friend suggested Blue.

Maybe you have the ACM-1 or the ACM-4 or whatever the Nady RSM4 is?

[Aj]

I too have a pair of the TNC ACM-100s. I believe they are knock-offs of the Audix piano mics. These:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SCX25aPS/

Can't recall where I heard that... probably from asking way back when the group buy got under way.

Curious what you use your's for? I've been happy with them lately on OH. Handy little LD condensors!

[premiumdan]

Originally I thought these were possibly Audix styled, based on the lollipop
design. No matter though, as this mic looks different than any of my others
and maybe sounds better because of it. "If it doesn't sound cool, just put
it wherever it looks cool".

Recently stuck it on mid-gain electric guitar (Hartke GH412 w/ Celestions).
I used a PreSonus MP20 preamp with the IDSS (x-former sag?) @ 25%.
Seemed to work out okay, but these were only practice/scratch tracks.
Planning on re-doing some tracks anyways = good opportunity to retry the mic.

On Jan.3, I'm bringing A-T ATM450's and Pro37's to a drumset test & tune.
I'll be sure to bring the ACM-100 along for futher research.
Looks perfect size-wise for snare, but I don't want to SPL it to death.
Maybe a single OH or front-of-kit would work...
I'll follow-up post on Monday.

I had good luck with a '450 and a '37 on a solid cedar acoustic guitar.
I'm curious about how the ACM' sounds; maybe use it for a room mic?

How's your luck been with your '100 pair?
Tried 'em on things other than OH?
No good on some stuff, excellent on others?

I haven't seen these come up for sale at all, aside from the one I bought a while back.
I've been looking to get another just have a pair, not just my single.
(it's something I do...) *shrug*

-Dan

[Aj]

Well, I tried them on piano - a big old Steinway upright. Sounded very nice, but once I got them onto drum kit, I never moved them.

They seem to have a soft top, almost ribbon like. Works very well on my house kit (a mid-'60s Rogers). I would love another pair, actually. They seem to be the rare Chinese LDC without much top-end hype.

[Michael_Joly]

Almost sounds like a K47-type capsule instead of a K67-type. Can you take a picture or describe the backplate hole pattern so we can determine the capsule type? I have pics of both a K47-type and K67-type on this page.

[premiumdan]

Mr. Joly:

I was going to ask you outright, but I know that you had a rough go with TnC...
Thanks for jumping into the thread, though!

Cheers!
-Dan

[rodabod]

That's a standard Shanghai K67-ish copy.

[Michael_Joly]

Nice clear pics of the K67-type capsule (4-then-6 hole pattern at the edge visible) So if that mic has a 'soft top' perhaps the electronics have HF de-emphasis as was intended for the intentionally-bright K67-type capsule. This would be rare but welcome.

[premiumdan]

ACM-100 on hats facing drummer; placed a few inches away & above rims.
Plenty more treble than my friend's Audix F90 (?) mounted on the hat-stand's shaft.
I'd say that the ACM' sounded like the hats did with your ear next to 'em.
(without the pain, of course)
Seemed to be crisp without the rasp, but I don't know his playback monitors.
I'm looking forward to getting the recordings and playing them at my place.

Mr. Joly:
Yeah, I'm real pleased with how those capsule pics came out, too!
I'm diggin' this Fujifilm S1500...
-Dan

[mrdibs]

ACM-100
TRANSISTER CONDENSER MICROPHONE

CAPSULE SIZE-----------------------1 inch
POLAR PATTERN-------------------CARDIOID
FREQUENCY RESPONSE-------- 20Hz - 20KHz
SENSITIVITY -------------------------(@ 1000Hz. 94db SPL)--10mV/PA
RATED IMPEDANCE---------------200 ohms
EQUIVALENT NOISE LEVEL-----18db (A weight IEC 651)
MAX SPL FOR 0.5% THO @ 1000Hz--128db
POWER REQUIREMENT----------48v

http://www.the-musicians-workshop.com/
Click on Microphones

My guess that it's the same mic as this one:
http://recordinghacks.com/microphones/Audix/SCX25A

[markitzero]

I also have a pair of the ACM-100s... I seem to remember Chance saying only a few people ordered them, so I don't think there are too many more of us....

But I use mine as stereo room mics and stereo acoustic guitar mics all the time and they really are fantastic. No harshness at all in the top end while remaining really detailed.