MD 409 in pieces

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mwerden
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MD 409 in pieces

Post by mwerden » Wed Sep 11, 2019 9:38 am

Hey people, been awhile. Life and stuff. Anywho, I have 2 MD409s that I got a great deal on a while back, but they are literally falling apart. I want to put the capsules in a new home - I guess theoretically I could put them into a 609 body, but I'd rather they have some vibe. What say you good tapepop folks?
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Nick Sevilla
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Re: MD 409 in pieces

Post by Nick Sevilla » Wed Sep 11, 2019 11:59 am

You could, if the capsules are in excellent shape.
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markjazzbassist
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Re: MD 409 in pieces

Post by markjazzbassist » Wed Sep 11, 2019 12:41 pm

509 or 609 works. also grundig gdsm 200 is the same mic as well. 509 409 and grundig all have the same capsules i believe. 609 has a different capsule.

i think the 409 is the best mic for guitar amps, what a mic! when i toured our FOH guy had a couple 409 that he swore by, those guitars sounded great. when we'd have a flyout and it was some sm57 on there it wasn't the same.

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Re: MD 409 in pieces

Post by mwerden » Thu Sep 12, 2019 12:01 pm

Just to clarify, the capsules sound fantastic but the mic bodies are falling apart. What would y'all do, snip the wires and into a 609 body? Anybody out there with unrepairable 409s that wants to make a few bucks?
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Nick Sevilla
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Re: MD 409 in pieces

Post by Nick Sevilla » Thu Sep 12, 2019 12:31 pm

Yep. But you might want to also salvage the circuit too, if possible.

The capsule is but one component of the whole picture.
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Re: MD 409 in pieces

Post by mwerden » Thu Sep 12, 2019 12:58 pm

Hm. I never inspected inside the stem part, but it seems like it's just the capsule wired to an XLR connector. Are you speaking from experience? See here, although I haven't researched the source yet:

http://www.3daudioinc.com/3db/attachmen ... 1333852066
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Nick Sevilla
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Re: MD 409 in pieces

Post by Nick Sevilla » Thu Sep 12, 2019 2:06 pm

Never had to open one up... but, if it has electronics, they would be worth replicating / salvaging.
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Re: MD 409 in pieces

Post by vvv » Thu Sep 12, 2019 3:02 pm

Can we get pix?
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digitaldrummer
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Re: MD 409 in pieces

Post by digitaldrummer » Fri Sep 13, 2019 7:01 am

pretty sure the MD409 has a transformer output.

A friend had one he carried around for Saxophone duty. Best sounding sax mic I've heard. Of course he was a great player too so maybe any mic would sound good on him...
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markjazzbassist
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Re: MD 409 in pieces

Post by markjazzbassist » Fri Sep 13, 2019 7:48 am

digitaldrummer wrote:
Fri Sep 13, 2019 7:01 am
pretty sure the MD409 has a transformer output.

A friend had one he carried around for Saxophone duty. Best sounding sax mic I've heard. Of course he was a great player too so maybe any mic would sound good on him...
great on trumpet as well. just a f'ing great mic all around!

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Re: MD 409 in pieces

Post by mwerden » Fri Sep 13, 2019 9:22 am

Yeah, always loved this mic. Also on toms. LCD soundsystem uses them on vox. Pretty much anything you'd put a dynamic on, although I never tried inside a kick. Hmmm....

Will post pics soon. If I remember.
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Re: MD 409 in pieces

Post by mwerden » Mon Sep 16, 2019 8:31 am

Some pics. Seems like the capsule is wired straight to the XLR.
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winky dinglehoffer
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Re: MD 409 in pieces

Post by winky dinglehoffer » Mon Sep 16, 2019 9:37 am

It's possible there's a small transformer before the XLR. It might be worth trying to get the base apart to check(carefully, of course.) Or if you have an ohm meter, check for resistance between the leads that go down to the XLR. If you see resistance (usually something under 1K, sometimes way under), then there's a transformer in there. There are mics (some of the EVs for instance) that have a sort of all-in-one diaphragm/transformer setup--could be that you have something like that here. I've never owned or been inside a 409, so I don't have any firsthand knowledge on that.

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Re: MD 409 in pieces

Post by vvv » Mon Sep 16, 2019 2:27 pm

Technical data
Acoustical mode of operation: pressure gradient
Frequency response: 50-15,000 Hz
Directional characteristic: cardioid
Open circuit output voltage at 1,000 Hz: 1.18 mV/Pa ±2.5 dB
Electrical impedance at 1,000 Hz: 200Ω
Minimum load impedance: ≥200Ω
Connector: Three-pin XLR plug
Wiring: 2 and 3 = moving coil, 1 and housing = ground
Dimensions in mm: 55 × 34 × 134
Weight: approximately 180 grams

http://www.coutant.org/md409u3/index.html
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Nick Sevilla
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Re: MD 409 in pieces

Post by Nick Sevilla » Mon Sep 16, 2019 4:51 pm

There most likely is some circuitry inside the chrome capsule housing.

Which is good, saves you from having to recreate it, just wire it into another housing.

You may want to try to contact a few mic repair people, and see if they have a spare body laying about.
Howling at the neighbors. Hoping they have more mic cables.

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