AKG Perception 5 Minute u87 Clone Mod vs u87ai Comparison Will Surprise You 

KING! Thank you, Sir. I can't believe it took me so long to try your mod. Let me know if you start a microphone cult. I'll totally volunteer to hand out cups of mic cult kool aid.

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff 🤣

WOW excellent mod! Can it be done on a modern AKG p420?

@@mickelachlanI believe it is the same mic.

All except the 120 which has an electret capsule and a different circuit and the 820 which is a tube mic.

It really is a mic that deserves more attention and respect, especially since it comes from AKG and is built like a tank.

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff Hey man, meant to ask, what Capacitor value did you mod it with? Just curious what the difference might be between different pF. Mine for example - a 220 - i used a 540. As i recall from the original KingKorg thread different values produce different results that can be closer to a vintage 87 like with a 470 pF whereas higher values would perhaps be brighter and closer to an 87ai. Getting into the weeds LOL..(or weed as the case may be haha)

@@mikes425 680pf on mine.

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff ok thanks! Hey i JUST realized that the "donor mic" i used for this mod last year was a 200, not 220. i guess i just spaced out on it at the time - or...maybe saw evidence that there's no appreciable difference between the 200 and 220 (except the pad, i think). Do you know offhand if if in fact, the 200 cap and circuitry is essentially identical to the 220. -and this is the original Perception series also, not the newer "P" series -P220, P420. I don't really need more than cardioid and AFAIK the capsule and circuitry are identical across all of these models and all use the same capsule. Thanks!!

@@mikes425 They changed the pad from -10db to -20db when they went from the 200 to the 220 and the p series is the exact same circuit.

Thank you for taking the time to make such a concise mod video for it. This is a mic that deserves to be rescued from the back of the closet or the bottom of a drawer or even from the darkest depths of the ocean, but not in one of those tin can subs they used to take to visit the Titanic.

The 220 and 420 modded will sound slightly different from one another because the capsules are slightly different. The 420 modded will sound a bit more like a u87.

I had considered transplanting it all into an 87 style body but the stubby body of the AKG has kind of grown on me as just something different.

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff Yes, I hear ya... That color is what gets me... They should have done it in nickel :).

That is a very good observation.

The more I listen to this mic, the more I really like it a lot.

Dude, it’s as unrecognizable after surgery as Jennifer Grey after her nose job.

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

The more I listen to this mic, the more I like it. Once you tame that high end, you can really hear how much of a Neumann-esque purr this capsule has in the mids. Glad you reminded me of this mod.

​@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff Happy to inspire some experimentation! Success is always fun to play with 😉

Fantastic mic now, isn’t it? Just crazy that AKG never realized the hidden gem that this mic is.

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff definitely an excellent mod, cheap, easy, and huge difference. Picks up that growl in your voice. Also seems like a pretty tight cardoid too.

Bill! Yo man! Yeah man, give it a go. You'll be surprised how simple it is and what the result actually yields.

I have not had the pleasure of trying a cm1

Mike Shep!!! The AKG may indeed be a little more forgiving in that respect as it is just a bit less sensitive than the 87AI.

That's because the music is packed with all kinds of subliminal messages. Thank you.

What you describe seems like moisture on the capsule. Put it in a ziplock bag of dessicant packets. Toss it in a drawer for a week and see if the problem changes. If it’s still presenting the issue, it’s not the capsule.

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoffOkay, I'll do it. But I also want to comment that yesterday while I was checking it, I disassembled it and reassembled it, I tightened the screw on the black cable and it improved. What I also did was leave it on the heater

And it improves a lot, the sound no longer turns off when I get close to the capsule. But in the cold morning, it happens again. I'll put it to dry.

You know what they say… Sixth time is the charm.

At least 63.

Any decent 680pf capacitor will do. Film or C0G. You’ll want it rated for 63v or 100v as long as it’s not too big to fit in the space.

@@MarkYoshimotoNemcoff thanks 🙏🏻

Not bad, right? I would also accept: "Shocking", "Wowzers" or simply, "No wayyyyyy"

Welcome to the Perception Mod Club. It’s incredible how much it can be improved with such a simple fix.