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Microphones by Marik
see productsAbout Marik
Well known around the web’s pro audio forums as Marik, Mark Fouxman has been designing, building, repairing, and modifying both ribbon and condenser microphones for many years. He pioneered many modifications, and his numerous articles on theoretical and practical aspects of modification of such diverse microphones as ECM8000, TNC6802, Nady 1050, Apex 260, MXL603, 990, 67V, 2001, as well as ACM3, Apex 205, 210, etc. remain an authoritative source of information.
Mods and Repairs
Currently, Marik concentrates on custom designing and building high-quality boutique condenser and ribbon microphones.
His modification work focuses on the artistic aspects of microphone design, such as voicing for specific application and capsule fine-tuning for specific needs and/or applications.
Also, he is in the process of preparing for manufacturing and making commercially available high quality toroidal transformers, with different ratios to match variety of modern and vintage ribbon microphones. He also winds his own condenser microphone transformers.
Ribbon Microphone Mods
Marik offers modifications only for “classic” and vintage microphones. He offers re-ribboning services, as well as motor re-machining and upgrades for any type of ribbon microphones from B&O, Tannoy, Grampian, Reslo, Geloso, RCA, etc.
His ribbon mic tune-ups involve ribbon, magnet, motor, transformer, and electronic upgrades, with specific parts being determined by application. For example, replacement ribbon thickness varies by specific needs (usually between 1.5-2.5 micron), and features a special type of corrugation to ensure long life, stability, and immunity to stretching. Tired ceramic and Alnico magnets can be replaced with Neodymium, typically increasing the mic’s output by 9-15dB. Transformers can be replaced with Marik’s own custom low-noise toroidal transformer design, which boasts lower noise levels and lower distortions than comparable CineMag and Lundahl units, as well as matched to the specific ribbon or application. Microphones can be fitted with a phantom powered circuit for optimal impedance matching, customized gain, and extended frequency response.
Marik also offers custom ribbon-microphone design and building services for customers seeking uncommon pickup patterns (cardioid, omni) and frequency-response voicing for specific applications.
Condenser Microphone Mods
Besides servicing most of the “classic” and vintage microphones, currently Marik’s main emphasis is on modifications of microphones built around particular capsules that can be improved by custom re-machining and re-tuning, such as 797 Audio, Oktava 219/319, as well as the family of microphones that use the MXL603 capsule, such as MXL600/603/604/990/991, Nady SCM-800, MCA SP-1, etc. He also offers changing the generic capsules for high quality units.
Next he upgrades the circuitry with premium quality components. For the input FET he uses 2SK170. Found in many modern microphones, in Marik’s opinion it is a superior device, with very low noise and excellent sonic qualities. For this FET Marik sets optimal operational points, resulting in a natural and homogenous sound, with greatly improved detail and input headroom.
Marik fine-tunes and voices microphones for specific applications, and to specific artists and instruments.
MXL 600/603/604/990/991, Nady SCM-800, MCA SP-1
The usual complaint for those microphones is a harsh, brittle and peaky top end, lack of bass response, and poor cardioid polar pattern.
To address most of these issues Marik turns the capsule from two-chambered design into three-chambered one. That is, the original capsule has only one plastic piece behind the backplate, giving two chambers — one between the diaphragm and backplate, and another between the backplate and a plastic time-delay piece. Marik adds one more plastic piece, creating completely different time-delay parameters, which also affects the voicing and also gives much more flexibility in the capsule’s fine-tuning, as well as resulting in a much tighter cardioid pattern as compared to the original capsule.
The three-chamber design provides the flexibility of voicing the capsule in many different ways — from a very rich ribbon-like sound, with thick low end and rolled off top, through a honky, accentuated-mids sound, to ruler-flat response.
For tight tolerances Marik machines the pieces on his high-precision lathe with digital readouts and 1-micron resolution. All the spacers are machined into the pieces.
For pencil-mic designs, the front of the capsule can be remachined to reduce front-cavity resonances. Marik also replaces the grill mesh with a more rigid one and with much more open area. He forms it into a dome to avoid parallel surfaces (and standing waves), ensure rigidity, and move it further from the diaphragm to reduce the risk of diaphragm damage.
Finally, the transformerless circuits in these mics can be converted to KM84-style transformer-coupled circuits with the inclusion of Marik’s own custom-wound dual-bobbin transformers.
Oktava MK-219 / MK-319
Marik’s large-diaphragm Oktava mods include the removal of the resonator disk from the capsule, upgrading components throughout the circuit, and swapping the stock FET with a 2SK170.
Because the best capacitor is “no capacitor at all,” Marik changes the bias topology, which allows him to omit the input capacitor alltogether. He redesigns the -10db switch to eliminate existing long wiring in high-impedance section and redesigns poorly executed low-cut switch.
On demand he can re-skin the capsule with aluminum foil, and also perform custom capsule tuning for different applications and needs. In addition, Marik offers grill/headbasket re-machining as necessary.
