replacing DX element

metalosaurio · replacing DX element

Hi everybody. I'm new into mic modifications. I've played with my bullet DX for nine months and I wanted to try some of the old elements. Finally I got myself a CM Hi-z element. I know it's supossed to be a fairly simple procedure, but the DX has a volume knob and I will like to know for sure how to actually make the change. Can someone give me some instructions about what to do?
regards,
Nicolas

Jeffrey Spoor

It's been a while since I've done one. The DX element has about 4 or 5 wires, while the pot has 3 and the connector has two. It's actually quite easy. You can look on my site for a wiring diagram - http://www.harpmicgaskets.com/tricks.htm. Basically, you simply have to tie the ground from all three - the connector, the pot, and the element. Most of us add a screw inside the shell to tie all the ground wires to the shell. Then pin 2 on the volume pot goes to the center lead of the connector and 3 goes to the + side of the connector. Look at the site, it's all there.

Hey, Greg - could you take a pic of one of those little DX pots and send to me? I should probably put that up on my tricks page.

metalosaurio

Thanks Tim. I apretiate your explanation. But could you point in a very basic way wich cable should go with wich one according to this wire scheme?
again, I have no knowledge of electronics what so ever Smile

regards,
Nicolas

Jeffrey Spoor

We'll have to get Greg in on this. He knows those pots very well. But looking at what you have, I would guess that (looking at the wires on the volume pot) red goes to the CM element (there should be a red dot on the element) and black goes to the center pin of the connector. Ground is the one they're calling shield. That one will connect to the element and the connector, so all three share a common ground. Now, it may very well be that black goes to the element and red goes to the connector. But ground is ground. You can't hurt anything, no matter what you do. If you are able, test it before you solder.

metalosaurio

Thanks again Tim. I think I understand most of what you say. However and reading your website, I triyed to connect three ground wires to a ring terminal, but I don´t know where to connect the ground terminal with the element. Should I connect the - cable from the element to the ground from the volume pot, like in you show in your website?

regards,
Nicolas

Jeffrey Spoor

Yes, that's correct. If you can use the existing leads from the element - if the element has leads - just tie the ground with the ground coming from the connector and pin 1 on the pot.

metalosaurio

I did it! It's sounding great now. Actually a friend helped me, and the problem was that the mic has a cable that's going nowhere. Yes, that's right, it has cable in the bovin that goes nowhere (the black cable in the connector), so everything else was exactly like it's explained in your page.

regards, and thanks a lot for the time and explanations.
Nicolas

Jeffrey Spoor

Ah, a 2-conductor cable with a shield. That's regular mic cable. The factory must've been running short that day. Glad you got it going, enjoy!

gheumann

Sorry, I was late to see this thread. Sounds like everything is OK.

The DX element can actually be wired for Low-Z which is why there are so many wires in there. The black wire coming down the cable is the low-z signal but isn't connected to anything when the cable is setup with a 1/4" connector.

The gray/brown wires are ground, and should be connected to one side of the element, and the orange wire to the other side of the element. The same gray/brown pair should be connected to the shield of the cable, and the red wire to the hot lead of the cable (the one that is connected to the tip of the 1/4" connector.)

/Greg