Volume Control on Biscuit Mic

Cumberland · Volume Control on Biscuit Mic

I recently aquired a beautiful biscuit mic, I believe it is a reproduction but beautiful is the word, and I was wondering if I can put a volume control on it. There is a "mounting" hole like the JT-30 where it would sit on a stand that is unthreaded inside it, but I was wondering if there is enough internal room to put a volume control on it. My only other choice is to get an inline VC for it but I'd like to put one on the mic if possible.

Thanks in advance.

Jeff

gheumann

Hi, Jeff

I think I could get one in there, but I will tell you what I tell all my customers - I never know until I can see and measure - I would need to see the mic. I don't charge my customers for looking....

/Greg
http://www.blowsmeaway.com

Cumberland

Greg,

Thanks I'll be in touch. I'll contact you off list....I've got a couple of questions.

Jeff

Jeffrey Spoor

It's a very tight fit. I'd go with one of Greg's screw-on volume control thingys instead. I know folks have put VCs in Biscuits, but there is just so little depth to those mics. If you're putting a CR in, it's going to be even tighter. Greg does have those tiny VC's like they put in 520 DX mics. Perhaps one of those will give you enough clearance.

bacon-fat

Tim you'right it's tight...

Here's one of mine that I put a mini vc into -

- the Astatic element fits ok, but a Shure CR/CM will not.

Better in that case to go with a mini toggle switch or an external vc.

1bluzboy

I'd be concerned about turning myself up or down accidentally if my VC was that close to the mic face, which is the main reason that I prefer Greg's inline option on all my mics.

Jeffrey Spoor

All my mics have a VC, all in the stand hole. I really don't like the position. I like the configuration of the Blues Blasters which place the VC back further, allowing you to adjust the volume with your pinky without having to break your cup.

angerboy

Where does one get a reproduction biscuit shell?

Cumberland

I don't think they're made anymore. The guy I got it from told me before I got it that it was a repro. He got it from they guy who was casting them. He used to sell them on Ebay years ago but since good elements are getting tough to get, he's not doing it anymore.

I've recently been watching ebay, you can find some original Atatic busicuit that doesn't work and have the work done to it......(I would highly reccomend having it done) they not too bad as of yet.

Jeff

Cumberland

There is a biscuit shell on Ebay now.......good price so far......good luck.

Biscuit Shell

bloozefish

Cumberland wrote: "He got it from they guy who was casting them."

If I recall, there was an eBay seller named Silvertone who sold all-chrome Biscuits that he casted. I never saw one in person, but the pics looked nice. Anybody know what happened to him? I think he was from around St. Augustine FL.

James

Cumberland

I believe that is correct about ebay. I don't know what happened to him. The guy I got the mic from said the maker said that he was having difficulty finding good quality crystal elements at a reasonable price and stopped making them........I guess I'm lucky I was able to get this one. I'll try to look him up on Ebay, but I suppose someone else has already.

I posted a link to a recent auction on ebay about a fair condition biscuit shell that was being sold WITHOUT an element at all.......didn't work....it stayed at 22.00 bucks until the last couple of hours..........sold for 91.00 or 96.00, I just don't remember exactly how much...........

HTownFess

Silvertone was having those cast in pewter and the rejection rate was pretty high considering the expense, as well as suitable elements being harder (more expensive) to get.

If you don't require the shell to stay original, the thing to do for an onboard VC in a biscuit mic, or other mic w/ cramped interior and a threaded stand well, is to go the hardware store and get the proper size of stainless steel washer (5/8" OD, 1/4" ID) to fit both the rim recess of the stand well and the size of potentiometer shown installed in the interior of a biscuit in bacon-fat's post. You then take a big drill bit, think it's 1/2" or 9/16", and drill out the thin "floor" above the stand well, epoxy the stainless washer over the outside opening of the stand well, and you can install those small pots inside the stand well itself. Drastic surgery, but looks clean if you do it well and gets the pot much more out of the element's way. I think a clear-colored epoxy looks best there, but only a small bead of epoxy will be showing anyway. Obviously a mini-toggle switch can be installed this way too.

Then you use the skinniest knob you can find to fit the 1/8" shaft; Mouser sells some tapered ones that are 1/4" wide at their base, are tightened with a nut driver and allow a choice of colors in the plastic cap that covers the nut recess. I don't like having the knob in front of the cable, but I get along OK with this skinny knob there: turning it accidentally is not a real nuisance, doesn't rotate far if bumped and I think I really hold the mic with the knob steadied against my palm as default position. If you're not sloppy with your hands, should work.

A variant of this used to be easier when Radio Shack sold their universal springloaded wand mic mount with about a short piece of threaded adapter pipe that was threaded for bullet-style stand wells. I think the idea was you could thread the bullet mic onto that and clamp the mount onto something else as needed. Anyway, one can thread that short pipe into a bullet mic, put a washer on the end, then cap that with the threaded ring from a Switchcraft-style cable connector to hold the washer in place. Stick the miniature pot or toggle switch inside that. No mods to the shell needed beyond a hole to run wires. It has the advantage of getting the switch/pot away from the hands a bit, but may also look less cool. Look for a RS store with old stock, as they phased out that threaded tube to save money several years back.

I will try to get photos of those two setups uploaded next week, if I can get photos this weekend. There is a lot to be said for simply buying an inline VC from Greg instead.

Cumberland

I purchased a VC from Greg last week........it's on it's way.....can't wait to get it. I love that mic, I believe it is one that came from Silvertone. I got it in a trade with a fella out of DC......I love that style and having an original Astatic wasn't a real issue for me, it's got outstanding tone (way more the mic than me......... Razz

)

I posted a link to an Ebay auction for a non-working Astatic biscuit a couple of weeks ago, it went for 91.00 plus shipping and didn't work, so I think that I did OK on the deal. Thanks Howard if you're out there.

I posted on the board (on a different thread I believe) that I lost an Astatic crystal in one of my JT-30's a couple of weeks ago for no real apparent reason.......I spoke with Greg on the phone last week when I ordered the VC about it and good crystals are becoming more and more rare.........since it's dead, gonna have to send it to Greg for a re-build sometime......gettin' kinda low on mics (not really, got nearly as many mics as harps........) but I've said it before.........Hello, my name is Jeff and I'm a gear Addict............

Laughing

HTownFess

Some "dead" MC-151 crystals--usually killed by dropping them--can be revived. bbharpy and Joe Speiers detailed the surgical details on harp-l not all that long ago. There's a recess inside the casting that the crystal wafer normally rests in, and if jarred hard enough from the right direction, the crystal can bounce out of its cradle and lose its electrical connections, even though its actuator is still attached to the diaphragm. I've been inside an MC-151 that couldn't be saved--apparently a heat/humidity victim, the crystal had literally curled up out of shape--and it's delicate work, but feasible. I hate to think how many thousands of salvageable elements ended up in landfills.

So hang onto that expired crystal element. I don't think either bbharpy or Joe are still fixing those commercially, but I think Joe offered it for something like $60 max if fixable, inc. $20 diagnostic fee because you have to go inside to see whether it can be saved. Cheaper than another NOS MC-151 for sure if anyone is still doing it, or try it yourself if you have patience. Sorry, I don't have patience to even do it for myself right now Laughing

.

One benefit was that the revived crystal might be better than before, as the mechanical actuation by the diaphragm might be improved during the reassembly.

Cumberland

I read those posts a few weeks ago, before it went DOA. I still can't figure out why it went. I always kept it stored in a controlled environment in a well padded hardshelled case. It's the black JT-30 on the right..........

It just stopped working.......puzzling......

Maybe when I have some time, I'll give it a try, in the mean time I'm gonna change it with a Shure element. I've got several work-horse Shure elements that I like, but they crystals are my favorites.........I'm working on this torpedo also myself after seeing one like it on Greg's website......my first and final attempt at modifying a mic (gonna leave that kinda work to the professionals like Greg from now on........) It's been fun, but it's still not finished.........I should have just had Greg do it and I'd have been WAY ahead on money and time.......but it's been fun, I've still got to install the VC on it but here's where it's at right now......