MXL 990

January 29, 2006 8:41 AM

I dropped my MXL 990 condenser mic. The grill is slightly dented and the capsule inside has come loose. Can I repair it myself? Can I get it repaired in London?

I'm a clumsy idiot, and I shouldn't have left my mic out on the stand, and I shouldn't have left the cable where I could trip over it. That said, can anyone tell me how to fix it, or recommend a repair shop in London? I don't have a soldering iron or any specialized tools, and I'm located in New Cross.

posted by ludwig_van to Technology (4 answers total)

Ouch. The 990 is a great condenser microphone ( I use two of them on the concert grand piano at the theatre I run, and they are VERY comparable to the much more expensive Neumann BCM 104). I'm not entirely sure it's worth your while to get the microphone repaired. At $60 retail, this microphone is a ludricously priced bargain. It may actually cost you more to get it repaired.
On that note, any professional audio rental shop should be able to repair the microphone, but you may be looking at bench costs of upwards to $30-50/hour.
Without knowing the exact extent of the damage I can't honestly instruct what the repair would entail.
Just a note, the 990 is a discontinued microphone, but is still readily available at Musiciansfriend .
posted by Isosceles at 10:46 AM on January 29, 2006

Yeah. Replace it with another.
posted by TeamBilly at 12:36 PM on January 29, 2006

As said above, it's a great mic. But it's mass-produced in China, and thus doesn't lend itself to being opened up and repaired. The repair would almost certainly cost you far, FAR more than a new mic. Turnkey list it at £65.99, although they're not in stock.
posted by coach_mcguirk at 3:27 PM on January 29, 2006

Response by poster: Alrighty. I thought that might be the case, but I was holding out hope. Thanks for the replies.
posted by ludwig_van at 5:49 AM on January 30, 2006