Shure 520dx modification
Mon, 10/31/2022 - 10:56
Hi Greg,
Is it possible and or worth the investment and effort to modify a shure 520 dx green bullet to a vintage cr/cm element, along with screw cable connector?
I'm happy to do away with the volume control.
Thanks
Saul
Tue, 11/01/2022 - 07:44
#2
Hi Greg,
Thank you for taking
Hi Greg,
Thank you for taking the time to give me such detail in your advice. I suspected that it would not be a viable project as you never hear of anyone else having done it. I will continue with the harp blaster that I have until I am ready to upgrade to a vintage or one of your custom mics.
Selling it, as you suggest may be the best option as it has hardly been used.
Thanks again.
Saul
Hi, Saul
It is possible. But honestly, I think it is a waste of money. Compared to all the other green bullet mics (520D and 520) it has a harshness to its tone and doesn't break up as nicely. Yes, you could put a different element in there and improve its tone - but good elements ain’t cheap! And when you're done, it will still be the biggest, heaviest mic on the planet. Great for use as a weapon, less ideal as a mic! It is hard to cup and fatigues your hands. The built in cable is a pain in the butt and is guaranteed to fail inside the mic sooner or later. The solution to THAT is to jettison the cable and install a screw-on connector.
I charge $49 to put a screw-on connector in. For an extra $25 I will put a female screw-on connector on the cable that comes out of it, although the cables I make from scratch are better quality. Those are $50 for a 20 footer. But this is not as straight forward on the 520DX as you might think. The retaining ring that screws the cable onto the mic's connector will interfere with the volume knob. I can shave down the knob a little with a razor blade and it will be free to turn, but it won't be pretty. Also because that ring is about 3/4" in diameter it is much harder to get your thumb and forefinger around that fattest part of the connector to grasp the knob to turn it. The solution is an extension knob I make for $19 that solves that problem. The volume pot shaft sometimes has some play - the longer knob will amplify that and it will feel pretty wobbly. If that’s the case (it isn’t always) then I can replace the pot - that adds $24.95.
Of course, you could remove the internal volume control (and plug the hole) altogether and use an external one like my in-line "vintage" volume control. But now the price has escalated even further and you're still left with that big heavy mic. SO - my advice is to consider the above before you put a bunch of money into that shell. There are other candidates that can be had for reasonable prices that are smaller and lighter, like a JT30 or Turner 254 - and that will leave your 520DX whole to use as a backup or to sell and fund the project.