Customer Feedback

Oktava Microphone Modification Services

Feedback From Customers

I am very pleased with quality of your refurbishments and enhancements to my Oktava 319. I use my mic primarily in narration and audiobook projects and the feedback I've received from clients has been consistently positive.

Thanks again--very much!
Robert Ready
Vermont Public Television
WOMM-FM

Dear Bill, Used the mic tonight. In a word: FABULOUS! Every bit as good as my friend's "Oktavamod" MK-219. Utterly indistinguishable. I use the MK-219 on my baritone violin. It sounded rich, without any harshness or high frequency harshness from bow noise. It is one SWEET mic for this purpose! You provided excellent service, rapid turnaround and I appreciated your baggy of old parts. Great going, Bill!

Bob Stern

These microphones are fantastic! I very much love the rich detail after the mod! I A/B ed them with AKG 451 on piano and went with the Oktavas. How do you think they stack up against 451? They sound great on everything, even vocals if you position them right. Thanks for everything. 319 mod in my near future I hope.

Zachary J. Hollander
Silver Fox Records

Hi Bill........Got my mic and I love it. I had to do some experimenting at first as to how to position it. Before, I got a better sound straight up. Now I get a better sound having it hang down. The big thing I notice is the highs are super crisp and don't splatter when I throw a little EQ in post. The base is nice and tight and if I really get right on the mic, the (in your face) sound is probably the best I've ever heard. I take it that the spare parts are what you took out of it? Thanks again Bill. It really sounds awesome. I can't wait to show my friends who also have MK319's.

Van Ritshie
Voice of The PGA Tour on
The Golf Channel

I just wanted to let you know that I'm thoroughly enjoying my Oktava MC-012's since receiving them back from you. The mod seemed to fix the problem with the distortion on the one mic that I described to you, as I have been using them in my studio for the last couple of weeks as overheads on the drums, and they both sound great now. Thanks for offering such a great service at a reasonable price.

Jon Goad

Hi Bill, You did a terrific job! I am very pleased with the outcome of my Oktava 219 modification. I did a series of comparisons with my other mics which I think are very good microphones, The Oktava mod is very in your face with enough upper mids to set well in the mix with very good articulation. For MY vocals, it really shined and I'm sure it will shine on acoustic instruments as well because of the emphasis on the frequency body were vocals and especially acoustic instruments live. Thank you so much for making me a great microphone. It's even better than I thought it would be....You ain't heard the last of me!
------
A couple of months ago you modded my 219. About a week ago, I recorded a young lady on a 10 song project. The first day I recorded her vocal with the 219, it was the perfect mic for her. The following day I recorded a male vocal in the vocal booth, but I put up a Shure Ksm-32 and when the young lady came back to record more vocals I forgot about the Shure being in the booth. As she began to sing, I could tell in the control monitors something was not right. It dawned on me that the mic was not the 219. I changed it out me and the client were both happy...Thanks so much for a great job.

Jackie Dixon

Bill.... I was very happy with your full mod on my Oktava MK-012. The mic was sent right back, and the first opportunity I had to use it was on a small video shoot for some interiors with the hyper capsule. In the end we used it for everything in the shoot.... excellent sound characteristics. Well worth the small price you charge. I'll be sending you my Oktava 219 soon!

Chris Swanberg

The Oktava arrived today with your outstanding modifications--thanks so much for your superb work! Those old Soviets in Tuva could learn a lot from you in tweaking their mics into some of the world's finest condensers...as clean, present and full-sounding as any mcrophone I've ever used. With gratitude and best regards,

Robert Ready
WOMM-FM

Bill a quick update, i have had a chance to record some old dreadnaught acoustic on a track with the 012's xy'd and doubled on either side and they sounded great..detailed, clear ...looking forward to using them in many applications. I cracked one open out of curiosity, as i limited my basic soldering skills to the 319's...again i was very impressed with your work, and liked the pride you took in initialling the board!

Gordon Peterson

Bill, I wanted to give you an update on the four 319's you help mod for me. To refresh your memory, I did the physical mods and you finished them off with the electronic mods. Anyway, I have used them for multiple purposes, two point stereo, guitar/bass cabs, piano, drum OH's, and more and they have performed very nicely. I have used them with some big dogs, i.e, Schoeps ccm4's, Neumann SM69, 103's 184's, AGK 460's Royer ribbons, etc, and they have fit right in. I can't believe that for so little money I've ended up with such a great mic. I bought four of them new for $79.00 each and after the mod I've got $200 into each mic. They certainly outperform this price point and much higher point. My next step is to make a damping corset, made out of leather, to wrap around the outside of each mic. I think this will really damp any resonance problems that remain and should look great, too. Finally, the proof is in the pudding. Almost all my recordings have at least two 319's in use and my clientele have thoroughly enjoyed their recording and have showered me with praise. Thanks for your work and kind price.

Raymond Ackerman
Recording Engineer, First Chair Recording Center for the Arts, Homer NY, Crossing Borders Live

I finished the mod on the weekend. This was my first electronics project in a very long time, so it isn't pretty, but the results are amazing. The thing I notice most is the difference on sibilant sounds. The combination of physical and electronic changes removes the "esh"ing that I notice on most mics below several hundred to even a thousand dollars. I used to have to put in de-essing plug ins to compensate. Now I can just enjoy the sonic characteristics of the recording. There are other qualities that I'm noticing too - changes in the frequency range and the like - that I'm still getting my ears used to. They're hard to describe, but make the recording far more pleasing to listen to. Thanks for all of your help.

Sean MCgee

Hi Bill, I love the mod you did on my Oktava microphone. It was from a pair that I had purchased when I first started recording about 6 years ago. Since then I had purchased the Shure 137's (small diaphram microphone) which I didn't like at all. Last year I invested in Neumann KM 184's. I was amazed at the sound of the Oktava after you did the modifications! It is now a very usable microphone! Bill, the mod you did was top notch. The turn around time was very fast. I was pleased doing business with you. Thank you very much.

Gene Languirand

Hi Bill - I think the modification made a vary noticeable improvement - in particular on noise reduction and mid range amplification. Considering I bought this Oktava used already at a reduced price... having your modification done really turned it into quite a quality microphone for the value.

Adam Stalczynski

Dear Bill, I've nothing but very good things to say about your service. Parts were properly packed and instructions were very clear. I'm a long time DIYer, but I'm pretty sure that even a novice could follow all the modification steps without difficulty. Since I ordered two mod sets for my Oktava MK-012 stereo pair, I modified one microphone at a time, so that I was able two make a direct comparison and check the before-after differences. Well, it works as advertised, as they say... Being an acoustic bass player, I noticed especially the improved low frequency response: now the MK-012 with an omni capsule is my first choice for bass recording. So thank you, Bill, for having given me the opportunity to improve my low budget but now very good sounding mics! Ciao,

Stefano Dall'Ora

	I am very pleased with quality of your refurbishments and enhancements to my Oktava 319. I use my mic primarily in narration and audiobook projects and the feedback I've received from clients has been consistently positive. Thanks again--very much! Robert Ready Vermont Public Television WOMM-FM
	Dear Bill, Used the mic tonight. In a word: FABULOUS! Every bit as good as my friend's "Oktavamod" MK-219. Utterly indistinguishable. I use the MK-219 on my baritone violin. It sounded rich, without any harshness or high frequency harshness from bow noise. It is one SWEET mic for this purpose! You provided excellent service, rapid turnaround and I appreciated your baggy of old parts. Great going, Bill! Bob Stern
	These microphones are fantastic! I very much love the rich detail after the mod! I A/B ed them with AKG 451 on piano and went with the Oktavas. How do you think they stack up against 451? They sound great on everything, even vocals if you position them right. Thanks for everything. 319 mod in my near future I hope. Zachary J. Hollander Silver Fox Records
	Hi Bill........Got my mic and I love it. I had to do some experimenting at first as to how to position it. Before, I got a better sound straight up. Now I get a better sound having it hang down. The big thing I notice is the highs are super crisp and don't splatter when I throw a little EQ in post. The base is nice and tight and if I really get right on the mic, the (in your face) sound is probably the best I've ever heard. I take it that the spare parts are what you took out of it? Thanks again Bill. It really sounds awesome. I can't wait to show my friends who also have MK319's. Van Ritshie Voice of The PGA Tour on The Golf Channel
	I just wanted to let you know that I'm thoroughly enjoying my Oktava MC-012's since receiving them back from you. The mod seemed to fix the problem with the distortion on the one mic that I described to you, as I have been using them in my studio for the last couple of weeks as overheads on the drums, and they both sound great now. Thanks for offering such a great service at a reasonable price. Jon Goad
	Hi Bill, You did a terrific job! I am very pleased with the outcome of my Oktava 219 modification. I did a series of comparisons with my other mics which I think are very good microphones, The Oktava mod is very in your face with enough upper mids to set well in the mix with very good articulation. For MY vocals, it really shined and I'm sure it will shine on acoustic instruments as well because of the emphasis on the frequency body were vocals and especially acoustic instruments live. Thank you so much for making me a great microphone. It's even better than I thought it would be....You ain't heard the last of me! ------ A couple of months ago you modded my 219. About a week ago, I recorded a young lady on a 10 song project. The first day I recorded her vocal with the 219, it was the perfect mic for her. The following day I recorded a male vocal in the vocal booth, but I put up a Shure Ksm-32 and when the young lady came back to record more vocals I forgot about the Shure being in the booth. As she began to sing, I could tell in the control monitors something was not right. It dawned on me that the mic was not the 219. I changed it out me and the client were both happy...Thanks so much for a great job. Jackie Dixon
	Bill.... I was very happy with your full mod on my Oktava MK-012. The mic was sent right back, and the first opportunity I had to use it was on a small video shoot for some interiors with the hyper capsule. In the end we used it for everything in the shoot.... excellent sound characteristics. Well worth the small price you charge. I'll be sending you my Oktava 219 soon! Chris Swanberg
	The Oktava arrived today with your outstanding modifications--thanks so much for your superb work! Those old Soviets in Tuva could learn a lot from you in tweaking their mics into some of the world's finest condensers...as clean, present and full-sounding as any mcrophone I've ever used. With gratitude and best regards, Robert Ready WOMM-FM
	Bill a quick update, i have had a chance to record some old dreadnaught acoustic on a track with the 012's xy'd and doubled on either side and they sounded great..detailed, clear ...looking forward to using them in many applications. I cracked one open out of curiosity, as i limited my basic soldering skills to the 319's...again i was very impressed with your work, and liked the pride you took in initialling the board! Gordon Peterson
	Bill, I wanted to give you an update on the four 319's you help mod for me. To refresh your memory, I did the physical mods and you finished them off with the electronic mods. Anyway, I have used them for multiple purposes, two point stereo, guitar/bass cabs, piano, drum OH's, and more and they have performed very nicely. I have used them with some big dogs, i.e, Schoeps ccm4's, Neumann SM69, 103's 184's, AGK 460's Royer ribbons, etc, and they have fit right in. I can't believe that for so little money I've ended up with such a great mic. I bought four of them new for $79.00 each and after the mod I've got $200 into each mic. They certainly outperform this price point and much higher point. My next step is to make a damping corset, made out of leather, to wrap around the outside of each mic. I think this will really damp any resonance problems that remain and should look great, too. Finally, the proof is in the pudding. Almost all my recordings have at least two 319's in use and my clientele have thoroughly enjoyed their recording and have showered me with praise. Thanks for your work and kind price. Raymond Ackerman Recording Engineer, First Chair Recording Center for the Arts, Homer NY, Crossing Borders Live
	I finished the mod on the weekend. This was my first electronics project in a very long time, so it isn't pretty, but the results are amazing. The thing I notice most is the difference on sibilant sounds. The combination of physical and electronic changes removes the "esh"ing that I notice on most mics below several hundred to even a thousand dollars. I used to have to put in de-essing plug ins to compensate. Now I can just enjoy the sonic characteristics of the recording. There are other qualities that I'm noticing too - changes in the frequency range and the like - that I'm still getting my ears used to. They're hard to describe, but make the recording far more pleasing to listen to. Thanks for all of your help. Sean MCgee
	Hi Bill, I love the mod you did on my Oktava microphone. It was from a pair that I had purchased when I first started recording about 6 years ago. Since then I had purchased the Shure 137's (small diaphram microphone) which I didn't like at all. Last year I invested in Neumann KM 184's. I was amazed at the sound of the Oktava after you did the modifications! It is now a very usable microphone! Bill, the mod you did was top notch. The turn around time was very fast. I was pleased doing business with you. Thank you very much. Gene Languirand
	Hi Bill - I think the modification made a vary noticeable improvement - in particular on noise reduction and mid range amplification. Considering I bought this Oktava used already at a reduced price... having your modification done really turned it into quite a quality microphone for the value. Adam Stalczynski
	Dear Bill, I've nothing but very good things to say about your service. Parts were properly packed and instructions were very clear. I'm a long time DIYer, but I'm pretty sure that even a novice could follow all the modification steps without difficulty. Since I ordered two mod sets for my Oktava MK-012 stereo pair, I modified one microphone at a time, so that I was able two make a direct comparison and check the before-after differences. Well, it works as advertised, as they say... Being an acoustic bass player, I noticed especially the improved low frequency response: now the MK-012 with an omni capsule is my first choice for bass recording. So thank you, Bill, for having given me the opportunity to improve my low budget but now very good sounding mics! Ciao, Stefano Dall'Ora