On 29/12/2020 13:54, Paul Dorman wrote:
If Neumann is so secretive, then why did they agree to do a
"How It's Made" video on the U87? This video is WAY too clean to be
from the 60's!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTZy-ThRXeY
And I don't see anything too special here, really. Assuming
they use torque wrenches for the ring that mounts the plastic
membrane, it looks like any assembler could do it.
The "secret ingredients" are not even hinted at in the video. How thick
and how tense is the plastic sheet as delivered to the assembler, and
how thick is the gold plating? What type of plastic is used?
Just a couple of the variables I can see that will make a massive
difference to the end result.
The torque on the screws we saw being fastened, by the way, won't make a
massive difference to the consistency of the microphone performance as
long as they are tight enough, that is set by the consistency between
samples of the tension given to it by the ring it is mounted on during
the plating process, which in turn is governed by the heat treatment at
the initial mounting and plating stages. All the mounting ring you see
being fastened does is to lock that initial tension in place.
All the stuff you see is of minor importance compared to what they do
not show you.
Don't forget that video was passed by the legal department as not
disclosing any commercially sensitive information.
--
Tciao for Now!
John.