Bang & Olufsen BM-5 vintage stereo ribbon mic with
Stephen Sank RCA 44BX mod. The mic is in a good condition and is currently
in the U.S.

1500 USD or best offer.

Also FS:

Bang & Olufsen BeoMic 2000, vintage dynamic mic
(1970.), traditionally superb design by Jacob
Jensen (IF Award, The Design Collection of the
Museum of Modern Art in New York), built-in table
stand, original plastic box, mint condition.

250 USD

Predrag

Predrag Trpkov wrote:
Bang & Olufsen BM-5 vintage stereo ribbon mic with
Stephen Sank RCA 44BX mod. The mic is in a good condition and is currently
in the U.S.

1500 USD or best offer.

Wow! My BM5s still have original ribbons in good shape and I don't think
I could get $1000 for them.

Stephen does good work though. Too bad there are no replacement ribbons
available for old B&O mics. And Royer has no interest in servicing them.

Rob R.

Rob Reedijk wrote in message ...
Predrag Trpkov wrote:
Bang & Olufsen BM-5 vintage stereo ribbon mic with
Stephen Sank RCA 44BX mod. The mic is in a good condition and is currently
in the U.S.

1500 USD or best offer.

Wow! My BM5s still have original ribbons in good shape and I don't think
I could get $1000 for them.

Stephen does good work though. Too bad there are no replacement ribbons
available for old B&O mics. And Royer has no interest in servicing them.

Rob R.

Clarence at Enak Mic Repair in NJ fixed mine up good as new!

lobby b wrote:
Rob Reedijk wrote in message ...
Predrag Trpkov wrote:
Bang & Olufsen BM-5 vintage stereo ribbon mic with
Stephen Sank RCA 44BX mod. The mic is in a good condition and is currently
in the U.S.

1500 USD or best offer.

Wow! My BM5s still have original ribbons in good shape and I don't think
I could get $1000 for them.

Stephen does good work though. Too bad there are no replacement ribbons
available for old B&O mics. And Royer has no interest in servicing them.

Rob R.

Clarence at Enak Mic Repair in NJ fixed mine up good as new!

Yes, but what did he use? Unless you are telling me he has a stash of
of B&O ribbons. I have heard they no longer exist.

Was it a BM5/6 or a BM3/4?

Rob R.

"Rob Reedijk" wrote in message
...
Predrag Trpkov wrote:
Bang & Olufsen BM-5 vintage stereo ribbon mic with
Stephen Sank RCA 44BX mod. The mic is in a good condition and is
currently
in the U.S.

1500 USD or best offer.

Wow! My BM5s still have original ribbons in good shape and I don't think
I could get $1000 for them.

Stephen does good work though. Too bad there are no replacement ribbons
available for old B&O mics. And Royer has no interest in servicing them.

Rob R.

With Stephen's RCA 44BX mod, this mic should be worth more than 1000 USD.
I'm open to reasonable offers.

Predrag

Predrag Trpkov wrote:

"Rob Reedijk" wrote in message
...
Predrag Trpkov wrote:
Bang & Olufsen BM-5 vintage stereo ribbon mic with
Stephen Sank RCA 44BX mod. The mic is in a good condition and is
currently
in the U.S.

1500 USD or best offer.

Wow! My BM5s still have original ribbons in good shape and I don't think
I could get $1000 for them.

Stephen does good work though. Too bad there are no replacement ribbons
available for old B&O mics. And Royer has no interest in servicing them.

Rob R.

With Stephen's RCA 44BX mod, this mic should be worth more than 1000 USD.
I'm open to reasonable offers.

So what does it sound like? The whole point of the BM5 is that besides
being stereo, it is one of the more neutral sounding ribbon mics from
the olden days. The cons are that it is rather noisy plus it roles off
above 12K.

I imagine that with 44 ribbons you might get more top end, but perhaps a
more presency peak. I don't know if the noise improves.

It could be a completely different animal with these ribbons.

Or does Stephen, due to a lack of BM5 replacement ribbons, try to emulate
the original BM5 ribbons. I guess they can be cut to the same size.
But the corrugation is different as is the material.

The upside is you get a ribbon less susceptible to corrosion. On the other
hand, I believe they are a lot more fragile.

Why are you selling it, anyway?

Rob R.

The cons are that it is rather noisy

This is an issue. I frequently need 70db+ gain with my BM3.

plus it roles off
above 12K.

I view this as a positive asset.




Scott Fraser

On Fri, 27 Aug 2004 11:56:15 +0200, "Predrag Trpkov"
wrote:


"Rob Reedijk" wrote in message
...
Predrag Trpkov wrote:
Bang & Olufsen BM-5 vintage stereo ribbon mic with
Stephen Sank RCA 44BX mod. The mic is in a good condition and is
currently
in the U.S.

1500 USD or best offer.

Wow! My BM5s still have original ribbons in good shape and I don't think
I could get $1000 for them.

Stephen does good work though. Too bad there are no replacement ribbons
available for old B&O mics. And Royer has no interest in servicing them.

Rob R.

With Stephen's RCA 44BX mod, this mic should be worth more than 1000 USD.
I'm open to reasonable offers.

Why? Can't you buy a real RCA for that kind of money? It's a great
sounding mic, but I bought my B & O with a blown ribbon for about $300
and had Steve do the mod which I think cost another $175... so mine
cost less than half of your asking price. I seriously doubt you can
get a grand for yours but if you think so why don't you put it on ebay
and see if anyone will go for it.

Al

"playon" playonATcomcast.net wrote in message
...
On Fri, 27 Aug 2004 11:56:15 +0200, "Predrag Trpkov"
wrote:


"Rob Reedijk" wrote in message
...
Predrag Trpkov wrote:
Bang & Olufsen BM-5 vintage stereo ribbon mic with
Stephen Sank RCA 44BX mod. The mic is in a good condition and is
currently
in the U.S.

1500 USD or best offer.

Wow! My BM5s still have original ribbons in good shape and I don't
think
I could get $1000 for them.

Stephen does good work though. Too bad there are no replacement
ribbons
available for old B&O mics. And Royer has no interest in servicing
them.

Rob R.

With Stephen's RCA 44BX mod, this mic should be worth more than 1000 USD.
I'm open to reasonable offers.

Why? Can't you buy a real RCA for that kind of money? It's a great
sounding mic, but I bought my B & O with a blown ribbon for about $300
and had Steve do the mod which I think cost another $175... so mine
cost less than half of your asking price. I seriously doubt you can
get a grand for yours but if you think so why don't you put it on ebay
and see if anyone will go for it.

Al

Thanks for giving me a chance to further clarify my position, Al.

The BM-5 is a stereo mic, so I believe a pair of real RCA 44BXs should cost
much more.

This seems to be the latest Ebay auction.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...tem=5714525 6
21&rd=1
Over 800 USD + shipping.

The Stephen Sank 44BX mod for B&O BM-5 costs 250 USD + shipping.

Nevertheless, it looks like this mic is worth less than I was told it should
be. It happens. I'm still open to reasonable offers, though.

Predrag

At the time that Justin had me modify the mic, a stock BM-5 had recently sold for $1200 on
ebay, and a few months before, the only BM-5 ever ebay'd with my ribbon mods went for $1400.
So, I'm quite sure Justin was giving you his honest opinion of the mic's value. As for the
ribbons I installed- they are exactly the same material(1.2micron pure aluminum) and same
13/inch corrugation(full length) as the 44BX, just very slightly narrower & about 2/3 as long
as the 44 ribbon. The sound is completely absent of any peaks, and is quite flat to about
13.5kHz, rolling off above that much more gently than the stock ribbons. The bass end is quite
noticeably flatter(but still "fat") than the stock mic, which sounds to my ears unpleasantly
boomy in the 100Hz region. The sound is extremely close to the 44BX, just slightly less full
bass. As for noise, the B&O mics in general, but especially the BM-5 & BM-6(half of a BM-5),
are unusually low output compared to the average ribbon mic, so you need at least 70dB of very,
very quiet gain. A Burr-Brown or Analog Devices chipped Sytek MPX-4 has worked extremely well
for several of my "BM-5-BX" owners, with the most ribbon-friendly version of the Great River
being another good choice(for quite a bit more money).
I don't recall if this particular mic had the original gorgeous rosewood, velvet-lined case,
and/or the stand holder with the little tripod legs to make it into a desk stand. You may want
to mention these items if they are included.

--
Stephen Sank, Owner & Ribbon Mic Restorer
Talking Dog Transducer Company
http://stephensank.com
5517 Carmelita Drive N.E.
Albuquerque, New Mexico [87111]
505-332-0336
Auth. Nakamichi & McIntosh servicer
Payments preferred through Paypal.com
"Predrag Trpkov" wrote in message
...

"playon" playonATcomcast.net wrote in message
...
On Fri, 27 Aug 2004 11:56:15 +0200, "Predrag Trpkov"
wrote:


"Rob Reedijk" wrote in message
...
Predrag Trpkov wrote:
Bang & Olufsen BM-5 vintage stereo ribbon mic with
Stephen Sank RCA 44BX mod. The mic is in a good condition and is
currently
in the U.S.

1500 USD or best offer.

Wow! My BM5s still have original ribbons in good shape and I don't
think
I could get $1000 for them.

Stephen does good work though. Too bad there are no replacement
ribbons
available for old B&O mics. And Royer has no interest in servicing
them.

Rob R.

With Stephen's RCA 44BX mod, this mic should be worth more than 1000 USD.
I'm open to reasonable offers.

Why? Can't you buy a real RCA for that kind of money? It's a great
sounding mic, but I bought my B & O with a blown ribbon for about $300
and had Steve do the mod which I think cost another $175... so mine
cost less than half of your asking price. I seriously doubt you can
get a grand for yours but if you think so why don't you put it on ebay
and see if anyone will go for it.

Al

Thanks for giving me a chance to further clarify my position, Al.

The BM-5 is a stereo mic, so I believe a pair of real RCA 44BXs should cost
much more.

This seems to be the latest Ebay auction.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...tem=5714525 6
21&rd=1
Over 800 USD + shipping.

The Stephen Sank 44BX mod for B&O BM-5 costs 250 USD + shipping.

Nevertheless, it looks like this mic is worth less than I was told it should
be. It happens. I'm still open to reasonable offers, though.

Predrag

On Fri, 27 Aug 2004 11:56:15 +0200, "Predrag Trpkov" wrote:
With Stephen's RCA 44BX mod, this mic should be worth more than 1000 USD.
I'm open to reasonable offers.


In article , playon wrote:

Why? Can't you buy a real RCA for that kind of money? It's a great
sounding mic, but I bought my B & O with a blown ribbon for about $300
and had Steve do the mod which I think cost another $175... so mine
cost less than half of your asking price. I seriously doubt you can
get a grand for yours but if you think so why don't you put it on ebay
and see if anyone will go for it.

No, you can't get a 44BX for anywhere near a grand. Besides, since
this is a stereo mike you'd have to buy TWO 44BXs. I've only used a
44BX a few times, and never compared one directly to this particular
B&O BM5, but I've been told that the similarity is striking. I have
used this BM5 (the one Predrag is selling) on drums and acoustic guitar
and I've really liked the sound. On drums, the HF roll-off and the low
sensitivity are a non-issue, but on an acoustic guitar they're
something you have to deal with.


ulysses

Stephen Sank wrote:

At the time that Justin had me modify the mic, a stock BM-5 had
recently sold for $1200 on ebay, and a few months before, the only
BM-5 ever ebay'd with my ribbon mods went for $1400. So, I'm quite
sure Justin was giving you his honest opinion of the mic's value.

Actually, to clarify Stephen's recollection, he installed the BX mod on
this microphone before my studio partner bought it. $1200 seemed to be
about the "going rate" for a stock BM5, and I'm confident the mod does
produce a significantly more useful microphone (and Stephen stands
behind his work) so we felt comfortable paying about $1500 for it when
we bought it. We traded it to Predrag for another microphone (we have
far more ribbon mikes than we use on any given session) but we still
have it in our posession. I'd be happy to answer any questions from
interested parties about this microphone.

I don't recall if this particular mic had the original gorgeous
rosewood, velvet-lined case, and/or the stand holder with the little
tripod legs to make it into a desk stand. You may want to mention
these items if they are included.

No, those items aren't included. Also, the rather unreliable and
useless phase switch and low-cut switch have been removed but is
included and could be easily re-installed. The microphone is in very
good condition.

ulysses

On Sat, 28 Aug 2004 00:33:57 +0200, "Predrag Trpkov"
wrote:


"playon" playonATcomcast.net wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 27 Aug 2004 11:56:15 +0200, "Predrag Trpkov"
wrote:


"Rob Reedijk" wrote in message
...
Predrag Trpkov wrote:
Bang & Olufsen BM-5 vintage stereo ribbon mic with
Stephen Sank RCA 44BX mod. The mic is in a good condition and is
currently
in the U.S.

1500 USD or best offer.

Wow! My BM5s still have original ribbons in good shape and I don't
think
I could get $1000 for them.

Stephen does good work though. Too bad there are no replacement
ribbons
available for old B&O mics. And Royer has no interest in servicing
them.

Rob R.

With Stephen's RCA 44BX mod, this mic should be worth more than 1000 USD.
I'm open to reasonable offers.

Why? Can't you buy a real RCA for that kind of money? It's a great
sounding mic, but I bought my B & O with a blown ribbon for about $300
and had Steve do the mod which I think cost another $175... so mine
cost less than half of your asking price. I seriously doubt you can
get a grand for yours but if you think so why don't you put it on ebay
and see if anyone will go for it.

Al

Thanks for giving me a chance to further clarify my position, Al.

The BM-5 is a stereo mic, so I believe a pair of real RCA 44BXs should cost
much more.

OK sorry, I was confusing it with the BM3 which I think is the mono
version.

Al

I've never owned an RCA 44BX but the sound of the B & O I had sent to
Steve is in the huge "voice of god" category....

Al

On Fri, 27 Aug 2004 19:10:19 -0500, Justin Ulysses Morse
wrote:

On Fri, 27 Aug 2004 11:56:15 +0200, "Predrag Trpkov" wrote:
With Stephen's RCA 44BX mod, this mic should be worth more than 1000 USD.
I'm open to reasonable offers.


In article , playon wrote:

Why? Can't you buy a real RCA for that kind of money? It's a great
sounding mic, but I bought my B & O with a blown ribbon for about $300
and had Steve do the mod which I think cost another $175... so mine
cost less than half of your asking price. I seriously doubt you can
get a grand for yours but if you think so why don't you put it on ebay
and see if anyone will go for it.

No, you can't get a 44BX for anywhere near a grand. Besides, since
this is a stereo mike you'd have to buy TWO 44BXs. I've only used a
44BX a few times, and never compared one directly to this particular
B&O BM5, but I've been told that the similarity is striking. I have
used this BM5 (the one Predrag is selling) on drums and acoustic guitar
and I've really liked the sound. On drums, the HF roll-off and the low
sensitivity are a non-issue, but on an acoustic guitar they're
something you have to deal with.


ulysses

Thanks Stephen and Justin for popping in at the right moment with detailed
explanations.

I have absolutely no complaints here. The market value of the stock BM-6 has
obviously changed since last year when we negotiated the trade. I failed to
check the current value before offering it for sale. My bad.

On the positive side, although I've never tried the mic, I'm sure now that I
won't be sorry if it doesn't get sold.

Predrag


"Justin Ulysses Morse" wrote in message
m...
Stephen Sank wrote:

At the time that Justin had me modify the mic, a stock BM-5 had
recently sold for $1200 on ebay, and a few months before, the only
BM-5 ever ebay'd with my ribbon mods went for $1400. So, I'm quite
sure Justin was giving you his honest opinion of the mic's value.

Actually, to clarify Stephen's recollection, he installed the BX mod on
this microphone before my studio partner bought it. $1200 seemed to be
about the "going rate" for a stock BM5, and I'm confident the mod does
produce a significantly more useful microphone (and Stephen stands
behind his work) so we felt comfortable paying about $1500 for it when
we bought it. We traded it to Predrag for another microphone (we have
far more ribbon mikes than we use on any given session) but we still
have it in our posession. I'd be happy to answer any questions from
interested parties about this microphone.

I don't recall if this particular mic had the original gorgeous
rosewood, velvet-lined case, and/or the stand holder with the little
tripod legs to make it into a desk stand. You may want to mention
these items if they are included.

No, those items aren't included. Also, the rather unreliable and
useless phase switch and low-cut switch have been removed but is
included and could be easily re-installed. The microphone is in very
good condition.

ulysses