MXL 7000 Mods

The MXL 7000 appears to be a new development for MXL, in that it contains several changes from what one might normally expect from this product line. Nonetheless, the result falls short of what we would want to hear from a premium studio microphone.

The mic's capsule has a new acoustic labyrinth / delay network in place of the common K67 rear backplate half. This gives the microphone a flatter frequency response, without 10kHz hype.

The circuit, when tested via signal injection, exhibits ruler-flat frequency response from 10Hz - 22kHz, with low distortion. Capsule polarization voltage is around 60VDC, not 40-45 as used to be commonplace for this brand. These factors tend to make the 7000 a good candidate for a capsule upgrade.

We recommend changing the capsule to our RK-47. The new capsule will "re-voice" the microphone, making it much more useful for recording. While the original capsule avoids the sonic flaws of most inexpensive condensers, it manages to also avoid the characteristics that would make the microphone sound good.

The RK-47 gives the microphone a mid-forward response; its color complements acoustic sources such as piano, drum overheads, guitars, and voices (especially male voices).

This capsule is based on the design of the Neumann K47, the capsule found in the U-47.

The RK-12 is an alternative choice for upgrading the MXL 7000. However, the RK-12's flatter midrange gets notched out due to acoustic shadowing and reflections in the MXL 7000 body, giving the mic a scooped sound. The RK-47 is a better match for this particular mic body; the ~4k dip caused by the acoustic effects of the body and grille help flatten the natural 4kHz bump in the RK-47's frequency response.

Both capsules include all necessary mounting hardware for installation into the MXL 7000.

Both capsules sound different from the stock MXL capsule. Both are more likely to be complementary to a wider range of sources.