[Harp-L] Re:The other Butter mic (was: about Haltec mics)

[G <gigs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 14:15:52 +0100
From: gorky <gorky@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] Re:The other Butter mic (was: about Haltec mics) 
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>Hi
>Thank you all for informations about Butterfield mics
>I ' m gona do my own search: maybe  a Shure 545.
>But i don' t know if thet ' re available yet.
>Thanks again and keep on playing
>

Hi Gorky,
  Yeah they are, you can buy the 545SD with on/off switch, XLR connector
brand new. Or you can buy them through people like Tom Ellis & Larry Price
who I highly recommend. And you could ask Dennis Oelig, he did a really
professional for me on my Astatic JT30.

Butterfield and apparently Corky Siegel used the original 545 model with US
made R45 cartridge, as with the 545S with the heavy pistol grip - they have
a 4 pin plug, and the way the cable is wired to that plug determines
whether the signal is unbalanced high impedance or balanced low impedance.
  All the models thereafter had/have Mexican made R45 with a slightly lower
output, however tone is the same, and the difference is a few degrees on
the amp's volume knob.  The output was lowered to make them more compatible
with low impedance PAs and such.  All this I learnt from Tom Ellis.

  The PE54 models also have the R45 cartridge.  I don't know for sure, but
as they all come with balanced XLR and issued a bit later I'm guessing they
all came with Mexican made R45s with the slightly lower output level.
Maybe Tom can correct me?

I had an original 545 (with 4 pin connector, US made R45) and PE54 leant to
me for a day, and side by side and couldn't hear a noticable difference, I
may have had to adjust the gain knob a few degrees, but at least tonally
speaking they were identical.

Regardless I ended up buying a 545SD with a US made R45 through Tom Ellis
and Larry Price.  They charged a very reasonable price considering they
transplanted the cartridge for me.  If you want one of these, they deliver
the goods.

FWIW theres a big difference between wiring the 545 to high impedance, and
leaving it setup for balanced low impedanece and using an impedance
adapter.  Impedance adapters by their nature can only add +25dB to the
signal - the 545 wired hot produces a much stronger signal.

I've written a lengthy webpage with all the various Shure 545 and PE54
models here  
http://www.angelfire.com/music/harmonica/shure545.html

Cheers,
-- G.