send it back with a turd in the box. "oh it came this way"

It can be a useful switch in certain circumstances. Plus you have no idea who monkeyed around with the circuit. I wouldn't buy one in that condition even if it was a great deal. I would definitely send the mic back and get a proper one.

elisha wiesner wrote:It can be a useful switch in certain circumstances. Plus you have no idea who monkeyed around with the circuit. I wouldn't buy one in that condition even if it was a great deal. I would definitely send the mic back and get a proper one.Agreed.That is a big enough question mark(without any sort of an "Insane!" price break) that I would probably send it back for a refund.

Finger genius:The mic works as it should otherwise. I was thinking asking for an additional $50 as well.twelvepoint:It annoyed me, too.

Friends, I recently bought a used AT4051a off eBay for $250. I was happy to have gotten a good deal, and the mic was described as in good working condition. Imagine my distress upon unboxing the mic and discovering it was missing the high-pass switch (just a hole where it should be). I contacted the seller post haste, and to his credit and honor, he offered to either: a) refund me completely after I send the mic back. b) offer me a discount and allow me to keep the mic.(he didn't detail the discount, so presumably it would have to be negotiated. My question to you all: which is the better option here? Is the high-pass switch even necessary? Can't the same thing be done with EQ after getting a take? On the one hand, it would be great to get an even better deal on a good mic, on the other, I don't want to shoot myself in the foot with resale value or anything else I'm not considering. (I'm a newbie at recording). I put it to you, good people of PRF: what wouldst thou deau?

Resale value is definitely a consideration, also, are you sure the mic is working well otherwise? Does it sound as it should? If the mic sounds good and I were planning to hold on to it for a while, I would probably take some additional discount (maybe 50$?)

It would kinda bother me that someone had taken the mic apart and removed something that IMO didn't need to be removed.

numberthirty wrote:elisha wiesner wrote:It can be a useful switch in certain circumstances. Plus you have no idea who monkeyed around with the circuit. I wouldn't buy one in that condition even if it was a great deal. I would definitely send the mic back and get a proper one.Agreed.That is a big enough question mark(without any sort of an "Insane!" price break) that I would probably send it back for a refund.Yep. I use high pass filter a lot, whether on preamp or on a mic. Unless you are recording a bass or kick, you will likely want it. Also, the mentioned question mark factor. It signals a mic that was probably not treated that well.

$250 is a great deal for a 4051. I recently discovered they are incredible on snare and have been pining for one. Me and an intern did a shootout of all our staple snare mics and we both had it in our top 2 in the field of 7 or so. They are also killer on banjo, and very good on other bowed and plectrum acoustic string instruments.Anyway, I would suggest not foregoing that deal. The HPF is not usually necessary, especially if you are recording to a DAW where you can call up a plugin to high pass in an instant, but if you can get a partial refund, you should do that and get an even better deal.

Thanks for these responses, all. I think I'll return the mic since there's no way to know what else was altered other than the switch. I appreciate your feedback!