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Author Topic: 3 Wire Battery Box Question  (Read 4264 times)

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Offline Nick Graham

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3 Wire Battery Box Question
« on: January 01, 2007, 05:25:02 PM »
Last night I ran my "stealth" AT 853>3 Wire Battery Box>R09 rig for the first time (ran it openly next to my CMC6/MK4>V3 FWIW), and had serious gain issues.

Namely, I had the R09's gain level maxed at 30, and got levels nowhere near peaking. The show was LOUD too, leading me to think in other settings the stealth setup's levels would be entirely too low.

Is this normal? I realize the battery box is just that, and not a pre, but shouldn't the ATs just naturally run hotter than that?
« Last Edit: January 01, 2007, 05:26:34 PM by Nick Graham »
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Offline Will_S

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Re: 3 Wire Battery Box Question
« Reply #1 on: January 01, 2007, 05:37:10 PM »
I've seen folks reporting losing anywhere from 5 to 12 dB running a 3 wire battery box compared to a 2 wire.  I think I lost about 9 dB when I made the switch, and even before the switch I had to apply some gain if running line in.

I assume you were running line-in?  Might need to run mic-in for quieter shows.

Offline leehookem

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Re: 3 Wire Battery Box Question
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2007, 12:16:03 AM »

I assume you were running line-in?  Might need to run mic-in for quieter shows.

that's your culprit.
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Re: 3 Wire Battery Box Question
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2007, 04:53:11 AM »
Except he said the show was "LOUD"

Offline Church-Audio

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Re: 3 Wire Battery Box Question
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2007, 09:23:23 PM »
Last night I ran my "stealth" AT 853>3 Wire Battery Box>R09 rig for the first time (ran it openly next to my CMC6/MK4>V3 FWIW), and had serious gain issues.

Namely, I had the R09's gain level maxed at 30, and got levels nowhere near peaking. The show was LOUD too, leading me to think in other settings the stealth setup's levels would be entirely too low.

Is this normal? I realize the battery box is just that, and not a pre, but shouldn't the ATs just naturally run hotter than that?

Hey Nick I can do a mod to these mics that will allow you to go right into your R-09 with very little gain loss and no distortion. I put a resistor between the Red wire and ground of 4.7k I use 1/8th watt 1% metal film and convert the mic to 2 wire it blows away any three wire battery box once this mod is done. My mics are modified this way and a friend of mine just recorded the WHO in Ottawa it was VERY LOUD and he used just my cardioids + the r-09 and he was 5th row center. Some people say the signal to noise ration increases, it does slightly about 3-5 db more self noise, but its still way below the signal coming out of the mics.

Chris Church
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EMAIL Sales@church-audio.com

Offline youngsbest

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Re: 3 Wire Battery Box Question
« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2007, 09:08:44 AM »
I have a pair of SPCMC 4 and SPCMC 8 mics.  Having read comments on distortion at high levels, it seems there are two options; use a 3 wire box or do the 4.7k mod.  If I do the 4.7K mod, can I do this at the battery box end? Instead of opening up the 3.5mm plug, I would solder a resistor between the tip/ground and ring/ground on the input plug (homebrew battery box).  What are the pros and cons of each method?  I also have a set of MM HLSO mics - would the battery box mod be unsuitable for these mics? Thanks.

Offline Church-Audio

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Re: 3 Wire Battery Box Question
« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2007, 10:21:12 AM »
I have a pair of SPCMC 4 and SPCMC 8 mics.  Having read comments on distortion at high levels, it seems there are two options; use a 3 wire box or do the 4.7k mod.  If I do the 4.7K mod, can I do this at the battery box end? Instead of opening up the 3.5mm plug, I would solder a resistor between the tip/ground and ring/ground on the input plug (homebrew battery box).  What are the pros and cons of each method?  I also have a set of MM HLSO mics - would the battery box mod be unsuitable for these mics? Thanks.

If your just having distortion issues you can do the my mod put a 4.7k resistor between the Yellow wire and ground on your AT mics.. This will reduce distortion to 0.5% or so at 114db. This will give you the headroom you need, if you need gain consider ( I am not going to FLUFF my gear edit ) 
Chris Church
« Last Edit: February 09, 2007, 04:21:19 PM by Church-Audio »
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Offline Church-Audio

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Re: 3 Wire Battery Box Question
« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2007, 10:22:00 AM »
Last night I ran my "stealth" AT 853>3 Wire Battery Box>R09 rig for the first time (ran it openly next to my CMC6/MK4>V3 FWIW), and had serious gain issues.

Namely, I had the R09's gain level maxed at 30, and got levels nowhere near peaking. The show was LOUD too, leading me to think in other settings the stealth setup's levels would be entirely too low.

Is this normal? I realize the battery box is just that, and not a pre, but shouldn't the ATs just naturally run hotter than that?

You might want to consider my ( not going to fluff my gear edit ) This will give you low distortion and +20 db of gain.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2007, 04:21:52 PM by Church-Audio »
for warranty returns email me at
EMAIL Sales@church-audio.com

Offline poorlyconditioned

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Re: 3 Wire Battery Box Question
« Reply #8 on: February 09, 2007, 04:19:51 PM »
Last night I ran my "stealth" AT 853>3 Wire Battery Box>R09 rig for the first time (ran it openly next to my CMC6/MK4>V3 FWIW), and had serious gain issues.

Namely, I had the R09's gain level maxed at 30, and got levels nowhere near peaking. The show was LOUD too, leading me to think in other settings the stealth setup's levels would be entirely too low.

Is this normal? I realize the battery box is just that, and not a pre, but shouldn't the ATs just naturally run hotter than that?

Were you running line in or mic(low-sens) in?  I ran mic low at #25 gain last night at a quite moderate show.   I was using my Franken-AT822 and it sounds *great*!  I'm definitely sold on this thing.  It is effectively only a 16 bit recorder (noise floor at -90dB or so), but it sounds great.

  Richard
Mics: Sennheiser MKE2002 (dummy head), Studio Projects C4, AT825 (unmodded), AT822 franken mic (x2), AT853(hc,c,sc,o), Senn. MKE2, Senn MKE40, Shure MX183/5, CA Cards, homebrew Panasonic and Transsound capsules.
Pre/ADC: Presonus Firepod & Firebox, DMIC20(x2), UA5(poorly-modded, AD8620+AD8512opamps), VX440
Recorders: Edirol R4, R09, IBM X24 laptop, NJB3(x2), HiMD(x2), MD(1).
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