Topic: AT853 and AT933 Unmod Thread

[AT853rxwh]

Ok, this info is scattered across a bunch of threads, and I thought it would be a good idea to get it into a single thread and maybe the archive.

(Will try to give credit where due!)

By doing this mod you will increase the max spl by 12db or so.

SP offers this as a option or a service, but you can save a fair amount by doing this yourself.

Here is a pic of their mod (they use mini stereo plugs and Samson adaptors.)




Basically LeeGeddy's diagram below describes the options of doing this mod



There are a few options for powered Xformers.

Samson - These are the cheapest - Round $30 ea from Sound Professionals.  (found em for $25, see link in parts section) Here is a pic of them from Hoyt:



AT8533x (Pic from Dano420) Bout $70 ea The 8533's are also available but they have a mini xlr instead of hard wired)




Here are the step by step pics with instructions following... credit to LeeGeddy

-undo the heat shrink on the stero mini and remove silicone and cut the wires.



Step 2:

-insert the mini xlr components as shown.
-pre-tin the 2 yellow conductors, the 2 red conductors and the shield



Step 3:

-solder the connections. 

NOTE:  on a separate note, when i shortened my AT853 cable from 25' to 6', i noted the pin assignments respect to the conductor colors.

Yellow > Pin 2 (+)
Red > Pin 3 (-)
Shield > Pin 1




Step 4:

-assemble the mini xlr connector by crimping the 4 holders to the cable.



Final Step:

-the finished modification. ready for phantom power module and phantom power from your preamp.




If using 8533x you will need 2 male and 4 female if you want to be able to switch between phantom and battery.  If you are using 8533's you will need 2 male and 2 female.

An alternative to all the extra connectors required when using 8533x's is to use 5 pin mini xlr's like Dano420 did.

Sources for parts:

AT8533 http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/category.cgi?category=560&item=AT8533&type=store

AT8533x http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=163118&is=REG

Samson Adaptors PM4's http://floridamusicco.com/proddetail.asp?prod=SPM4

Mini XLR Female 3 pin http://www.trewaudio.com/catalog/items/item669.htm

Mini XLR Male 3 pin http://www.trewaudio.com/catalog/items/item670.htm

Mini XLR Female 5 pin http://www.trewaudio.com/catalog/items/item673.htm

Mini XLR Male 5 pin http://www.trewaudio.com/catalog/items/item674.htm

Edit by BSkalinder:  fixed image URLs (removed /yabbse)

[blu666z]

Nice work.

-Kevin

[caymanreview]

this seems to me like a thread for the archive

[AT853rxwh]

this seems to me like a thread for the archive

That was the idea, Hopefully Brian will think so too...

[Brian Skalinder]

Mike  --  Great post!  I don't own or control the Archive Info forum's contents, anyone can post there - I'm just motivated to get stuff in there on my own.  Feel free to post this in the Archival Info forum - doesn't hurt in this case to have it in both places.

[AT853rxwh]

My bad, will put it there too!

[Sean Gallemore]

I wish my connectors look that clean!  Mine are so messy, but they work!

[leegeddy]

nice archival stuff, mikesus.  +t

marc

[§†∑∫åµÞ≥¥]

+T for the great info!!

Out of curiousity, why would I want the phantom power units AND a battery box? Just for a smaller option? or bass roll-off? or ??

Thanks!

[mattb]

I think the primary reason would be for steathiness, but roll-off is about the only other reason I can think of. FWIW I think the AT phantom adaptors have some kind of adjustable roll-off, don't they?

[Sean Gallemore]

AT8531 yes
AT8533 no
AT8533x yes

[AT853rxwh]

Basically if you can find a phantom adaptor that works 9-52v you should be able to get it to work...  I had a set of Astatic phantom adaptors on a set of AT853's that worked great.  (didn't have roll off tho, but from all of the folks that are using em phantom, it doesn't appear that you even need the rolloff...

As to why would you want to go both ways?  

Well Options of course.  The ability to go either stealthy and use a batt box, or go for high spl rating and use phantom with the same set of mics is pretty killer...

[Sean Gallemore]

bah, I may never build the adapter for the BB because the adapters are stealthy enough for me

[AT853rxwh]

bah, I may never build the adapter for the BB because the adapters are stealthy enough for me

Believe that when we see your batt box in the yard sale  

[Sean Gallemore]

bah, I may never build the adapter for the BB because the adapters are stealthy enough for me

Believe that when we see your batt box in the yard sale  

now the heat is on

[Norm]

Sorry for the dumb question...
I need to buy some new clips for my mics http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/category.cgi?item=SP-CMC-8&type=store , due to the fact I have lost one. I also plan to  do the phantom power mod some time in the future. While I am getting stuff shipped, I figured I should also buy some stuff for the phantom power mod. The things listed to get at SP are

AT8533 http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/category.cgi?category=560&item=AT8533&type=store

AT8533x http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=163118&is=REG

Which one do I need for my mics? Its not clear on the SP page which AT mic, my mic is based on.

Thanks

Norm

[leegeddy]

see the Archival section.

http://www.taperssection.com/index.php?topic=18875.0

marc

[Norm]

Sorry but it makes no sense to me 
What I need to know is, which parts do I need (if any?) from SP fro my mics, if I want to support battery AND phantom power. Maybe I am being stupid ..

[Sean Gallemore]

you need 2 power modules (AT8533 or Samson PM4), 2 male mini-xlr 3pins, 2 female mini-xlr 3pins, and one 1/8" stereo mini plug.

[Norm]

I think I understand the power modules. And where they fit in. Any reasons why I should choose the At8533 or the Samson PM4? Assuming is a male xlr on the end of the mics why do I need 2 of them?
And why 3 pin, there is also 5 pin mentioned? Does this depend on the type of mics?
And I guess I need some wire to go between the power modules and the female xlr?
BTW what does XLR stand for?

Thanks

Norm

[Alpha Murdock]

I just purchased a set of SP-CMC-8s does this mod work with them (i noticed that SP doesnt offer it)?

I would like to modify them to work with a bat box and phantom powered.

[Sean Gallemore]

yes it does

@ NOrm, the schematics are on one of those pages, shouldn't be too hard to figure out

[Norm]

I think I have figured it out from the schematics. But, to further my understanding I had a few more questions.
If you dont want to answer them , thats fine. I if I am taking the steps to butcher my mics, I would like a firm understanding of the whys and wherefores which I think is understandable.
I figured from the schematic I only needed 1 male xlr, maybe I am just dumb 
I know I am a pest, but I have studied the diagram.

[Sean Gallemore]

I think I understand the power modules. And where they fit in. Any reasons why I should choose the At8533 or the Samson PM4?

no, but the samson's are half the price.  I went with the ATs anyway cuz I'm an AT man

Assuming is a male xlr on the end of the mics why do I need 2 of them?

on the end of the original mics is a single 1/8" stereo phone plug.  That gets hacked off and 2 female mini-xlr's get soldered on, one to each mic cord.

And why 3 pin, there is also 5 pin mentioned?

don't worry about that, a 5 pin would allow 2 channels to pass through the same cable, but it's not necessary here.

Does this depend on the type of mics?

not usually, some preamps take different inputs, and a 5pin mini could be one of those

And I guess I need some wire to go between the power modules and the female xlr?

no, the power modules will plug into most preamps directly

BTW what does XLR stand for?

a quick google popped this up

"Confession of error: Despite the urban legend, the term "XLR" did not originate as an abbreviation for "X/Shield, Left, Right". We have glossary citations from "Chris from Chicago" and Rich Brown, agreeing that this was simply Cannon's (now ITT's) original part number for this circular 3-pin connector -- an improved version of the "X Series" connectors, featuring a spring latch (L) to keep it from being unplugged accidentally and a resilient base (R) for the female contacts.

Of course, these days XLR is an industry standard, and many manufacturers produce XLR-compatable plugs and sockets."

Thanks

Norm

no prob

[Norm]

I think I understand the power modules. And where they fit in. Any reasons why I should choose the At8533 or the Samson PM4?

no, but the samson's are half the price.  I went with the ATs anyway cuz I'm an AT man

Assuming is a male xlr on the end of the mics why do I need 2 of them?

Thank you, I do appreciate it. My confusion is running from the fact there are two pictures in the instructions. One is the SP mod? and the other is maybe a home mod?
I was looking at the home mod, that looks like it has one connector on the end of the mics.

[Sean Gallemore]

the one by dano420 has a different module hard-wired to the mics.  mini-xlrs are not needed with that setup, but he cannot run a battery box either

[AT853rxwh]

the one by dano420 has a different module hard-wired to the mics.  mini-xlrs are not needed with that setup, but he cannot run a battery box either

Ummm, not true... I have a set that I mod'd that I have set up that I can go either miniplug / batt box, or xlr.  All you have to do it make up a miniplug to mini 5 pin (as in dano420's setup, or mine)

[Sean Gallemore]

the one by dano420 has a different module hard-wired to the mics.  mini-xlrs are not needed with that setup, but he cannot run a battery box either

Ummm, not true... I have a set that I mod'd that I have set up that I can go either miniplug / batt box, or xlr.  All you have to do it make up a miniplug to mini 5 pin (as in dano420's setup, or mine)

I am corrected

[AT853rxwh]

the one by dano420 has a different module hard-wired to the mics.  mini-xlrs are not needed with that setup, but he cannot run a battery box either

Ummm, not true... I have a set that I mod'd that I have set up that I can go either miniplug / batt box, or xlr.  All you have to do it make up a miniplug to mini 5 pin (as in dano420's setup, or mine)

I am corrected

No prob, Holiday Inn Express musta been booked up last night 

[JaL]

Any chance to see the images again?

[setboy]

Any chance to see the images again?

[Brian Skalinder]

Any chance to see the images again?

There you go.

[setboy]

Any chance to see the images again?

There you go.

Thank you

[poorlyconditioned]

Any chance to see the images again?

There you go.

Thank you

I included plans for a 3-wire battery box (avoid distortion, but still allow battery power) in another thread:
  http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=49909.0

Or you can go here:
  www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~mannr/AT853

  Richard

[JaL]

Thank you. 

[JaL]

I think I need to save these pics before they go away. Seems like they can't stay...

[M]

I have the sp cmc 8 and am in the process of attaching the mini xlr connectors.  i just cut off the stereo mini plug and noticed that the wires inside my cable are different then what I'm reading they should be.  I have one red (not two) one white and the shield.  I'm assuming that the white is yellow and there will be no problems.   

Does it not matter that the wires I read are double are singe on mine?  And also is the white wire in place of the yellow.

Thanks 

[poorlyconditioned]

I have the sp cmc 8 and am in the process of attaching the mini xlr connectors.  i just cut off the stereo mini plug and noticed that the wires inside my cable are different then what I'm reading they should be.  I have one red (not two) one white and the shield.  I'm assuming that the white is yellow and there will be no problems.   

Does it not matter that the wires I read are double are singe on mine?  And also is the white wire in place of the yellow.

Thanks 

You've probably got the "ES943" version, which is a lav mic, so maybe a thinner cable.  The "ES933" is the hanging mic version, with a thicker cable (I think).

OK, I'm 99% sure that red is positive and white is the same as yellow, but I can't promise anything.  I guess try it and see if it works.  You could phone Audio Technica service and ask too.  Sorry I can't help more...

  Richard

[poorlyconditioned]

I have the sp cmc 8 and am in the process of attaching the mini xlr connectors.  i just cut off the stereo mini plug and noticed that the wires inside my cable are different then what I'm reading they should be.  I have one red (not two) one white and the shield.  I'm assuming that the white is yellow and there will be no problems.   

Does it not matter that the wires I read are double are singe on mine?  And also is the white wire in place of the yellow.

Thanks 

Hey, do you remember how they were wired by SP?  The miniplug has L, R and shield.  I can never remember what is L or R, but if red wires were connected to the L and R and whites and shields were connected to ground, then we know that Red is positive, and White is audio (equal to the Yellow in my drawing).

Oh yeah, one wire instead of two is fine.  I'm thinking they use two for reliability (long runs, mics hanging by their cables).

Please let us know how you make out.  We need more "3-wire" people out there...

  Richard

[cybermansrev]

I may be being really dense here but what do the phantom power modules actually do? If the mics can only handle a maximum of 9V are they just taking the 48V phantom power and stepping it down to 9V (with a 3 wire powering design)?
If so then I might as well make a 3 wire battery box as per poorlyconditioned and save myself some cash

[poorlyconditioned]

I may be being really dense here but what do the phantom power modules actually do? If the mics can only handle a maximum of 9V are they just taking the 48V phantom power and stepping it down to 9V (with a 3 wire powering design)?
If so then I might as well make a 3 wire battery box as per poorlyconditioned and save myself some cash

Phantom power modules do two things: They give a low voltage (3 to 9V) to the electret elements, in 3-wire configuration.  But also they provide a low impedance balanced output, using a transformer, or some transistor circuit.  If you're doing long runs and/or you need to connect to an XLR mixer input, you want the phantom power.  However, for us tapirs, we're probably running from our hat to our pocket, and we're probably running unbalanced lines anyway, so the batt. box is fine.

That said, I must admit that I love the convenience of plugging my AT853Rx XLR connectors into my UA5, turning on phantom power, and letting it roll.  So, for open taping I would prefer the Phantom power, but for stealth, or for saving money!, batteries are the way to go.

  Richard

[M]

I have the sp cmc 8 and am in the process of attaching the mini xlr connectors.  i just cut off the stereo mini plug and noticed that the wires inside my cable are different then what I'm reading they should be.  I have one red (not two) one white and the shield.  I'm assuming that the white is yellow and there will be no problems.   

Does it not matter that the wires I read are double are singe on mine?  And also is the white wire in place of the yellow.

Thanks 

You've probably got the "ES943" version, which is a lav mic, so maybe a thinner cable.  The "ES933" is the hanging mic version, with a thicker cable (I think).

OK, I'm 99% sure that red is positive and white is the same as yellow, but I can't promise anything.  I guess try it and see if it works.  You could phone Audio Technica service and ask too.  Sorry I can't help more...

  Richard

So the results are in.  The white wire does take the yellow wires place.  But I did have problems with one channel cutting out.  I noticed the wires were extremely thin and I would bet that this has something to do with it.  I know it is becuse of a bad connecton but if the wires were thicker (as in the at853 version) that it would be much easier to get and hold a good connection.  The thin wires are very fragile.  I wish I got the at853's, I'm using the caps for them anyway.


 

[setboy]

So the results are in.  The white wire does take the yellow wires place.  But I did have problems with one channel cutting out.  I noticed the wires were extremely thin and I would bet that this has something to do with it.  I know it is becuse of a bad connecton but if the wires were thicker (as in the at853 version) that it would be much easier to get and hold a good connection.  The thin wires are very fragile.  I wish I got the at853's, I'm using the caps for them anyway.


 

do you have any of the 943 caps or are you using all at583 caps?

[M]

do you have any of the 943 caps or are you using all at583 caps?
[/quote]

I have the 943 omni's & 853 cards.

[setboy]

do you have any of the 943 caps or are you using all at583 caps?

I have the 943 omni's & 853 cards.
[/quote]

if you ever want to sell the omni's let me know

[CHURCH-AUDIO]

I guess they realized that these mics cant handle 130 db

[setboy]

I guess they realized that these mics cant handle 130 db

did i miss something?

[whatboutbob]

any chance some kind soul could re-up those pics?

[setboy]

any chance some kind soul could re-up those pics?

[SkttrWave]

any chance some kind soul could re-up those pics?

[SkttrWave]

I think the request in my own thread isn't going to help my cause, so i'm bumping this one again.

Would someone PLEASE upload the pics again?

I really need some visual confirmation on what i'm going to do to my mics. (have distortion on my recordings so i'm modding my mics and building a 3wire box)

[hyperplane]

There are some very good pictures, originally posted by TS member leegeddy. They are nicely done, and pretty self-explanatory.

Start at this post, and read through the five posts in-a-row by leegeddy.


Happy modding!

[SkttrWave]

Thanks! Despite a thorough search, I hadn't found that one yet