Topic: Problem with CSB mics

[Aladar]

Hi.
I recently got CSBs here from Yard Sale, and couldn't try them, as I had no recorder. Now, the recorder is here, but.. the mics seem.. not to work?
I record on old NetMD recorder, tried both line and mic input, and all I get is click when the mic is connceted, but then a total silence. I tried to connect it to my PC's mic input and record in Audacity.. and all I get there is a slight hum, no recording.

I know it may be a stupid question, but could that be because I don't have it connected to the battery box? I don't have battery fitting the box atm, so I can't try..

Please help me out here, I'm pretty desperate, since so far it was only hardships for me.. :/

[su6oxone]

Don't panic!  I've never used these mics but it seems that they need 5-9V power from a battery box like the Core Sounds one or the Church 9100 pre.  Plug-in power on most recorders probably won't be enough.  Check out this thread for more info:

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=117499.0

[SmokinJoe]

a) You definitely need the battery box.  Without the battery to power the electronics in the mics, you will get nothing.

b) I can run my CSBs line-in to my R09 at a loud rock, and still generally add some gain.  So once you plug in the battery box, if you are doing a test at home at less than ear bleeding volume, you may not get as hot a signal as you might expect.  Don't worry, it will be hotter at a show where the volume is louder.

The above is assuming you have the normal "Core Sound Binaurals", which come with it's own battery box and a special connector.  If you have something else, what I say may not be correct.

[manitouman]

Shouldn't those mics have come with a battery box? I've had those type of mics before and just thought they always came with a battery box.

[acidjack]

Hi.
I recently got CSBs here from Yard Sale, and couldn't try them, as I had no recorder. Now, the recorder is here, but.. the mics seem.. not to work?
I record on old NetMD recorder, tried both line and mic input, and all I get is click when the mic is connceted, but then a total silence. I tried to connect it to my PC's mic input and record in Audacity.. and all I get there is a slight hum, no recording.

I know it may be a stupid question, but could that be because I don't have it connected to the battery box? I don't have battery fitting the box atm, so I can't try..

Please help me out here, I'm pretty desperate, since so far it was only hardships for me.. :/

Core makes mics that do not require a battery box, but if yours have the mini-XLR connector for where you're supposed to insert the battery box, then yes, you need one and the mics won't work without it, since the circuit isn't closed.  I too am curious why someone would have sold you the mics without the accompanying battery box, since both components are useless without the other.

You can actually make a little widget to cover the mini-XLR connector that makes a closed circuit, and then allows you to use the CSB mics with any battery supply (or with the supplied plug-in power of a recorder, though in most cases that won't work because most recorders do not provide the appropriate voltage).  I'm not much of a technical guy myself, so I've never done it, but I've seen it done, and it's apparently quite easy.

[Aladar]

Ahh, thanks a lot guys, you made me be at peace again - it is the mini-XLR ended CSB mic.

As with the battery box, I probably expressed myself in wrong way - I have the battery box, I'm just missing the battery itself to power it, and as it was sunday, most stores are closed. I got the mics here, of course with the box

Thanks again!