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Gear / Technical Help => Battery Boxes, Preamps, Mixers, ADCs, and Processors => Topic started by: firmdragon on February 05, 2010, 05:21:12 PM

Title: diy sonic studios battery box?
Post by: firmdragon on February 05, 2010, 05:21:12 PM
anyone ever try to make their own battery box for sonic studios mics? (dsm-6/L in particular)  (guy, feel free to hook a brotha up if you'd like)

i have a specific enclosure i'd like to use for powering the mic so i guess what i'm looking for is a schematic.  not necessarily looking for the same one you can buy from ss, just something that would work well w/ the mics. 
Title: Re: diy sonic studios battery box?
Post by: darktrain on February 05, 2010, 07:51:34 PM
anyone ever try to make their own battery box for sonic studios mics? (dsm-6/L in particular)  (guy, feel free to hook a brotha up if you'd like)

i have a specific enclosure i'd like to use for powering the mic so i guess what i'm looking for is a schematic.  not necessarily looking for the same one you can buy from ss, just something that would work well w/ the mics.

don't count on getting that info from guy, all you need is a grand for that bb :)
Title: Re: diy sonic studios battery box?
Post by: illconditioned on February 05, 2010, 08:08:44 PM
anyone ever try to make their own battery box for sonic studios mics? (dsm-6/L in particular)  (guy, feel free to hook a brotha up if you'd like)

i have a specific enclosure i'd like to use for powering the mic so i guess what i'm looking for is a schematic.  not necessarily looking for the same one you can buy from ss, just something that would work well w/ the mics.
Can you post pictures of the mics?  Do they just end in a miniplug?  What is your recorder?

If so, the first thing I would try is plug in power.  That will almost always work for most situations.  Take them to some loud shows and see if they distort.

Re: lack of information.  This is my pet peeve with some of the micbuilders here.  Geez.  If I wanted to copy your designs I could just buy a set and disassemble them.  In these days of intertubes it is very easy to find this information if you really want it.  Besides, I don't think there is anything special about those capsules.  They are good, but no better than some of the top end stuff I've been using, such as Sennheiser KE4, Countryman B3, etc.
Title: Re: diy sonic studios battery box?
Post by: firmdragon on February 06, 2010, 02:02:36 AM
anyone ever try to make their own battery box for sonic studios mics? (dsm-6/L in particular)  (guy, feel free to hook a brotha up if you'd like)

i have a specific enclosure i'd like to use for powering the mic so i guess what i'm looking for is a schematic.  not necessarily looking for the same one you can buy from ss, just something that would work well w/ the mics.
Can you post pictures of the mics?  Do they just end in a miniplug?  What is your recorder?

If so, the first thing I would try is plug in power.  That will almost always work for most situations.  Take them to some loud shows and see if they distort.

Re: lack of information.  This is my pet peeve with some of the micbuilders here.  Geez.  If I wanted to copy your designs I could just buy a set and disassemble them.  In these days of intertubes it is very easy to find this information if you really want it.  Besides, I don't think there is anything special about those capsules.  They are good, but no better than some of the top end stuff I've been using, such as Sennheiser KE4, Countryman B3, etc.

well, from his site, it's something like:
Quote
DSM Microphones utilize a unique & proprietary modification formula of selected OEM available back-electret omni condenser pickup elements.

but essentially, you power them w/ a AA battery.  mini-plugs all the way.

plug in power does work.  but i think i remember it distorting before when i tried to go w/o the battery box.

yeah i wasn't really expecting guy to pony up his top secret info.  i do realize he runs a business.  but enough of that.
Title: Re: diy sonic studios battery box?
Post by: fmaderjr on February 09, 2010, 02:09:23 PM
Although Sonic Studios mics will work with most recorders' plug in power, they normally won't be powered optimally and you're going to run into at least random, if not frequent, distortion.

An exception is the new Sony M10 (as well as the older D50), which guy says operate his mics perfectly from plug in power. Might be easier just to get an M10.
Title: Re: diy sonic studios battery box?
Post by: guysonic on February 11, 2010, 10:34:05 PM
Most simple circuit:

1.5 volt alkaline, two 2.43K 1% current limiting resistors, two ~2.2 to 5 MFD 25-35 volt capacitors with - negative terminal the output of the channel. 

Connect the + of battery to both resistors, and other end of each resistor is left/right channels connected to + of MIC, mentioned end of resistor, and + of capacitor.   

Everything else not mentioned is common ground connected for both input, - battery, and output. 
Title: Re: diy sonic studios battery box?
Post by: firmdragon on February 12, 2010, 12:29:49 AM
well that helps a lot.

thanks Guy.
Title: Battery box schematic from Sony
Post by: kleiner Rainer on February 13, 2010, 03:25:52 PM
Hi all,

here: www.coutant.org

is a very informative homepage about mics, complete with documentation. When browsing through the service manuals, I found the manual for my Sony ECM-T140 lavalier mic. Included is a battery box schematic that can be easily replicated (it even has a battery check!)

Here the service manual:

http://www.coutant.org/sonyscan/ecm-t140.pdf

This is a mono battery box, but the modification for stereo should be obvious...

Greetings,

Rainer