ok i did some more tests today with a better setup. i was trying to test high SPL, so i sacrificed some image for pure volume. needed to use my 4 biggest speakers (2x 200W+100W biamped BM-15A active monitors + their passive BM15 counterparts driven by an 80's kenwood Basic M1 amp @ 100 WPC. same MMC 4011 modular caps in all cases. i ran the monitors as hard as i could with brief blinks of the red lights on front which indicate amplifier clip point.
first test was a reference using the MMP-E active cables (
https://www.dpamicrophones.com/accessories/mmp-er-es-modular-active-cable-3-m - the closest equivalent to the old 402x series), P48 powered XLRs that send 9V (under load) up to the caps, quoted as 131 dB dynamic range in specs (slight compromise to the full bodies, but probably the smallest practical 'small' rig)
i ran these into the V3>AD2K. used my 114 dB calibrator to set the levels to -16 dB at 114 dB on both channels. gain was 26 and 27.5 to try to match the caps which are off slightly in sensitivity. At this level FSD was approximately 130 dB which it kissed zero just once during the test, but consistently peaked up above -3dB. I cant recall ever running a V3 below 30 dB of gain in the field, ever, with CMC6s, so id say this is on the upper end of volume of anything id ever recorded
second test was same setup except using the MMP-G actives (
https://www.dpamicrophones.com/accessories/mmp-g-modular-active-cable-microdot - spec'd at 122 dB dynamic range) into the d:vice>iphone
id say it held its own, I think i might actually prefer the sound of the d:vice with the 4011s over the V3>AD2K. AD2K+4011 is a bit too thin (though AD2K is my favorite with schoeps)
third test was same MMP-G into the sony A-10 with its own PIP. attempting to capture volume this loud did not go well. Slight audible distortion but more obvious was a serious dc offset and possibly input overloading. to keep levels reasonable i had to run the A-10 at 03 input level (of 100!). checkout this ugly waveform
heres the files
https://soundcloud.com/user-760596491/sets/4011-actives-testso long story short (back to some A10 content): A10 PIP by itself is a poor match for 406x and actives at high SPL (406x behaved the same at high SPL), but i dont think its necessarily due to low PIP voltage. The problem (i think) is that the A10 only gives PIP with the input set to mic in, and its too sensitive and brickwalls it. I dont think you could use resistance to attenuate it without dropping the PIP power which is already on the slightly low side
The R07 mic-in is less sensitive on a side-by-side basis, might be a better fit if in fact input level is the limiting factor and not voltage. Will test it on similar setup next time i'm home alone and can get real loud. EDIT: R07 did in fact do a LOT better, see:
https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=189715.msg2300437#msg2300437)
the MMP-G+4011 would easily work with a small bat box feeding to A10 line-in. For what were trying to do, it could prob be done with a 2/3 AA 6V silver oxide LR44 (whole box smaller than a 9V), or the two CR2032 coin cells pictured above)