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Gear / Technical Help => Microphones & Setup => Topic started by: andromedanwarmachine on June 18, 2014, 05:54:51 AM
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bit of a bizarre question I know!
akin to "is this a cup..?" but I've actually never handled them.
I've gone onto inches here on the calipers to help you guys out (on the other side of the pond) and if someone has a set themselves to compare my measurement I'd be very grateful...
thankyou
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It doesn't look like it to me - it seems a bt big and more like a TNC connector to me.
A microdot looks like this:-
(http://www.mic-w.com/uploaded/product/New%20accessories%20for%20zoom-in/Professional/L-concector_n.jpg)
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Hullo John!
how are you doing?!
thanks for that- without going through the rigmarole of posting another image, I can tell you that that excellent shot you've posted looks remarkably like what I've got here.
Only, as I felt, mabey what I've got here is a little big- but then again mabey not!
I really need a dimension from somewhere...
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understood
I've got 6.8mm outside diameter
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understood
I've got 6.8mm outside diameter
From this picture it does look like a microdot.
But there were quite a few different designs - there were small ones (like the picture I posted) and larger (fatter) ones like the later ones Sennheiser used on the SK2012 transmitters.
Sennheiser used to find that many users were careless when then connected them and the pin on the plug was often shoved into the insulation material on the socket, rather than into the socket itself - so they put a lot of work into fine-tuning the socket and plug to prevent this happening, even with ham-fisted users.
Though the only sure way is to get something that takes a microdot connector and see if it fits.
I hope this helps.
(PS - thanks, I am well)
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(that's good)
thanks John- that's interesting to me actually.
I might truck down to see these guys who are near where I used to work and see if I can utilise my (limited) charm to get exposure to something with one on.
http://www.warehousesound.co.uk/
I think I always intended to do this but wanted to make sure I was 'in the park' before making a fool of myself...
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The Warehouse have always been pretty good - DPA mics also used microdots and there are plenty of adaptors that were designed so you could usethe mics on a wide variety of transmitters.
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This thread meant something completely different to me. ;)
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understood
I've got 6.8mm outside diameter
From this picture it does look like a microdot.
But there were quite a few different designs - there were small ones (like the picture I posted) and larger (fatter) ones like the later ones Sennheiser used on the SK2012 transmitters.
Sennheiser used to find that many users were careless when then connected them and the pin on the plug was often shoved into the insulation material on the socket, rather than into the socket itself - so they put a lot of work into fine-tuning the socket and plug to prevent this happening, even with ham-fisted users.
Though the only sure way is to get something that takes a microdot connector and see if it fits.
Bumping a fairly old thread, but it's the only one that a search brought up that seems relevant.
Based on a recent concert experience, I am curious about using the d:vice and iPhone for recording. The main downside seems to be the need to use DPA mics.
The Countryman B3 sounds better to my ears than the 406x, and they can be had with the Sennheiser microdots. The question is whether the Sennheiher microdots will fit into the d:vice. Based on John's answer above, the answer doesn't seem to be straightforward.
Does anyone have any direct experience mating the d:vice to Senn microdots?
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On the microdot connector question, see the various sized coaxial connectors at the top of this CD International website page- https://www.cdint.com/catalog/category/Cables
I and other TS members use their cables for non-blanced / non-phantom-powered DPA connections. The 10-32 size connectors shown on that page are compatible with DPA 'microdot".
Here is the "Microdot" backstory and sizing information found burred elsewhere on that site:
About M-Series Connectors
There are multiple sizes of connectors which practitioners tend to call "Microdot". The most common size uses 10-32 threads, but there are also 5-44 and 1/4-32 variants, as shown in this image.
This style of connector was pioneered by Malco in the late 1950's and early 1960's. Malco was later bought by Microdot, which was later bought by Tyco. Because of this history, users in the industries that use this connector style still call this a "Microdot connector", or even "Malco Connector", even though there are now multiple manufacturers making compatible connectors. "Microdot" is a trademark of Tyco.
The connectors we provide are compatibles made by various manufacturers. They are often improved designs, mechanically more durable than the original Malco connector.
10-32 (M) Connector Details
These connectors have threads that are the same as those on a 10-32 (UNF) machine screw. They are commonly used in non-destructive testing (NDT) and aerospace, on transducers, accelerometers, strain gauges, and force and acoustic sensors, among other applications.
These connectors are often confused with 1/4-32 connectors; they look similar, varying only slightly in size. If in doubt, check your mating connector using a thread gauge or caliper: 1/4-32 threads have a minor diameter of approximately 5.4 mm, while 10-32 threads have a minor diameter of about 3.9 mm. See a thread chart for more details.
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Does anyone have any direct experience mating the d:vice to Senn microdots?
I've not used the Sennheisers, nor the d:vice. But if the sizing is the same the connection should mate correctly. Another thing to check is if the Senns will work properly with a 5V bias supply which is what the d:vice supplies.
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Does anyone have any direct experience mating the d:vice to Senn microdots?
I've not used the Sennheisers, nor the d:vice. But if the sizing is the same the connection should mate correctly. Another thing to check is if the Senns will work properly with a 5V bias supply which is what the d:vice supplies.
I've sent an email to Countryman asking about their B3 with the Microdot termination, which is designated as being for the Sennheiser SK 2012 that John mentioned earlier, and whether it will work with the d:vice. Still waiting for an answer.
The concert I attended with my son was at a large venue, and I had to show a QR code on my phone to get in. Like many other fans, I shot a few videos with that phone, and I found the sound to be really nice, up until the phone's AGC kicked in. Hence, my attempt at determining if iPhone recording is feasible before spending hard-earned cash on something that won't work.
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Does anyone have any direct experience mating the d:vice to Senn microdots?
I've not used the Sennheisers, nor the d:vice. But if the sizing is the same the connection should mate correctly. Another thing to check is if the Senns will work properly with a 5V bias supply which is what the d:vice supplies.
I've sent an email to Countryman asking about their B3 with the Microdot termination, which is designated as being for the Sennheiser SK 2012 that John mentioned earlier, and whether it will work with the d:vice. Still waiting for an answer.
The concert I attended with my son was at a large venue, and I had to show a QR code on my phone to get in. Like many other fans, I shot a few videos with that phone, and I found the sound to be really nice, up until the phone's AGC kicked in. Hence, my attempt at determining if iPhone recording is feasible before spending hard-earned cash on something that won't work.
using the iPhone as a recorder IS feasible. kindms uses software named Metarecorder as the iPhone app. We picked up a used iPhone and he does not have telephone service on it. He has used it coming out of a Sonosax SX-m2d2 multiple times with great results. iirc, identifying solid lightning cables for use seems to be one aspect of ensuring "flawlessness". That is the extent of my knowledge, he knows more, as it is his rig.
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Budget and security concerns are the two biggest factors in making my choice, along with the fact that I'm closer to the end of my taping career than the beginning.
Getting an iPhone, a d:vice, and mics that look like two lengths of cable past walk-through detectors or past the tray inspection is the main consideration. The iPhone is expected by the venue. The d:vice is far less expensive than the sax, and seems more likely to get past security. It could easily pass as an external phone battery with USB>Lightning cable connected. The mics can be managed with some ingenuity.
Add in the fact that I can get my current rig into most any other small venue where detectors aren't used, and that means buying an iPhone rig will only be justified for an extremely limited number of (high-$$$-ticket) shows. And the economy is about to go into a recession. This isn't the best timing for a new rig.
Anyway, getting back to the microdot connectors, I did a search on the Sennheiser SK 2012 (https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/sennheiser_mikroport_sk2012.html) unit, and photo #3 does show a really beefy connector as John mentioned earlier, but thread may still be 10-32.
Still waiting to hear back from Countryman, but at least the microdot connector photo linked on their site is quite dainty, like the photo in reply #1 in this thread.
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Assuming the Countrymans terminate to the same connectors, you might be able to interface them with a small battery box / M10 via the (low cost) cable linked in this thread.
https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=200687.0
That would be far less costly than going the DPA d:vice route with a similar footprint.
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Assuming the Countrymans terminate to the same connectors, you might be able to interface them with a small battery box / M10 via the (low cost) cable linked in this thread.
https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=200687.0
That would be far less costly than going the DPA d:vice route with a similar footprint.
I am curious how well microdot to 1/8" connectors work, but I don't think I could get my M10/battery box past most metal detectors or security folk.
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Yeah, that could be a challenge in some places. The d:vice can literally fit in the 5th jean pocket or simply be placed with your phone in the bowl with phone / keys while going through the detectors, like you say, passing as an external battery.
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Yeah, that could be a challenge in some places. The d:vice can literally fit in the 5th jean pocket or simply be placed with your phone in the bowl with phone / keys while going through the detectors, like you say, passing as an external battery.
The d:vice is brilliant like that. It's also a surprisingly good preamp/adc.