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Gear / Technical Help => Battery Boxes, Preamps, Mixers, ADCs, and Processors => Topic started by: Jonas Karlsson on August 02, 2013, 05:04:12 PM
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OK
Decided to save up for the Schoeps MK41's in 2014 - BUT decided to get the other gear first: the active cables + batterybox.
I've been reading a lot about Nbox, tinybox etc and all the options there are with cables and connectors back and forth - but a lot of technical talk is hard to understand with english as a 2nd language.
SO.... I'd appreciate help from you - the people who already have this sort of setup: where do I get the most stealthy setup?
1 ) Thought I'd start with getting the active cables. When reading about Schoeps own version - it has a cable of 5 meters! ( http://www.schoeps.de/en/products/kcy ) I don't need a cable that long. So who do I turn to to get the best option? It needs to have a secure connection to the batterybox (need to be attached by some sort of screwing, pardon my french).
2) Then getting the batterybox. It seems the tinybox is the smallest available? It has rechargeable battery only? Nbox is better? you be the judge. Then the cable FROM the batterybox also need to have a secure connection - can't afford ripping it loose while recording.
Also read somewhere that the Nbox comes with the active cables. Does it still?
ANY input is always welcome - as you've done before, making me go for the MK41's ;D
/Jonas, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Oops, you're right - thought that looked mono-ish :facepalm:
Thanks ;D
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I would go the real schoeps route and get the KCY 250/5 or 250/0 and go from there. Or you could go the NBob route and get them customized to any length you desire ;)
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Nbob cables are what u want, waaaaay more stealther friendly than the kcy, the kcy cables are actually pretty beefy and a pain in the ass to stealth, the nbobs are nice and small diameter and flexible. Just get those and the tiny box and thats the smallest and highest quality footprint rig u can get...IMO
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Nbob cables are what u want, waaaaay more stealther friendly than the kcy, the kcy cables are actually pretty beefy and a pain in the ass to stealth, the nbobs are nice and small diameter and flexible. Just get those and the tiny box and thats the smallest and highest quality footprint rig u can get...IMO
another vote for this combo. I don't have the nbob actives but I have a KCY and they are top notch for most things but not really ideal for >:D My personal preference for >:D situations is DPA 4061s > CA-9200, but I digress.
Tinybox is tough to beat for size and efficiency. I did a runtime test the other day with a tinybox (configured for both Schoeps KCY and P48 compatibility) running MK5 > KCY > tinybox > m10 and got about 23 hours. not bad.
btw, a tinybox configured for KCY with a 6pin mini-xlr out is also compatible with standard PIP with the right adapter cable.
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Nbob cables are what u want, waaaaay more stealther friendly than the kcy, the kcy cables are actually pretty beefy and a pain in the ass to stealth, the nbobs are nice and small diameter and flexible. Just get those and the tiny box and thats the smallest and highest quality footprint rig u can get...IMO
100% agreed!
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Grab this
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=162913.0
Then have Schoepsnbox make you a Nbob KCY cable!
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Thanks for your input!
I've gotten some views of the difference between the Nbox and the Tinybox, and what do YOU think the difference is (apart from the size).
PM is ok if you don't want everyone to see ;D
/Jonas
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The Schoeps KC5/KCY are the smallest way to interface to schoeps caps.
If someone thinks there is a smaller solution, please post the actual measurements or a comparison photo.
Each part of the KC5/KCY has a part number and can be ordered from and serviced by Schoeps, and by other folks. They can be serviced with standard tools, nothing proprietary required.
I much prefer the split KC5 over the KCY. You could have someone cable them for an adapter cable to allow use with a PFA (and any preamp), or a tinybox. They can be setup with 1/8" cable of any length.
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Thanks for your input!
I've gotten some views of the difference between the Nbox and the Tinybox, and what do YOU think the difference is (apart from the size).
PM is ok if you don't want everyone to see ;D
/Jonas
Objective differences: Tinybox has a longer battery life. Its a rechargeable internal li-ion. I believe estimates are that it will run up to 24 hours on one charge. N-Box runs off 9-volts. You have to open the box to change the batteries.
Tinybox can have three different fixed gain positions. Your choice of gain settings. N-Box is one fixed gain setting. Its just on/off. I think its +30 or something? +20?
Tinybox is 1/8" output, N-Box is RCA.
Tinybox then has a few other options that can be added if wanted.
Oh, and last but not least, the N-box is at least twice as expensive, maybe more.
Thought of another one: N-box is much more rare than a tinybox. Tinybox is obviously still in production so you can just order one. N-box might take some time to find one used.
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Another nbox vs tiny box objective difference: the nbox supplies 60v to the capsules per schoeps specs, the tiny box does not.
I cant remember what the tinybox does (30v?) or what the objective difference in capsule sensitivity would be, but i believe the result is tiny box requires more gain for a similar output level.
The sonic impact as a result of this difference in voltage is of course subjective
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Littlebox 60V, Tinybox provides 55V, which is more than the lemosax that provides 48v.
Another nbox vs tiny box objective difference: the nbox supplies 60v to the capsules per schoeps specs, the tiny box does not.
I cant remember what the tinybox does (30v?) or what the objective difference in capsule sensitivity would be, but i believe the result is tiny box requires more gain for a similar output level.
The sonic impact as a result of this difference in voltage is of course subjective
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Look here for an idea on how the set up would look as everything here is close tot he
size you are thinking about.
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=132711.45
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If going steal&h, I, too, would go the nbob actives route. As others have stated, the real deal KCY is somewhat bulkier and has a junction box. You could have the nbobs custom made to any length you desire, plus theyre cheaper. For open recording as I do, I would definitely go the real deal Schoeps KCY route since theyre made for that particular reason ;)
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yep, Darktrain's setup is closest to what I'm looking for, no doubt.
/Jonas
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yep, Darktrain's setup is closest to what I'm looking for, no doubt.
/Jonas
This is the thread that shows the current rig, would be hard to get any more compact
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=160089.0
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yep, Darktrain's setup is closest to what I'm looking for, no doubt.
/Jonas
This is the thread that shows the current rig, would be hard to get any more compact
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=160089.0
Agreed!
Doesnt get much smaller than that 8)
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Seconds on letting Nick (Schoepsbox) makes the cables.
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The Schoeps KC5/KCY are the smallest way to interface to schoeps caps.
If someone thinks there is a smaller solution, please post the actual measurements or a comparison photo.
cmrs are the same size and are easier to power and an overall more cost-effective solution
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Simply talking about the colettes and cables...... IMO.. the Nbox cables are the thinest, most flexible, lowest profile of any "active" cables that can be used with Schoeps capsules. Period.
......at least that I'm aware of.
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The Schoeps KC5/KCY are the smallest way to interface to schoeps caps.
If someone thinks there is a smaller solution, please post the actual measurements or a comparison photo.
cmrs are the same size and are easier to power and an overall more cost-effective solution
Incorrect. CMR's are longer.
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The Schoeps KC5/KCY are the smallest way to interface to schoeps caps.
If someone thinks there is a smaller solution, please post the actual measurements or a comparison photo.
cmrs are the same size and are easier to power and an overall more cost-effective solution
Incorrect. CMR's are longer.
If you go st XXlth with Schoeps caps, I would value the length of the caps more than anything else. The shorter the caps are the easier you can capture the sound the way you want……
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=136697.msg1778548#msg1778548
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The Schoeps KC5/KCY are the smallest way to interface to schoeps caps.
If someone thinks there is a smaller solution, please post the actual measurements or a comparison photo.
cmrs are the same size and are easier to power and an overall more cost-effective solution
Incorrect. CMR's are longer.
If you go st XXlth with Schoeps caps, I would value the length of the caps more than anything else. The shorter the caps are the easier you can capture the sound the way you want……
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=136697.msg1778548#msg1778548
Yea, the CMRs are def a bit longer. I would go the NBob Actives route. Just like I said earlier in this thread. Plus, theyre cheaper than the real KCY/CMRs
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fyi i didnt know about the nbobs at the time i made that post....
currently the best solution tho your kinda tied to the tiny or nbox as your pre
advantage of a cmr>bat box is you can use any pre, and the batbox can be smaller than a tiny or nbox. my next bat box will be based on a 6V silver oxide battery, as a 9V is kinda overkill i dont need 80 hrs of battery.
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fyi i didnt know about the nbobs at the time i made that post....
currently the best solution tho your kinda tied to the tiny or nbox as your pre
advantage of a cmr>bat box is you can use any pre, and the batbox can be smaller than a tiny or nbox. my next bat box will be based on a 6V silver oxide battery, as a 9V is kinda overkill i dont need 80 hrs of battery.
No. Actually you can do what others here have done and use the Naiant PFAs so you can use any preamp with the NBob actives.
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PFA's will work with Nbob, KCY, KC5, CMR, etc.!! Even with the CMR if you're running into a pre the PFA seems like a better solution then a battery box. Just my opinion.
fyi i didnt know about the nbobs at the time i made that post....
currently the best solution tho your kinda tied to the tiny or nbox as your pre
advantage of a cmr>bat box is you can use any pre, and the batbox can be smaller than a tiny or nbox. my next bat box will be based on a 6V silver oxide battery, as a 9V is kinda overkill i dont need 80 hrs of battery.
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Technically the best solution but not very common is chopped KCs to tinybox; because that provides a connection that is low-impedance and balanced from capsule to preamp (tinybox output can also be balanced, but this isn't very common either, and is less important anyway) and also minimizes power consumption.
I had my kc5s chopped 18" from the collettes that attach to cmc bodies and had mini-xlrs installed at both ends of the cut. This allows me to 1) run kc5s as designed using cmc bodies, 2) plug in PFAs (terminated to mini-xlrs to interface with my chopped kc5s) and run the mk4>kc5 setup directly into my oade m148 pre (or any other pre that uses xlr connectors), or 3) plug in a kcy binder (terminated to mini-xlrs to interface with my chopped kc5s) for use with a tinybox or other device designed to power kcy-terminated schoeps. Darktrain did a great job working with me to get this together and I'm quite happy with the results.
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fyi i didnt know about the nbobs at the time i made that post....
currently the best solution tho your kinda tied to the tiny or nbox as your pre
advantage of a cmr>bat box is you can use any pre, and the batbox can be smaller than a tiny or nbox. my next bat box will be based on a 6V silver oxide battery, as a 9V is kinda overkill i dont need 80 hrs of battery.
No. Actually you can do what others here have done and use the Naiant PFAs so you can use any preamp with the NBob actives.
not exactly
CMR+ BBox = any preamp
CMR+ PFA = any preamp with phantom power