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Gear / Technical Help => Microphones & Setup => Topic started by: acidjack on November 04, 2009, 06:10:48 PM

Title: Running 3-wire back to full-size XLR with "active" mics
Post by: acidjack on November 04, 2009, 06:10:48 PM

I'm assuming the answer to this is "no", but thought I'd check.

I have some AKG ck9x caps that were modified to run as actives in a 3-wire setup off of a 9v battery box.

The AKG ck9x series mics, when couples with the SE300 body, can run anywhere from 9-48v. 

If, say, I wanted to connect these to an R-44 or some other XLR-enabled unit, could I obtain some sort of mini-XLR>XLR adapter, plug them in and run off the 48v phantom? 

I'm assuming whatever is done to make them work without bodies may also make this impossible, but can't hurt to ask...

Title: Re: Running 3-wire back to full-size XLR with "active" mics
Post by: M on November 04, 2009, 09:01:04 PM

You need to put phantom adapters between the mics & pre. 

I have a pair of modified shure adapters that do this and have had samson pm4s in the past that perform this same task.  Their are other models available also.

Kinda sucks that you can't easily use the se300 body but I would bet that the difference would be tough to distinguish for most people.

Title: Re: Running 3-wire back to full-size XLR with "active" mics
Post by: illconditioned on November 04, 2009, 09:14:49 PM

I'm probably the one that made these actives.

The actives are good for several reasons:
- they can run off battery box power, eg., into a flash recorder,
- smaller than having cables to the bodies,
- it is cheaper to buy just the caps!

You could run off phantom adapters, but it may or may not work.  I know that AT853 adapters do not provide enough voltage.  The mics need something more than 5V, I think.

  Richard

Title: Re: Running 3-wire back to full-size XLR with "active" mics
Post by: Sunday Driver on November 04, 2009, 09:18:54 PM

The Nady CBM-40T adapters provide a little more than 10 volts through a transformer, so those should work.

Title: Re: Running 3-wire back to full-size XLR with "active" mics
Post by: acidjack on November 05, 2009, 02:40:00 PM

These actually were done by Busman, but I think they are running on an old BB you made :)

I was only hoping to do this to do a 4-channel mix into an R-44, but I think I could just go AKG>pre/bb>R-44 via RCAs and avoid this issue, no?

Quote from: illconditioned on November 04, 2009, 09:14:49 PM

I'm probably the one that made these actives.

The actives are good for several reasons:
- they can run off battery box power, eg., into a flash recorder,
- smaller than having cables to the bodies,
- it is cheaper to buy just the caps!

You could run off phantom adapters, but it may or may not work.  I know that AT853 adapters do not provide enough voltage.  The mics need something more than 5V, I think.

  Richard

Title: Re: Running 3-wire back to full-size XLR with "active" mics
Post by: aleal5687 on November 05, 2009, 02:52:31 PM

I am not familiar with the R44 but when I run my ck91"actives" open with my ua5(for on the fly matrix).

I run them
ck91->bb->1/4" in on ua5(phantom power off)

I think http://naiant.com had some phantom power adapters available but i don't see them listed anymore.

Title: Re: Running 3-wire back to full-size XLR with "active" mics
Post by: crazifyngers on November 07, 2009, 11:52:18 AM

Quote from: aleal5687 on November 05, 2009, 02:52:31 PM

I am not familiar with the R44 but when I run my ck91"actives" open with my ua5(for on the fly matrix).

I run them
ck91->bb->1/4" in on ua5(phantom power off)

I think http://naiant.com had some phantom power adapters available but i don't see them listed anymore.

They aren't listed but a friend of mine emailed him and picked up a pair for 70-80 i think.  they are pretty slick and don't use a transformer which to my understanding lowers output.