Topic: MMA6000 battery and mod question

[dunebug81]

In a pinch I picked up a 10 pack of Walgreens brand 9v batteries for $10 the other night.  I dont expect them to last as long as an Energizer but while at the Panic! At the Disco show the other night I noticed that there was a 2-3db different between the mics and not the normal <1db difference.  Think its because of the battery or perhaps something else.  I also noticed the same 2-3 db difference at the Cracker show last night.

Since there is (normally) only a slight difference between my 4061s I was wondering if anyone ever attempted to mod the mma6000 to reduce each 2.5db step to something else.  Having 24bd of gain to me seems rather useless.  I dont ever see myself at anything other then a noisy rock concert.  Having a 1/2 db step would be much more useful to me. 

[Church-Audio]

If this preamp uses two 9 volt batteries one for one side one for the other that would explain your problem I would just check to see what happens when you put two 9 volts in that are not matched. see if that makes the mismatch worse if it does then the problem is in the power section and the only solution is to just match the batteries but the problem with that is they do not discharge at the same rate.

Chris Church

In a pinch I picked up a 10 pack of Walgreens brand 9v batteries for $10 the other night.  I dont expect them to last as long as an Energizer but while at the Panic! At the Disco show the other night I noticed that there was a 2-3db different between the mics and not the normal <1db difference.  Think its because of the battery or perhaps something else.  I also noticed the same 2-3 db difference at the Cracker show last night.

Since there is (normally) only a slight difference between my 4061s I was wondering if anyone ever attempted to mod the mma6000 to reduce each 2.5db step to something else.  Having 24bd of gain to me seems rather useless.  I dont ever see myself at anything other then a noisy rock concert.  Having a 1/2 db step would be much more useful to me. 

[grider]

In a pinch I picked up a 10 pack of Walgreens brand 9v batteries for $10 the other night.  I dont expect them to last as long as an Energizer but while at the Panic! At the Disco show the other night I noticed that there was a 2-3db different between the mics and not the normal <1db difference.  Think its because of the battery or perhaps something else.  I also noticed the same 2-3 db difference at the Cracker show last night.

Since there is (normally) only a slight difference between my 4061s I was wondering if anyone ever attempted to mod the mma6000 to reduce each 2.5db step to something else.  Having 24bd of gain to me seems rather useless.  I dont ever see myself at anything other then a noisy rock concert.  Having a 1/2 db step would be much more useful to me. 

yes this is the problem created by DPA by selling only unmatched 4061's and pairing them with non-continuous gain controls in the DPA mma6000 preamp; it just about mandates post production work on recordings to match the levels in the right and left channels, and it could be easily resolved by selling factory matched pairs of mics upon request

[Church-Audio]

If its the case of the inputs not being the same a multi turn trim pot mod seems in order I can do that work if your interested, I would use a 10 turn trim pot and match the mics up by setting the trims via a acoustic calibrator coupled to the mics let me know if your interested..

Chris Church

In a pinch I picked up a 10 pack of Walgreens brand 9v batteries for $10 the other night.  I dont expect them to last as long as an Energizer but while at the Panic! At the Disco show the other night I noticed that there was a 2-3db different between the mics and not the normal <1db difference.  Think its because of the battery or perhaps something else.  I also noticed the same 2-3 db difference at the Cracker show last night.

Since there is (normally) only a slight difference between my 4061s I was wondering if anyone ever attempted to mod the mma6000 to reduce each 2.5db step to something else.  Having 24bd of gain to me seems rather useless.  I dont ever see myself at anything other then a noisy rock concert.  Having a 1/2 db step would be much more useful to me. 

[Church-Audio]

Thanks I know I can tweak it the pictures will help me determine where I can drill the holes for the trim pots.

Chris,
I've got a bunch of pictures of the guts of this pre in my MMA6000 Review thread. They might be helpful to you in determining this before you actually have a unit to tweak??

pics starting here:
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=21909.msg795053#msg795053

[dunebug81]

I like the way the nobs click into place so they dont move if I get pushed around.  Really the 1/2 db difference its noticeable till i open the music in soundforge.  I bring down the one channel .64db and its fine. 

I guess I need to get some better batteries just to see if the 2-3 db difference is because of the cheap battery.  Moke, what kind of 9v do you use in your MMA6000?

[dunebug81]

I remember you saying something about that.  Perhaps Ill do that this weekend when i return these junk 9v batteries.  I know KingReptile likes those lithium 9v as he had several boxes of them sitting on a shelf.  I assume that he uses them for the MMA6000. 

Chris, I dont quite understand what youre saying about the mod.  If you could change the 2.5db step to a .5 db step without making any cosmetic changes then I would be interested in the mod.

[grider]

I like the way the nobs click into place so they dont move if I get pushed around.  Really the 1/2 db difference its noticeable till i open the music in soundforge.  I bring down the one channel .64db and its fine. 

I guess I need to get some better batteries just to see if the 2-3 db difference is because of the cheap battery.  Moke, what kind of 9v do you use in your MMA6000?

true, Dunebug, in most situations these fixed position trimpots are a blessing since they stay fixed in place in a fanny pack/stealth situation like mine last weekend for Herbie Hancock

[dunebug81]

I like the way the nobs click into place so they dont move if I get pushed around.  Really the 1/2 db difference its noticeable till i open the music in soundforge.  I bring down the one channel .64db and its fine. 

I guess I need to get some better batteries just to see if the 2-3 db difference is because of the cheap battery.  Moke, what kind of 9v do you use in your MMA6000?

true, Dunebug, in most situations these fixed position trimpots are a blessing since they stay fixed in place in a fanny pack/stealth situation like mine last weekend for Herbie Hancock

Its also nice that there is no click or any other type of noise when adjusting the gain.

[madman]

I get some slight noise when adjusting the gain on my MMA.  I've only done it when adjusting the gain without anything being recorded, but I can't recall if the level was enough to be noticed while recording.

[Gutbucket]

yes this is the problem created by DPA by selling only unmatched 4061's and pairing them with non-continuous gain controls in the DPA mma6000 preamp; it just about mandates post production work on recordings to match the levels in the right and left channels, and it could be easily resolved by selling factory matched pairs of mics upon request

DPA will sell you matched 406x.  I contacted DPA USA in CO. and was told they'd do this for $75.  Ordered through Cascade Media and they were at my door in a few days.  BTW, DPA now offers a matched stereo kit of 4061's now with XLR adapters and other accessories.  They won't do the stereo kit with 4060's though.  I wanted the 4060's so I bought them piece-meal plus extention cables and paid the matching fee.

I get some slight noise when adjusting the gain on my MMA.  I've only done it when adjusting the gain without anything being recorded, but I can't recall if the level was enough to be noticed while recording.

Using the MMA600 I can report that I can easily hear any gain adjustments made while recording.  Not so sure that its a click so much as an abrupt change in level, usually one channel then the other. 

[dunebug81]

Using the MMA600 I can report that I can easily hear any gain adjustments made while recording.  Not so sure that its a click so much as an abrupt change in level, usually one channel then the other. 

lol, i can never turn both nobs at the same time either!