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Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: thunderbolt on December 11, 2010, 01:36:50 AM

Title: Marantz PMD661 and self-powered mics?
Post by: thunderbolt on December 11, 2010, 01:36:50 AM

Hi Folks,
Old analog taper now awaiting delivery of an Oade concert-modded PMD661.  Will be running Oktava MC-012s most of the time.  Just wondering if it is technically possible to also run binaural mics which use a single AA battery and terminate in an 1/8 in stereo miniplug.  Can I use the line in on the Marantz?  Or is it phantom power only as far a mics go?

Sorry for the stupid question, but I couldn't find an answer in the archives, and I've yet to receive the deck.

Thanks all.

Title: Re: Marantz PMD661 and self-powered mics?
Post by: datbrad on December 11, 2010, 01:45:11 AM

I think you are going to need to go mic in with those battery powered mics. You could try that 1/8" line input, but you might find yourself cranking the gain to the max and still not get good levels. You can get a 2 XLR male to stereo 1/8" female cable made, or find an adapter/cable combo that will take your miniplug to a pair of XLR mic inputs. You can switch off the phantom on the 661, so the battery powered mics will work just fine.

Title: Re: Marantz PMD661 and self-powered mics?
Post by: thunderbolt on December 11, 2010, 10:47:24 AM

That makes total sense.  Thanks very much for the reply!