Topic: MCE 4000 omni (Monacor=Panasonic?), any good?

[sunjan]

There's a German DIY guy selling home made binaurals, based on the Greenmachine design on the Minidisc forum:
http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=11254

The mics for sale are made with MCE-4000 omni caps from Monacor. AFAIK, this is an OEM version of Panasonic:
http://www.bmm-electronics.nl/Product.asp?Product_ID=5679

Does anyone here have any first hand experience with these caps?
How do they handle high SPL? Characteristics?
Is typical plug-in power sufficient, or would they require 9V bbox to perform up to specs?

Here are the specs:
http://www.monacor.de/typo3/index.php?id=62&L=1&spr=EN&artid=5174&typ=u&hkatid=&ukatid=&brand=
 MCE-4000  Number: 23.3680
High-quality subminiature electret microphone cartridge (omnidirectional characteristic).
Frequency range 20-20,000Hz
 Sensitivity 5mV/Pa/1kHz, ±3dB
 Output impedance 2.2kΩ
 S/N ratio > 58dB
 Coupling capacitor 0.1-4.7µF
 Admiss. ambient temp. 0-40 °C
 Power supply 1.5-10V DC current /0.5mA

SoundPro/Mic Madness/Core Sounds all sell similar "low cost binaurals" in the $49-$69 range. How would the German mics stand against these?

I'm not shopping for my own needs, but scouting for my newbie friends on shoestring budget.

[run_run_run]

I soldered up a set for myself I always use a 9 volt box, then into a iriver or UA-5 ~> digi ~> iriver

indoors BB > iriver
http://www.archive.org/details/waybacks2008-09-01.Panasonic_WM61_Omnis

outdoors UA-5
http://www.archive.org/details/aod2008-09-06.Panasonic_WM61A_Omnis_UA5

outdoors BB > iriver
http://www.archive.org/details/eo2008-08-08.wa61s

I think with higher SPL, you need to mod them. I have never had them overload, but I have never taped like Mule with them

Overall I love them, lot of bang for little to no money. I can't wait to run them into my new busman UA-5

[sunjan]

Thanks a lot for the samples!

When you run them with BB>Iriver, how much Rockbox gain are you adding while recording?

[Lbp51]

Could  you please help me build a 9V battery box for my Monacor MCE-4000 (omni) capsules? I just need a diagram of the circuit to rebuild the mike input connection, if you are so kind to help me there.

Best,
Lbp

I soldered up a set for myself I always use a 9 volt box, then into a iriver or UA-5 ~> digi ~> iriver

indoors BB > iriver
http://www.archive.org/details/waybacks2008-09-01.Panasonic_WM61_Omnis

outdoors UA-5
http://www.archive.org/details/aod2008-09-06.Panasonic_WM61A_Omnis_UA5

outdoors BB > iriver
http://www.archive.org/details/eo2008-08-08.wa61s

I think with higher SPL, you need to mod them. I have never had them overload, but I have never taped like Mule with them

Overall I love them, lot of bang for little to no money. I can't wait to run them into my new busman UA-5