so if you don't know if there is a difference probly no one will.
the reason i ask is b/c busman2 has a pair of naks for sale that he modded with the samson modules on the end. i was thinking about snagging them, but don't know if they are comparable to your mod.
here is a pdf w/ info on the samson's
http://www.samsontech.com/products/relatedDocs/qe_qv_pm4_manual.pdf
i'm sure jklabs would be answer the question better than i can.
[snip]
the input is the same as the AT8533(x) adaptors. i've seen that .pdf before and had it open when i spoke to the Samson tech. he couldn't (or wouldn't) tell me what the supply voltage was on pin 3 of input. he kept telling me that the input was a balanced connection........wrong!!
marc
Hi there.
I know the PM-4 well. As in very well. I do not know the AT units at all.
These units do a lot more than just drop the voltage. They draw power from P48. From that they create a powered interface that the mics work into. The mic signal is extracted (in the case of the PM-4 wo loading the mic at all), buffered and sent out on the XLRs.
Whoever designed the circuitry used in the PM-4 was clever: a few parts doing a very complex task. Yes I too wonder about the transformer but probably it was more important to output a true balanced signal (to drive long cables with high rejection of hum etc) than direct coupling provides.
What I'm less happy with is the parts that go into the PM-4 and their orientation.
So to me the question of which power unit is the best is still open. Well on a second though maybe I know but of the ones mentioned I mean :-)
Blu666z has a pair of modded PM-4 if anyone at some point has the time and energy to do a full test of PM and AT power units.
Jon