The AKG Actives Project

[Sanjay]

If you are using #3 then the sound would be different just because it would be the sound of the cap and not the body or external power box 



number 3 would not be possible w/ 99% of mics, they still have to have some kind of mic preamp/body, only ccm4's come to mind, unless youre running schoeps mk4/41/whatever>schoeps vms preamps, which takes the place of the bodies ala the jklabs/nbox

You can run schoeps/neumann/akg bluelines/franken naks/any other mic with a FET attached with the sonosax sx-m2/ls2 via a lemo connector

[F.O.Bean]

If you are using #3 then the sound would be different just because it would be the sound of the cap and not the body or external power box 



number 3 would not be possible w/ 99% of mics, they still have to have some kind of mic preamp/body, only ccm4's come to mind, unless youre running schoeps mk4/41/whatever>schoeps vms preamps, which takes the place of the bodies ala the jklabs/nbox

You can run schoeps/neumann/akg bluelines/franken naks/any other mic with a FET attached with the sonosax sx-m2/ls2 via a lemo connector

damn, 480's arent bluelines tho, are they?

[Sanjay]

If you are using #3 then the sound would be different just because it would be the sound of the cap and not the body or external power box 



number 3 would not be possible w/ 99% of mics, they still have to have some kind of mic preamp/body, only ccm4's come to mind, unless youre running schoeps mk4/41/whatever>schoeps vms preamps, which takes the place of the bodies ala the jklabs/nbox

You can run schoeps/neumann/akg bluelines/franken naks/any other mic with a FET attached with the sonosax sx-m2/ls2 via a lemo connector

damn, 480's arent bluelines tho, are they?

nope, however I would think that if you too one end of the extension tube, and ran it to a lemo connection via a cable, and added a ground, making it three wires.  That would work I think.

The buzzing you are getting from all the attempts are from poor grounding.   Thats pretty obvious, to know for sure if i'd work i'd need to know how many connections are there plus ground. 

For example, with KM140's all you need to do is cut off one end of the active cable and solder on a lemo with the correct pin outs and you can run it straight into a lemosax.  Similarily i bet you could run it into a AT or Samson power module just fine.

[Crumbo]

If you are using #3 then the sound would be different just because it would be the sound of the cap and not the body or external power box 



number 3 would not be possible w/ 99% of mics, they still have to have some kind of mic preamp/body, only ccm4's come to mind, unless youre running schoeps mk4/41/whatever>schoeps vms preamps, which takes the place of the bodies ala the jklabs/nbox

You can run schoeps/neumann/akg bluelines/franken naks/any other mic with a FET attached with the sonosax sx-m2/ls2 via a lemo connector

you always have the best avatars 

I can't help technically with any of this but am willing to loan out my caps and be a beta tester 

[poorlyconditioned]

If you are using #3 then the sound would be different just because it would be the sound of the cap and not the body or external power box 



number 3 would not be possible w/ 99% of mics, they still have to have some kind of mic preamp/body, only ccm4's come to mind, unless youre running schoeps mk4/41/whatever>schoeps vms preamps, which takes the place of the bodies ala the jklabs/nbox

You can run schoeps/neumann/akg bluelines/franken naks/any other mic with a FET attached with the sonosax sx-m2/ls2 via a lemo connector

damn, 480's arent bluelines tho, are they?

nope, however I would think that if you too one end of the extension tube, and ran it to a lemo connection via a cable, and added a ground, making it three wires.  That would work I think.

The question is, is there an active element (FET) in the extension tube or not.  I'm guessing no, in which case it may not drive more than the length of the tube (due to capacitance of the wire between the mic element and the body that contains the FET).  I don't know for sure though, 'cause I haven't seen the tube.

The buzzing you are getting from all the attempts are from poor grounding.   Thats pretty obvious, to know for sure if i'd work i'd need to know how many connections are there plus ground. 

For example, with KM140's all you need to do is cut off one end of the active cable and solder on a lemo with the correct pin outs and you can run it straight into a lemosax.  Similarily i bet you could run it into a AT or Samson power module just fine.

Have anyone measured the output voltage of the Sax?  It should output 60-62V polarization voltage on one of the wires.  Or did we (TS.com) go through this discussion already with the "spitty" Nbox?

Thanks,
  Richard

[johnw]

The question is, is there an active element (FET) in the extension tube or not.  I'm guessing no, in which case it may not drive more than the length of the tube (due to capacitance of the wire between the mic element and the body that contains the FET).  I don't know for sure though, 'cause I haven't seen the tube.

I think that thegreatgumbo was working on getting the VR schematics from AKG, which should answer this question. Any word on that yet?

[it-goes-to-eleven]

Schoeps definitely puts a buffer in their gooseneck.  I'd expect (hope!) AKG does the same..

The 'sax polarization voltage is supposedly only 48v.

I tried to measure the voltage from my MG bodies but couldn't get anything using my DVM.  Any thoughts on that?

[willndmb]

thanks guys

[Sanjay]

i'll measure the sax when i get it later this week.  It says 48v but thats before it hits the internal part of the pre which acts as the bodies.


I was basing my assumption on the vr tube off of the schoeps tube which does indeed have a FET

[JasonR]

I contacted Sonosax customer support to inquire about adding a 5-pin Binder connector to my older SX-M2/LS.  They gave me the following pin-out which confirms that the Sonosax provides 48V as the polarization voltage to the capsules:

The pin-out of the 5-pin binder is:
1: Ground
2: Audio In Left
3: Audio In Right
4: +6Vdc
5: +48Vdc

- Jason

[grider]

any reason that the active cables (mk46) for the 460 series cannot be used as a basic prototype for these 480 series active cables? although these cables are rare they are out there in tapers' hands, including mine

[it-goes-to-eleven]

Jason, I think you posted some specifics on the 5 pin binder connector somewhere recently. Can you re-post?  I am having trouble finding it.  I am thinking of adding connectors to my schoeps active cables and am trying to identify the best connectors for reliability/least impact.

I have two sets of schoeps actives. One is KC5 like and the other is for the RMod. I'd like to be able to use my kc5's on the rmod. The rmod cables are mini star quad and are very old and stiff (from sweat, I guess).

In the kc5 case, I'd like a robust connector to use near the mic body end of the cable. In another case (my RMod cables), I'd like to find some very compact connectors to install near the capsule end.

The RMod colletes appear to have been glued together rather than held with the proper snap rings.  That is dumb, dumb, dumb.. Because not only can I probably not completely replace the old stiff cable, one of the snap rings provides support to the delicate capsule threads. So in that case I may snip the existing cable near the capsule and install a small connector.

[JasonR]

I have two sets of schoeps actives. One is KC5 like and the other is for the RMod. I'd like to be able to use my kc5's on the rmod. The rmod cables are mini star quad and are very old and stiff (from sweat, I guess).

Use caution here!  I thought I'd pick up an NBox and make an adapter cable from my current KC5 cables (which are modified with 3-pin Lemo connectors) to whatever connector Nick puts on his box.  He said that he can modify my cables, but that he changes the circuit inside the active head (the "colette" capsule connector).  So it seems that you can't use a single set of cables for an NBox and any other standard setup like CMCs, VST62, VMS05, VMS02iB, SX-M2/LS(2), etc.  That's one nice thing about the Sonosax setup - the cables are no different from the Schoeps standard, either literally using their cable with the 5-pin connector, or just cut and wired with 3-pin Lemos.  Presumably this is the same issue with the RMod box but I'm just guessing based on the NBox's history.

I don't have much info on the 5-pin binder connector save for the recent info I got from Sonosax.  Did you mean the schematic I posted that shows the wiring of the Lemo connectors along with some of the basic part info of an active cable?  I also posted a schematic of the CMC3/5 amplifiers which shows a bit of active info as well.

- Jason

[thegreatgumbino]

The question is, is there an active element (FET) in the extension tube or not.  I'm guessing no, in which case it may not drive more than the length of the tube (due to capacitance of the wire between the mic element and the body that contains the FET).  I don't know for sure though, 'cause I haven't seen the tube.

I think that thegreatgumbo was working on getting the VR schematics from AKG, which should answer this question. Any word on that yet?

No schematic exists for the VR61 or VR62.  Here's the response I got from Karl:

"For the VR61 and 62 there are no schematics available as these extension tubes are strictly passive and contain a direct connection between the two terminals."

[thegreatgumbino]

any reason that the active cables (mk46) for the 460 series cannot be used as a basic prototype for these 480 series active cables? although these cables are rare they are out there in tapers' hands, including mine

Here's Karl's response to that question, Chris:

"By the way, the C480 cannot be used with the MK46 cable as there is no bias output on the preamp. So you need to use the C460 in connection with the cable."