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Boundary mics

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:36 pm
by josh porter
So I have recently com into two Optimus Boundary Mics. They unfortunatley do not have the phantom power pack anymore and the cable end, terminates to nothing. Any options or do I now have two nice paperweights?

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:52 pm
by Mathieu Benoit
So.... there's no connector on the end of the cable? Also what do you mean by "phantom power pack"?

Thanks!

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:35 pm
by josh porter
ya there is no connector on the end.

The "Phantom Power Pack" was a pack in the middle of the cable that supplyed the mic with power.

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:36 pm
by macrae11
Uses T-Power maybe?

Easy enough to solder on a new connector.

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:37 pm
by josh porter
ya I suppose I could try that.

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:38 pm
by Mathieu Benoit
I'm trying to find something online about this thing to get a better idea... Is there a reason it can't take phantom power from the mixer?

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:41 pm
by macrae11
Do you know if the mic takes regular 48V phantom power? If so it could just be powered from a regular mixer. If it needed something odd like 12V you would have to buy a separate power supply.

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:46 pm
by Mathieu Benoit
macrae11 wrote:Do you know if the mic takes regular 48V phantom power? If so it could just be powered from a regular mixer. If it needed something odd like 12V you would have to buy a separate power supply.

Yeah, this is what I was getting at. If it's just regular 48V then stick a male XLR on there and be done with it.

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 5:50 pm
by macrae11
Well I found the owners manual for the mic. http://support.radioshack.com/support_audio/55999.htm

It appears as though the mic requires a 16V supply, although it wouldn't hurt for one of the techie types to confirm that. If that's the case, I don't know of any standard audio power box you could buy that uses 16V.

You could probably find an old adapter and have it moded by Al or Thom, but by that time, I would think you could just get a new mic. It's an old Radio Shack job that used to have an 1/8" connector, so I'm guessing the mic is not real superb audio quality wise.

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 6:04 pm
by Malcolm Boyce
You have to wonder why a mic like this would be modded in the first place, unless it was someone trying to connect it to a XLR input of something to see if it would work. They may have failed, which is why you find them in the condition they are in.

You would need to know exactly how that was wired up originally in order to connect it properly to a different connector, and properly power it... that is unless you don't mind trial and error and the possibility of destruction.

Sounds like a fun newbie project...

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 8:57 pm
by Alain Benoit
FOH guy for Sweet Temptation had a pair of those. Drilled a 3/16" hole in each and mounted them on cymbal stands off his drum rack as overheads. Swore by them, then again he also swore by his "DECA" amplifiers and his "Black Widows".

PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 9:23 am
by macrae11
Alain Benoit wrote:FOH guy for Sweet Temptation had a pair of those. Drilled a 3/16" hole in each and mounted them on cymbal stands off his drum rack as overheads. Swore by them, then again he also swore by his "DECA" amplifiers and his "Black Widows".


Rrrrriiiiiiggghht......

PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 10:41 am
by jammy jamz
but, i thought that mics that needed phantom power, only took what they needed tho.

i know, i can be an ignoramus sometimes....(quite a bit) all the time.

i have a shure sm81 that needs 9v, but, it takes the 48v off the pres with no problem.

i have a cabling website in my favorites at home, that has a list of schematic diagrams to show the wiring for all types of cables....i dunno if it will have what you need tho.

i can post it when i get home tho....a link. that is......texas tea.

PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 10:42 am
by jammy jamz
i need to stop sayin tho so much.

PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 11:19 am
by macrae11
You are correct Jamie, that often mics don't require 48V but will accept regular phantom power as a source. There are other types of "phantom power" such as T-Power which will not power normal capacitor microphone.

Without knowing more about this mic I couldn't say for sure. It may even use a proprietary powering system, since the original mic had a built in power supply.

If it was me, I'd slap an XLR on it, and shoot it some 48V and try it out. This does have potential to fry the mic though.

PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 11:42 am
by Mathieu Benoit
macrae11 wrote:If it was me, I'd slap an XLR on it, and shoot it some 48V and try it out. This does have potential to fry the mic though.


Good times! That would be my approach as well. Either way at least you have a doorstop.

PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 1:13 pm
by Alain Benoit
Excellent doorstops as a matter of fact, you can slide the boundary under the door and let it wedge against the capsule housing.

I'd venture to guess that at the price these were that they are loaded with an electret type condenser capsule. Try and see if you can any signal at all before applying +48V DC.
Then try ramping up the voltage until you get results if you ever do.

PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 2:49 pm
by jammy jamz
the voice of reason.

PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:53 pm
by jammy jamz
as promised the link to the cableing website.......but, unfortunately josh, i dont think its what you need..... sowwy.

http://www.rane.com/note110.html

if you copy and paste this, into google, it should be the first link...i think. it worked on my system. i just dont feel like making an anchor. :)

PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:54 pm
by jammy jamz
well slap my face and call me red.

it anchored itself. so not only can malcolm track a bass, he can build a pretty freaky deaky website too.

:-D

PostPosted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 9:21 pm
by josh porter
Wow, I didn't know that my simple question would evoke such response. I have gotten some good ideas and will try some of them through trial and error