Okay, I'm finaly going to break down and buy a few Panasonic WM-60AY capsules from Digi-Key, and learn Speaker Workshop.
However, I vaguely remembered that someone said that Panasonic has come out with a better capsule than the WM-60AY. Which one is it? I know about the WM-61A, but that is about the same quality.
If anyone knows of a better, more accurate capsule than these two, please let me know.
However, I vaguely remembered that someone said that Panasonic has come out with a better capsule than the WM-60AY. Which one is it? I know about the WM-61A, but that is about the same quality.
If anyone knows of a better, more accurate capsule than these two, please let me know.
The WM-61A is the best one AFAIK. I use that one with the Wallin preamp and standard calibration file with SW.
Does anybody know where to find the drawings for the jig and preamp...??
I downloaded it a long time ago, but probably lost it in a disk crash....
<<< Real men don't do back-ups >>>
I downloaded it a long time ago, but probably lost it in a disk crash....
<<< Real men don't do back-ups >>>
Sadly the WM-60AY is no longer available new, but the WM-61A should work just as well, maybe better.
Link to info on panasonic mic capsules and their modifications(Linkwitz Labs)
http://www.linkwitzlab.com/sys_test.htm#Mic
Link to info on panasonic mic capsules and their modifications(Linkwitz Labs)
http://www.linkwitzlab.com/sys_test.htm#Mic
http://mysite.verizon.net/tammie_eric/ericindex.htmlAuroraB said:
PCB's and kits available here: http://www.madaboutsound.com/prod.asp?pname=MPK
infinia said:
Does this same mode apply to the 61A? Anyone done it? It looks like it will be harder - I had some of the 60s but can't seem to find them so I'll use the 61s I have.
If one is using something like the M-Audio Fast Track USB recording device, then you wouldn't need a preamp, I presume? But I would still need to provide power to the mic? Can anyone suggest the best easy way to do this? I'm guessing I need a 9 vold battery, a couple capacitors and a resistor, I've seen lots of schematics around the internet but I'm not sure which one to use with the XLR input on the Fast Track.
Infinia,
Thanks for the schematic. In the center above the arrow that points down then left, it looks like it says 1K but I can't make out the 1st letter/symbol. Then on the left side under where it says WM-61A it's not clear to me what connections are being made. Could you show which wire connects to which pad perhaps? It looks as though you are connecting 3 to the outside of the capsule and to one of the pads, then 2 is connecting to the other pad? I'm assuming then that 2 is the pad which would have been connected to the outside of the capsule before making the mod?
Thanks for the schematic. In the center above the arrow that points down then left, it looks like it says 1K but I can't make out the 1st letter/symbol. Then on the left side under where it says WM-61A it's not clear to me what connections are being made. Could you show which wire connects to which pad perhaps? It looks as though you are connecting 3 to the outside of the capsule and to one of the pads, then 2 is connecting to the other pad? I'm assuming then that 2 is the pad which would have been connected to the outside of the capsule before making the mod?
Hi
about a jig: look at this: http://www.kensonpro.com/matro/index.htm
Unfurtunally in swedish only, but for those who understand, this is THE place to go.
about a jig: look at this: http://www.kensonpro.com/matro/index.htm
Unfurtunally in swedish only, but for those who understand, this is THE place to go.
CRITOFUR Q's
1) Sorry too sloppy of me. The symbol is supposed to be 2 horizontal squiggly lines meaning the Thevinin impedance is approximate.
2) The Panasonic capsule terminals are as shown on the data sheet. The outside rim is terminal 3. So the mod for my schematic is essentially cutting connection from 2-3 and attaching 1-3.
3) XLR resistor to ground is supposed to be equal to the Thevinin impedance of the microphone in parallel with 10K//22K on the opposite terminal. I used 1K but closer to 870ohms. This will be a psuedo balance and help with ground noise cancellation if preamp is a true balanced design.
1) Sorry too sloppy of me. The symbol is supposed to be 2 horizontal squiggly lines meaning the Thevinin impedance is approximate.
2) The Panasonic capsule terminals are as shown on the data sheet. The outside rim is terminal 3. So the mod for my schematic is essentially cutting connection from 2-3 and attaching 1-3.
3) XLR resistor to ground is supposed to be equal to the Thevinin impedance of the microphone in parallel with 10K//22K on the opposite terminal. I used 1K but closer to 870ohms. This will be a psuedo balance and help with ground noise cancellation if preamp is a true balanced design.
Infinia,
Thanks for your help! Could I use your circuit on an un-modified capsule? (showing my ignorance, I'm not really sure what the FET inside the mic does, I assume its functioning as a tiny little amp?)
I'm headed to radioshack to pickup some 1K, 10K, and 22K resistors, already have a bunch of caps.
Do you think if I use this circuit with the Panasonic capsule that I'll get good levels with the M-Audio Fast Track USB? I've been looking at soundcards, and USB devices like the Fast Track, and little external USB notebook sound adaptors, most of them don't seem to list what bias voltage they supply, if any. I don't now if I'm still better off using the circuit with the 9V battery if my soundcard provides a bias voltage? The Audigy 2 does, I'm pretty sure.
I have no idea what is the "best" (hopefully including simple, easy, and cheap) way to hookup these capsules to a PC for speaker measurement.
I'd like to use the Laptop with the M-Audio Fast Track USB since it's portable, and hopefully with the DAC in the seperate little enclosure it will be relatively low noise.
I'd like to make a mic that would work with the mic input on soundcards like the Audigy 2, or even a laptop mic input. I wonder if it's possible without a preamp?
I just hooked a capsule directly to my Audigy 2 mic input without any resistors/capacitors etc, it seemed to work somewhat but not much gain. Do you happen to know a circuit that I should use for a 1/4 or mini mono plug for such application in lieu of a setup with XLR plugs?
I've got about a dozen of these WM-61B capsules left, hopefully I can mod a couple of them successfully. Need to stop and pickup some exacto knives also...
Thanks for your help! Could I use your circuit on an un-modified capsule? (showing my ignorance, I'm not really sure what the FET inside the mic does, I assume its functioning as a tiny little amp?)
I'm headed to radioshack to pickup some 1K, 10K, and 22K resistors, already have a bunch of caps.
Do you think if I use this circuit with the Panasonic capsule that I'll get good levels with the M-Audio Fast Track USB? I've been looking at soundcards, and USB devices like the Fast Track, and little external USB notebook sound adaptors, most of them don't seem to list what bias voltage they supply, if any. I don't now if I'm still better off using the circuit with the 9V battery if my soundcard provides a bias voltage? The Audigy 2 does, I'm pretty sure.
I have no idea what is the "best" (hopefully including simple, easy, and cheap) way to hookup these capsules to a PC for speaker measurement.
I'd like to use the Laptop with the M-Audio Fast Track USB since it's portable, and hopefully with the DAC in the seperate little enclosure it will be relatively low noise.
I'd like to make a mic that would work with the mic input on soundcards like the Audigy 2, or even a laptop mic input. I wonder if it's possible without a preamp?
I just hooked a capsule directly to my Audigy 2 mic input without any resistors/capacitors etc, it seemed to work somewhat but not much gain. Do you happen to know a circuit that I should use for a 1/4 or mini mono plug for such application in lieu of a setup with XLR plugs?
I've got about a dozen of these WM-61B capsules left, hopefully I can mod a couple of them successfully. Need to stop and pickup some exacto knives also...
critofur said:
1) No the circuit is for a modified mic. The modification reconfigures the FET as source follower for lower gain and noise and better repeatability. The unmodded mic is usually too hot for speaker testing.
2) M-Audio Fast track seems good. But the specs for the XLR input seem too good to true ie better SNR than line in. The question is if the XLR input is a true balanced input. If it isn't then ...
3) Should be possible
4) Should work check settings, connections, and mic bias current.
5) Hint... for cutting small traces on PCB, make twin cuts with new blade and use soldering tip with solder to lift trace. Or use dremel tool along with magnification. Also use an alligator clip w vice to hold the capsule.
When making connections to the capsule use tiny flexible wires and think about strain relief as well.
Thanks again for taking the time to be helpful. 😀 I read about the mod and figured it was a slight improvement, but your opinion made it quite clear that I'd best go ahead and do the mod. I've got a dremel tool, I'll try cutting first, if that's not good for me then the dremel... My 61Bs don't have a thin connection to the case the way the 60AYs did, rather the whole back is one sheet of metal with a tab soldered on and a small hole where the other tab comes through, so l'll have to cut a little circle around the tab rather than the simpler 60AY mod.
I had been putting "E6000" "INDUSTRIAL STRENGHT ADHESIVE and SEALANT" on the back over the solder joints and about 1/2 inch along the wires. Darn, I forgot to pickup a lower power soldering iron today, that was my other concern, toasting the electret. Well, I guess I'll find out, I tried not to heat it any more than I had to. What I've been doing is using stranded wire and trimming away all but 2 strands for about 1/3 inch, carefully getting a little blob of solder melted on the end, then holding that up to the solder point on the mic and melting it on (since where I'm soldering on already has solder there, I know that heating the solder rather than the metal would make for a crappy job otherwise). My 61Bs have tiny little tabs sticking up.
I had been putting "E6000" "INDUSTRIAL STRENGHT ADHESIVE and SEALANT" on the back over the solder joints and about 1/2 inch along the wires. Darn, I forgot to pickup a lower power soldering iron today, that was my other concern, toasting the electret. Well, I guess I'll find out, I tried not to heat it any more than I had to. What I've been doing is using stranded wire and trimming away all but 2 strands for about 1/3 inch, carefully getting a little blob of solder melted on the end, then holding that up to the solder point on the mic and melting it on (since where I'm soldering on already has solder there, I know that heating the solder rather than the metal would make for a crappy job otherwise). My 61Bs have tiny little tabs sticking up.
I wouldn't recommend the B version with the pins, Oh well you have them already, so DIY style away.
If you use the soundcard's bias voltage, then are there any other components that should be used, or would you just connect the capsule directly to the soundcard's mic input?
I see Digikey has the 61A in stock now, those have just the thin trace to cut rather than 3/4 around the pad? I'll look at the spec sheet... Cutting just the thin trace seems very easy to me, cutting 3/4 around is not so easy.
Yay, I see the A is the easy to mod version, I'll order 15 of those...
http://www.panasonic.com/industrial/components/pdf/em06_wm61_a_b_dne.pdf
Hmm, not sure what to do with these Bs.
I see Digikey has the 61A in stock now, those have just the thin trace to cut rather than 3/4 around the pad? I'll look at the spec sheet... Cutting just the thin trace seems very easy to me, cutting 3/4 around is not so easy.
Yay, I see the A is the easy to mod version, I'll order 15 of those...
http://www.panasonic.com/industrial/components/pdf/em06_wm61_a_b_dne.pdf
Hmm, not sure what to do with these Bs.
critofur said:
Critofur send them to me
Here is some cool preamp stuff. Look at the preamp schematic at Rane. see links
http://www.rane.com/ms1b.html
http://focus.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/ina163.pdf
Could use a INA217 in a more DIY friendly DIP package, alas no stock at DIGIKEY for the moment.
Infinia, do you really want some? (61B capsules with the tabs and hard to mod)
I need to look around the net some more and see how people have wired them up to work with portable recording devices, I guess they're all using simple circuits w/9V batteries.
If the PC soundcard bias voltage is a few volts, then would using 9 volts instead give the mic higer output level? I'll have to lookup again what the Audigy 2 mic bias voltage is, and I didn't see that info for the USB Fast Track, or if it even has it at all.
I need to look around the net some more and see how people have wired them up to work with portable recording devices, I guess they're all using simple circuits w/9V batteries.
If the PC soundcard bias voltage is a few volts, then would using 9 volts instead give the mic higer output level? I'll have to lookup again what the Audigy 2 mic bias voltage is, and I didn't see that info for the USB Fast Track, or if it even has it at all.
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