Is there such a thing as a super light or PLASTIC xlr connector?

MattinSTL

MattinSTL

Sound Modulator
So I'm checking out the DPA WindPac from a link posted off the silk screen thread... and the thing that jumps out at me is the xlr connector that they show for the mic... it's a really little stubby thing. I had an industry pro suggest to me that I solder up JUST THE INSIDE of a Neutrik xlr... and toss the metal shell and boot (this is for the connection to the mic at the end of the boom pole)... and after running a boom for about 6 hours STRAIGHT I'm thinking that's a pretty good idea after all.

My arms and shoulders are so sore today that it's nuts... I can feel my biceps as I type this right now. Yeah I know I need to get back to working out so booming is easier... but all of a sudden the absolute lightest weight has become paramount for me in anything I do. To give you an idea of how much booming I was doing... on my K-Tek graphite pole the collars have all been totally black for a year now... from just the past couple of days the second collar from the end is turning SILVER at the edges from being handled so much!

Which brings me to another point... for the guys who think a painter's pole will work in a REAL situation where people are making $500 a day all around you... forget it. That pole has got to go long, get short again, and go long again... all within a matter of a couple minutes... and all the while it will be YOU that is struggling to keep up with the dialog that you're missing. The one recurring thought I had all day was, "thank God I got this damn thing"... the extra cost of the lighter pole and the speed and precision of the collars... all of it... I never appreciated that pole before. If I could do it over I'd I'd actually spend MORE... just for the collar pattern alone! (I'd probably sell my relatively new looking K-Tek for $335 if anybody's interested... it's $409 at b&h now. I want the one that's $635.)

But back to the xlr connectors... so does anybody make a super-light connector for the mic end? K-Tek has a reasonably small looking one with a right angle (nice) but I don't see where it's sold by itself?
 
You should consider something like the Kit Cool. I'm not much of a DIY when it comes to audio gear but I made one of these years ago before I even heard of the product. It has saved me from quitting the business due to constantly tired arms and aching back.

Good luck
 
Matt as i said before , dont use the connector shield , there are allot of different chemicals/ glues you can put over the soldered cable, i used these which used for fix pipes underwater .
the k tek shield is good and small , but it about 20 or more for a peas
 
Yeah the DPA Windpack is pretty sweet - extremely light. I get so many questions about it - people are so used to the big fat zepplin. One slight downer of it is because it is so light and its shape, it acts kinda like a sail in the wind - the air rushes past the screen and the curves catch it. Just means you have to fight it a little - weight savings is worth it. I will never go back to a zepplin.
 
MattinSTL said:
... the thing that jumps out at me is the xlr connector that they show for the mic... it's a really little stubby thing.
Click to expand...

I think it's proprietary. B&H sells the cable for $58:
DAO0141
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...=DPDAO0141&is=REG&Q=&O=productlist&sku=366103

I like your thinking here too, as it would even eliminate the need for "normal" right angle XLR plugs (and they are HEAVY!!) since its protruding length is even less than those 90 degree ones, by the looks of it. The weight savings would be quite amazing!

Hmmm, maybe there's a little delrin mould-design in order? :)
 
Hi MattinSTL,

I don't know you are a pro for boom. Just little off topic, any tip for boom skill except to put microphone as close to the mouse? I am always interested to learn something.

TIA

Regards
Leigh
 
Hey Mattin:

I've seen plastic connectors, though i don't recall where. However, lots of wall-mount XLR sockets and sockets on cheap audio gear are plastic female receptacles... maybe you could hack something from those...
 
ive seen plastic xlrs before that weigh very little, but on really cheap dynamic microphones!

i might be keen on that boom, i need a second boom.
 
do you talking on cable or chasse xlr , since never sow plastic housing on cable , not even chiniz one
 
Wabbit: Yeah I'm going to explore the kit cool avenue (probably my own approach, but the same general idea).

Exile: You were the PRO insider I was referring to regarding the use of ONLY the inner portion of the female XLR... after a couple days constant booming your point has been made incredibly well.

Noiz2: I emailed you at that address... no reply yet... I emailed it right after your other posting. Mine is mgettemeier at charter dot net

Vidled: Yes it's proprietary... and I considered getting the B&H cable because I need a coiled cable anyway. At this point I'm considering a thin-wall aluminum sleeve or black delrin. The I.D. of the tube needs to be .5" and the O.D. should not exceed .622". The actual weight of the inner part of the Neutrik is 4 grams... as compared to the total weight of a complete connector assembly which is 34 grams. In ounces that translates to .14 ounces versus 1.2 ounces. So does just ONE extra ounce seem worth worrying about? I say on the end of a 13' pole it does! Leverage is leverage... my guess is that 1 oz. 10' away is probably using the same energy as AT LEAST 4 ounces held directly over head... maybe more? Do we have any engineers in here who can accurately calculate the true force on this? It may be as high as 6 oz. Of course any other material introduced will increase the weight... adding just the cable clamp brings it to 6 grams... so I may just use 3M heat shrink over liquid electrical tape. Any further thoughts on this from anybody are appreciated. Would you be opposed to using an XLR connector at the end of a boom pole which you knew required some care in use? I wouldn't, but I'm wondering what YOU think?

Tim or anybody else: If you come across a FEMALE XLR cable connector that's made of plastic then please let me know!

At this point I think I'm heading in another direction on this stuff but I want to explore all my options. I envision the ideal boom connector to be a lot like the K-Tek XLR... I'm thinking a black delrin sleeve that ends just behind the solder points on the Neutrik core... then sealed off on the back with the cable exiting out the side... so that it's basically a 90 degree xlr... then on the sleeve portion I'd like to have substantially knurled texture (like a socket wrench handle) right at the end so that it's easy to grip and pull out of the mic.

I'll see what I can come up with... but I'm going to be very aware of boom cables from now on. I want a feather light solution. I've got an idea for a retractable boom cable that's NOT coiled... so that you have all the weight at the BUTT of the pole... with just a thin, shielded cable running up the length of the pole... that way you don't have ounces of cable just coiled up sitting in there when the pole is at an intermediate length.

How about this for a kick-ass product? Any manufacturers should listen to this idea... and normally I don't like to share concepts that I'm planning to develop... but what the hell. Have you ever seen retractable phone cords? There's a little spring casing with a phone plug coming out of both sides. Well what I want is something like that which is basically 1/2 of a rubber ball on the bottom (or side depending on how you look at it) and inside of that is the spring/retraction mechanism... wound on that is enough cord to run the length of the extended pole plus about 12" to lock off (look at the top slots on any good pole and you'll see how you "tie off" the excess length for your mic)...

So what this gives you is a retracting assembly which (for any mass it has) will work as a Hodges weight at the butt of the pole... and this assembly will feed thin, straight cable (think LIGHTWEIGHT) out the length of the pole for whatever length you need... and the unused length of cable will be part of the mass which becomes the Hodges weight. The half rubber ball (or bumper) is simply protection and support for the pole/assembly between takes... when the pole is standing on end as you're resting.

How's about dat bee-otches? I'm going to see what I can come up with.
 
yeah, ive never thought of that particular use, which is really awesome, but ive often dreamed of retractable or stretchy cables - like a tape measure, so you can set the length you need, and lock it off until you want to reel it in or change it.

how cool would that be???
 
Hi...

The K-Tek XLR connecter is simplya Switchcraft 3 pin female XLR insert with as thin walled aluminum shell that we machine here in our shop. This is then anodized and laser etched with our logo. We also machine a black Delrin collett to hold the cable securely. We supply them as standard on our "Klassic" wired poles, and they are on some of ort coiled cords and the wired hand grip. We can also supply them in little kits for user soldering. They are not cheap, as there is a lot of machining in them, but they are very good and light weight.

I once designed the "Ultimate" XLR connecter for a micropnone.... nearly zero length and nearly zero weight. It required many machined parts and become too costly to put into production. I showed a prototype at an AES convention a few years ago and many folks woud have been happy to pay $75.00 each. Still not enough.....

Most of our "professional" users prefer a straight cable inside the pole exiting at the bottom through our K-FT flow through base. .... Less weight ... less noise .. no tangles....

I have seen retractable audio cables at some of the shows, but none that I thght of as reliable enough for boom pole use ..... believe me ... when I figure ou how to make one workreliably we will use it.....


Manfred
 
I'm always honored to see your presence on the boards Manfred... your elegant minimalist approach to things is akin to an architect. I admire the K-SSM or one of your boom poles just as I admire Frank Lloyd Wright. If I ever figure out a solution that I think you could put into production (and you cared to hear about it) I would be happy to hand it over to you.

The different little projects I have going, that I share with the forum members, are not developed out of a desire for business... it's more for the social aspect of it... and if I ever had an idea that you could incorporate into some product my heart would burst with joy over it.

I'm going to see if I can crack this nut... if so I'll let you know. Years ago I bought a lot of springs from Century... and I've done a few things with coil springs (the type like pull starters use)... and lately I've been really digging Musilux and Instalux cable... and I'm thinking that the rope-like flexibility of this cable, combined with a precision spring like I've bought from Century... may just be the ticket. The reason I like the simplicity of the pull-starter coil spring is that it's more or less constant tension... with perhaps just a little extra force at length. The phone-style retractors include a ratchet system which must be pulled and released. Having freedom from that mechanism is the first thing that needs to be addressed... after that it's just a matter of accurate coiling... which I think could possibly be achieved with a cone shaped spindle.

In 1986 I came up with an idea for a shoe sole with air pockets under the balls of your feet... and a channel between them in which the air would move back and forth (under precise resistance controlled by the diameter of the channel)... I sat on that idea for 4 years until I finally took it to Kangaroos USA here in Saint Louis... I met with the top guy locally and just said, "here"... he talked with me for a long time about it and finally said, "I wish you would have come here two years ago... there are some german podiatrists working for Rebok that are developing this same idea right now." A couple years later the Rebok Step was released for women... and shortly after that the air channel was totally common.

I'm always thinking... and I'll figure this one out.
 
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