Customizatizing Lav Mic

C

chuckhoke

Member
Hi Everyone,

I have an HVX200 and a Sennheiser G2. I'm looking into upgrading my lav mic to the sanken cos11. I'm told you can buy the cos11 with xlr 'end' or a mini 'end' (and other configurations). Here's what I'd love to be able to do. Let me know if i'm crazy or if this sounds like something that could be done.

I'd love to be able to use the cos11 wirelessly or wired depending on the shooting circumstance. So I'd like it to be able to plug into the mini hole on the sennheiser transmitter when shooting wirelessly and into the camera's XLR (with phantom power) when shooting wired.

Is there a way to customize the mic to do this? For example, could I buy the mic with an xlr 'end' (which could go straight into cam when shooting wired) and then buy and xlr->mini adapter which could then plug into the G2 Transmittor (for shooting wirelessly)?

Any other options that might make sense?

Thanks for your time
 
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You should be able to get a COS-11 wired for the Senn. G2 wireless transmitter. Then get a Sanken power supply with a 3.5mm female input wired on to it. This would allow you to do what you want.

This is how I have my Tram TR-50s lavs set up. They plug into the Senn. G2 transmitter and they also plug into a Tram XLR power supply that has the G2 mini-plug on it. Therefore, they work with my wireless set up, and my hardwire set-up. Love it.

Check out a pic Here:

http://homepage.mac.com/vicrattlehead/PhotoAlbum88.html

-Vic
 
Thanks for getting back to me Vic. I greatly appreciate your help.

Could you please elaborate on what you mean by a Sanken or in your case a Tram 'power supply'. If you're talking about supplying power to the mic as in phantom power, my camera [hvx200] can send that out to the mic. What would the purpose be buying a seperate xlr power supply. Could i not just get some sort of adapter [3.5mm to XLR]? Or get someone to custom wire the mic with two inputs - 1 mini and 1 XLR?

Also, what do you mean exactly by getting a sanken power supply "with a 3.5mm female input wired on to it". Do they not come with 3.5mm female inputs?

Thanks again SO much for your time and patience.
 
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I'm talking about the adapter that allows you to connect the lav mic to a standard XLR cable. In the case of the COS-11, it's this thing:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...s&Q=&sku=350616&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

In the case of the Tram, it's this thing:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...s&Q=&sku=259965&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

If you can't get one off the shelf for your cos-11 plan (like I did with the Tram), talk to the guys at Trew Audio, Coffey Sound, or Gotham sound, they should be able to build a custom miniplug connector onto a stock cos-11 power supply for a minimal cost.

-Vic.
 
Thanks again Vic!

I had talked to Coffey and Trew and they didn't seem to know how to wire this. One of them said it couldn't be done. Perhaps I wasn't being clear on the phone... But per your advice, I called the guys over at Gotham and they suggested pretty much exactly what you were talking about. A power supply (to convert the 48 to 5) with a female 1/8.

You have been a considerable help. Thank you again.
 
i have both a sanken cos-11 and a sanken cub-01 that were originally just regular xlr models and i had the tech at gotham cut off the xlr, add a lectro connector, then add another lectro connector to the wire/xlr connector that he cut off initially.

it works great. you have mics that you can use wireless but if you can go wired why not?

seemed like a no brainer to me and they did a great job.

btw, i have a sanken cos-11 with the battery phantom and xlr connector that is brand new that i'm selling for $300!

it is the same one you linked to...it is even silver in color like the example one.

sorry to plug in here but when i posted it in the marketplace i got some scary questions.

matthew
 
Chuck,

You might want to give the guys at TAI Audio a call. They've built several cables for me in the past, including a 3.5mm male to XLR. I know you want 3.5mm female, but I don't see why that can't be done. The cable would be a lot cheaper than a power supply.
 
Hey Sumfun,

Thanks for your suggestion. I think the power supply is necessary to convert the phantom 48 to 5. That's what gotham told me. I'm guessing that lav mics don't take the same phantom 'level' if you will, that other mics do.

Is that correct? Otherwise what would be the point of the power supply?
 
That is mostly correct (lav takes bias, not phantom). Feeding it 48v phantom will damage your lav.

Cheers
 
i just got back another one of my sanken mics that i sent to gotham to have the xlr cut off and have the lectro soldered on and then they put a lectro on the xlr end so i have one more mic that is usable on both lectro and hardwired xlr.

i noticed that the lectro wiring diagrams show ways to wire the cos-11 and the b6 so you can either have it be compatible with all lectrosonic transmitters or have it just be SM compatible.

does anyone who understands this stuff better than i do have a good simple explanation of the difference and should i have my cos-11's re-wired to work with just my sm's?

i mean if there is an appreciable benefit to the SM only wiring method it sounds like it could be better.

although might it screw up my ability to use those cos-11's and the cub-01 with the hardwired xlr?

my next lav is going to be a contryman b6 so i can have one super stealthy lav.

matthew
 
I just had trew do it for me. It is the cos11 wired for lectro with the xlr power supply wired for lectro and an adapter the plugs into the lectro connecteor on the mic and ends in the 3.5 locking plug for g2
 
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