fexx Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 I'm looking for a replacement capsule for an old CAD CM-15 mic. I recently cleverly fed it a couple of litres of wine, along with my laptop when I dropped my hand luggage at the airport. CAD don't sell replacement capsules for this anymore, but there must be somewhere I can get something to have a usable mic again. It's a condensor capsule, about 7mm high & 14mm wide, a cardioid pattern and the voltage across the terminals is around 4.5V when plugged in to phantom power. I'm sure that there must be one available from somewhere, but can't seem to find one of similar spec. Any ideas?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 Digikey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fexx Posted May 8, 2007 Author Share Posted May 8, 2007 Thanks Brian, it's the only one I can find that's anywhere close. There is a uni capsule (P9961-ND), quite a bit smaller than the cad (9.7 x 5) 100Hz-16KHz range for £2.52. Not ideal, but the nearest I can find. Heck, I might even blow another £1.86 on a WM-61A omni capsule. Funny, I thought that it would be a fairly easy part to find. Maybe people aren't as clumsy as me... (It does state on the Digikey PDF that all microphones are non-washable!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Beesley Posted May 9, 2007 Share Posted May 9, 2007 (It does state on the Digikey PDF that all microphones are non-washable!)I think this will refer to the solder process etc during PCB assembly.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidLee Posted May 10, 2007 Share Posted May 10, 2007 I might even blow another £1.86 on a WM-61A omni capsule.It's claimed that the WM-61A (along with similar previous Panasonic products) has an excellent electret element but that the internal FET is not optimally connected. Apparently minor surgery on the capsule's solder pads can reverse the polarity of the electret leading to a large reduction in distortion at high SPL. The procedure is described here (scroll down to the microphone section). There's been a lot of discussion of this topic on the micbuilders forum and it seems that this "Linkwitz mod" is carried out by most DIY mic constructors as a matter of course. Somewhere on that forum is a better way of modding the capsule - by removing the solder from one of the pads using a "solder-sucker" or wicking tape you reveal the wire from within the capsule - cutting a break in the solder pad the right side of this wire will then give you three separate solder pads. It's advisable to buy several capsules if you want to try this since overheating can damage the electret - however the price falls to under a pound apiece if you buy larger quantites. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fexx Posted May 12, 2007 Author Share Posted May 12, 2007 I might even blow another £1.86 on a WM-61A omni capsule.It's claimed that the WM-61A (along with similar previous Panasonic products) has an excellent electret element but that the internal FET is not optimally connected. Apparently minor surgery on the capsule's solder pads can reverse the polarity of the electret leading to a large reduction in distortion at high SPL. The procedure is described here (scroll down to the microphone section). There's been a lot of discussion of this topic on the micbuilders forum and it seems that this "Linkwitz mod" is carried out by most DIY mic constructors as a matter of course. Somewhere on that forum is a better way of modding the capsule - by removing the solder from one of the pads using a "solder-sucker" or wicking tape you reveal the wire from within the capsule - cutting a break in the solder pad the right side of this wire will then give you three separate solder pads. It's advisable to buy several capsules if you want to try this since overheating can damage the electret - however the price falls to under a pound apiece if you buy larger quantites. David Thanks David, I'll definitely give this a go. The capsules are very cheap but the postage is about £20! so it makes sense to order a few. I must say that I'm really surprised that Digikey seem to be the only supplier of mic inserts (in the world!!). I've looked for a few weeks now & I can't find anything at all in the UK and in fact, not much else anywhere else. Strange, as I originally had the preconception that it would be an easy thing to get hold of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesperrett Posted May 12, 2007 Share Posted May 12, 2007 I must say that I'm really surprised that Digikey seem to be the only supplier of mic inserts (in the world!!). I've looked for a few weeks now & I can't find anything at all in the UK and in fact, not much else anywhere else. Strange, as I originally had the preconception that it would be an easy thing to get hold of. CPC have now started to sell some of the Panasonic capsules too. They have a handling charge of something like 5 pounds for small orders but that's cheaper than Digikey. The capsules are around 2 pounds each. Cheers James. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidLee Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 I must say that I'm really surprised that Digikey seem to be the only supplier of mic inserts (in the world!!). I've looked for a few weeks now & I can't find anything at all in the UK and in fact, not much else anywhere else. Strange, as I originally had the preconception that it would be an easy thing to get hold of.CPC has been stocking the WM-61A for at least a year. Also available from Mad About Sound at £2.51 each plus VAT & carriage. Minimum order value is only £10 so it's a good price for small quantities - you can buy three for under £12 inclusive. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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