AKG C411 powering

[TomHoward]

I've come across an AKG C411 in a tidy up, brand new but the connector has been cut off.

Seems it comes with a mini XLR for AKG power supply or with the PSU built into the shell, but I haven't got either.

 

Has anyone got a schematic for a suitable phantom powered power supply?

Alternatively I have some of those Farnell mini shotgun mics, are they likely to work with it if I refit a mini XLR does anyone know?

[Simon Lewis]

You'll need to work out if you have the PP or L version. I believe the one that required an external phantom to bias voltage box was common and that the box is quite expensive.

"The C411 PP features a MPAV standard XLR connector while the C411 L provides a professional three-pin mini XLR connector that fits the body-pack transmitters of all AKG wireless microphone systems".

[TomHoward]

I think from connector side upwards they're the same, and it's probably whether it's PP or L is determined by what's at the other end?

 

I think was a L originally. The PSU is about £50 from thomann but I was only going to try the mic so didn't really want to fork out for the supply.

I tried wiring it to a Sennhesier jack plug to see whether the bias voltage from an EW beltpack would power it but it wouldn't.

[sandall]

I think was a L originally. I tried wiring it to a Sennhesier jack plug to see whether the bias voltage from an EW beltpack would power it but it wouldn't.

The "P" came with a permanently attached phantom-powered PSU, while the "L" had a mini-XLR for connecting to a battery-pack or belt-pack. There is nothing in the manual about what the bias voltage actually is - it merely says "Refer to the manual of your bodypack transmitter", but it is of a vintage to be expecting a PP3, rather then 2xAA - the spec for the battery PSU suggests phantom of 9v (open loop) & 4v with 4k load - do you have a G1 to try it with?

 

E2A: Just looked up my old Trantec manual - no mention of the C411, but the C410 & CK67 both needed combined +9v & audio on the (red) inner.

[TomHoward]

When I did it on the Sennheiser, I shorted both Red and Blue to the + as I assumed one was bias and one audio. I'll some other wiring with the Sennheiser. (Or just bin the mic)

 

Just rewired it with Red to +ve/mic on Sennheiser, (tip) and blue and shield shorted together to Ground. (And ring shorted to ground as is needed on the Sennheiser tips as well), and it works. Needs the Blue grounded too.

At least with a beltpack we can use it with something then like an acoustic guitar and try it out.

 

The only other thing I have is that the original putty / contact material supplied isn't there any more, is there a recognised stuff to use for attaching contact mics?

[sandall]

Sorry I forgot you said you were going to try it on a Sennheiser transmitter, but if you had tried it on a belt-pack with separate +ve & audio inputs, treating red as + & blue as audio (as in some variants of the MKE-2) would probably have also worked. With the MKE2 combining + & audio ups the o/p by about 12dB, but also inverts it - probably not a problem in this case!

[TomHoward]

To be honest I was just trying to find a way we could make use of it without having to spend any money, we have a couple of acoustic nights where we have multiple guitar players and not all of them have electroacoustic / pickup guitars - we try mic'ing the guitar but some of their techniques are terrible - so might play with contact mic and beltpack we can fit on the guitar and see how it sounds. My first thought was to wire it to XLR so we could have used it for double bass in musical shows but if it's available to use in any capacity at least that's something that's saved it from the bin.

 

Just need to find something to fix the mic to the guitar with