Rode PinMic on the Sony UWP-V1 Wireless Lav kit

[Andrew Smith]

When I first used the PinMic with a Sony wireless kit (replacing their lav mic) it was connected with a Micon 2 adapter which gives you a straight 3.5mm jack.

I found that the signal coming out of it was very low compared to the Sony lav, and to the point that the auto-level circuitry on the camera was maxed out and I could hear the background noise from the FM transmission quite noticeably.

I called the tech support at Rode and one of the first things we established was that the signal loss was about 12dB ... which would suggest an issue with balanced audio being fed to non-balanced audio. I also found out that they have since released another adapter specifically made for attaching to the Sony lav mic kit and handling this better ... the Micon 8. (this new connector was not available when I purchased the pin mic) You will note that the Micon 8 has a tightening screw ring thinggy (technical term) just like the connector that the Sony lav mic has.

Haven't had a chance to use it yet and enjoy confirming the fix, but hoping that this will solve the issue for anyone else who may be stuck. As always, the support from Rode has been fantastic.

Andrew

[Mark Wheelan]

Hi Andrew, I was wondering if you have any follow up with this post?

We're looking at buying some Rode Lavs for our UWP's and are hoping you might have some thoughts on the matter.

Are you happy with Rode now?

[Andrew Smith]

Hi Mark,

Very happy with Rode. The replacement connector solved the problem and the quality of the pin mic is quite stunning - you truly hear everything.

Even video friends that I have loaned it to have been very impressed with it and subsequently wanted to purchase one for their own kits.

Andrew

[Mark Wheelan]

OK, I'm convinced and really like the form of the PinMic.

I still worry about ruining someones garment so I'll start with a PinMic and Rode lav just in case. I'm sure it will be a huge improvement over the kit mic.

Thanks for the thoughts Andrew.

[Andrew Smith]

With the pin mic there isn't any damage yet to any of the fabrics/material that I've attached it to.

The only downside with a pin mic is that it takes a little longer to set up on the talent. If you are doing a conference where you have a changeover of speakers then in this case it's good to have a Rode lapel mic for fast and easy swaps.

All up, the Rode gear is excellent and their micon adapter system gives great flexibility regarding what other gear you can use their mics with.

Andrew (Rode fanboi) Smith

[Tom Morrow]

I am curious about the technical aspects of how one connector could provide a 12db greater signal than another. The mic is unbalanced and wireless receivers are unbalanced, so I doubt that is the issue.

The other day I compared levels with three mics I own, and determined that on my g3 system:

The ME2 omni mic gives about a 3dB hotter signal than the Rode Lavalier with Micon1.
The ME4 cardioid mic gives about a 10dB hotter signal than the Rode Lavalier with Micon1.

So I'm wondering if this Micon8 connector would give me a hotter signal with my Sennheiser g3. The Rode page says the Micon8 is only for Sony, but why oh why? I would think that both connectors would simply wire the ground and signal-with-plugin-power together with no passives.

[Richard Crowley]

There is a wide variety of different connection schemes used by various makers of wireless transmitters. If the microphone is not wired properly for the particular make and model, it will have poor (or even no) performance. There is significant circuitry inside those Micon adapters, they aren't just mechanical contraptions.

Note that mechanically, the Micon-3, Micon-6, and Micon-7 appear identical. But they are NOT interchangeable because of the circuitry, and that is why they are separate models. And the Micon-1, Micon-2 and Micon-8 may appear physically similar, but they are NOT interchangeable, either.

There is also a variation between the sensitivity of various lav mic designs, so it doesn't seem surprising that you see a difference between different makes and even models. I would NOT recommend blindly substituting a Micon-8 to use with your Sennheiser transmitter. It seems highly unlikely to achieve your desired result, and has a significant risk of damaging the microphone and or the transmitter.

Agreed that balanced vs. unbalanced is NOT the problem here as all lav mics are unbalanced, and all wireless transmitters are unbalanced as well. But various manufacturers use different pinouts and parameters for their mic inputs, and the microphones must comply to the different interface standards. It wouldn't surprise me to see Rode come out with even more Micon adapters to keep everyone happy.

[Tom Morrow]

Aha, I betcha you're right Richard. Impedance matching circuitry could very well be inside and different in different Micon connectors.

[Richard Crowley]

Actually, audio impedance is typically NOT the issue here. It is more likely the supply voltage/current of the transmitter vs. what the microphone needs, which affects the power coupling resistor value, and, of course, the pinout, or which pins are assigned to which functions. Alas, there was never any industry standard consensus on this as there is for conventional 3-pin XLR, for example.

[Rick Reineke]

Sort of off topic but:
" there was never any industry standard consensus on this as there is for conventional 3-pin XLR,"
-- Yeah.. but that wasn't always the case.. only in the last 15 years or so. In my studio days, I recall using many pieces of gear that had Pin-3= hot... In fact, at a mid/late 1980s AES convention, (don't recall the exact year) as a joke, someone was handing out Pin 2 / Pin 3 'Hot' selector tools.. a round piece of cardboard with a spin arrow, with Pin 2 / Pin 3 notations around it.

[Greg Miller]

You beat me to it, Rick!

As I recall, it might have started as a Shure / E-V issue, with one company using P2=hot and the other using P3=hot. I don't have time to research that right now.

From the Miller archives a/k/a "overflowing attic"...

[Rick Reineke]

That's it Greg!
This means you've been around 'for a while' too.

[Greg Miller]

Yes, Rick, "a while" would cover it in my case, too.

"A while" ago I got tired of traveling around and, perhaps unfortunately, settled down here in central PA where there are few sound jobs of interest. It is largely a case of "pride in ignorance" and "cronyism" but even if it weren't, this is just not a good area for legitimate sound.

I guess I could try to pick up some work in NYC again, but it's probably more expensive to live there now, compared to the $70/week I used to pay for a room at the Century Paramount on 46th St.