dynamic mic with wireless xmitter?

[Bruce Watson]

Can I use a dynamic mic (e.g. ElectroVoice RE50N/D) with a Sennheiser G3 transmitter? I'm thinking it would be nice to replace the ME2 lavalier with a handheld mic for man-on-the-street style interviews. But can I replace a condenser mic with a dynamic mic without hurting anything?

[Edward Carlson]

It should work in theory, as long as you have an XLR to locking 1/8" cable. The more elegant way to do it is to use Sennheiser's XLR plug-on transmitter, the SKP 100.

[Jay Massengill]

Yes you can.
You will need the correctly wired cable if you want to connect an XLR mic to the G3 beltpack transmitter. You'll also need to check the settings on the transmitter for proper input gain with the mic and volume of the subject. It will likely be different than the settings you used with the original lav element.

[Bruce Watson]

Good news. I was afraid that a dynamic mic might just crush the preamps in the xmitter belt pack.

The G3 ships with a 3.5mm mini-plug to XLR-M cable. I'm assuming that's meant to be used to run from the receiver pack to an XLR input on a camera. But can I turn it around and use it as the mic input to the xmitter? It fits. But that doesn't mean it will work ;-)

If so all I'll need to make this idea work is the dynamic mic, and a one meter (3 feet) XLR cable, female on both ends. I've never seen a cable like that, they all seem to be male/female pairs. Maybe a gender changer?

[Edward Carlson]

A gender changer (aka barrel adapter) will do it. Or you could hack apart the Sennheiser cable and solder on a female end instead.

[Jay Massengill]

The Sennheiser site has info on the input jack of the transmitter pack and how an input cable for powered mic/unpowered mic/line level signals needs to be wired. They each use different conductors in the jack to work correctly.
I don't think it will work to use the output cable with a gender changer, due to the input jack characteristics I mentioned above, but I don't have a G3 system to test so I'd look up the info at Sennheiser.

[John Willett]

There is some wrong information above!

Firstly - yes - using the SKP plug-on transmitter is the best option.

If you want to use a dynamic mic. into the pocket transmitter you will need a special cable that Sennheiser do not supply as standard and you will have to make up yourself.

You need an XLR-3F to lockable 3-pole mini-jack.

The XLR pin-2 signal needs to be connected to the jack tip.

You need to short the jack ring and sleeve together (the ring is the line input).

You *must* have a blocking capacitor in the XLR to prevent the plug-in power from the transmitter getting to the microphone. The information above makes no mention of this blocking capacitor and it is *essential*.

[Bruce Watson]

Originally Posted by John Willett

If you want to use a dynamic mic. into the pocket transmitter you will need a special cable that Sennheiser do not supply as standard and you will have to make up yourself.

You need an XLR-3F to lockable 3-pole mini-jack.

The XLR pin-2 signal needs to be connected to the jack tip.

You need to short the jack ring and sleeve together (the ring is the line input).

You *must* have a blocking capacitor in the XLR to prevent the plug-in power from the transmitter getting to the microphone. The information above makes no mention of this blocking capacitor and it is *essential*.

So a cable like this one maybe? Or this one? Seems to be made for the purpose. I'd like to find one that's shorter, like 1m (3 feet), but four feet might do in a pinch.

[Bruce Watson]

OK, looks like the answer might be the Sennheiser CM1 cable. It's got the 3.5mm mini-plug wired correctly, and it's got the capacitor in the XLR-F plug to block the drive voltage the body pack supplies to the condenser lav mics. And it's a lot cheaper than a butt-plug transmitter, and a lot lighter weight too. Should do the job, yes?

[Bruce Watson]

Originally Posted by Bruce Watson

Can I use a dynamic mic (e.g. ElectroVoice RE50N/D) with a Sennheiser G3 transmitter?

To answer my own question: Yes.

A guy on another forum said to just call Sennheiser tech. support and ask. So I did. Don't know why I didn't do that in the first place. Sigh...

Anyway, Sennheiser said it'll work fine. Dynamic mic, Sennheiser CM-1 cable, SK100 G3 bodypack transmitter. All I have to do is adjust sensitivity. So there is the "definitive" answer if you will.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Bruce Watson

So a cable like this one maybe? Or this one? Seems to be made for the purpose. I'd like to find one that's shorter, like 1m (3 feet), but four feet might do in a pinch.

No - neither of these are any good.

Sennheiser USA make the CM-1 cable which is wired correctly and includes the blocking capacitor.

At least, I assume it's made by Sennheiser USA as it's not on the UK price list at all.

[Steve House]

That Remote Audio cable ought to work, if it has the blocking capacitor, The B&H blurb doesn't say one way or the other. Remote Audio is a branch of Trew Audio and they are very responsive to customer inquiries. A quick note to their Nashville store should bring the details as to exactly how that cable is wired and if it's not what's needed I'm sure they would be happy to modify it for a reasonable fee, they do that sort of thing all the time and know what they're doing.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Steve House

That Remote Audio cable ought to work, if it has the blocking capacitor, The B&H blurb doesn't say one way or the other. Remote Audio is a branch of Trew Audio and they are very responsive to customer inquiries. A quick note to their Nashville store should bring the details as to exactly how that cable is wired and if it's not what's needed I'm sure they would be happy to modify it for a reasonable fee, they do that sort of thing all the time and know what they're doing.

I would not risk this cable - the description says it's for an "EK 100 transmitter" - the EK 100 is a *receiver*.

It's more likely to be a line-in cable than the mic. cable as the mic. cable should be clearly labelled.

You really *do* need the CM-1 cable and nothing else.

[Bruce Watson]

Originally Posted by Steve House

That Remote Audio cable ought to work, if it has the blocking capacitor, The B&H blurb doesn't say one way or the other. Remote Audio is a branch of Trew Audio and they are very responsive to customer inquiries. A quick note to their Nashville store should bring the details as to exactly how that cable is wired and if it's not what's needed I'm sure they would be happy to modify it for a reasonable fee, they do that sort of thing all the time and know what they're doing.

In fact, it does. I got an email back from Josh Harper at Remote Audio this morning. He states that their CASENEK100XM48 cable does *not* contain a blocking capacitor, and that for 99% of dynamic mics it's not needed -- dynamic mics almost always interface to the outside world through a transformer. If I remember my basic electronics correctly, transformers block DC.

He went on to say that he tried it out to be sure, using an ElectroVoice dynamic mic and a G3 transmitter. Said it sounded fine, didn't generate any noise, and didn't damage the mic.

Now *that* is what I call "very responsive to customer inquires" indeed. Gives new meaning to the concept "above and beyond" I think.

Worse, he said if I really wanted the capacitor, they could add it if I preferred.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Bruce Watson

In fact, it does. I got an email back from Josh Harper at Remote Audio this morning. He states that their CASENEK100XM48 cable does *not* contain a blocking capacitor, and that for 99% of dynamic mics it's not needed -- dynamic mics almost always interface to the outside world through a transformer. If I remember my basic electronics correctly, transformers block DC.

He went on to say that he tried it out to be sure, using an ElectroVoice dynamic mic and a G3 transmitter. Said it sounded fine, didn't generate any noise, and didn't damage the mic.

Now *that* is what I call "very responsive to customer inquires" indeed. Gives new meaning to the concept "above and beyond" I think.

Worse, he said if I really wanted the capacitor, they could add it if I preferred.

Personally I would not risk something like that.

Not all dynamic microphones work through a transformer and you would be putting 5V DC up the +ve mic. cable.

What happens if later you want to use a condenser mic? with a battery or via a phantom power adaptor?

Also - the ring has to be shorted to sleeve to switch off the line input.

Personally I would only use the correct cable for the job.