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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > IMT 1/4" to 1/4"?
IMT 1/4" to 1/4"?
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SuperBee
2489 posts
Mar 24, 2015
11:59 PM
Hi, does anyone know of an inline impedance matching transformer on the market which is 1/4" phono both ends? i have a LoZ 585 with screw on connector and all my screw on leads are 1/4" phono on the other. it seems most IMTs are xlr to 1/4"
Mojokane
792 posts
Mar 25, 2015
12:06 AM
try Radio Shack...

and google it...by golly, I don't think they make one.





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Last Edited by Mojokane on Mar 25, 2015 12:51 AM
5F6H
1868 posts
Mar 25, 2015
3:11 AM
Eagle make one, but you're probably going to find most are designd for a balanced, rather than unbalanced lo-z.

http://www.audiospares.com/product.php?productid=1709&page=1

There are transformers around that could be built into an enclosure? Or maybe a DI box that would work.
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5F6H
1869 posts
Mar 25, 2015
4:00 AM
they did used to make unbalanced 1/4" to 1/4" in line transformers years ago, it's perhaps worth searching e-bay & similar sites...can't imagine a great demand for them now, outside of harp playing circles.
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Last Edited by 5F6H on Mar 25, 2015 4:00 AM
HawkeyeKane
2749 posts
Mar 25, 2015
7:24 AM
I'm thinking about retrofitting a typical XLR female to 1/4" male transformer to go from XLR female to 1/4" female. Just seems easier to use with a simple instrument cable. The Audio-Technica one seems a likely candidate since the 1/4" male plug can unscrew from the body.
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timeistight
1737 posts
Mar 25, 2015
7:34 AM
According to the spec sheets, the low impedance 585 was designed to use a two conductor plus shield cable. If you could the right connector, you could use it to modify a an ordinary XLR mic cable and then put an ordinary IMT on the end.
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dougharps
890 posts
Mar 25, 2015
8:55 AM
I have a low z 585SB (in addition to two 585SAVs) and the 585SB has a screw on connector with two prongs plus the screw on ground connection, making a three conductor cable. It is a balanced low z mic, having three conductors for the two out of phase signals and also the grounded sheath. My cable has the two lead MC2M connector on one end and an XLR on the other.

If you have the Amphenol MC1M connector on the mic with one center lead and the screw on ground connection it is probably a high z 585. In the spec sheets below there are diagrams of the different connectors on the second page, left. Figure 5 shows the twin lead connections on the low z mics (with just a switch or with VC). The high z connection is also shown on each spec sheet in Figure 4. Basically the only difference in the two sheets is whether there is volume control "V" or just the switch. The high and low z versions of each mic are on the same spec sheet.

Here is a link to the spec sheet on the 585SA and 585SB, and another link for the 585SAV and 585SBV sheet:

585SA and 585SB


585SAV and 585SBV

The "V" is for the mics with volume control and "S" model just has a switch. The R85 cartridges are the same, but the high z mics (both the switched and volume control mics)have a transformer included in the mic body to make it high z.

If your mic has the single connection instead of two, then you have the high z mic. If you have a double pin connector in your cable and it goes to a 1/4" plug then you are only using half of your balanced signal.

If you have the low z mic, instead of modifying an IMT I would suggest modifying the cable to end with an XLR connector and use a regular IMT.
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Doug S.

Last Edited by dougharps on Mar 25, 2015 8:56 AM
Greg Heumann
2977 posts
Mar 25, 2015
9:19 AM
Shure used to make an adaptable IMT through the use of screw-on connectors but they're very hard to fine. I can make you one.

Email me for details. greg at blowsmeaway dot com
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HawkeyeKane
2750 posts
Mar 25, 2015
9:19 AM
That's kinda what I like about some of the EV models like the 630 with the 4-pin connector. You can have one cable wired up for hi-Z, another wired up for low-Z, and interchange the cables as you need since the transformer is already onboard.
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Hawkeye Kane - Hipbone Sam
SuperBee
2492 posts
Mar 25, 2015
1:10 PM
thanks everyone for your contributions. i should have been clearer when i said 'with screw on connector'.

its been retrofitted with a switchcraft 2501MP connector.

reading above comments i'm now wondering how that was done but i suppose it just means its now an unbalanced LoZ output. its definitely a LoZ mic, no question of that.
timeistight
1739 posts
Mar 25, 2015
3:28 PM
I wonder why someone would convert a balanced low impedance output into an unbalanced low impedance output. Hardly seems like an improvement, does it?

It looks like the low impedance 585 had a built-in transformer that the high impedance version didn't have. I wonder if you could convert it to high impedance by removing the transformer.

Edit: Seems I got that backwards -- high Z had the transformer. Thanks dougharps.

Or maybe you could remove the switchcraft connector and re-retrofit it with an XLR.
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"You can't just copy somebody. If you like someone's work, the important thing is to be exposed to everything that person has been exposed to."

Last Edited by timeistight on Mar 25, 2015 8:00 PM
dougharps
891 posts
Mar 25, 2015
3:55 PM
@timeistight
I think it shows it the other way around, with high z having the transformer and low z not.

@SuperBee

Maybe one of these

XLR Male to Mono Female Adapter

with an impedance transformer like this

Audix inline IMT

would work. You still would have a weaker signal, but the impedance issue should be fixed.
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Doug S.

Last Edited by dougharps on Mar 25, 2015 4:15 PM
SuperBee
2494 posts
Mar 25, 2015
6:47 PM
Thanks Doug. i'll check those out

Hi Timeistight, the mic had a damaged thread on the original connector and was unusable. yes, i agree it seems a less than ideal solution and an XLR would probably be better. i was not consulted of the plan to fit the 2501MP, it was presented to me as a fait accompli. i'll talk to the chap who did the work on it.


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