Microphone Accessories

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Reactive Sounds Juice BoxMicrophone power-supply
Intro: 9/2002
$50
Availability:
IN: 1/8" phone jack. OUT: 1/8" phone plug on 3' cable

Manufacturer's Description: The 'Juice Box' supplies power to your microphone. It relieves the minidisc's power supply, so your recording session is longer. The 'Juice Box' fits directly in your pocket for portability. It is a 9v power supply for use with any of our mics or other electret mics on the market. It is not a pre-amp. (We are in the process of developing a pre amp called the 'Boost Box' if you're looking for a pre-amp.)

Notes: The Reactive Sounds website indicates that mics connected through the Juice Box can be plugged into a recorder's LINE input. We inquired about this: If you can use this to connect a microphone to a LINE input, then can it not be used as a microphone preamp? This is one of those grey areas in the recording/pre-amp world. A mic signal needs to be amplified via a mic pre-amp, which boosts the signal to "line" level. The mics we use have an unusual property in that at very loud volumes they produce a high output signal, high enough that they match or exceed line level signals. They only produce this signal when two conditions are met: 1) they are powered close to the maximum operating voltage (9.8volts) and 2) the sound being recorded is very loud (e.g. a rock concert). When these conditions are met you can plug the Juice Box output directly into the "line-in" on your MD recorder, bypassing the often poor quality mic pre-amp that most portable recorders have. The end result is a clean, distortion free recording that rivals high end sound equipment. In short, the battery box merely provides the voltage necessary to allow the mics to output a "line" level signal under loud conditions, it does no actual signal amplification per se.

Links: Reactive Sounds

Specifications:

  • Standard 9 volt battery, included
  • High quality components used in assembly
  • 3ft shielded lightweight mic cable
  • High quality metal shielded 1/8" plug with tough durable outer casing.
  • Durable ABS plastic case
  • 400 hour battery life

    Reviews:

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Samson Samson Mixpad 4Samson Mixpad 4$169
Availability:
3.5" x 2.25" x 1.2"

Description: Ultra-compact 4-channel audio mixer offering professional performance in an exceptionally portable format. Runs on two 9v batteries. 

Links: The Sound Professionals mixers page

Reviews:

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Shure Protective vinyl zippered case for microphone/MD/DAT systemsProtective vinyl zippered case for microphone/MD/DAT systems$5
Availability:
4.5" X 9.25"

Description: Protective nylon zippered case for microphone/MD/DAT systems or other small equipment.
The Sound Professionals mic cases page

Reviews:

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Sign Video XLR-ProXLR Audio AdapterXLR-Pro $150
XLR-Jr $100
Availability:
5.25" x 2.75" x 1.25"

Manufacturers Description: "The XLR-PRO gives you the ability to have XLR audio inputs on your camcorder to connect to professional audio equipment, audio mixers and professional mics. Run long balanced audio lines and get superb noise free audio." Mounts under camcorder, with easy access controls; Rubber pad on top prevents the XLR-PRO from turning or slipping; Has a threaded hole in the bottom of the XLR-PRO so it can mount on your tripod; 2 - locking XLR Audio Inputs; 2 - 1/8" Audio Inputs; Record any combination of the two inputs onto separate audio tracks (using the stereo right and left audio tracks); Custom shielded transformers that cause virtually no insertion loss; Ground Selection Switch; Stereo/Mono Output Switch; Mic/Line Level Switch for each input channel; Voltage Blocking Circuit to handle the "Plug-In Power" Mic Jacks found on some cameras; passive device, no power required; Works with video cameras, DAT recorders and mini-disc recorders.

Variants: XLR-Jr is a single channel (mono) version.

Links: Sign Video page for the unit.

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The Sound Professionals Microphone power suppliesUniversal microphone power supply (mono)
Universal microphone power supply w/level (mono)
Universal microphone power supply 4 channel
Low power computer microphone power supply (mono)

$55
$70
$99
$20


Availability:

Description: Battery modules (mic power supplies) are needed to power electret type microphones in loud recording situations or when plug-in power is not available and will allow the user to plug their mics into the line input or mic input of a MD, DAT, computer or other device. Some modules also available with a built-in output level control.

Links: The Sound Professionals Battery Module page; Battery Module FAQ

Reviews:

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The Sound Professionals Microphone battery modules

Deluxe Metal Battery Modules
Premium Metal Battery Modules
Slimline Deluxe Metal Battery Modules
Slimline Premium Metal Battery Modules
Mini Deluxe Battery Modules
Mini Premium Battery Modules

$59
$79
$59
$79
$49
$69


Availability:

Description: Stereo battery modules (mic power supplies) are needed to power electret type microphones in loud recording situations or when plug-in power is not available and will allow the user to plug their mics into the line input or mic input of a MD, DAT, computer or other device. Premium versions include user selectable bass filters to reduce excessive bass content often found in live recordings. Some modules also available with a built-in output level control -- handy for users with Sony portables since recording level cannot be changed during recording in non-AGC mode. (Photo)

Links: The Sound Professionals Battery Module page; Battery Module FAQ

Reviews:

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Zefiro/Denecke AD-20/InboxZefiro/Denecke AD-20 "InBox" high quality mic preamp and A/D converter

$349

$449 with 9vdc "plug-in-power" and miniplug input modification


Availability:
3 X 5.75 X 1.25

Description: External A/D convertor for DAT deck, MD recorder or digital I/O card. This handheld portable 20 bit Analog to Digital converter has a built in low noise stereo microphone preamplifier. The InBox has stereo balanced inputs on two XLR jacks and digital outputs with both optical (TOSLINK) and coaxial S/PDIF (on a 1/8th inch mini jack). Runs on 9 volt battery for about 8 hours. Modified version accepts mini mics directly without adapters.

Links: The Sound Professionals preamp page
Core Sounds InBox page.

Reviews:

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