Repairable Lav Mics

TEM

Active member
There are a few good articles about lavaliere microphones here on the discussion board, however I have a unique take on lavaliere microphones that I haven't seen addressed--reparability.

I’m in the process of phasing out our Sony ECM-55B’s in the studio and out in the field for something smaller. What are you using, how rugged have they’ve been? Are they repairable? What were the repair costs?

I’m looking to keep under $325 per mic, and it must be battery powered (non-phantom powered).

Your thoughts and suggestions are appreciated!

Thomas E Morales
Chief Videographer
KCOY & KKFX Television
Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, CA
thomasmorales@kcoy.com
 

Imachief

Active member
Do you want to stay with Sony? If so, here's a thought. Why not buy new elements NOT wired to a battery case/XLR connector & build your own?

I've been using the Sony ECM44B elements for years. The part is called an ECM44BPT. It's a lot smaller than the "55", stands up really well to use & abuse, and is a lot cheaper than your $325.00. It also sounds real good, expecially if placed on talent properly.

Once you buy the microphone element, disassemble the battery case on your existing unit, unsolder the old wires, and reattaach the new element. Be warned, the wires are really small, so make sure you use a magnifying glass.

As far as repairability, every lavalier element I've seen in the past few years is all injection molded, so unless there's a problem inside the battery case, or in a detechable microphone head, there's no repairing it.

I know a lot of folks out there would want to use other mics, like Sony's ECM77, Countryman's B3, or Tram. So would I, but "77's" are REALLY small, Tram might be too pricey for your budget, and I'm not real familiar with Countryman. Maybe someone else has great things to say about them.

I get the ECM44BPT from Kennedy's ENG for $110.00
 

JimmyS.

Well-known member
If there is a malfunction on the 'mic' end... Forget about repair. A few years ago I tried to send one off and it would have cost the same to replace the entire system. The 77B's are not made for field use; too fragil. Go with the 44b if you really need a hardwire mic.
 

Necktie Boy

Well-known member
I had to replace a couple of 44b's. I spent $110 buck apiece. As mention, the mic and cable was replaced even if the probelm was just the cable. But having your engineering department order the 44 head and reusing the Sony power should work. A new 44 with power supply is about $200 bucks.

But I will add that you cannot phantom powered a 44b in a pinch. Found this out the hard way.
 
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JimmyS.

Well-known member
I had to replace a couple of 44b's. I spent $110 buck apiece. As mention, the mic and cable was replaced even if the probelm was just the cable. But having your engineering department order the 44 head and reusing the Sony power should work. A new 44 with power supply is about $200 bucks.

But I will add that you cannot phantom powered a 44b in a pinch. Found this out the hard way.
Don't I know that!!! The 44B needs a AA battery!!! I think the 77 and 55 are good with phantom power, but the 44B is not. Just keep that in mind.
 

TEM

Active member
Lav Mic Update

Thanks all for the suggestions and thoughts. This is why B-roll.net is so valuable.

I have played with Sony ECM-44's, to my ear they sound dull. For studio work--which I'm primarily concerned with at the moment--they are not a good replacement.

I bought a few of the Sanken COS-11 mics, they sound awesome, and look much better on camera vs, the old big 55's, and I did look into the "repair-ability" issue when I bought them, however I'm getting feedback from the engineering folks that they don't like the 1/2 the price of the mic cost to fix them when they fail (which one has done already due to an anchor rolling over the cable--several times, grrr).

The new reality is replacement vs. repair I'm afraid, I just need to convince the others of that.

Thanks for the feedback!
TM
 

canuckcam

Well-known member
Lav mic cables aren't meant to take a lot of wear and tear in terms of things running over them... I've had my Sennheiser MKE 2 Gold for a while. Short of miking a bullrider at a rodeo and having it drop on a pile of dung (thankfully the transmitter was in the pouch) it's a great little mic.

But I always carefully coil up the cable once I'm done with it, check that it doesn't have any kinks and tuck it in a pouch to relieve all strain on the cable. The old Switchcraft TA5s are a lot better for taking abuse than the Lemo connectors on Sennheisers, not to mention 3x cheaper to replace and 3x easier to solder!

Perhaps you can shorten the lav mic cable and terminate it with an Switchcraft TA3, have that go to a XLR on a belt clip. So If the anchor does roll over the cable, it's a regular XLR cable. That's the way I have my lav (mic -> Lectro-wired TA5 (female) -> Lectro-wired TA5 (male) -> XLR power supply). So in a pinch (say, wireless problem) you can do a quick disconnect at the belt pack and put on an XLR cable without the talent removing the mic and putting it on again (which under certain circumstances, is a pain.)
 

Spot remover

Well-known member
If your mic is damaged at the mic head portion, forget it. But, if it's damaged anywhere else along the wire to the battery case, then repair is certainly possible.

All the other postings here seem very helpful.

good luck
 
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