Cool Mic from '53!

[FutureLegends]

Hey!

I just got my hands on this beauty. It's a Pearl RD-77, made by swedish company Pearl Mikrofonlaboratorium in, I believe, 1953... As you can see it only has a tele contact. Anyone know how to connect this to a pre-amp? I tried plugging it into the instrument in on my LA-610, and it sorta worked. An ad I found online spoke of two different versions RD-76 (low ohm) and RD-77 (high ohm) but no figures were given...

[FutureLegends]

Here's the ad I found:

[bongo_x]

Have you tried a DI box?

bb

[FutureLegends]

Nope, haven't tried a DI, yet. Have to bring my DI box home from the studio.
High ohm, is that the same as Hi-Z? In that case would the low ohm (RD-76) version be with a more normal microphone level output and the high ohm have an output like guitars etc (Hi-Z).
I'm totally lost at stuff like that!

thanks

DZ

[bongo_x]

Nope, haven't tried a DI, yet. Have to bring my DI box home from the studio.
High ohm, is that the same as Hi-Z? In that case would the low ohm (RD-76) version be with a more normal microphone level output and the high ohm have an output like guitars etc (Hi-Z).
I'm totally lost at stuff like that!

thanks

DZ

Me too. I’ve only been doing this for 15-20 years and I still can’t seem to remember what’s Hi-Z and Lo-Z most of the time. The Z is for impedance. I’ve never been able to get my head around exactly what impedance is so that probably has a lot to do with why I can’t remember those things. It’s not the same as Ohms, but related.

Anyway, if you have a mic with a quarter inch plug try a DI box.

bb

[Rainman]

Yes, the Z stands for impedance, which is measured in Ohms.

[FutureLegends]

Thanks.
So that means that the High-Z version should be roughly equivalent to the High-Z of an guitar etc? So, I either just plug it into the instrument in on a pre-amp or use a DI box, right?

[mikehalloran]

Thanks.
So that means that the High-Z version should be roughly equivalent to the High-Z of an guitar etc? So, I either just plug it into the instrument in on a pre-amp or use a DI box, right?

Hi Z mics are designed to be plugged in to old tube amps that, without a step-down, were high impedance. Hi Z PA systems were still available into the mid 1970s. Guitar amps still are.

In any case, either plug it into a guitar amp or a DI, then into your mixer Line In.

[FutureLegends]

Thanks!
Now I feel confident what I suspected was correct.
Seems like the Hi-Z input on my LA-610 will be a good fit too...

Cheers

DZ