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Oscar Sound TL-40 Review


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Hi Eric,

Thanks for the reply. I do not have trouble with any other mics (or cables - since I've also used a CL-1 cable to send mono mixes through a bodypack tx to camera from my mixer.)

With the OST mics, it only happens when the barrel connector (thanks for the term, I couldn't quite get it!) is locked down. It happens with all of my OST mics more or less. Once it's unscrewed partially or completely I can go nuts on the TRS jack, and the signal doesn't cut out. More often than not as soon as I lock it down, it cuts out again.

Then you need to contact OST to return the mics for their inspection, repair, replacement or refund as the case may be. I've wired dozens of lavs & cables with the 3.5mm TRS locking connector and have never had that issue. Open the connector housing on one of the problem mics and see how clear the space is between the the positive solder tab and the shield/ground tab is. If there's a clear plastic cover over the tabs make sure it's not pushing against any of the tabs causing the shorting out you're experiencing. OTOH if you're really handy with a soldering iron you can get replacement connectors and wire those in to see if the problem stops but I would definately try to get satisfaction from OST first.

Eric

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Then you need to contact OST to return the mics for their inspection, repair, replacement or refund as the case may be. I've wired dozens of lavs & cables with the 3.5mm TRS locking connector and have never had that issue. Open the connector housing on one of the problem mics and see how clear the space is between the the positive solder tab and the shield/ground tab is. If there's a clear plastic cover over the tabs make sure it's not pushing against any of the tabs causing the shorting out you're experiencing. OTOH if you're really handy with a soldering iron you can get replacement connectors and wire those in to see if the problem stops but I would definately try to get satisfaction from OST first.

Eric

Thanks Eric, I wrote them last night (very late) and will await their response.

I have a soldering iron and have started making my own cables but my lack of skill and experience makes some jobs take so long it's often not worth it for me to do it unless I'm in a bind. Hopefully I'll improve with the DIY ribbon mic kit I received recently but have yet to tackle!

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A warning for TL40 users who are trying to use the accessory clips:

Do NOT force the cable into the "cable clip accessory", specifically I mean the rear clips that hold the "loop" in place.  They are too small for the cable, do not flex enough, and will tear the jacket of the TL40 cable... it just happened to mine.  I haven't even listened to the thing yet!  Rats!

Also, fyi: The metal mesh cap they sell IS the same cap that comes with COS-11s (explains the high price) though the TL40 seems a hair fatter in diameter so it doesn't fit very well.  I suspect that the metal clip is also the same as the COS-11 spring clip (which works fine). 

I haven't contacted OST yet but so far they've been very responsive. 

The cable does feel great, I ordered some extra length just for curiosities sake.  It's two conductor shielded.  Not sure if it is twisted pair.  Un-coils very straight.

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A warning for TL40 users who are trying to use the accessory clips:

Do NOT force the cable into the "cable clip accessory", specifically I mean the rear clips that hold the "loop" in place.  They are too small for the cable, do not flex enough, and will tear the jacket of the TL40 cable... it just happened to mine.  I haven't even listened to the thing yet!  Rats!

Also, fyi: The metal mesh cap they sell IS the same cap that comes with COS-11s (explains the high price) though the TL40 seems a hair fatter in diameter so it doesn't fit very well.  I suspect that the metal clip is also the same as the COS-11 spring clip (which works fine). 

I haven't contacted OST yet but so far they've been very responsive. 

The cable does feel great, I ordered some extra length just for curiosities sake.  It's two conductor shielded.  Not sure if it is twisted pair.  Un-coils very straight.

The cable goes between the two sets of what appears to be clips to hold the strain relief loop.  I too thought the cable went into those clips but Oscar Sound Tech clued me in and it works really well if you do it the way its designed.

Best,

Bernie

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I am surprised I never had damaged any of my Sanken Cos11s in my crazy shooting environment. Maybe just lucky.

But now I am thinking about buying some tl-40s.

One thing that concerns me is the little dip in the high freqs. I would imagine there should be a bump instead of a dip to compensate for concealing under clothing...

What do you think?

TL-40_Frequency_Response-527x336.jpg

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I wouldn't worry too much about that frequency response chart.  Side to side with a B6, mounting both outside of my dress shirt and underneath for cloth concealment, both are very alike.

I am surprised I never had damaged any of my Sanken Cos11s in my crazy shooting environment. Maybe just lucky.

But now I am thinking about buying some tl-40s.

One thing that concerns me is the little dip in the high freqs. I would imagine there should be a bump instead of a dip to compensate for concealing under clothing...

What do you think?

TL-40_Frequency_Response-527x336.jpg

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How does the OST801, Ost802 and Tl-40 mics mix with each other? Just looking at the graphs on their site they seem to have very different frequency response, but how do they compare to each other in real life?

Back to this question.

If you're planning on mounting outside for interviews and such when concealment isn't necessary, the 802 sounds great.  Under clothing I suggest going with the 801 for the high-frequency loss.  The TL40 fits both scenarios, though.  Cable/handing noise on all these mics are less than their "competitors" except for the TL40/B6, the B6 is near silent.  The TL40 also works wonderfully well when taped underneath the chin, on the forehead, or on the cheeks for other methods of recording.

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can you post a short sample of the TL 40 under a shirt and a pullover..... I mean a sweater?

Back to this question.

If you're planning on mounting outside for interviews and such when concealment isn't necessary, the 802 sounds great.  Under clothing I suggest going with the 801 for the high-frequency loss.  The TL40 fits both scenarios, though.  Cable/handing noise on all these mics are less than their "competitors" except for the TL40/B6, the B6 is near silent.  The TL40 also works wonderfully well when taped underneath the chin, on the forehead, or on the cheeks for other methods of recording.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I got my OSTs yesterday. An 802 wired for Lectro which works and sounds great and a TL-40 wired for Sennheiser, which has an issue similar to what Petros' posted earlier:

When I lock down the connector, the signal cuts in and out - often depending on how I rotate the actual connector (not the locking ring). I have to loosen the locking ring to get the lavs to provide consistent signal. At first I thought it was simply and issue with the OST Preamp, where OST's advice was to simply not screw them down all the way.

In my case, the signal cuts in and out all the time, very much so when I fiddle with the connector, and no matter whether I screw the connector tight or not. Now the ME2 mic that came with the G3 kit works just fine, so I'm not quite sure where the error is here. I plugged the TL-40 into the Mic In of my Olympus LS-5 handheld and here it works perfect, no matter how much I fiddle around the connector and capsule, so I thought the flaw must be in the bodypack, but then that works fine with the mic in the kit.

Could it be that the jack on my G3 Tx is somewhat placed in a way that some connectors (not original Sennheisers) won't connect right? I'm just not sure whether to return the mic or the Tx for service. I already emailed to OST to see if they can advise me in any way.

Your help and advice is very welcome!

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I got my OSTs yesterday. An 802 wired for Lectro which works and sounds great and a TL-40 wired for Sennheiser, which has an issue similar to what Petros' posted earlier:

In my case, the signal cuts in and out all the time, very much so when I fiddle with the connector, and no matter whether I screw the connector tight or not. Now the ME2 mic that came with the G3 kit works just fine, so I'm not quite sure where the error is here. I plugged the TL-40 into the Mic In of my Olympus LS-5 handheld and here it works perfect, no matter how much I fiddle around the connector and capsule, so I thought the flaw must be in the bodypack, but then that works fine with the mic in the kit.

Could it be that the jack on my G3 Tx is somewhat placed in a way that some connectors (not original Sennheisers) won't connect right? I'm just not sure whether to return the mic or the Tx for service. I already emailed to OST to see if they can advise me in any way.

Your help and advice is very welcome!

Try this: Unscrew the barrel on the mic connector and move it away from the plug. Plug the mic in, test the mic and report back. I do a lot of Sennheiser mic connector mods for the G2/3 and this one has me stumped.

Eric

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Try this: Unscrew the barrel on the mic connector and move it away from the plug. Plug the mic in, test the mic and report back. I do a lot of Sennheiser mic connector mods for the G2/3 and this one has me stumped.

Eric

Thanks Eric for the quick answer. Here's the thing: I can't unscrew the barrel. It's just very tight. Tried to hold the plug with pliers with some cloth wrapped around the plug soas not to damage it but the barrel sticks onto the plug and doesn't move. Is there a trick I don't get?

By the way, I just got an answer from OST, they said it could be because the TL-40's gain is too high for a G3. Has anyone on here tried using TL-40s with G3s who could confirm this?

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Thanks Eric for the quick answer. Here's the thing: I can't unscrew the barrel. It's just very tight. Tried to hold the plug with pliers with some cloth wrapped around the plug soas not to damage it but the barrel sticks onto the plug and doesn't move. Is there a trick I don't get?

By the way, I just got an answer from OST, they said it could be because the TL-40's gain is too high for a G3. Has anyone on here tried using TL-40s with G3s who could confirm this?

The gain thing is BS. Does your connector look like the one in the picture? There should be no reason for the barrel to be locked down so tight that it can't be removed unless it's cross threaded. I'd fix it for you if that's practical. Let me know.

post-21-130815094859_thumb.jpg

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I finally sent my mics back to OST (all three). The very kind customer service agent said he thought they had an idea what was going on.

I will report back when they are returned. Hopefully we can get this issue (we being us here on JWSound and OST together) sorted as the mics are very nice sounding for the price.

Eric:

Thanks for the pictures. I had no idea how to remove the barrel connector. Maybe it'll be less intimidating wiring the mics myself in the future.

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