pverrando Posted October 20, 2012 Report Share Posted October 20, 2012 I've always been meaning to do this... http://dfwsoundman.blogspot.com/2012/10/sanken-cos-11-lavalier-dissection.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gpiegari Posted October 20, 2012 Report Share Posted October 20, 2012 I always wondered myself. Thanks for taking the time to document and share this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Marts Posted October 20, 2012 Report Share Posted October 20, 2012 Very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted October 20, 2012 Report Share Posted October 20, 2012 Thanks, Pete -- good job. That is an interesting story, and I'd be curious to hear where the Tram capsules come from. The whole Tram story is very interesting, especially the CIA/FBI connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattinSTL Posted October 20, 2012 Report Share Posted October 20, 2012 Marc, in that link they say the Tram capsules originally came from hearing aids. Funny enough, I have both Trams and COS11... (and Countryman EMW and B6 and Senn MKE2)... and I'm ending up where I started... the Tram is once again my goto lav. I do think the COS11 is a better lav, but not way better... but at least that blog makes me feel better about the additional cost of the COS11s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyatt Tuzo Posted October 20, 2012 Report Share Posted October 20, 2012 Yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted October 20, 2012 Report Share Posted October 20, 2012 Marc, in that link they say the Tram capsules originally came from hearing aids. Yes, but the full story is very interesting and complicated. For example, the meaning of the word "Tram" (Theodore Rapp And Mother). And who their biggest customers are. Glen Trew told a lot of the story once on RAMPS, but I'll let him re-tell it here -- maybe he can elaborate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pverrando Posted October 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 A couple of additional COS-11 photos of the metal half with the membrane removed. Appears to be a solid piece of metal with an interesting thru-port, and no evidence of a semiconductor. You can see the light shining thru the top port into a small lengthwise channel. Perhaps the FET is behind the opposing plastic half, or integrated into it. The other two photos are 2 dissected TRAMs and 1 Countryman EMW, (which incidentally was trashed on "Any Given Sunday.") The EMW has a rear port which was completely sealed by a back plate. Otherwise, it looks almost identical to the TRAM cartridge. The logo reads as "Zero G", and some reference can be found to it as a hearing aid microphone capsule on the web. I recall many years ago the make and model number was listed among a large selection of capsules at: http://www.knowles.c...microphones.jsp but I do not find it now. There are some PDF's out there that reference the Zero G microphone capsules. Pete Verrando http://www.txsound.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 The other two photos are 2 dissected TRAMs and 1 Countryman EMW, (which incidentally was trashed on "Any Given Sunday.") The EMW has a rear port which was completely sealed by a back plate. Otherwise, it looks almost identical to the TRAM cartridge. I think the internal pickups are very close, but the physical case of an EMW is not compatible with those for the Tram TR50 -- the sizes are just different enough that they won't work. However, Tram, Sonotrim, and Oscar Sound Tech 801/802's are completely interchangeable in terms of size and accessory mounts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomboom Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 Did someone notice the cable that used to be very flexible and that's stiffer nowadays (so more microphonic) ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacysound Posted October 23, 2012 Report Share Posted October 23, 2012 Thanks Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joepfeil Posted October 25, 2012 Report Share Posted October 25, 2012 Amazing experiment Pete, that was really interesting. Thanks for diving deep into something we wouldn't dare destroy unless it's already destroyed. I would like to see dissections of other quality lavs and miniature mics to see what interesting engineering accomplishments they've come up with. The never ending creativity and craftsmanship from brilliant minds keeps me happily engaged with sound engineering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Wielage Posted October 26, 2012 Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 Did someone notice the cable that used to be very flexible and that's stiffer nowadays (so more microphonic) ? The people from Plus24 (who import the Sanken mics) told me at NAB a couple of years ago that the stiffer cable is more durable and less likely to break. I also prefer more flexible cable, but there are trade-offs either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danelonsdale Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 Wild. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Aslan Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 Yeah that is a great step by step dissection! Almost as sad as dissecting a fetal pig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korosec Posted October 17, 2013 Report Share Posted October 17, 2013 Sad but a great future reference in futile attempts to repair those buggers. Talent think they are toys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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