New K&K Trinity work with PMB????
 

I'm having a Trinity installed in a guitar. I have that system in other guitars, using K&K's belt pack blender. I also have a Raven Labs PMB I got to use instead because of the ability to run it without a battery and the ease in adjusting the EQ for different guitars. The paperwork that came with the new Trinity warns that it won't work with anything but K&K's blenders and could actually destroy the mic if you do. I've searched the forum here and read every post about that very issue but can't find the answer to my question.

My question is, since the Trinity mic requires 9 volts and the PMB phantom output is 9 volts, will the PMB work? If the only answer is to try it and see, can you tell me whether it will destroy the mic if it doesn't work?

Oh, and one other thing, using the AC adapter on the PMB, Raven's manual says will provide 'slightly higher than 9 volts', while using a battery in the PMB will provide only 9 volts.

Thanks.

I think I read a while ago that K&K were putting some sort of chip/cap in their mic capsules that will only respond to their preamps, and not third party preamps.

I'm guessing in your case it won't destroy the mic, but it won't work either.

Sorry man.

One of the many reasons I am boycotting K&K.

Really poor behaviour from K&K - I won't buy from them again either.

It's a shame because there are many loyal customers out there, and more specifically loyal Trinity users, that favour a different DI setup.

K&K quietly slipping this into the product leaves these people up the proverbial creek without a paddle for any new builds or pickup installs they have planned, unless they can hunt down old stock.

I'm on the hunt for a new setup as we speak. Kinda hoping LR Baggs bring out a system that I like as their customer service is second to none.

The difference seems to be the operating voltage of the Meridian mic. It is 5V DC, which is different than the 9V or 18V current supplied by most preamps. It might be simple to alter or convert the voltage supplied to the proper levels when using the Meridian mic with non-K&K units. A 'step down' transformer seems the right term.

Except this thread appears to be about the Trinity mic, not the Meridian mic.

Baggs should bring out an Anthem with a SBT in place of the Element component - that would be VERY popular!

Yeah, that would be very good.

K&K is sparse with specs. However, its specs for the Quantum Blender (still being made) states it provides 9v for the internal mic circuit. On the other hand, the Silver Bullet preamp provides 5v for K&Ks Silver Bullet mic (which is the same mic that comes with the K&K Trinity system).

I would call K&K and ask a few questions, such as:

1) What is the DC voltage operating range for the Trinity internal microphone?

2) Does it matter which brand product provides that voltage?

3) Will a 9v DC voltage harm the K&K Trinity mic?

Whoops! Old guy alert!! Thanks

Well, since K&K says the Trinity will work with both the belt pack and the Quantum Blender, and they both put out 9 volts, and the PMB puts out 9 volts, I'm going to try it when I get my guitar back. I'll report back with results.

I didn't know about k & k modifying their mic to make it incompatible with other preamps!

Will the new silver bullet mic work with the Pendulum Sps-1 preamp and module?

Well, the TruMic goes right where an SBT would normally go - which would make this somewhat challengin, and actually, the TruMic acts almost more like an SBT than a mic. I posted some recordings of a K&K+Lyric, done by placing the Lyric behind the bridge pins (since the K&K was in the usual location). It was interesting, but I ultimately didn't stay with it.

The SPS-1 pickup/mic preamp module generates 9v.

I doubt K&K, if it has done anything to limit use of its internal mics, has done anything more than put a voltage gate in its internal mics, i.e., the mic circuit shuts down if the input voltage is greater than, say, 10v.

I initially thought i was having deja vu or had dreamed the answer as I seemed to know it, but then I thought maybe I had recently read something about this. After a bit of searching around I found the quote from this recent thread http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...ad.phpt=218137

From this quote and my understanding, if what you said previously is true that the Ravens Labs PMB only gives you 9v, or slightly above 9v with the power adapter then you might be ok, although how much "slightly above" is slightly above 9v is the question, it seems as long as its less than 11.5v you should be fine. I wonder if theres some way you can measure it? perhaps a stereo jack cable with the phantom power channel (ring or tip, whichever one it is on the PMB) wired to a voltage meter?
But don't take my word for it, i'm not the expert here.

David