Pendulum SPS-1 preamp module help

[ezellohar]

Hello guys, quite new here (I've been following the forum hidden for years though).
I need help with a SPS-1 preamp module: I'd like to use one with a cable straight to a mixer, without the sps-1.
I've read here that's possible, as stated by Doug Young:

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Yes, that's possible. (...)You'll need a special adaptor cable from Pendulum, and need to be able to supply 2 channels (stereo) of phantom power.

I already tried asking Greg ad Pendulum audio, but he told me that they're not producing the modules anymore, and wasn't very helpful (strange enough, we all know his kindness).

So, is anyone able to give me hints on how to make such a cable? I think maybe Doug Young or sdelsolray can help me since they should have used the preamp like that. (is there any way to tag users?)
Thank you for any help

[varmonter]

Do you have the module.? Doug could probably
help with the wiring .

[ezellohar]

Yes, I have the sps-1 with the pickup/mic module

[Doug Young]

I have that cable, Greg made it for me. I'm surprised he wouldn't still make one - I know he's not making the modules, something about parts, I think, but that shouldn't affect this. I can probably reverse engineer it, I looked at it at one point, just a couple of zener diodes, I think. I'm traveling at the moment and don't have that with me. I can take a look next week when I'm back home.

[ezellohar]

You're the best. Thank you very much
I'm surprised too, his answer was on the edge of rudeness (abrupt to be precise) was unespected, as he always was one of the most helpful person to aid people

[Doug Young]

Sorry, I forgot to look at this till just now. The cable's really very simple. Mine is for the pickup/mic module. It's a Y-cable, with the female plug that goes into the module (or a mic cable connected to the mic module). The end of each Y is a male connector. Both have the shield to ground, then one of them has the hot wire to pin 3, and an electrolytic capacitor from ground to pin 2. The other has the hot wire to pin 2 and an electrolytic cap between ground and pin 3 (so the opposite). The caps are 10 uf. I'm not clear on the purpose of the capacitors, since they just go between an otherwise unused pin and ground, it might even work without them. It seems like all it's doing it sending the +48 from one channel to one hot pin of the module and the +48 from the other - which makes sense for phantom power. If you have a mono module, it may even just work into a single mixer channel with phantom.

[ezellohar]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Sorry, I forgot to look at this till just now. The cable's really very simple. Mine is for the pickup/mic module. It's a Y-cable, with the female plug that goes into the module (or a mic cable connected to the mic module). The end of each Y is a male connector. Both have the shield to ground, then one of them has the hot wire to pin 3, and an electrolytic capacitor from ground to pin 2. The other has the hot wire to pin 2 and an electrolytic cap between ground and pin 3 (so the opposite). The caps are 10 uf. I'm not clear on the purpose of the capacitors, since they just go between an otherwise unused pin and ground, it might even work without them. It seems like all it's doing it sending the +48 from one channel to one hot pin of the module and the +48 from the other - which makes sense for phantom power. If you have a mono module, it may even just work into a single mixer channel with phantom.

First things first, A HUGE THANK YOU.

I have the pickup/mic module too, so we're good. If I understand correctly, pin 2 of the female connector goes to pin 2 of male conn. A; while pin 3 of female conn. goes to pin 2 of male conn. B (that make sense since we have two different sources which both want to go to hot signal).

So you used it always with phantom power on on both channels?

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by ezellohar

First things first, A HUGE THANK YOU.

I have the pickup/mic module too, so we're good. If I understand correctly, pin 2 of the female connector goes to pin 2 of male conn. A; while pin 3 of female conn. goes to pin 2 of male conn. B (that make sense since we have two different sources which both want to go to hot signal).

So you used it always with phantom power on on both channels?

Pin 2 of the female goes to pin 2 of male A, pin 3 of female goes to pin 3 of male B, with a capacitor between ground and each unused mail pin.

Yes, phantom power to both channels. You'll have mic on one, pickup on the other.

[ezellohar]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Pin 2 of the female goes to pin 2 of male A, pin 3 of female goes to pin 3 of male B, with a capacitor between ground and each unused mail pin.

Yes, phantom power to both channels. You'll have mic on one, pickup on the other.

A quick follow up, mostly to others interested. I made a cable as for your specs, and it works flawlessly. Thank you very much.

I've made a short (1mt long) y-cable, to use only as a splitter with the original cable, I've found it more friendly to use this way than having a double-cable going 5mt to the mixer: it tends too often to curv and twirl.

On a side note, I'm amazed by how good is the preamp module alone. In a thing so tiny, there's packed more quality than most external preamp I've tried so far.

Thank you Doug for the time you spent looking into this matter, it helped me a lot.