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Greets,

I have a vintage Tesla mic which uses an outdated connector and I need to convert it to XLR in order to patch into my system.

It uses a 6-pin DIN mic jack. Anyone know how to convert this to a standard XLR? What are the extra pins used for anyway?

Here's the setup:
mic -> 6-pin DIN cable that came with mic -> its own power supply --> 6-pin DIN output ---> [cable with DIN on one side and XLR on the other] ---> mixing board.

Any help much appreciated

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Comments

Thomas W. Bethel Wed, 03/22/2006 - 07:20

Well the microphone must be a tube condenser microphone if it has a power supply. The six pin DIN is probably carrying the needed voltages to the microphone. As to the DIN connector on the output of the power supply. My best suggestion would be do take it to someone who is familiar with electronics and audio equipment in particular. They can open up the power supply and do some reverse engineering to figure out what is on the output DIN. Just guessing is not going to get you very far. On some older Neumann and other German microphones they used Tuchel (now owned by Amphenol) connectors from the microphone to the power supply and I have seen microphones with DIN connectors on the output side of the power supply (normally 3 pin). The other pins (besides the +/- and ground) could be all kinds of things from different impedances to remote pattern selector to remote turn on. It is best to let someone who knows what he or she is doing look at the microphone before hooking it up to anything. There is a chance that this went from the power supply to a remote pattern selector which did the real conversion to audio at that box and if you don't have the remote pattern box you may not have any audio available on the DIN connector per se.

Best of luck!

Let us know what happens.

anonymous Tue, 03/28/2006 - 09:41

SO! She's singing! Got the Tesla mic working. I was prepared to not be impressed with the sound, instead I'm whistlin dixie. Sounds silky smooth.

Thanks for advice Thomas (sometimes the best advice IS take it to someone who knows). Just today 2 audio electronics manufacturers stopped by our studio to pick up some things, they took apart the mic's power supply and within 1min knew the conversion.

Here it is (conversion cable from power supply to your modern day XLR console):

Female 6-pin DIN (btw, DIN is German accronym for: German (Duetche) Industry Standard) to 3-pin male XLR .....

6-pins arranged from 12 o clock and counting clockwise around are pin #'s 1 through 5. Middle pin is #6.

Pin #'s 3 and 4 are the signals (+/ - .... haven't tested which is which yet but invert to taste)

Pin # 6 is ground.

So connect DIN pin 6 to XLR pin 1.
DIN pins 3 and 4 to XLR pins 2 and 3

Ignore other 3 pins of the DIN. Done.

So yeah, the mic is a Tesla AMC 412, has a tube, is condenser and sounds excellent. Really nice.

I bought the thing for the equivalent of $120 and it was easily the best $120 I've ever spent. Can't wait to record some saxophones or vocals with it.

anonymous Tue, 03/28/2006 - 09:45

SO! She's singing! Got the Tesla mic working. I was prepared to not be impressed with the sound, instead I'm whistlin dixie. Sounds silky smooth.

Thanks for advice Thomas (sometimes the best advice IS take it to someone who knows). Just today 2 audio electronics manufacturers stopped by our studio to pick up some things, they took apart the mic's power supply and within 1min knew the conversion.

Here it is (conversion cable from power supply to your modern day XLR console):

Female 6-pin DIN (btw, DIN is German accronym for: German (Duetche) Industry Standard) to 3-pin male XLR .....

6-pins arranged from 12 o clock and counting clockwise around are pin #'s 1 through 5. Middle pin is #6.

Pin #'s 3 and 4 are the signals (+, - .... haven't tested which is which yet but invert to taste)

Pin # 6 is ground.

So connect DIN pin 6 to XLR pin 1.
DIN pins 3 and 4 to XLR pins 2 and 3

Ignore other 3 pins of the DIN. Done.

So yeah, the mic is a Tesla AMC 412, has a tube, is condenser and sounds excellent. Really nice.

I bought the thing for the equivalent of $120 and it was easily the best $120 I've ever spent. Can't wait to record some saxophones or vocals with it.

anonymous Tue, 03/28/2006 - 09:46

SO! She's singing! Got the Tesla mic working. I was prepared to not be impressed with the sound, instead I'm whistlin dixie. Sounds silky smooth.

Thanks for advice Thomas (sometimes the best advice IS take it to someone who knows). Just today 2 audio electronics manufacturers stopped by our studio to pick up some things, they took apart the mic's power supply and within 1min knew the conversion.

Here it is (conversion cable from power supply to your modern day XLR console):

Female 6-pin DIN (btw, DIN is German accronym for: German (Duetche) Industry Standard) to 3-pin male XLR .....

6-pins arranged from 12 o clock and counting clockwise around are pins 1 through 5. Middle pin is 6.

Pins 3 and 4 are the signals (+, - .... haven't tested which is which yet but invert to taste)

Pin 6 is ground.

So connect DIN pin 6 to XLR pin 1.
DIN pins 3 and 4 to XLR pins 2 and 3

Ignore other 3 pins of the DIN. Done.

So yeah, the mic is a Tesla AMC 412, has a tube, is condenser and sounds excellent. Really nice.

I bought the thing for the equivalent of $120 and it was easily the best $120 I've ever spent. Can't wait to record some saxophones or vocals with it.

anonymous Tue, 03/28/2006 - 09:48

SO! She's singing! Got the Tesla mic working. I was prepared to not be impressed with the sound, instead I'm whistlin dixie. Sounds silky smooth.

Thanks for advice Thomas (sometimes the best advice IS take it to someone who knows). Just today 2 audio electronics manufacturers stopped by our studio to pick up some things, they took apart the mic's power supply and within 1min knew the conversion.

Here it is (conversion cable from power supply to your modern day XLR console):

Female 6-pin DIN (btw, DIN is German accronym for: German (Duetche) Industry Standard) to 3-pin male XLR .....

6-pins arranged from 12 o clock and counting clockwise around are pins 1 through 5. Middle pin is 6.

Pins 3 and 4 are the signals (+, - .... haven't tested which is which yet but invert to taste)

Pin 6 is ground.

So connect DIN pin 6 to XLR pin 1.
DIN pins 3 and 4 to XLR pins 2 and 3

Ignore other 3 pins of the DIN. Done.

So yeah, the mic is a Tesla AMC 412, has a tube, is condenser and sounds excellent. Really nice.

I bought the thing for the equivalent of $120 and it was easily the best $120 I've ever spent. Can't wait to record some saxophones or vocals with it.