White noise generator with speaker

[klaukholm]

Where can I find a battery powered white or pink noise generator with a speaker?
this is for attaching on a pole and holding up to mics for linetesting.
You see these all the time at the radio orchestra sesions, but I can't seem to locate one.

These are great for making sure everything is wired correctly as well as pads or lowcuts accidentally being on.

[d_fu]

How about a radio...? Simple analog battery powered FM radio, tuned between stations, provides nice white noise...

Daniel

[huub]

I think these are mostly home made? We have one, made by the tech department, can't be hard to make?

[klaukholm]

Originally Posted by huub

I think these are mostly home made? We have one, made by the tech department, can't be hard to make?

Well I don't have the time to make one. If there is one available I would rather buy it. Maybe someone has a good DIY one they want to sell.

Part of the point is a signal that never changes so you can identify issues in mics quickly. For instance in a few weeks we have 2 hours to reset a setup in between sessions for a movie score and I do not have time to mess around. Sometimes pads and lowcuts can be accidentally switched when a mic is moved, particlularly on my tlm170s.

[Audiop]

I can build you one!


/Peter

[klaukholm]

Originally Posted by Audiop

I can build you one!


/Peter

Ok,
how much and how would it come out sizewise.
It would be great to have a two volumes and maybe both pink and white noise.
standard 3/8 mic thread would also be a great feature. (need a long pole to get up to 4-5 meter decca tree and up to 6-7 meter high outriggers

[klaukholm]

here is my first candidate
PWN1 Personal White Noise Generator

This is a white noise one, seemingly with a speaker.

If I can find one like this with pink noise and possibly an XLR out we will have a winner.

[Matti]

Try to find this used as they don´t make it anymore
http://www.lectrosonics.com/manuals/ns1td.pdf
or this http://www.atiaudio.com/pdf/pdf_191.pdf

Matti

[klaukholm]

Thanks Matti,
I have had my eyes on the NS1 and wrote soundbroker who has one listed.
Otherwise it's nowhere to be found.

anyone have one for sale?

[Roland]

I used one several years ago, and I believe that it was made by B&K. May I ask what you want it for?

Regards


Roland

[klaukholm]

Roland,
It will serve a similar purpose to tapping, only it gives more clues as far as the mic is concerned.
For instance, not long ago I had an M150 drop in outut level by 6-9db because of a failing (3 month old) KT8 cable. Using this method I would have caught it sooner.

[drtechno]

MCM electronics have some cool widjets that work

Noise Plug Pink Noise Generator | DISTRIBUTED BY MCM | NP1

[klaukholm]

Thanks for that suggestion.
half my mics do not use phantom power and my RCAs will get damaged by phantom so will not turn on phantom on all channels.
Besides, this one does not allow for testing of the mics themselves as it has no speaker.

[mpdonahue]

Kjetil,
The one I have in my toolbox was actually made by Sennheiser. It is one of their headphone speakers on the end of a 6" tube containing the generator and a little battery powered amp.
Mine is very old, it was given to me by a friend from Teldec years ago.
Sorry I can't be of more assistance.
All the best,
-mark

[klaukholm]

Thanks mark,
that sounds like the units I have been using over here.

Grey plastic tube 1 1/2 to 2'' diameter

[mysterygirl]

Many of the products claiming to produce white noise are recordings or simulations of wind, waves, and other sounds that are in reality quite a bit more complex than white noise.

[Audiop]

I highly doubt that since it means much more work to get a thingy to play back a recorded source.

A noise source is easily realized by upping the input impedance of an amplifier and apply lots of gain.


/Peter

[Matti]

Originally Posted by mysterygirl

Many of the products claiming to produce white noise are recordings or simulations of wind, waves, and other sounds that are in reality quite a bit more complex than white noise.

So it goes

Matti

[hbphotoav]

I got a hold of the Sheffield Lab Test CD (see: Music: My Disc: The Sheffield/A2TB Test Disc (CD) by Various Tests (Artist) ) and transferred a bunch of the noise/test tone/frequency sweeps/polarity/phase/channel cuts as .aif files to my iPod. I use one of my powered JBL (EON 10) or Bose ("Roommate") speakers on location, or pipe it through the stereo at home to test and set up mics and determine basic gains for different SPL. Since I already own the speakers, the additional cost of the CD set was negligible. Look for it on eBay or check with these folks ( MY DISC - The Sheffiel Lab / A2TB Test Disc - GOLD )

[Audiop]

Another solution is to generate the files yourself with some nice free software.


/Peter

[ESL]

This thing weighs 2.5 lbs and has 5/8" threads:

Anchor Main Product Page

[DanDan]

I use a cheap light Korg Metronome for that purpose. It does various pip sounds plus a 440 tuning ref. Get's the job done.
DD

[mpdonahue]

Originally Posted by DanDan

I use a cheap light Korg Metronome for that purpose. It does various pip sounds plus a 440 tuning ref. Get's the job done.
DD

I too use a metronome in a pinch, but the "hisser" as we call it is actually a very useful tool for setting levels as well as faxing lines.
When we are going to be returning to an orchestra in the future, or if you have to break down and reset between sessions, it is an invaluable tool for checking levels to multitrack.
The original Sennheiser hisser came with the foam windscreen from a 421, which made it really easy to put it up against a microphone and get repeatable level measurements every time.
I've thought about making my own, but the demand seems to be limited to the guys at work and about 4 other people...... It's not that difficult a project. Vellman makes a white/pink noise generator and 2w amplifier that all run on a pair of 9v batteries. The cost for these 2 kits as well as the headphone driver that Sennheiser used in theirs is about $30. Add to that a tube to put it in (Possibly as simple as a PVC pipe with cap on one end) and a switch to turn it on and off is all that is required.
All the best,
-mark

[klaukholm]

Mark, the hisser we have been using must be the sennheiser. It has the windscreen and all and it is indeed very useful.

Do you have a link to the partnumbers?
Sounds like making it myself is the way to go.

[mpdonahue]

Originally Posted by klaukholm

Mark, the hisser we have been using must be the sennheiser. It has the windscreen and all and it is indeed very useful.

Do you have a link to the partnumbers?
Sounds like making it myself is the way to go.

7w 12v amplifier-$15.25
Mono amplifier - 7W Mono Audio Amplifier Kit

Pink Noise Generator- $12.95
Pink Noise Generator Kit

I believe that the driver was the same one from the HD414 headphones. (The ones with the orange foam ear pads....) Just about any decent headphone driver should work fine.

Mount the driver on a piece of PVC tube and mount the boards inside with a pair of 9v batteries and away you go.... There's no reason that you couldn't do this in a square box, but the wind screen does such a good job of getting the speaker a consistent distance from the mic as well as filtering a little of the HF output from the speaker that I think it would be worth the effort to try to duplicate the Sennheiser hisser.

If I were putting it all together, I would mount the 2 Vellman boards on a piece of perfboard that I cut to the diameter of the tube, so they wouldn't rattle around and yet be removable for service. The tube would probably need a pair of grooves cut into the inside of the tube to keep the board in place.
Mount the batteries to the bottom of the board and connect to the switch on the cap of the tube and screw it all together.
All the best,
-mark

[MicheleCiuoffo]

Ok so you only want to to turn the noise on and off with a knob?

That is easy it will cost just a bit

The fist link is the case, the second link is the noise module, the third
link is a different noise module and the fourth link is an attenuator to
set the output level. Then you can feed the signal to wherever you want!

Best Michele



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