AKG PCC160 User Manual

®

PCC-160

®

PCC-160W

he Crown PCC®-160 (Phase Coherent Car­dioid®) is a surface-mounted supercardioid

T

microphone intended for professional
applications on stage floors, lecterns, confer­ence tables, and news desks—wherever
improved gain-before-feedback and articulation
are important.

Similar to the Pressure Zone Microphone
(PZM®), the PCC is designed to be used on a
relatively large boundary surface. Unlike the
PZM, the Phase Coherent Cardioid uses a
subminiature supercardioid mic capsule. Its
directional polar pattern improves gain-before­feedback, reduces unwanted room noise and
rejects sounds from the rear. Surface-mounting
creates a “half-supercardioid” polar pattern and
increases directivity 3 dB.

Since the microphone capsule is placed on a
boundary, direct and reflected sounds arrive at
the diaphragm in-phase. This coherent addition
of direct and reflected waves increases sensitivity
6 dB and prevents phase cancellations. The mic
capsule is small enough to ensure phase coher­ency up to the highest frequencies in the
audible spectrum, resulting in a wide, smooth
frequency response free of phase interference.
Clarity and reach are also enhanced.

Self-contained electronics eliminate the need for
an in-line preamp box. The PCC-160 can be
phantom powered directly from the console or
other remote power source providing 12 to 48
volts. If battery power is required, a battery
supply unit can be inserted anywhere in the mic
line right up to the console or mixer. A “bass tilt”
switch allows the user to tailor the low-end
response for particular applications.

Thanks to its low profile and black finish, the
microphone becomes almost invisible in use. A
side-mounted connector complements the form
factor of the PCC-160, allowing the unit to be
placed effectively at the stage edge, at the top of
a lectern or in other tight spots. If desired, the
cable can be hard-wired for bottom entry.

The PCC-160W is finished in off-white to blend
with church altars and other surroundings
where lighter color is appropriate.

The heavy-gauge, all steel body protects the
unit from accidental abuse. Permanent mount­ing is enabled by screw holes in the base.
Engineering attention-to-detail has assured
years of trouble-free use from this reliable
microphone.

Capable of withstanding up to 120 dB SPL
without distorting, the PCC-160 will never over­load in practical use. Its electret condenser
capsule provides a wide, smooth frequency
response from 50 Hz to 18 kHz. RFI suppres­sion is included. Self-noise is low, and sensitivity
is very high to override mixer noise in distant­miking applications. Output impedance is 150
ohms, balanced.

®

PHASE COHERENT
CARDIOID® MICROPHONE

Specifications

Type: Phase Coherent Cardioid.
Element: Electret condenser.
Frequency response (typical): 50 Hz to 18,000 Hz

at 30 degrees incidence to surface. See Fig. 1.

Polar pattern: Half-supercardioid (supercardioid in

the hemisphere above the primary boundary). See
Fig. 2.

Impedance: 150 ohms nominal (85 ohms actual),

balanced. (Recommended load impedance 1000
ohms or greater.)

Open-circuit sensitivity: 22mV/Pa* (–33 dB re 1

V/Pa*).

Power sensitivity: –31 dB re 1 milliwatt/Pa*/–123

dBm EIA.

Equivalent noise level (self noise): 22 dB typical

(0 dB = .0002 dyne/cm2), A-weighted.

S/N ratio: 72 dB at 94 dB SPL.
Maximum SPL for 3% THD: 120 dB SPL.
Polarity: Positive pressure on the diaphragm

produces positive voltage on pin 2 with respect to
pin 3 of output connector.

Cable: 15-foot, black, two-conductor shielded cable

with Switchcraft TA3F connector and A3M
connector.

Operating voltage: Standard phantom power: 12 to

48 volts DC positive on pins 2 and 3 with respect
to pin 1.

Current drain: 4 mA nominal.
Materials: All steel body construction.
Finish: PCC-160: black. PCC-160W: off-white.
Net weight: 11.5 oz. (326 g).
Dimensions: See Fig. 4.
Optional accessories: Crown PH-1A phantom

power supply (one channel, battery or AC-adapter
powered). Crown PH-4B phantom power supply
(four channels, AC powered).

*1 pascal = 10 dynes/cm2 = 10 microbars = 94 dB SPL.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Frequency Response

Frequency in Hz

Vertical Plane Polar Response

®

Operating Instructions
Unbalanced operation: If you are using a

phantom power supply that does NOT include
an isolation transformer (such as the Crown
PH-4B), and you desire an unbalanced output,
use pin 2 as hot and pin 1 as ground. This
procedure prevents distortion in the PCC circuit.

Do not unbalance the output of the PH-4B by
connecting pin 3 to pin 1. If you are using a

phantom supply containing an isolation trans­former (such as the Crown PH-1A AC/Battery
Supply), then you can unbalance the output by
connecting pin 3 to pin 1 in the cable feeding
the mixer. This results in 6 dB more sensitivity.

The PCC includes two keyhole slots in its base to
accept mounting screws. To screw the PCC to a
surface, refer to Fig. 3.

Note: The porous foam liner in the housing
must go toward the front of the microphone;
the dense foam liner goes toward the rear.
Otherwise the frequency response and polar
pattern will be degraded.

Placement suggestions for the PCC-160 are in
the

Crown Boundary Microphone Applications

Guide

, available free from your dealer, directly
from the Crown Literature Department or online
at www.crownaudio.com.

BASS TILT SWITCH: On the bottom of the mi­crophone is a bass-tilt switch which allows the
user to tailor the low-end response for particu-

lar applications. In general, use the FLAT posi­tion. Use the CUT position to reduce room
rumble and air-handler noise. Use the BOOST
position to compensate for low-frequency
losses when the PCC is placed on small bound­aries such as lectern shelf-tops.

Architect’ & Engineers’ Specifications

The microphone shall be the Crown Model PCC­160 (black) or PCC-160W (off-white). The
microphone shall be a half-supercardioid elec­tret condenser type, utilizing a subminiature
transducer of rugged construction. A smooth
frequency response from 50 Hz to 18,000 Hz
shall be obtained, with a uniform off-axis re­sponse, over 20 dB down at the rear nulls. The
microphone will exhibit excellent off-axis re­sponse and gain-before-feedback.

The microphone shall employ the principle of
phase coherency achieved by mounting a small­diameter element very near a boundary, thus
eliminating comb filtering in the audible spec­trum. A 15-foot (4.6-m), two-conductor
shielded cable with TA3F and A3M connectors
shall be supplied with the microphone.

The microphone shall have a sensitivity of 22
mV/Pa*. The microphone shall accept a 120 dB
SPL input while providing no greater than 3
percent THD (open-circuit termination). Equiva­lent noise shall be 22 dBA typical. The Crown
Model PCC-160 is specified.

®

PCC-160

®

PCC-160W

Warranty

Crown professional microphone products are
guaranteed against malfunction for a period of
three years from date of original purchase. Please
refer to the enclosed full warranty statement for
more detail.

Service

If the microphone does not function properly,
check to verify that it is aimed correctly and is
connected as described in the Operating In­structions. If there is hum or no signal, repair or
replace the cable.

If you determine the microphone product(s)is
defective, return the complete product in its
original packaging to: Crown Factory Service,

1718 West Mishawaka Road, Elkhart, IN

46517. For further assistance or technical
support call 800-342-6939.

Fig. 4

PCC-160/160W Schematic

Crown International
P.O. Box 1000
Elkhart, IN 46515-1000
TEL: [phone]
FAX: [phone]FAX

©

2003 Crown Audio, Inc.
Specifications subject to change without prior notice.
Latest information available at www.crownaudio.com.
PCC, Phase Coherent Cardioid, PZM, Pressure Zone
Microphone and Crown are registered trademarks of
Crown International.

3/03 101062-7

www.crownaudio.com