Earthworks PM40T User Manual
Airline Regulation
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Carry-on Case Included
PM40T Touring PianoMic™ System
40kHz Random Incidence High Definition Microphones
Assembled View
• Touring Model PianoMic™ System
in an airline carry-on case.
• The Ultimate in Piano Miking
• 40kHz High Denition, Random
Incidence Microphones
• Invisible from Outside the Piano
• Incredible Gain before Feedback
• Sounds Amazing with Piano Lid
Up or Down
• Virtually No Leakage from
Surrounding Instruments
• Quick, Simple and Easy Setup
Architectural & Engineering
Specications
40kHz Random Incidence Omni
The microphone shall contain a matched stereo
pair of back-electret condenser type elements
with a wide-range uniform frequency response
of 9Hz to 40kHz. The microphone shall be calibrated for random-incidence response for a dif-
fuse sound eld operation. The microphone
shall have omnidirectional polar characteristics
uniform in all planes, with no more than 5dB
deviation from on-axis response at any angle of
incidence at 10kHz. The microphone shall have
an output level of 15 mV/Pa. The microphone
shall have an impulse response with the rise
time no longer than 20 microseconds, and total
settling time, including the rise time, no longer
than 100 microseconds. The microphone shall
accept sound pressure levels up to 148 dB producing no more than 3% THD. The microphone
elements shall be mounted on exible necks
no shorter than 4 in. (10cm) and attached to
an expandable rod with minimum length no
more than 46 in. (115cm) and maximum length
no less than 60 in. (150cm). Expandable rod
breaks down in two parts to store in an airline
size carry-on case. The microphone shall require
48V phantom power. The microphone shall be
made of metal with black nish. The Earthworks
PM40T is specied.
Conventional Methods of Piano Miking
To date, the numerous methods of miking a piano have
all been less than ideal. Such conventional methods
include placing a microphone inside the piano on a pillow, or mounting microphones on mic booms and extending them into the piano. Other approaches involve
pressure-zone microphones mounted inside the piano,
various types of electromechanical pickups in addition
to mounting conventional microphones inside the piano with clamps on the piano frame or suction cups
stuck to the piano lid. Not only are these mounting
methods less than ideal, there are far more important
issues affecting the sound. Contact pickup devices
or other types of electromechanical pickup methods
typically sound muddy and have no real detail or transparency in the sound. When miking pianos for sound
reinforcement systems, cardioid microphones are typically chosen in an effort to provide ample gain before
feedback. However, the proximity effect of cardioid
microphones will create an undesired low-frequency
boost. When using conventional microphones there is
always the problem with gain before feedback in addition to leakage from other instruments into the piano
microphones.
PM40T - The Ultimate Solution in Miking Pianos for Live Performance and Touring
The original PM40 PianoMic™ System was designed
for xed installations in churches, recording studios
and performing arts centers. The many benets of
the PM40 were quickly realized by musicians performing in concert venues and touring sound companies.
The original PM40 was not collapsible and comes in
Polar
Response
Impulse Response
a carrying case that is too long for an authorized airline carry-on. To provide a better solution for touring
professionals, Earthworks engineers designed the
PM40T (touring model) that is collapsible and ts in a
smaller case that is ideal for airline carry-on.
The New Earthworks Approach
The PM40T and the original PM40 have been an
instant success in churches, recording studios and
for live performances. Touring musicians, recording
studios and churches are able to get a piano sound
that is far better than ever before, with an incredible
amount of gain before feedback. The PianoMic™ mi-
crophones are not visible from outside the piano and
there is virtually no leakage of other instruments into
Specications
Frequency Response:
Polar Pattern:
Sensitivity:
Power requirements:
Peak Acoustic Output:
Min. Output Load:
Mic Gooseneck Length:
Rod Length Assembled:
Rod Length Separated:
Carrying Case :
Product Weight:
Shipping Dimensions:
Shipping Weight:
Turn over page for additional information
9Hz - 40kHz
Omnidirectional
(random incidence)
15mV/Pa (-36 dBV/Pa)
48V Phantom, 10mA
148 dB SPL
XLR-3 (pin 2+)
Output:
600 ohms (pins 2 & 3)
20dBA
Noise:
4.875” (12cm)
64”(160cm) fully extended
46”(115cm) fully collapsed
23”(58.4cm) fully collapsed
24.5”x12.5”x4”
(619x317x100 cm)
6 lbs. (2.7 kg)
26”x18”x8” (66x46x20 cm)
13 lbs. (6 kg)
The Ultimate Piano Microphone System
That Will Change Piano Miking Forever
the piano microphones. Live sound and recording
engineers were astounded – they could now record
acoustic piano in the same room simultaneously with
other instruments. They all said that the PianoMic™
System is incredible, hands down! When miking pianos
in churches, live performance, performing arts centers
or recording studios, you will be amazed when you hear
the new Earthworks High Definition PianoMic™ System in action.
Random Incidence
High Denition Microphones™
The heart of the PianoMic System is two Random Incidence omnidirectional 40kHz High Denition Microphones™ with a frequency response from 9Hz to
40kHz, incredible impulse response and very short diaphragm settling time. When microphones are placed
inside a piano they are within a sound eld that has
multiple sound sources: i.e. every string, the sound
board, multiple reections of the sound from the sound
board, the sides and the lid of the piano. All these
make a piano sound louder than a loud pipe organ, and
there was even more gain available before reaching
feedback. These tests also showed that feeding the
piano sound into choir monitor speakers would produce far more sound level than the choir members
could stand without being anywhere near a level that
would cause acoustic feedback.
Virtually No Leakage of Sounds from
Outside the Piano
One might ask, “How can you use omni microphones
and have essentially no leakage of sounds from outside the piano?” There are two important elements in
the answer: (1) the microphones are placed inside the
piano shell and are somewhat isolated from sounds
outside the piano; (2) microphones are placed 3 to 6
inches above the piano strings, making the sound level
of the piano picked up by the microphones phenomenally louder than sounds coming from outside the
piano. Therefore any outside leakage picked up in the
piano mics is dramatically lower in level than the sound
the microphones facing the keyboard or with the microphones facing away from the keyboard (as illustrated in
Figures 1-A and 1-B). This exibility allows a wide range
of microphone placement options using the PianoMic™
System. As various makes and models of pianos differ in their size and construction, the highly adaptable
PianoMic™ System will provide you with optimum results on any grand piano. The center section of the tube
can be moved as much as eight inches to the left or
the right if you desire to favor either the low or high
strings of the piano (see Figures 2-A and 2-B). In addi-
tion, the ex arms allow the microphone heads to move
approximately four inches to the left or right (see Figure
3-A) as well as up or down (closer or further from the
strings, see Figure 3-B). This illustrates the versatility of
the PianoMic™ System and the ease with which it can
be adjusted. The innovative PM40T PianoMic™ System
incorporates all of the Earthworks High Denition
Microphone™ proprietary technologies and some new
ones. The PianoMic™ System is a dream come true for
live sound and recording applications. Call us and request a free demonstration of the PianoMic at your facility, so you can hear this incredible piano microphone
system for yourself. You will be impressed!
sound sources and reections produce sound waves
that arrive at the microphones from all directions. This
is called a diffused sound eld, and the PianoMic System™ High Denition Random Incidence Microphones
are designed to perform optimally within such diffused
sound eld. In addition, these omni microphones have
no proximity effect and the sound will remain the same
(no increase or decrease in low frequency levels) no
matter how close or how far the microphones are from
the piano strings or sound board. When these technologies are combined, you can enjoy exceptional sound
quality with the piano lid either up or down.
Incredible Gain Before Feedback
The large amount of gain before feedback is achieved
because the microphones are placed very close to the
sound source and are within the sound eld of the
piano. When we rst tested the PianoMic System in a
church sound reinforcement system, we were able to
of the piano itself.
Quick, Simple and Easy to Set Up
The PianoMic™ System works differently from any other microphone approach used on piano in that it uses
an adjustable telescoping tube that is supported by the
sides of the piano case. The telescoping tube can be
adjusted to any length from 46 to 64 inches to easily accommodate any type of grand piano. The support
arms that sit on the side of the piano case are smooth
with a protective coating that will not harm the nish
of the piano. They are less than 1/8-inch thick, so
the piano lid can be easily closed on top of them with
absolutely no danger of stressing the piano lid hinge.
The telescoping tube spans across the piano over the
strings and can be moved so the two microphones can
be placed close to the dampers (see Figure 1-A) or further away from the dampers (see Figure 1-B).
The telescoping tube can be placed on the piano with
Expertly Hand Made in the U.S.A.
Earthworks, Inc. • 37 Wilton Rd. • Milford, NH 03055
Phone: (603) 654-2433, ext 114 • Fax: (603) 654-6107
sales@earthworksaudio.com • earthwo rksaudio .com
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