Harman AKG SOUND GRABBER II User manual

T
5.90"
(15.0CM)
PRESSURE ZONE
MICROPHONE®
SOUND GRABBERII
he Sound Grabber II is an updated
version of the original Sound Grabber.
It utilizes thesamePressureZone
Microphone® technology in which sound
waves reinforce themselves in the area
nearest a flat surface, usually referred to as
the boundary.
Top recording engineers all over the world
areusingprofessional versionsof the
AKG/CrownPZM(PressureZone
Microphone) to improvethequalityof their
recordings. The SoundGrabber II is one
versionof that technology, designed tomeet
theneedsof the homeor businessrecordist
and bringthe benefits of PZMtechnology
withinthereachof manymorepeople.
Because of this new technology, Sound
Grabber II offers you the opportunity for
vast improvement in the quality of your re-
cordings. The Sound Grabber II will pick up
sounds at distances you never thought pos-
Fig. 1
Hinge
(3)
Grab Cover
Hereand Lift
MicHolder
- Battery +
(2) Grab
Tab
Specifications
Frequencyresponse (typical): 50Hzto16kHz(see
Fig. 3).
Polar pattern: Hemispherical (half-omni) onalarge
surface.
Impedance: 1600 ohms, unbalanced.
Sensitivity: 20mV/Pa* (-54fBV/Pa).
Powersensitivity: –42 dBm.
Cable: 10foot withmini phoneplug, 1/4"phoneplug
andmicrophoneplugadapters.
sibleandit will pick them up with aclarity Power:One1.5VAAAalkalinebattery.
that other microphones, becauseof thelimi-
tations of their construction, simplycannot
match.
TheSound Grabber II doesnot needtofol-
(1)RemoveBoundary“Paddle”
Usingthe SoundGrabber II
ConferencesRecording
Dimensions: SeeFig. 4.
*1pascal =10dynes/cm2 =10microbars =94 dBSPL.
low the action, since it has a wide-angle
pickup pattern. So long as the mic “sees”
the sound, in whatever direction or angle, it
will pick it up clearly; it does not need to be
between you and the other person. Speakers
or vocalists can move freely around the
Sound Grabber II without their tone quality
changing.
For your greatest enjoyment of theSound
PlacetheSound Grabber II flat onthecon-
ferencetablesomewherenear thecenter of
thetable. Onemicrophoneshouldbeableto
pickupgroupsof twelveor less at distances
upto 20'. Larger groupsmay requireaddi-
tional mics dependingonthedistancesin-
volved. SeeFig. 2.
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
+15
+10
+5
dB0
–5
–10
–15
–20
–25
–30
–35
Frequency Response
Grabber II, weurgeyou toread thesein-
structions thoroughly so you can befamiliar
withthis new technology.
Installingthe Battery
The Sound Grabber II is powered with an
alkaline 1.5 volt AAA battery. One is fur-
nished with the microphone, but it must be
inserted intothemicrophone.
Your battery will supply theneeded power
for the microphone for at least six weeks
and possiblymuchlonger.
Toinstall thebattery openthecover (seeFig.
1) andinsert theAAAbattery. Pleasemake
thecorrect orientation.
ALTERNATE PLACEMENT
ONWALL
SOUND GRABBER
ONTABLE
TheSoundGrabber II shouldnot becov-
eredwithpapers or books, as thiscould
makethesoundmuffled.
20 100 1K
Frequency in Hz
Fig. 4
3.409"
(8.7 CM)
3.129"
(7.9 CM)
.732"
(1.86 cm)
10K 20K
.607"
(1.5 cm)

SOUNDGRABBER II
Should you wish to record a conference
group which is meeting without a table, the
Sound Grabber II could be placed on the
floor in themiddleof thegroupor on awall.
Double-faced adhesive tape can be used,
providing the wall finish will not be dam-
aged.
Interviews
For two-person interviews, see Fig. 5. If the
interview is being recorded on television, the
mic can easily be positioned out of the cam-
era range and still have excellent audio
pickup.
Fig. 5
InterviewscanalsobemikedwiththeSound
Grabber II mounted ontheceilingor inan
Fig. 6 Fig.7
LECTERN
(top view) Fig.8
cassette recorder. Because of the mic’s novel
design, you probably will find that your re-
corder performs better than it ever has be-
fore.
Video
For video recordingwith afixed camera po-
sition, simply plug the mic into the camera
and positionthemicas needed for thetype
PERFORMERS
MICROPHONESONWALL
WALL
PERFORMERS
MICROPHONESONFLOOR
overheadlight fixture.
Pulpits, Lecterns
Because it lies flat on anysurface, theSound
Grabber II is ideal for picking up speech at a
lectern or pulpit. It is invisible to the audi-
ence and can be placed anywhere on the
surface so as not to interfere with any books
or papers. SeeFig. 6.
CassetteRecording
TheSound Grabber II is equipped with an8
foot cord with a 1/8" mic plug. Amicro plug
and 1/4" phone-plug adaptors are also pro-
vided.
The Sound Grabber II will provide an output
signal that will recordeasilyon anystandard
of recordingyouaredoing. If thecamera
will bemoving, you can tape themic to the
front of the camera or ask an assistant to
holdthemic.
StereoRecording
Mount two Sound Grabber IIs head high on
a wall or on the floor and about 3 to 10 feet
apart, facing the performers. The mics
should be 5' to 15' from theperformers(see
Figs. 7 and 8).
Warranty
AKG/Crown professional microphones are
guaranteed unconditionally against
malfunction from any cause for a period of
one year from date of original purchase.
Please refer to the blister pack for more
details.
Service
If the microphone does not function prop-
erly, check that it is aimed correctly and is
connected as described in this data sheet. If
you determine that the microphone product is
defective, return the complete product in its
original packaging to one of the addresses
below. For further assistance or technical
supportcall theinternationalhelpdeskat
[phone].
R1
2.2K
BATTERY
1.5AAA
C2
0.01
C1
2.2F
RED
MINI
PHONEPLUG
MICROPHONECAPSULE
WHT/SHIELD
Sound Grabber II Schematic
AKG ACOUSTICS GMBH
LAXENBURGERSTRASSE 254
1230 VIENNA
AUSTRIA
AKG ACOUSTICS, U.S. SERVICE
24950 GROVE VIEW ROAD
MORENO VALLEY, CA 92551
U.S.A
© 2015 HARMAN International Industries,
Incorporated. All rights reserved. AKG is a trademark
of AKG Acoustics GmbH, registered in the United
States and/or other countries.
Features, specifications and appearance are subject
to change without notice.
www.akg.com