Building a SASS (Stereo Ambient Sampling System) using Primo EM172 capsules
Up to now we used a Rode NT4 microphone in a Rycote blimp for stereo field recordings. Since we still had some Primo EM172 microphone capsules lying around we had the idea to build a SASS system.
We found an excellent describtion of how to build it on Vicki Powys’ website caperteebirder.com
We took the measurements and the concept of wiring two EM172 capsules in parallel from her post here: Vicki Powys’ SASS-Lite Narrow
To operate the SASS via XLR cables with 48V phantom power on our Sound Devices 702 we found a manual on the website of Tom Benedict.
Although our implementation of the construction is somewhat unclean due to lack of time and material we are very satisfied with the result. The SASS provides a good stereo image, the mics are very sensive and low noise.
Here are some images of the building process and 2 recordings using the SASS and a SD702 recorder. More investigations will follow.
3d printed plate for each pair of the EM172 capsules:
XLR connectors each with a capacitor and resistor like in Tom Benedict’s post:
view from the back:
the plate glued to closed cell foam:
closed cell foam and open cell foam connected and hold together by a metal plate:
purple colored dead cat – the only thing we could get:
