Does a standalone impedance changing product exist???

[Manicompression]

So over the last year or so I picked up a modded up Presonus Eureka and a Zen modded GAP pre-73. Both of these units have impedance changing abilities, the Presonus has a variable knob and the GAP has a button that changes to another drastically different predetermined value.

Honestly they both have their merits over the stock preamps in my Focusrite LS56 outside of the impedance switching but mostly I dig this feature about them specifically over my interface. The way it transforms the tone of the mic allows me to really hone in on a sound I dig with a single 57. So I'm really into it at the moment. I have not however gotten around to testing with condenser mics or on sources other than my guitar cab.

So my questions are, Is there is some kind of gizmo that I can put infront of my LS56 preamps to change impedance or maybe some kind of DIY project? Also, is the effect of impedance tweaking as significant with condensers on things like cymbals and drums?

thoughts, opinions, observations and links would be welcomed.

 

[BearOnGuitar]

http://cloudmicrophones.com/cloud12/?page_id=217
http://store.diyrecordingequipment.com/z-in-preamplifier-input-control/

From what I have heard variable impedance is more noticeable on dynamic microphones. I haven't yet had the chance to use variable impedance with any mic.

 

[Manicompression]

Nice, thanks for the links. I dig the looks of the cloudlifter z but its pretty spendy and has features (gain) I dont need but the DIY one looks badass and is priced right. I also found a video on youtube where a guy explains how to build a passive box that does this for like around $20. After further searching around it seems that the mic design is such that this really only works on dynamics and not at all / very little with condensers.

 

[tedtan]

You're right, you'll notice the effect much more on dynamic and ribbon mics than you will on condensers. But it's still worthwhile to go the DIY route on this IMO, as it should be a really simple build.

 

[TheWinterSnow]

http://cloudmicrophones.com/cloud12/?page_id=217
http://store.diyrecordingequipment.com/z-in-preamplifier-input-control/

From what I have heard variable impedance is more noticeable on dynamic microphones. I haven't yet had the chance to use variable impedance with any mic.

Input impedance only really effects passive microphones. Active mics depending on how their designed simply have more signal loss and slightly more noise and depending on how the output driver of the mic is deigned you may get some slipping/saturation, which would almost definitely be a bad thing.

 

[Manicompression]

Good info, Now what about passive ribbon mic's? Is there a pretty wide range of tones when applying variable impedance, and can that hurt a ribbon?

 

[tedtan]

Passive ribbon mics are dynamic mics and react in the same way - higher input impedances on your pre results in a lesser load on the mic, so the diaphragm or ribbon is able to respond quicker to high frequencies and more highs come through as a result. You won't hurt anything on a robbon mic by changing the input impedances on your mic pres, so feel free to experiment.

 

[xTomx]

I've got a couple of the DIY models, they're cool but you can only decrease impedance, not increase it (which would be cool for ribbons).