Restoring a Sony ECM-55

[Philip Ulanowsky]

Expecting to use my ECM-55 and ECM-44 lavs again soon for an interview that never occurred, I left the batteries in and was quite sure I would never have been so stupid until opening them recently, two years later. The 44 battery compartment was cleanable and it's working, but the leakage was severe in the other and the entire cylinder needs replacement.

The cylinder unit is out of stock at the one supplier I can find on the web, with no reply on possible restock. I can by an entire used ECM-44 for under $100 and use just the battery unit and XLR cable part, but I don't know if the electronics are fully compatible. Can someone tell me if this is advisable/possible, or offer another solution? I originally got the 55 on Ebay for $50 (it was listed as a 44 by a yard-sale sort of seller), and the response is far better than the 44, but I can't begin to afford a new one. My justifiable budget is very low.

Thank you.

[Don Palomaki]

Have you called Sony to check on parts availability?

If you can find part numbers you could check if they have the same part number which should indicate interchangeability.

I see ebay has a couple ECM-55Bs listed under $100.

It might be possible to disassemble and clean the case and components using electronic cleaning solutions as a DIY project if you have the necessary skill set, but that could be a lot of work to no avail.

[Allan Black]

Hi Philip, I always put a complete list of gear in my camera bag, so when I have to leave the house in a hurry, I can check I’m going to take all the necessary gear.

The last comment on the list is .. First install all the batteries, that-you-removed-last time!

Cheers.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

We've all had this happen. This is one of a few reasons to avoid batteries when possible. There another link in the chain you need to keep track of and maintain.

Out of curiosity, why are you using batteries. Most every pro or prosumer device whether that be digital audio recorder, mixer or camcorder that has XLR inputs will deliver phantom power. The only thing I'd still use batteries for are wireless body packs.

Either you need to have a checklist or switch to equipment the provides phantom power. I'm also not a fan of those sony mics because the mic adapter is permanently attached.

[Rick Reineke]

Have you tried using Phantom Power, which should override the battery or the ECM 44/55, if it is missing..

[Philip Ulanowsky]

Thank you, everyone. I truly appreciate your help.

The corrosion in the cylinder is such that the interior surfaces would need, I think special tools.It took me 15minutes just to open it. I tried to remove the negative-end battery spring, in case that would allow me to remove the rest of the assembly at that end for cleaning, but I could not succeed. That, I believe, where the problem is located that has disabled the mic, and therefore, I don't think a different power source would work -- the bridge is out, so to speak.

I don't have a source for phantom power. My Zoom is an H2, which lacks the XLR inputs of the 4 and higher models. Also, having once had to use wild sound on an event shoot and trying to sync it later with the camcorder's was not something I'd like to have to do again. Syncing at the beginning did not last, and I'm not a pro editor and made lots of mistakes while cutting that required even further re-syncing. I can't afford Premiere Pro with its built-in feature (I got a Vegas 18 upgrade from Move studio when it was ridiculously cheap last year but have barely used it; I don't think it has a syncing feature), nor can I afford "ClearEyes" (?) syncing application. In any case, I would still need to replace the 55 or settle for the 44's and give up the possibility of two-person interviews.

I will try calling Sony; I couldn't find anything relevant on their site. Probably someone has the comparative specs; I coudn't locate them in previous web searches, hence my post here.

[Don Palomaki]

ECM-55 parts list with diagram attached if that helps.

FWIW, my experience with AA and AAA alkaline batteries is that Duracell are least likely to leak although they will leak. I used Kirkland (COSTCO) batteries for a long time - the price was right, but they seemed to be more prone to leaking. In any case one needs to be diligent about removing them between sessions.. ( Other brands seemed to have shorter runtime.)

[Rick Reineke]

ClearEyes" (?)
PluralEyes
FWIW, If you have Vegas Pro, there is a HOS (Happy Otter Scripts) tool that is lower cost than PluralEyes, HOS has lots of great scripts for Vegas Pro.
https://tools4vegas.com/home/

[Pete Cofrancesco]

Originally Posted by Philip Ulanowsky

Thank you, everyone. I truly appreciate your help.

The corrosion in the cylinder is such that the interior surfaces would need, I think special tools.It took me 15minutes just to open it. I tried to remove the negative-end battery spring, in case that would allow me to remove the rest of the assembly at that end for cleaning, but I could not succeed. That, I believe, where the problem is located that has disabled the mic, and therefore, I don't think a different power source would work -- the bridge is out, so to speak.

I don't have a source for phantom power. My Zoom is an H2, which lacks the XLR inputs of the 4 and higher models. Also, having once had to use wild sound on an event shoot and trying to sync it later with the camcorder's was not something I'd like to have to do again. Syncing at the beginning did not last, and I'm not a pro editor and made lots of mistakes while cutting that required even further re-syncing. I can't afford Premiere Pro with its built-in feature (I got a Vegas 18 upgrade from Move studio when it was ridiculously cheap last year but have barely used it; I don't think it has a syncing feature), nor can I afford "ClearEyes" (?) syncing application. In any case, I would still need to replace the 55 or settle for the 44's and give up the possibility of two-person interviews.

I will try calling Sony; I couldn't find anything relevant on their site. Probably someone has the comparative specs; I coudn't locate them in previous web searches, hence my post here.

- You'd be better off getting a used one off ebay rather than trying to repair it.

- Audio that goes out of sync is called drift. Most often this can be avoided by recording in the same sample rate as the camera 48khz

- Used XLR recorders or mixers can be had for very little. Zoom H4N is around $80. Otherwise I'd use two pocket recorders like the Zoom H1 with mini mics that don't require phantom power.

[Rick Reineke]

I concur with Pete, find a pre-owned ECM-55, You can still use the current one, if you have a wireless mic system or non-XLR recorder,. Just chop off the damaged power module and solder on the pertinent plug. The transmitter or recorder typically supplies the needed 'bias current' (aka, 'Plug in power') in lieu of the power module.

[Paul R Johnson]

On the plural eyes front, I had it when it first came out, but never used it. I carry on syncing routinely 3 or 4 cameras and two audio tracks manually and it really is NOT an issue. Just needs a routine. A simple hand clap, beginning or end or both if you know it’s going to be prone to you accidentally messing up sync. One in the middle can also be useful. Number one rule, hit record on everything, cams and audio, then only turn them off when it’s done. Memory cards are cheap, disc space easy now. Bring them into the editor and line them up by eye using the waveform spike. Yesterday’s sync took maybe a minute? Four video tracks and two audio tracks. Things like plural eyes work really well if your camera and audio folk keep pressing stop! Grrrrrrrr