![panasonic wm-61a electret condenser microphone panasonic wm-61a electret condenser microphone](https://www.linkwitzlab.com/images/graphics/microph1.gif)
Cutting the trace is the easier part of the job. On the photo above you can see a modded capsule next to the stock capsules. You’ll need a sharp blade, xacto knife or something similar. Make sure you get more than one capsule, as it’s easy to screw up and destroy a capsule in the process. The second problem is that the casing is made of aluminum and it’s difficult, almost impossible to solder to. They are hard handle, hard to cut, hard to solder and easy to lose.
![panasonic wm-61a electret condenser microphone panasonic wm-61a electret condenser microphone](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81kK-xgWOlL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)
It may look big on photos, but in reality 6mm is very small. The first problem is that the capsule itself is tiny. In theory, this sounds pretty easy, right? Well, it’s not that easy □. Then we can solder two leads to the terminals and the third lead to the capsule casing. That involves some precision surgery on the capsule and cutting a thin copper trace that connects one of the two terminals with the capsule casing. According to Linkwitz, much better performance can be obtained from this capsule if we break this connection, wire the capsule with three leads and bias the FET ourselves. In other words, the FET will operate in common source mode. WM-61A capsules have an integrated FET that has its source terminal hard-wired to the capsule casing, which means that it will be grounded when wired with two leads as intended. WM-61A based microphone can be built for less than $20, so it was a great introductory project into the world of mics for me. You can still find some on the eBay (together with a bunch of Chinese clones advertised as the real thing), but there are also good alternatives, such as Primo capsules. Unfortunately, like with some other components that are loved by the DIY community (J201 FETS come to mind), they are discontinued by Panasonic. WM-61A capsules are praised for their super flat response and good signal-to-noise ratio. Projects built around Panasonic WM-61A electret ( datasheet) capsules are on the top of the results when you search for cheap but decent mics. Saying nothing to my son, I let him test them out for himself, he said the quality was, " better than the original!" Even a few of his friends commented on the clarity.I needed a simple (and cheap) microphone with flat frequency response and decent noise level to record acoustic guitar. When I compared it to the pre microphone change recording, I was shocked how much better over the original recording sounded. Although the Corsair headset came out on top in the test. By coincidence, we did a sound quality test on four different microphone headsets my son had purch ased. Suppression, sound and fidelity seemed very good. I tested microphone just using Microsoft's sound recorder. Soldering was inevitably fiddly, making sure positive lead didn't earth onto chassis, but it was still manageable with standard soldering iron and magnifying glass. After a few continuity test of circuits and wiring, I ordered this product including a spare. With the headset costing nearly £100, it was worth the gamble to replace the microphone for a mere £4.
![panasonic wm-61a electret condenser microphone panasonic wm-61a electret condenser microphone](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/~akAAOSwlw5gsmpu/s-l225.jpg)
My son was complaining of severe crackling when speaking to his friends.
#Panasonic wm 61a electret condenser microphone pro
I purchased this product to replace the microphone in the Corsair void pro Rgv headset.