HackField
Signal adapter and power supply enabling the SoundField MK-V to operate without its original proprietary amplifier unit.
The SoundField MK-V is a classic tetrahedral ambisonic microphone whose standard configuration requires a dedicated rack-mount amplifier — a large, bulky unit that is long out of production and difficult to obtain. HackField replaces it with a compact signal adapter and power supply, giving the MK-V a practical second life with modern audio interfaces.
The team began by reverse-engineering the original amplifier: opening the housing, mapping the 12-pin Tuchel connector, and measuring all signal and power voltages. The connector carries four A-format capsule signals (LB, LF, RF, RB) and a ±16V power line (pin 11: +16.6V, pin 10: −16.2V, pin 12: ground).
Interior of the original SoundField MK-V amplifier, reverse-engineered to map the signal and power routing.
Signal adapter. A custom 12-pin plug body was designed in CAD and 3D-printed in multiple size variants to accommodate real-world pin tolerances of the Tuchel connector. The adapter splits the four capsule channels and the power line to five standard 3-pin XLR connectors, enabling direct connection to any standard audio interface.
Completed splitter: 12-pin Tuchel plug to five 3-pin XLR connectors (LB, LF, RF, RB, POWER).
Power supply. A compact mains-powered supply was built around a toroidal transformer (2×24V AC) feeding an AVT1882 rectifier board to generate the required ±16V DC. The finished unit measures approximately 30% of the volume and 20% of the mass of the original amplifier, housed in a compact enclosure with XLR output.
Interior of the custom power supply: toroidal transformer and AVT1882 rectifier board delivering ±16V DC.
The complete system was verified against the original amplifier output and confirmed to produce clean A-format signals compatible with standard audio interfaces. Presented at the AES Europe 2025 Student Project Expo (Warsaw, May 2025).
HackField poster at the AES Europe 2025 Student Project Expo.
Live microphone demo at the AES Europe 2025 Student Project Expo — attendees able to listen to the MK-V running through the HackField adapter.
Student project led by G. Goliński, with S. Rohde, K. Rutkowski, and K. Symonowicz (KSMM 2024/2025).