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Author Topic: How to connect condensed Mic to PC mono mic Input Demetris Thoupis Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1240 From: Aradippou, Larnaca, Cyprus Registered: Apr 2001 posted 11-12-2009 04:07 PM                     What is the correct way to make an adaptor for connecting a condensed microphone to a pc mono mic input. I want to try an RTA sofware and I don't want to damage something. Demetris  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 11-12-2009 04:54 PM                       FWIW, it's condenser mic, not condensed. Condenser being the old term for capacitor, which is how the mic works (it's pickup element is essentially a capacitor). Depending on the mic you have, it may require 48V phantom power down the line, or it may use an internal battery. If it uses a battery, you should be good to go - just be prepared for higher levels on the input. Phantom power would be trickier and I don't have a quick answer for that.  |  IP: Logged Greg Anderson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 766 From: Ogden Valley, Utah Registered: Nov 1999 posted 11-12-2009 04:59 PM                        It might be a lot cheaper/easier to just get a microphone made for the PC. But if you insist on putting a professional-level microphone (like a condenser mic which probably has an XLR connector) into a PC then you can get pre-amps with USB or Firewire interfaces and that'll give you some pretty high quality sound. It might help us to give you advice if you tell us the model of microphone. I'm not sure what "RTA software" means.  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 11-12-2009 05:07 PM                       RTA = Real-Time Analyzer  |  IP: Logged Ian Parfrey Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1049 From: Imbil Australia 26 deg 27' 42.66" S 152 deg 42' 23.40" E Registered: Feb 2009 posted 11-12-2009 05:46 PM                     I'll guess that the easiest way would be through microphone mixer with phantom supply and unbalanced output...assuming that the PC has an unbalanced mic input. I think Behringer make such units.  |  IP: Logged Marin Zorica Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 671 From: Biograd na Moru, Croatia Registered: May 2003 posted 11-12-2009 06:28 PM                     Most measurement microphones work on 12-15V also, so on sound card mic input you also have voltage for it, tip is signal hot (input) ring is power....about 12V and slave is ground....so, if you have XLR on mic go this way: GND from PC to no 1 and 3 of mic XLR TIP to 2 of mic XLR via cca 4uF cond Slave to 2 via 2k resistor This cond and resistor are all ready in mic input....but newer know are they in all....so better to put them, than to kill sound card input.  |  IP: Logged Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 11-12-2009 07:11 PM                        Would the microphone input even be good enough for such a task? Those things usually aren't built to the best of quality and feature distortion galore, especially on laptops.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-13-2009 08:31 AM                        PSC Audio and others make inline phantom power (and T-power) supplies for connecting microphones to preamps that don't supply it. They work fine. A USB interface/preamp with phantom power would probably be simpler, though.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-13-2009 11:23 AM                     The USB pre is an excellent unit it is supplied with the D2 also there is a good unit called Maudio which I have used for recording be carefull most measurement mics are phantomed at 9-12v not the 48 volt of studio mics I have used my d2 mics for recording and Tim provided a set of adapters to protect the mic  |  IP: Logged Robert Minichino Master Film Handler Posts: 350 From: Haskell, NJ, USA Registered: Dec 2005 posted 11-13-2009 03:55 PM                        The MXL Mic Mate is excellent; it's a USB-powered microphone preamp with 48V phantom power. It has an XLR jack on one end and a USB jack on the other, and it has three fixed gain settings, which is good if you calibrate your microphone in software.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-13-2009 05:45 PM                     http://www.m-audio.ca/products/en_ca/MobilePreUSB.html http://www.sounddevices.com/products/usbpremaster.htm  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 11-18-2009 09:31 PM                        quote: Gordon McLeod I have used my d2 mics for recording and Tim provided a set of adapters to protect the mic What adapters? Don't you connect the mics through the multiplexer when you use your D2?  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 11-19-2009 07:15 AM                     yes i do but i sometimes use the mics by themselves for recording directly into the usb pre and the 48v phantom would fry them  |  IP: Logged Michael Schaffer "Where is the Boardwalk Hotel?" Posts: 4143 From: Boston, MA Registered: Apr 2002 posted 11-19-2009 09:21 PM                        That sounds like a good idea also when you want to just set up one mic, e.g. for a quick check, but I suspect the displayed SPL reading in the software would be totally off then as the level will be much lower than what you get from the multiplexer.  |  IP: Logged

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