FOCUSRITE SAFFIRE 6 (inserting a jack switches from Mic to either Line or Instrument

[bb17]

Hi there
i have a Behringer c3 microphone connected to a focusrite saffire 6 via xlr to jack . jack into the focusrite.
But i have no phantom power/pre amp going to the behringer.
Is this because i am using a jack!
i read that inserting a jack switches from Mic to line or instrument and i guess with no phantom power!
will i need to change it to xlr to xlr?
please advise
many thanks

 

[Bobbsy]

This is because you're using a jack. On the vast majority of interfaces, including yours, XLR is for microphone and quarter inch jacks are for line or instrument level. The quarter inch jacks either bypass the mic pre amps or switch in a pad.

FYI, it would be dangerous for your mic to put phantom power on a jack. With an XLR, all three pins connect at the same instant but, with a TRS jack, the tip and ring can end up making contact with the "wrong" contacts on the way in, feeding the phantom that exists on both the tip and ring incorrectly into the mic for a brief instant.