Hi, I have a laptop computer that I want to plug my microphone into, but I want a 1/4 in. cord, and my computer only has a 1/8 in. connection. Is there a kind of adaptor I can get for this, or what??? Also, I don't know if anyone would know about this, but I'll ask anyways, just in case: I've been trying to write music by playing on a MIDI keyboard, but the program I'm using is ridiculously accurate down to a dotted 108th note. No living human being can obviously keep it that accurate with a metronome, so I'm wondering what the trick to it is, or if I maybe just have a really bad program (it's Voyetra MusicWrite Songwriter Ed.) I know that's kind of off-topic, but...well, I would appreciate any help with either of these questions. Thanks!
1/4 in. cord, 1/8 in. connection
- Thread starter sarahb760
- Start date
AlChuck
Well-known member
That might not work, depending on your mic. Those Mic In jacks have a small preamp but it's designed to work with those little plastic electret condensor mics. Even if you can get a decent level, the preamp is pretty bad. You are much better off coming out of a mic preamp or mixer with a line level signal into one side of the Line In (which is a stereo jack).
The other issue is often improved with a feature called quantizing. This forces the notes you play to fall on certain subdivisions that are sensible, like 16th notes or eighth note triplets, and that will help you clean it up for notational purposes. Even so, it might take some hand editing to make it right. I find the notation capabliities of SONAR inadequate for making any useable lead sheets; Band In A Box is a bit better; I don't know how good or bad your software might be. For serious composers something like Sibelius or Finale is probably the best way to go, though pricey...
The other issue is often improved with a feature called quantizing. This forces the notes you play to fall on certain subdivisions that are sensible, like 16th notes or eighth note triplets, and that will help you clean it up for notational purposes. Even so, it might take some hand editing to make it right. I find the notation capabliities of SONAR inadequate for making any useable lead sheets; Band In A Box is a bit better; I don't know how good or bad your software might be. For serious composers something like Sibelius or Finale is probably the best way to go, though pricey...
Uh...ok...maybe I should have mentioned I'm very new at recording music, so I don't know much of anything about microphones and stuff like that. The one I have is a Marshall Electronics V57M Studio Condenser Microphone and it came with no cable. I was planning on maybe getting a 1/8 inch so I wouldn't have to try and figure out all this other complicated stuff, but I haven't found one, and then I've also heard that they're kind of poor quality. All I want, basically, is a cable that will plug into my computer and still give me good quality. Other than that, I'm basically clueless 
I have never used midi, so I have no answers there.
As far as the microphone is concerned you need one of these adaptors:
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog_name=CTLG&product_id=274-366
(if link didn't work go to www.radioshack.com and the produce number is 274-366)
Plug it into the microphone input on your laptop and your set to go.
As far as the microphone is concerned you need one of these adaptors:
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog_name=CTLG&product_id=274-366
(if link didn't work go to www.radioshack.com and the produce number is 274-366)
Plug it into the microphone input on your laptop and your set to go.
AlChuck
Well-known member
I'm sorry but sae is missing a very important condsideration -- a condenso micrphone like the one you have requires a source of power for the condesor elemt to function, This is know as phantom power. It's a standard thing to supply this power to the mic via an XLR microphone cable from the preamp or mixer the mic is plugged into. Any mic pre or mixer worth its salt provides this power; but the little 1/8" jack for those computer mics does not.
So the only way for you to get that to work is via a phantom-power equipped preamp or mixer channel and then send the line level signal that rsults into the Line In of the soundcard. You'll need a standard XLR mic cable to connect the mic to the input and probably a cable with one 1/8" stereo plug on one end to two 1/4" mono plugs on the other to take the line level signal from the preamp or mixer to the computer.
So the only way for you to get that to work is via a phantom-power equipped preamp or mixer channel and then send the line level signal that rsults into the Line In of the soundcard. You'll need a standard XLR mic cable to connect the mic to the input and probably a cable with one 1/8" stereo plug on one end to two 1/4" mono plugs on the other to take the line level signal from the preamp or mixer to the computer.
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AlChuck
Well-known member
The Mobile Pre USB and others by M-Audio that might do the job can be looked at here:
http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=products.list&ID=mobileinterfaces
Most music stores carry M-Audio stuff...
There are other similar units from Tascam, Edirol, etc.
But you can also just get a small preamp like the ART Tube MP or the M-Audio Audio Buddy and use that with the existing laptop soundcard. That would keep your costs down to around $100 or so...
http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=products.list&ID=mobileinterfaces
Most music stores carry M-Audio stuff...
There are other similar units from Tascam, Edirol, etc.
But you can also just get a small preamp like the ART Tube MP or the M-Audio Audio Buddy and use that with the existing laptop soundcard. That would keep your costs down to around $100 or so...