questions about mics

A

assflip@aol.com

New member
Ok the question is.. Do drum mics come in 1/4" inputs? That was the whole question going back to choosing a multitrack recorder because most recorders have little imputs (well the ones i were looking at being at my price range $850 boss 1180, tascam 788 etc etc) If these drum mics do come in 1/4" inputs im looking at the Zoom MRS 1266 which has 6 1/4" inputs so i can record drum tracks and has everything i need (usb support =])
 
There are adapters that will allow you to plug an XLR mic into the 1/4" jacks. Just make sure you are matching the impedance correctly. If you don't have phantom power, stick with dynamic mics or self powered condensers.
 
Not a good idea -- using those inline transformers WILL mess with your sound quality, and with the already-limited capability of those on-board multitrack pres, you can't afford to degrade the signal chain further....

Get yourself a external mic or two....
 
[email]assflip@aol.com[/email] said:
Ok the question is.. Do drum mics come in 1/4" inputs?
Click to expand...

Ok, the answer is no.

Microphones with XLR connectors are normally prefered for recording. But you can buy XLR to 1/4" cables or adapters.
 
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i've been able to get 1/4 inch cables. just go to the store and ask for an xlr to 1/4. the xlr goes in the mic and the 1/4 inch in the mixer. if you cant find any then just get the adapter
 
I'm sure Blue Bear knows more than I do, but I was able to get OK results with the 1/4" to XLR cables. Just keep the cables short.
 
Many of the recorders on the market use 1/4" jacks as a connection. All you need to do is use a mic cable to change the XLR end at the mic to a 1/4" jack at the recorder end. You can buy them pre made or make them yourself.

a 1/4" jack can still be a balanced jack. if this is the case then its no different to using an XLR at each end in terms of noise and interference. Just look at the connectors on the recorder, and they will state whether they are balanced or unbalanced. The cable itself will have 3 segments at the 1/4" end, like a stereo plug. an unbalanced cable will have two segments, like a mono plug.

Dr_S.
 
You cannot simply change the connector..........

Most mics with XLR connections are ow-impedance devices -- the on-board pres of most budget multitracks expect a high-impedance load.

The resulting impedance mismatch using a low-impedance mic on a high-impedance input WILL absolutely degrade the signal terms of frequency response and signal level.
 
Blue Bear is right. What you need between the mic and the 1/4" balanced jack is not an adapter, it's a preamp. You don't just change a low impedence mic signal to line level with an adapter/transformer. If you could do that, we'd all throw out our preamps and save a lot of money. By and large, budget multitrackers are not made to accept a bunch of signals simultaneiusly. That's what mixers are for. Get a good mixer, plug your multiple mics into it, and send the main out to 2 line level inputs. Just make sure you match the line level. Most budget recorders are looking for a -10dBV signal, which you can get off the "tape out" jacks on your mixer.-Richie
 
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