Cheap small microphone for quick on the road recording

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_brian_

_brian_

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Hi everyone, I bought a small cheap microphone for my laptop for recording on the go, this mic plugs into the small stereo jack in my laptop and works perfectly.

However, even using asio4all with settings for low latency there is a notible delay which prevents me from using it.

I have a behringer uca usb soundcard which i tried to connect to this laptop microphone but no matter what i tryed it wouldn't work.

I even beared a female jack which i connected to the small mic, and a phono plug which i connected to the usb soundcard. I tried all variations of connection but it would not work.

So, I'm stuck. I want an inexpensive mic i can connect directly to a phono socket on my behringer sound card as i cannot use the mic i just bought. It has to be small for travelling - any ideas?

Cheers :)
 
The problem you are having is because you have no pre-amp. A microphone puts out a very weak signal so it needs a pre-amp to bring it to line level. Your built in soundcard has a pre-amp (a bad one) so that's why the mic worked directly into your card. Through the Behringer though, it is too weak. You could:
1) buy a small preamp
2) buy an inteface with a built in preamp
A very cheap preamp would be something like this:| Microphone Preamps at zZounds
A different interface something like this:Tascam US122 MK-II USB Audio Interface at zZounds
These are just suggestions, there are tons to choose from, good luck
 
Your current mic is a typical PC mic. It draws a couple of volts power from the soundcard. It works. Soundcards detect what kind of source is attached and change behavior accordingly.

It doesn't work with the Behri, cause the Behri is line level. And no power. Entirely different world. So you could get a pro interface, or a mic preamp to use with the Behri. But you 'd also need a new mic.

You have a certain level now. How high do you want to go?
 
brian,

I use a Zoom H4. I don't even have to carry my computer with me. I can use the mics on the Zoom or cable two of my mics in. The Zoom transfers the wav files to my computer with a USB cable. It is also an audio interface.

There are other brands of flash recorder some even smaller than my Zoom. Some cheaper. I haven't used them but I use my Zoom a lot and I broadcast the recordings on the radio. So it's good quality.

Thanks,

Hairy Larry
 
Thanks for your replies everyone, but I have no problem connecting other microphones to the uca. The problem is they are far too bulky to carry around - I have far too much with me as it is. All I do for a low signal is boost using an overdrive plugin - this gives me plenty signal so there is no need for a preamp.

I also use a lot of midi on the road, so something like the zoom would not do what i need it to do.

I've tried connecting laptop mics to a pro audio setup before and recieved zero signal, not a low signal - zero with nothing to boost. This was to experiment with different sounds.

I wonder if laptop microphones are not truly dynamic and require some power to operate? This would explain the zero signal no matter the polarity of connection to the uca.

Cheers everyone.
 
_brian_ said:
Thanks for your replies everyone, but I have no problem connecting other microphones to the uca. The problem is they are far too bulky to carry around - I have far too much with me as it is. All I do for a low signal is boost using an overdrive plugin - this gives me plenty signal so there is no need for a preamp.

I also use a lot of midi on the road, so something like the zoom would not do what i need it to do.

I've tried connecting laptop mics to a pro audio setup before and recieved zero signal, not a low signal - zero with nothing to boost. This was to experiment with different sounds.

I wonder if laptop microphones are not truly dynamic and require some power to operate? This would explain the zero signal no matter the polarity of connection to the uca.

Cheers everyone.
Click to expand...

Your current mic is a typical PC mic. It draws a couple of volts power from the soundcard. It works. Soundcards detect what kind of source is attached and change behavior accordingly.

It doesn't work with the Behri, cause the Behri is line level. And no power. Entirely different world. So you could get a pro interface, or a mic preamp to use with the Behri. But you 'd also need a new mic.
Click to expand...

Sometimes, actually reading the answers helps...

Most PC mics are small electrets and need from 2 to 5V to operate. I've never even seen a dynamic mic in that application. A decent dynamic is much bigger and more expensive than an electret.
 
PC mics are generally electret mics. They need voltage. Cheap soundcards and some recorders provide this current. In the ballpark of 3V to 9V depending on what is giving it power. You need either an interface with plug in power (PIP). Or a battery box to supply the power to use that mic on an interface that doesn't provide the power. I have a giant squid mini-mono and a battery box. With my laptops integrated soundcard I DO NOT need the battery box (but things are better with it). With my USB based mobile pre I DO need the battery box or I get nothing. Well, if you cram it halfway down a trumpet bell and play as loud as you humanly can and add almost 50dB gain to the resulting track, you can hear something related to the source, sort of. But still basically nothing without the plug in power.

Dollar for dollar you might find a Zoom H1 or other device more suitable at the same price. Battery box's can run $60+, unless you DIY your own. For that plus the $10 for the mic, you could have gotten something else. And mics that require this power generally have a higher noise floor than most other mics. Which makes them ill suited for a lot of purposes. But they're cheap-ish.
 
And the Zoom is an interface which means it will work with your computer DAW, midi, etc. As well as working for stand alone field recording.
 
Sometimes, actually reading the answers helps...
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wow, we have found a class A dickhead by the looks of things

your answer was unsufficiant in explanation for someone who is not 100% tech savvy, so learn to explain better before being a smart ass.

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thanks for that answer shadow, very helpful
 
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