how to get normal micophone to work?

[fletch88]

does anyone know how to get a normal microphone to work through a recording soundcard? im using the audiophile 2496. i mean a normal 5$ mic that i could just plug into the input of my old basic creative soundcard.

 

[zacanger]

::Blink:: Sure, get an adapter from Radio Shack that changes it from the XLR or 1/4" end to a 1/8" plug. It'll cost you a dollar, but if you're willing to put that out then you can manage to get a... sound.

 

[Reggie]

The soundblaster cards have some kind of primitive, terrible little mic preamp on the "mic input" jack. The 2496 does not bother with such a thing. You will need to plug your mic into a mic preamp, and out of that into the 2496. You could get an RCA adapter to interface the mic directly into the 2496, but I doubt you will get enough signal to do much.

 

[fletch88]

i have a peavey mixer with inbuilt preamp going into the soundcard

i have a condenser microphone, but here im trying to say is that i want to be able to use a normal microphone with msn messenger, and webcam etc

i tried putting it through the mixer but it detects no sound on msn or webcam lol

 

[XLR]

A "Normal" microphone to most here means a lowZ mic with an XLR balanced output. It seems that "normal" as you're using the term refers to a highZ unbalanced computer mic. ????

Tim

 

[Reggie]

i tried putting it through the mixer but it detects no sound on msn or webcam lol

What doesn't detect any sound? The 2496 control panel mixer? If you are seeing levels there, then you just have to figure out how to make windows use the 2496 input for its voice stuff. Try ControlPanel>Sounds>Audio or Voice recording/playback. Select the 2496 inputs.

 

[PinkNoise]

So what's "normal" ? ? ?

It seems that "normal" as you're using the term refers to a highZ unbalanced computer mic.

Computer mics are NOT highZ. They are usually electrets and require a supply voltage which is provided on the (mono) mic input of the sound card. They would work well into inputs Z's of around 600 ~ 1000 ohms.

(High impedance mics are usually 50K-ohm, and are dynamic - moving coil or ribbon. Crystal or ceramic mics would also be called highZ. These are the sort of mics which used to plug straight into the grid of a tube amplifier or tube tape recorder.)

 

[XLR]

Computer mics are NOT highZ. They are usually electrets and require a supply voltage which is provided on the (mono) mic input of the sound card. They would work well into inputs Z's of around 600 ~ 1000 ohms.

(High impedance mics are usually 50K-ohm, and are dynamic - moving coil or ribbon. Crystal or ceramic mics would also be called highZ. These are the sort of mics which used to plug straight into the grid of a tube amplifier or tube tape recorder.)

Defining "high impedance" as differentiated from "medium impedence" isn't the point. The point is that mic's used by 99% of those posting to discussions in the mic forum are low Z balanced mic's.

Tim

 

[PinkNoise]

Tim:

Point 1 - Your first sentence is not disputed.

Point 2 - Your second sentence is incorrect.

Point 3 - Love your recordings!

 

[cannabis]

the "normal " mic

that you plug into the computer soudcard

as pinknoise points out

requires a voltage to function

which is supplied by the mic input

on the "normal" soundcard that

most computers are given at birth



the 2496 only accepts

"abnormal inputs"



if you still have your original soundcard

use its mic input with the computer mic

there's no point i can think of

in using the computer mic

with any better equipment

to capture it's crap sound



if you want to use the 2496

to record from a mic

you'll need to use an "abnormal mic"

(which means just about any non-computer mic)

plugged into a preamp or a small mixer

(which can be had for well under $100)

which is then plugged into

one of the line inputs

on the 2496



in life, you will learn

never to mix the normal

with the abnormal

as results will normally be

abnormal

 

[fletch88]

lol i would use the creative one but i have no slots left in my pc

 

[RAK]

i have a peavey mixer with inbuilt preamp going into the soundcard

i have a condenser microphone, but here im trying to say is that i want to be able to use a normal microphone with msn messenger, and webcam etc

i tried putting it through the mixer but it detects no sound on msn or webcam lol

Well first of all, why not just connect your "computer mic" (as I will refer to it) directly to your Audiofile. Why use a mixer at all for that?

Actually why do you want to run the "computer mic" through the Audiofile at all? Are you using it to record? Why not just plug the computer mic in through your on-board sound card, and use that for MSN messenger, and then use the Audiofile for recording??

Also if your computer mic is battery powered, make sure the battery is good.