How to use cheap PC mic with M-Audo Firewire Solo?

[benhome]

Hokay, I've got this cheesy little lapel microphone with a 1/8" jack that I can plug into my laptop's microphone input and it records just fine.

I bought an M-Audio Firewire Solo that has an XLR mic input on the front an two UNBALANCED inputs on the back. When I connect the cheesy mic to the UNBALANCED input (using a 1/8" to 1/4" adapter), I get no sound - nothing to record here.

Why? Shouldn't I at least get a faint sound? Would it work if I used a 1/8" to XLR adapter and plugged it into the XLR input?

Thanks for your help!

[Sorry if this reposts, I've been having lots of problems posting this - PHP errors, etc.]

 

[Minion]

Your Laptop supplies 5v to the Mic to power it and it will not work without and if you use the +48v Phantom power on the Firepod you will probably Burn it out before it makes a sound.....

Those PC Mics use a cheap electret condenser Capsule that needs at least 1.5v to opperate and under 10v as more than that and you will most likely burn it out.....

If you have some electronics knowlege then you could easilly wire up a Battery Box to power the Mic but without that power the Mic will not work.....



Good luck

 

[notCardio]

You can't do it

The point of getting an external mic pre is so that you can use mics better than a pc mic. Pc mics are made for the pc mic input. Pc mic inputs are made for pc mics. 'Regular' audio industry mics are meant for regular mic pres. Regular mic pres are meant for regular mics.

Not exactly an elegant explanation, but correct nonetheless.

If you want to use a crappy pc mic, use the crappy pc mic input. If you want to use your M-Audio pre instead (highly recommended), you will need something other than a pc mic.

 

[notCardio]

Also

the unbalanced input is really for instruments, like an electric guitar, or maybe the output from a (piano or synth-type) keyboard, although I would think that would be a line level signal. I'd have to look up the Solo to see the inputs.

 

[benhome]

It's a mini mic - like a lavalier - that I'm going to use for recording a spoken presentation for work. I could buy a $100 lavalier mic, but I'd rather not, because it would come out of my pocket. Otherwise, I'd just use a regular XLR-equipped mic.

 

[notCardio]

OK, I looked it up.

You have one 1/4" input on the front that's meant for electric guitar or bass, and a couple of line ins on the back, meant for line level signals, such as the output from a mixer, tape deck, cd deck, or synth-type keyboard.

You need a new mic, my friend. And absolutley anything in the regular mic world, now matter how cheap, will be a big step up from a pc mic.

 

[notCardio]

OK, sorry

I didn't notice the lapel mic part.

I don't know squat about lapel mics, so I'll shut up now.


Just for the record, I'm still betting it's a pc-type, though.

 

[benhome]

Looks like I'm going to have to go with some MP3 player with an external mic input. Anyone have a recommendation for one - which is not discontinued, like the iRiver iFPs?

 

[danny.guitar]

For speaking, the mic in on your soundcard should be okay...I don't really see any alternative.

Using an MP3 player?

I would imagine the mic in on your soundcard would be better than that?

 

[benhome]

The stock sound card on the laptop sounds bad - lots of electronic noise. Actually, there are a few good MP3 players for field recording. One in particular, the iRiver IFP-7xx series has a microphone-in jack and records exceptionally well. The drawback is that they don't make them anymore, and none of iRiver's new, improved units have the mic-in - les batards. I'm now trying to find an iRiver alternative and have it in-hand by Monday morning.

 

[Nick98338]

Just a quick thought... You added the M-Audio card. You have really added a second audio card to your computer. The first one is the one built into the laptop. It was active while you were using it, before you added the M-Audio. Usually, only one audio card can be active at any one time. You can't have the laptop's internal audio card and the M-Audio active at the same time. So, did you disable the laptop's built-in audio card, and enable the M-Audio?

 

[mshilarious]

You *can* adapt a PC mic to work with phantom power, but you'd need to drop in a few electronic components in somewhere. While you are at Radio Shack shopping for those, why not just see if they have a lav mic that will plug into the XLR or unbalanced input?

 

[notCardio]

How about

the MSH-Lav1O?

 

[benhome]

Yeah - there's a mic that would work that costs $100, but then what do I do with it? I don't use it at all at home, and as I said, it is coming out of my pocket. $100 for a one-time use. So if I'm going to buy something, I might as well buy an MP3 player that I'll use at home.

Actually, you can use two sound cards at once. You can use one for recording and the other for playback, but that's not why the sound is bad on the internal card. The sound is bad because they don't put quality sound cards in [Ed. Wintel] laptops (and this ain't no Mac).

 

[notCardio]

Or maybe

the sound is bad because the cheap lapel mic sucks? Because my guess would be that the quality of the internal soundcard, bad as it may be, is as good as that mic.

 

[notCardio]

Why

do you have to use a lav mic? Why can't you use a regular mic? Are you going to be on camera? If not, is there anyone you can borrow a mic from?

 

[mshilarious]

the MSH-Lav1O?

There is one, but I don't have it listed on the site right now.

 

[benhome]

I think the mic is good enough. The lame sound card sounds bad even with a good quality mic. The lavalier is necessary - it will be clipped to someone walking and talking over a 4-day period. I don't know anyone with a lavalier, unfortunately.

 

[notCardio]

You've got to be kidding me!

There is one, but I don't have it listed on the site right now.

I guess I should have known better. What, were you bored or something?

Even if it's not listed, is it available for sale?

 

[mshilarious]

I guess I should have known better. What, were you bored or something?

Even if it's not listed, is it available for sale?

Not at the moment, maybe again next year.