I'm new... help with SE2000 mic.

[Jonathyn]

Hello. I just joined. I hope you are all well.
So... I need some help with this SE2000 mic I just borrowed off a friend. A question; does it require specific hardware and/or additional computer software for it to give sound since my friend tells me he's never had any sound from it since he bought it, so i'm thinking maybe it's faulty. And if it's not, surely I should get sound from it by plugging it into my computer's mic socket with everything configured correctly? Cos i'm confused about this mic, I can't get anything from it.
I did try another studio mic, not a pro one, in my computer a few weeks ago and also got no sound thru it.
My computer's sound isn't very advanced, I only have a sound device on my motherboard with three sockets to use, but I should be getting a new mobo and soundcard pretty soon. Maybe my sound device isn't advanced enough to use the SE2000. Someone please help. Someone who's used or uses a SE2000 would be great.


Thanks.


*Ah damn. Had some trouble with adding the post to the forum, so there's two, sorry.

 

[guitar zero]

Your mic requires phantom power. You either need to get a phantom power box, or an audio interface of some kind that supplies phantom power through the mic inputs. You can get em cheap. Just search on musicians friend, or if you have a guitar center close by, just go ask them for help. They'll have something that works in any price range.

 

[guitar zero]

This is about as cheap as you'll get. The price goes up from here
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Nady-SMPS1X-Phantom-Power-Supply?sku=180162

 

[jaz49]

I may be mistaken, but I think that even with a power supply, you're going to need some kind of external preamp. The mic preamp that's on your computer soundcard is not going to be very good I don't imagine(if you plan on plugging the mic into the mic input in the soundcard). But you will get sound out of the mic that way if you provide phantom power. If you have a line in on the soundcard you could get something like the m-audio audio buddy(I think that's the name). It's one of the cheapest preamps...and it has phantom power. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/MAudio-Audio-Buddy?sku=701104

 

[jaz49]

On second though, after reading the reviews on musiciansfriend(which were very mixed), you might be better off with a cheap mixer that has mic preamps and phantom power. An audio interface will also have phantom power and one or more preamps. I use the emu 0404 usb interface and bypass my computer's crappy soundcard totally(since it converts the audio signal to digital and goes into one of the computer's usb port).

 

[Jonathyn]

Thanks so much.

Thanks for helping guys. My friend also has a pre-amp lying around that might do the job, i'll get that off him and try the mic with it. And what's the difference between 'phantom power' and a pre-amp? I shall try the pre-amp very soon.

 

[Terfyn]

Phantom Power is a power supply, usually built into pre-amps or mixers, to supply +48 volts to the circuitry in the microphone itself. Phantom Power is used to operate condenser type mics BUT is not required for Dynamic mics.
Most mics requiring Phantom Power will be fitted with an XLR style socket BUT again Dynamic mics can also have this socket - so be warned!
The only mic I could find that matches your description is the SE Electronics SE2200A, a condensdr mic that requires 48 v phantom power.

 

[Jonathyn]

Got the M-Audio Mobile Pre-USB pre-amp with phantom power.

So yeah, SE2000 mic, and M-Audio Pre-USB pre-amp with phantom power hooked up now. The mic is plugged into the pre-amp in the Inst/Line in Channel 1 with a 3/4 inch jack, is this what I should be doing? Cos if not, I need to buy a new 3 pin male to female cable, and the pre-amp is into a USB socket in the computer.
I installed the drivers for the pre-amp USB sound, and i've fiddled around in windows and in the driver control panel and still can't get no sound from the mic at all. It's seems pretty esoteric to me, getting this mic working. If someone could help so kindly at this step also it would be great, just like before. Thanks for all the replies already people.

 

[Randy Yell]

If your using a mic cable that ends in a quarter inch plug you need to get a cable that has an xlr plug instead and plug it into the mic input on the mobile pre and make sure the phantom power switch is on. if you plug into the instr/line input the mic isn't getting phantom power

 

[Jonathyn]

Thanks.

Ok, thank you. I shall buy an XLR cable next week.

 

[Jonathyn]

XLR Cable.

I didn't have to buy one, my friend had one for the mic, hehe. I'm getting a signal now, as shown on the pre-amp and I can record sound in audacity but I can't get any sound to play back on my speakers from this mic. I've been messing around in the audio control panels a lot for both Windows and the M-Audio Moblie Pre-USB pre-amp and I can't get anything. This is going to the stage where it's difficult to get help for I assume, but please try anyway. Thanks.

 

[guitar zero]

Jonathyn,

Not sure what you're trying to do. Are you trying to get a live mic sound to your speakers, or are you trying to record the sound and then play it back through your speakers? If the latter, what is your recording software?

 

[Jonathyn]

I can already record vocals and then get it to play back, but what i'm also trying to do is get a live sound thru the speakers, that's what I can't figure out how to do.