Mic into sound card?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Al Sim
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Al Sim

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I have a mic and Cakewalk Guitar Tracks on order. If I buy the Radio Shack impedance adapter reccomended by Dragon, and adapt it down to 1/8", can I plug the mic into the mic input on the back of my sound card and record in Cakewalk? Top sound quality is not imperative. I'm looking for a temporary way to get started while I save for the necessary equipment to do this right.

Thanks for all help and suggestions.
 
Sure, that'll work just fine. If the mic signal is
too low, you will need a phantom power source,
about 30 bucks. David
 
Thanks. I've started a new thread with a related question. Please take a look at "Looking for a gizmo that..."
 
You only need phantom power if the mic is a condenser mic and doesn't have a battery. What kind of mic do you have?
 
Audio-Technica MB4000C. Cardiod condenser, operates on battery or phantom power. So the adapter into the sound card trick will work? I can skip the preamp expense for now?
 
Should work, but it probably won't sound very good because of the low quality of the mic preamp on the soundcard.
 
This is the gizmo you're looking for:

http://www.8thstreet.com/Product.asp?ProductCode=1084

The sound quality difference will be substantial. So either spend $30 on an adapter or $99 on a tube microphone preamp.

A general rule of thumb is to never use the mic preamp on your soundcard. First of all, it's designed for higher output back electret computer microphones. It feeds low voltage phantom power to such microphones. Not to mention that the preamp on the soundcard will sound absolutely obsurd.

A decent preamp into the line in on your soundcard is the cleanest, best sounding way you can do things. The ART pre will supply phantom power too of course. Not to mention that it can be used in any situation where a preamp is required. Surely it's worth the extra dough considering that both of these devices are under $100.

Slackmaster 2000
 
howdy. im just looking to get started. primarily to start figuring out cakewalk. it seems there are a million posts on this similar topic of just trying to get a decent signal into your soundcard on the cheap.
ive been told that after running through all the necessary adaptors to get either your xlr or 1/4" into the obligatory 1/8" jack of the soundcard, the signal would be too weak. (or also that it just starts out to weak). the answer is a pre amp for just under $100.
what about using your home stereo amplifier as a preamp? take the mic or guitar 1/4" transform down to 1/8" - maybe split it with a "Y" adaptor - and lead it into one of the input jacks of the amplifier. then take it out of the "tape output" jack, use a "y" adaptor to bring the two channels together and then stick it into your line-in of the soundcard. ????
 
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