n00b question about mic's.

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phlopip

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do all mics have to use xlr cables or can they somehow convert to 1/4" cables such as used by guitars. I currently use a lin6 ux1 interface and it only has one xlr port. however it has 2 line in's so i was thinkin therefore i could record in stereo using the 2 line in's? are there mics available out there like that
 
Adapters are available to convert to 1/4 in. but if your microphones require phantom power it will not be transferred down that line to the microphone.
 
ok say that they weren't phantom powered, would the transfer from xlr to 1/4" mean it lost any audio quality
 
None to speak of.
Get the adapters and a/b it for your self.
 
phlopip said:
ok say that they weren't phantom powered, would the transfer from xlr to 1/4" mean it lost any audio quality
Click to expand...

Mic cables contain 3 pins

1 Ground
2 Hot
3 Cold

1/4 cables come in two types. TRS and TS. TRS is a balanced pin out and TS is unbalanced. Balanced cables use out of phase signals to cancel out noise. The exact same interference/noise is carried over the hot and cold wires except one signal is 180 degrees out of phase from the other. When the signals reach the other end any noise that has been added to the signal is canceled out by combining the two out of phase noise signals together. Unbalanced cables carry much more noise so you may see a loss in audio quality especially over distances. Check equipment for pinout. Manufactures pinouts vary

Tip Ring Sleeve(TRS):

1-Ground-Sleeve
2-Hot- Tip
3-Cold-Ring

Tip Sleeve(TS):

2-Hot-Tip
1-Ground-Sleeve
 
Last edited:
Zeppe said:
Mic cables contain 3 pins

1 Cold
2 Hot
3 Ground

1/4 cables come in two types. TRS and TS. TRS is a balanced pin out and TS is unbalanced. Balanced cables use out of phase signals to cancel out noise. The exact same signal is carried over the hot and cold wires except one signal is 180 degrees out of phase from the other. When the signals reach the other end any noise that has been added to the signal is canceled out by combining the two out of phase noise signals together. Unbalanced cables carry much more noise so you may see a loss in audio quality especially over distances.

Tip Ring Sleeve(TRS):

1-Cold-Ring
2-Hot- Tip
3-Ground-Sleeve

Tip Sleeve(TS):

2-Hot-Tip
3-Ground-Sleeve
Click to expand...

I'm not familiar with that unit, but i looked briefly in Line 6's site and it doesn't say that the inputs are balanced (which it may say somewhere and i just missed it). If that's the case then you may have the same noise issue or loss of quality issue that Zeppe was talking about. If it is balanced and you use balanced cables then you should be good.
 
Zeppe said:
Mic cables contain 3 pins

1 Cold
2 Hot
3 Ground
Click to expand...

No, it's:

pin 1 ground
pin 2 +
pin 3 -

Also, a balanced line doesn't have to have both pins carrying signal, it just needs to have the same impedance to ground.
 
moresound said:
Adapters are available to convert to 1/4 in. but if your microphones require phantom power it will not be transferred down that line to the microphone.
Click to expand...

i thought balanced 1/4" can do phantom power as well... i.e. xlr -> balanced 1/4" (provided the 1/4" in has phantom power...)
 
Maybe........ you know I'm not quite sure, for I've only dealt with micpres to XLR to microphone and not a separate phantom power unit.
I'm sure someone will chime in and let us know. :cool::cool::cool: if a phantom power unit has TRS outputs or not.
 
mshilarious said:
No, it's:

pin 1 ground
pin 2 +
pin 3 -

Also, a balanced line doesn't have to have both pins carrying signal, it just needs to have the same impedance to ground.
Click to expand...

For people trying to remember this, I've never forgotten or mixed up what pin is what with this.........2's hot 3's not.....so I've never wired a bad cable sense I've learned that mantra!!!!
 
phlopip said:
do all mics have to use xlr cables or can they somehow convert to 1/4" cables such as used by guitars. I currently use a lin6 ux1 interface and it only has one xlr port. however it has 2 line in's so i was thinkin therefore i could record in stereo using the 2 line in's? are there mics available out there like that
Click to expand...

If they were instrument preamp ins, it would work (at least with dynamic mics; no non-XLR inputs ever provide phantom power because it would fry most of the gear you might potentially plug into it).

Line ins, however, generally do not have anywhere near the gain needed to handle any microphone. You'd basically have to buy an outboard preamplifier and hook it up to the line inputs.
 
Generally, DI boxes convert instrument or line level sources to mic level. Most don't do the other way around. After all the technobabble about the XLR wiring, a mic puts out mic level output, which is much weaker than line level output. You would need a mic preamp or a mixer (which contains preamps) to plug a mic into a line level input. Listen to the nice Dgatwood- he's right.-Richie
 
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