Need advise on miking for home digital recording

[diana001]

I've been experimenting with audio recording using Band-in-a-Box software (and ultimately, PowerTraks 8). Goal: to make a decent-sounding homemade CD. I've been using an inexpensive dynamic mike with a male 1/4" TRS that plugs into an 1/8" TRS Adaptor and then into my Soundblaster Audigy sound card. The sound's ok just for messing around, but I'm assuming that "the better the mike, the better the sound".

I have a much better mike I'd like to use, but I'm not having success. It's a Studio Products CL1 with a male 3-pin XLR, which I've plugged into an XLR-to-1/4" NAB adaptor with a male output, which in turn goes to a 1/4"-1/8" adaptor, which then goes into my Audigy sound card. In other words:

Mike ==> XLR to 1/4" NAB adaptor ==> 1/4"-to-1/8" NAB adaptor ==>Soundblaster Audigy soundcard.
This has been unsuccessful with two different XLR mikes, so I'm suspecting that there's something wrong with my XLR adaptor, or I have the wrong type, or something. The cable and other plugs are the same ones that give me reasonable success with the dynamic mike, so I'm assuming they're functional.

I recently ran across a reference that said: "The nicer microphones will usually have an XLR Connector, which means you will need an external mixer. Simply plug your microphone cable into any input channel on your mixer and then connect the mixer outputs to the line input on your soundcard as described above." True? Any way around it? Sort of defeats the purpose to have to acquire an analog mixer just to use a good mike, but, if that's what it'll take, I'm willin'.
I've also run across the issue of "iimpedance" -- and even something about keeping the XLR adaptor LEVEL? Perhaps I have an XLR to 1/4" NAB Adaptor that is inadequate to the job -- are there low- and high-end ones? Seems like it.
I was also planning on recording right onto my capacious hard drive (120GB) -- but I also have a minidisc recorder. Would you suggest incorporating into my recording capabilities, or is it superfluous?
I'm a newbie, and just experimenting for fun, but I'll very much appreciate any advice you can offer me in this regard.

Thanks again for such a useful site.

 

[Track Rat]

You need phantom power for that mic which your soundcard does NOT provide. You'd be wise to pick up a stand alone mic preamplifier tio go with that condensor mic. At the very least, you'll need a power combiner to get power to the mic. You'll get MUCH better mileage from a preamp in my opinion.

 

[ausrock]

To expand upon what the Rodent said................condenser mics, like the C1 have a preamp circuit which boosts the signal from the diaphram to a useable level. This need to be powered and while some lesser mics use a battery, most use 48 volt phantom power. A lot of small reasonable quality mixers will have this facility, some do it globally on all channels at once, others have a seperate phantom power switch on each channel. The alternative is as TR suggested to look at buying a free standing mic preamp that has phantom power, which most do. The advantage of this option is that you will probably get a better quality pre than the ones built into the cheaper small mixers and consequently you should notice a marked improvement in the quality of your recorded sound.

Two pre's that come to mind are Studio Project VTB-1 or the RNP (Really Nice Pre), but there are numerous others available in the lower price ranges that would do the job.

Have a look around at the possible options then ask here about them....................you'll probably be even more confused but what the hell

 

[CMEZ]

Everything everyone else has said to this point is true; and I'll add that:

You might consider getting a little Mackie VLZ 1202. At the place you're at (very little gear) you might find it a god-send. While there are certainly higher-fi options to be had, building channels of outboard pre-amps can get expensive. I think you might find it easier to start with a decent mini-mixer like the Mackie. It'll provide phantom power for your condensor and give you a few channels to play with should you want to try some stereo recording or record drums or something. Then later on, when you need more 'quality channels', you can add stand-alone preamps to augment the Mackie.

Just my .02

Chris