Question

[Martsayin]

This might be a very stupid question but im new to this...

I just purchased a Studio Projects B1 after hearing good things quality and prise wise.

I just received it and it says in the manual you need Phantom power, so does this mean theres no way of just plugging it in my laptop? I have to buy a phantom powered interface?

Hope someone can help me...

 

[Nakatira]

I have to buy a phantom powered interface?

You solved it Sherlock


There`s is cheap usb interfaces ou there, also some firewire.

I recomend Presonus inspire, or Line6 toneport

Hope this helps you

 

[Harvey Gerst]

I have to buy a phantom powered interface?

Or, you can just make one for under $10.

 

[Martsayin]

Make one? What do you mean?

 

[soundchaser59]

You can buy a little DI box that has phantom power for less than $30. If your PC will take a regular XLR input, then you just plug the mic into the phantom power box, and then connect the box to the XLR mic input just as if it were a regular mic.

You dont have to get a phantom powered interface card or whatever......

 

[Harvey Gerst]

Make one? What do you mean?

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showpost.php?p=961540&postcount=3

 

[jndietz]

You bought a microphone and you don't know what phantom power is

Its okay! Yes, you can build one, no problem. Or, you could buy a cheap Behringer mixer with IMPs and phantom power built into it. There is a 2-in 2-out mixer from Behringer that is like thirty bucks.

 

[notCardio]

I'm thinkin'

with 2 posts and the nature of his question that he doesn't understand that he needs a mic pre.

Am I correct Martsayin? Were you inder the impression that you could just plug it into your laptop, without anything else? You need a mic pre (preamp), which is a box that amplifies a microphone signal up to a level that can be used by the input to your soundcard. The 'mic in' on your laptop won't do the job. It's designed for a different type of mic, the little $5 kind you get at Best Buy/Wal-Mart/wherever you get pc stuff.

Someone does make a USB mic now, that you could plug right in, but I can't remember who, and I don't know if it's any good. I saw an ad for it in Future Music. I'll check, and if nobody's answered later, I'll post back.

 

[Daniel Reichman]

Someone does make a USB mic now, that you could plug right in, but I can't remember who, and I don't know if it's any good. I saw an ad for it in Future Music. I'll check, and if nobody's answered later, I'll post back.

Samson C01U, can't vouch for the sound quality though

 

[riffy]

This is why I like this site, the folks who show up here range from what it appears to be some real seasoned recording freaks to utter greenhorn noobs. Questions like this make me chuckle & realize that hey I was here once - but it wasn't DAW stuff. Anyway, this is what sites like this really are a great place for beginners. Not sure if posting that site is a conflict of interest or not, someone tell me if it is.

 

[smtcharlie]

Samson C01U, can't vouch for the sound quality though

There are a few of these now:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Blue-Snowball-USB-Microphone?sku=279015

And I also have no idea how they sound. Probably not very good.

Martsayin, since you may not have software either, my advice is to get something that is all in one with software and a USB interface. Sometimes different hardware and software don't play nice together immediately. Getting something bundled will help get you recording right away. Second post has good options - I haven't heard any of them.

 

[Daniel Reichman]

There are a few of these now:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Blue-Snowball-USB-Microphone?sku=279015

Which is again more expensive than the Samson and ignores the fact that Martsayin has already bought a mic that by all accounts beats the pants off the Samson - the SP B1.

Martsayin, what you need to do is invest in some sort of external USB or Firewire audio interface with phantom power, because most built in laptop audio devices are consumer grade - ie, REALLY NOISY. I have a cheap Chinese mic and a small Beringher desk; when I record into my laptop, the noise is terrible, but when I record into my Gina card on my main PC, there is almost no noise.

Realistically, you may as well buy one of those $5 Radio Shack mics if you are expecting to plug it directly into a laptop. You won't be doing the SP B1 any justice by simply adding phantom power.

Note that a USB mic bypasses the laptop's analogue audio port, so the quality of any USB mic into a laptop may be better than a B1 -> phantom power unit -> laptop (not to mention more noise from adapters for the laptop mic ports mini jack).

 

[dgatwood]

Martsayin, what you need to do is invest in some sort of external USB or Firewire audio interface with phantom power, because most built in laptop audio devices are consumer grade - ie, REALLY NOISY. I have a cheap Chinese mic and a small Beringher desk; when I record into my laptop, the noise is terrible, but when I record into my Gina card on my main PC, there is almost no noise.

At the very least, invest in a decent outboard preamp even if you use the built-in sound card. If you feed line level inputs to a sound card, even the crappiest ones shouldn't sound too terrible. A good, but cheap 4-channel preamp.