Talkback mic setup, need some help here..

  • Thread starter Thread starter tubedude
  • Start date Start date
tubedude

tubedude

New member
I guess this is as good a forum to ask as anywhere, you guys seem like fart smellers....

I want to get a talkback mic signal into my headphone amp without it coming though the monitors (tends to feedback and be a pain no matter what).
What I want to do is use a cheapo condensor and preamp for my talkback, and have the line coming from preamp and going straight into the headphone distribution, bypassing the monitors and mixer... here is where I want help.

I want to mount a little square non-locking, spring loaded button on the front edge of my desk/table, facing me. I guess I would put this between the preamp and headphone box, and I want it to pass signal only when depressed.
Does anyone know how I could do this, how it would be wired, and where I could get the button from?
Thanks!
Paul
paul@demokingproductions.com
 
Also looking for a small line mixer box to mix the talkback mic into the mix going going to the headphone box.
 
My foldback system (well, the last one before I tore it all apart) was a leftover samson MPL2242 mixer. Its rackmount, and has 10 mic/line inputs, and 6 stereo pairs feeding 4-busses as well as stereo left and right.

Channels 1-9 aren't used.
So, the microphone into channel 10 is the foldback microphone.
The 11/12 channel pair is the analog output of my console.
The 13/14 channel pair is the analog output of my studio PC.
The 15/16 channel pair is the analog output of my internet/gaming PC.
The 17/18 channel pair is the analog output of my CD player.
The 19/20 channel pair is the analog output of my tape deck.
The 21/22 channel pair is available for something else someday.

I take the stereo L/R outputs of the samson and feed my monitor system.

I take buss 1/2 outputs and feed the oz HR-4 headphone amp.

For talkback, I simply punch the 1-2 buss button on channel 10, and the talkback microphone feeds the headphones along with everything else, but the monitoring section that I as the engineer use (stereo L/R) never sees the signal.

I've had the samson for many years now, its a quiet reliable mixer and has mic pre's that are more than good enough for this purpose.

I had a bunch of them at one time, and sold them for less than $200 on e-bay a few years ago, so I imagine now they are a little less expensive. For $200, thats cheaper than any other type of kludge, and it works extremely well the way I have it wired. You also have channels 1-9 (mic or line) available for additional mics, mono feeds, etc.

The Samson MPL2242 is just one of like 200 mixers that would do the job just fine. Even a DJ mixer with a microphone input would do the job, actually.
 
you could also use a gate to do neat things...watch

1. place a small condenser (choir) mic in the middle of your tracking room from the ceiling.

2. Put the same thing somewhere in your control room.

3. Run them both through a gate or limiter with an extreme ratio

4. Set the threshold to allow conversational volume but to close the gate as soon as the volume goes above that.

Enjoy being able to stop a take and have instant communication without any fuss.
 
I do that with a cheap dynamic and a DMP-3 into the aux in of the headphone distribution amp. AKG D770 (or whatever) > DMP-3 > Rolls RA62HA > cans. I think boss makes a lovely foot switch that will do what you want. A simple spring loaded switch for cheap sounds like a Radio Shack thing to me. Don't ask me how to wire it, if you value your life. You don't need a mixer for this application. The mic goes into a preamp- control the gain there- unless you have more than 2 talkback sources (an NFL quarterback, for instance, might.) -Richie
 
The Rolls PM50S "Personal Monitor" might just do the trick -- for $49.-. It has an input for your stereo mix, a seperate input for a mic (and built-in amp), two knobs to adjust the individual levels, and two headphone out.
 
There are 'push to talk' mikes that are used for conferences and pa systems. Try doing a google search.

One trick to automatically cut off the TB mic is to use a gate and trigger the gate with SMPTE from the recorder. Anytime the recorder is playing or recording the TB mic will be off. In between takes it will be open.
 
Paul,

You have enough options yet. No?

Ok here goes.

This is what I have, I assembled this from spare parts, :D :D

Old Yamaha 4 track Cassette recorder/mixer, junk right, WRONG.

Channels 1 and 2, from my Aardvark headphone output. pan L&R. Send the output of the 4 track to my headphone amp. Channel 3 is where my talkback mic goes. I still have all my aux inputs for my headphone amp. And I can leave the mic on as well.

...........Although I did leave it on and forgot to turn the main mix headphone output up and the drummer was tracking through the monitors via the talkback mic. :D :D :D :D.

I looked over and said "can you hear playback.":confused:

The drummer said "yeah why?"

"The headphone output is off" :confused::confused:

Took me a second to figure it out, but you know how you get that weird feeling something is wrong.:D :D :D

larry
 
How about getting one of this?

Samson C-control

C-control.jpg
 
Got it...

I figured out that I can run signal into both the front and rear inputs on the headphone amp, so all I need to do is run out of the direct out on the board, without signal mixed into the mixers output.
Radio shack had a little red square momentary switch that is exactly what I was looking for for $2.99, with 2 prongs... gonna mount that on the front trim of the desk, facing me but to the right under the mouse. Snip some sheathing off a cheap mic cable, expose the wires, cut the black wire and run it into the switch, and instant talkback button, no monitor problems. Mount the cable under the desk too so as to not be seen or bother me.
I like it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top