usb to xlr converter

[zakisbak]

If I use a usb mic with an xlr converter,will it work ok?

(I have a 2 channel xlr interface.I plan to get a blue yeti mic.The basic is just usb,the pro has usb and xlr and costs double.Could I get the usb only mic,and use a converter?)

Is the output the only difference between the two models,or is the pro better all round?

 

[bouldersoundguy]

There's no practical way to get XLR (analog, mic level) from a USB mic. It would be like trying to get flour from a baked cake to to bake another cake.

Even though it has a headphone output the Yeti is not really suited to music production. It's a fancy podcasting mic. Get a proper audio interface and a normal mic with XLR output.

 

[mshilarious]

Well it's not quite that hard, vis a vis the cake/flour thing. You'd just need some leet soldering skilzors. Basically, you find the input to the USB codec and tap that across a couple of 50V capacitors for your output. Probably that is at the output of an opamp that is running at +5V, and maybe also that power rail feeds an oscillator to step-up for the capsule (if it's externally biased). So you split off and regulate your phantom supply to +5V and send it to that point, making sure not to power the codec in the process. So long as that circuitry can run on less than 10mA (one would hope), that will work with linear regulation (instead of requiring a more complicated step-down converter). This is how the dual USB/XLR mic would be done.

Then you just have to drill a hole in the mic case to mount an XLR, or maybe a pigtail if there isn't room for the connector.

I doubt you'll find an commercial USB to XLR converter as an XLR output (rather than XLR input, which are common), because it would need to drive two codecs plus associated circuitry on only 500mW of available phantom power, which would get rather tricky to say the least since the USB mic would anticipate being allowed its minimum of one unit, which is 500mW . . .

Moral of story . . . if you want XLR, make sure you buy that.

 

[Re-tox_stl]

Basically, you find the input to the USB codec and tap that across a couple of 50V capacitors for your output. Probably that is at the output of an opamp that is running at +5V, and maybe also that power rail feeds an oscillator to step-up for the capsule (if it's externally biased). So you split off and regulate your phantom supply to +5V and send it to that point, making sure not to power the codec in the process. So long as that circuitry can run on less than 10mA (one would hope), that will work with linear regulation (instead of requiring a more complicated step-down converter).

Well it's not quite that hard

Sounds hard..

Drew

 

[Steenamaroo]

At least with flour you can just go buy some more for cheap..........