Unusual Mic Needed------------------

[Blackburst]

A fellow professor at my school has a handheld digital recorder and is looking
for an external mic, stereo if possible, 1/8". Problem: It only has a LINE
input, and no phantom power. Any suggestions for any mic on the market that
would work in this application?

[Scott Dorsey]

Blackburst > wrote:
>A fellow professor at my school has a handheld digital recorder and is looking
>for an external mic, stereo if possible, 1/8". Problem: It only has a LINE
>input, and no phantom power. Any suggestions for any mic on the market that
>would work in this application?

I think Beyer makes something like this. Handheld omni condenser with
bigtime gain inside.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Scott Dorsey]

Blackburst > wrote:
>A fellow professor at my school has a handheld digital recorder and is looking
>for an external mic, stereo if possible, 1/8". Problem: It only has a LINE
>input, and no phantom power. Any suggestions for any mic on the market that
>would work in this application?

I think Beyer makes something like this. Handheld omni condenser with
bigtime gain inside.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Franz]

a mixer needed....

U¿ytkownik "Blackburst" > napisa³ w wiadomo¶ci
...
> A fellow professor at my school has a handheld digital recorder and is
looking
> for an external mic, stereo if possible, 1/8". Problem: It only has a LINE
> input, and no phantom power. Any suggestions for any mic on the market
that
> would work in this application?

[Franz]

a mixer needed....

U¿ytkownik "Blackburst" > napisa³ w wiadomo¶ci
...
> A fellow professor at my school has a handheld digital recorder and is
looking
> for an external mic, stereo if possible, 1/8". Problem: It only has a LINE
> input, and no phantom power. Any suggestions for any mic on the market
that
> would work in this application?

[Chris F]

"Franz" > wrote in message
...
> a mixer needed....

Screw that, you can get an inline amp that bumps it from mic level to line
level.

[Chris F]

"Franz" > wrote in message
...
> a mixer needed....

Screw that, you can get an inline amp that bumps it from mic level to line
level.

[Michael Kovach]

The Rode NT-4 stereo mic will do that. It has a provision for a 9V battery
to do field recording. Killer overhead mic, BTW.


"Blackburst" > wrote in message
...
> A fellow professor at my school has a handheld digital recorder and is
looking
> for an external mic, stereo if possible, 1/8". Problem: It only has a LINE
> input, and no phantom power. Any suggestions for any mic on the market
that
> would work in this application?

[Michael Kovach]

The Rode NT-4 stereo mic will do that. It has a provision for a 9V battery
to do field recording. Killer overhead mic, BTW.


"Blackburst" > wrote in message
...
> A fellow professor at my school has a handheld digital recorder and is
looking
> for an external mic, stereo if possible, 1/8". Problem: It only has a LINE
> input, and no phantom power. Any suggestions for any mic on the market
that
> would work in this application?

[Brian Takei]

Blackburst ) wrote:
> A fellow professor at my school has a handheld digital recorder and is looking
> for an external mic, stereo if possible, 1/8". Problem: It only has a LINE
> input, and no phantom power. Any suggestions for any mic on the market that
> would work in this application?

What do you want to record with it?

- Brian

[Brian Takei]

Blackburst ) wrote:
> A fellow professor at my school has a handheld digital recorder and is looking
> for an external mic, stereo if possible, 1/8". Problem: It only has a LINE
> input, and no phantom power. Any suggestions for any mic on the market that
> would work in this application?

What do you want to record with it?

- Brian

[James Boyk]

You mean 1/8" plug, not 1/8" mike, I take it. Depending on the need, see
http://www.performancerecordings.com/ear.html . No good if the whole shebang
must be hand-held; otherwise, possibly very good. (Disclaimer: I make the mike
that's on that page!)


James Boyk

[Sean Bartholomew]

Any Radioshack store would have what is called a "HI to LOW Z"
transformer. It is NOT an adapter but a transformer. Do not buy the
plain adapter that just converts one shape (1/4" female phono plug) to
another (3 pin male XLR). Once u get it, rush home and simply plug it
inline (between the mixer and the cam) and ur done.
Hi impedance is the mic (mic level is hi impedance so as to not lose
much signal over long stretches at a time). Low impedance is the line.
Z is the term for "impedance".

The 274-016 is what u want. Its male 1/4" to female XLR.
you want to go FROM mic TO line.
So there u go hope that helps. Its about 15 bucks though. At
radioshack that is. U can get it cheaper at other online electronic
stores but then ud have to pay for shipping. So if u have a lot of
stuff u need to get, itd make sense to buy online, if not, go to
radioshack.

[Sean Bartholomew]

Any Radioshack store would have what is called a "HI to LOW Z"
transformer. It is NOT an adapter but a transformer. Do not buy the
plain adapter that just converts one shape (1/4" male phono plug) to
another (3 pin female XLR). Once u get it, rush home and simply plug
it inline and ur done.
Hi impedance is the mic (mic level is hi impedance so as to not lose
much signal over long stretches at a time). Low impedance is the line.
Z is the term for "impedance".

The 274-016 is what u want. Its male 1/4" to female XLR.
you want to go FROM mic TO line.
So there u go hope that helps. Its about 15 bucks though. At
radioshack that is. U can get it cheaper at other online electronic
stores but then ud have to pay for shipping. So if u have a lot of
stuff u need to get, itd make sense to buy online, if not, go to
radioshack.

[P Stamler]

>Hi impedance is the mic (mic level is hi impedance so as to not lose
>much signal over long stretches at a time). Low impedance is the line.

Er, you have that backwards. Low impedance is the mic, so as not to lose high
frequencies over long stretches. High impedance is the line.

This *might* work if you have a high-output microphone, and use an adapter to
go from the 1/4" male plug on the Shack transformer to the 1/8" female jack on
the recorder. But most high-output microphones are condensers, and most of
them, with a few exceptions, need phantom power. And the Radio Shack
transformer isn't a very good one.

A small inline preamp is probably the best solution, if the budget allows.

Peace,
Paul

[George Gleason]

"Sean Bartholomew" > wrote in message
om...
> Any Radioshack store would have what is called a "HI to LOW Z"
> transformer. It is NOT an adapter but a transformer. Do not buy the
> plain adapter that just converts one shape (1/4" male phono plug) to
> another (3 pin female XLR). Once u get it, rush home and simply plug
> it inline and ur done.
> Hi impedance is the mic (mic level is hi impedance so as to not lose
> much signal over long stretches at a time). Low impedance is the line.
> Z is the term for "impedance".

all my mics that run long distances are LO-z and my playback devices that
put out line are Hi-z
George.

[James Boyk]

George Gleason wrote:
> all my mics that run long distances are LO-z and my playback devices that
> put out line are Hi-z


Huh? No, they're not. The source impedance at the outputs of your playback
devices is quite low---unless you have some very unusual gear.


James Boyk

[George]

In article >,
James Boyk > wrote:

> George Gleason wrote:
> > all my mics that run long distances are LO-z and my playback devices that
> > put out line are Hi-z
>
>
> Huh? No, they're not. The source impedance at the outputs of your playback
> devices is quite low---unless you have some very unusual gear.
>
>
> James Boyk
>

sorry my mix up long day in the sun
g

[Les Cargill]

James Boyk wrote:
>
> George Gleason wrote:
> > all my mics that run long distances are LO-z and my playback devices that
> > put out line are Hi-z
>
> Huh? No, they're not. The source impedance at the outputs of your playback
> devices is quite low---unless you have some very unusual gear.
>
> James Boyk

But they're designed to drive hi-Z ( aka line level ) inputs, so it's
easy enough to see what he meant - although the low source impedence opens
up conneciton possibilities.

--
Les Cargill

[James Boyk]

Les Cargill wrote: > ...hi-Z ( aka line level )...

Don't mean to be pedantic, but a "line level" input is not automatically hi-Z.
It could be 600 ohms, for instance.


James Boyk

[James Boyk]

P Stamler wrote: > ...Low impedance is the mic, so as not to lose high
frequencies over long stretches. High impedance is the line.


The line isn't "high impedance."


James Boyk

[Les Cargill]

James Boyk wrote:
>
> Les Cargill wrote: > ...hi-Z ( aka line level )...
>
> Don't mean to be pedantic, but a "line level" input is not automatically hi-Z.
> It could be 600 ohms, for instance.
>
> James Boyk

Absolutely. Even the hi Z stuff make not be that hi a Z - a coupe of kilohm.
Inputs around here run from 2k to 50k.

It's still nominally, and functionally, used as a hi-Z input. The impedance
isn't
really relevant these days - the expected volatge is.

--
Les Cargill

[P Stamler]

>Don't mean to be pedantic, but a "line level" input is not automatically
>hi-Z.
>It could be 600 ohms, for instance.

Of course. But remember the context: we're talking about a transformer that
somebody suggested using to connect a microphone to the line input of a
recorder. In that context, the microphone end of the transformer is low
impedance, and the other end, which is often labeled line, is high.

Peace,
Paul

[Richard Kuschel]

>Subject: Re: Unusual Mic Needed------------------
>From: "Chris F"
>Date: 10/9/03 7:34 PM Mountain Daylight Time
>Message-id: >
>
>"Franz" > wrote in message
...
>> a mixer needed....
>
>Screw that, you can get an inline amp that bumps it from mic level to line
>level.
>
>

Yes, that is called a Preamp and it is often less expensiveto buy several
preamps in a mixer than to buy a didicated preamp. (Quality is another subject)

Richard H. Kuschel
"I canna change the law of physics."-----Scotty

[Richard Kuschel]

>
>Any Radioshack store would have what is called a "HI to LOW Z"
>transformer. It is NOT an adapter but a transformer. Do not buy the
>plain adapter that just converts one shape (1/4" male phono plug) to
>another (3 pin female XLR). Once u get it, rush home and simply plug
>it inline and ur done.
>Hi impedance is the mic (mic level is hi impedance so as to not lose
>much signal over long stretches at a time). Low impedance is the line.
>Z is the term for "impedance".
>
>The 274-016 is what u want. Its male 1/4" to female XLR.
>you want to go FROM mic TO line.
>So there u go hope that helps. Its about 15 bucks though. At
>radioshack that is. U can get it cheaper at other online electronic
>stores but then ud have to pay for shipping. So if u have a lot of
>stuff u need to get, itd make sense to buy online, if not, go to
>radioshack.
>
>

A transformer will not convert mic level to line level, so it will not work in
the application as requested.

Shure, beyer and others have built microphones with line level output, usually
for specialized applications such as running a mic line 5000 feet over a golf
course.
Richard H. Kuschel
"I canna change the law of physics."-----Scotty

[[email protected]]

Blackburst > wrote:
> A fellow professor at my school has a handheld digital recorder and is looking
> for an external mic, stereo if possible, 1/8". Problem: It only has a LINE
> input, and no phantom power. Any suggestions for any mic on the market that
> would work in this application?

Not enough information here to answer your question!
One really needs to know the input impedance of the "Line"
jack on the recorder in question.

If that impedance is "high" (like 100k Ohms etc. like a guitar
amp) it may be possible to use a high impedance mic or a
low impedance mic (dynamic) through the matching transformer
someone mentioned. We do not know what he wishes to record.
Is it something loud? (drumset) or something soft (birdcalls)
This method will require a loud source.

If the line input is Low Z (like say 600 Ohms) then the matching
transformer won't work. Neither will a 600 Ohm mic into the
line jack (not enough gain).

Since he wants stereo and is using a 1/8" jack expect adapter
city on the wires. Yes, Radio Shaft will have the stuff to
make the adapter tree. WON'T be especially reliable connections
though!

Solution that will likely work best is the buy a stereo
preamp solution. Just need a small stereo battery powered jobbie.

If this were me, I'd look into a pair of small electret condenser
mics with the small battery box power units. I would never try to
fool with phantom power using a small portable unit. As Scott
noted some of these have pretty high outputs that might just
work into the line jack. If not add the preamp. The mics will
be tiny to go with the portable gear and yet won't sound too bad.

That's my 2 cents.

Benj
--
Due to SPAM innundation above address is turned off!

[Andrew Mayo]

(Blackburst) wrote in message >...
> A fellow professor at my school has a handheld digital recorder and is looking
> for an external mic, stereo if possible, 1/8". Problem: It only has a LINE
> input, and no phantom power. Any suggestions for any mic on the market that
> would work in this application?

Personally, weird though it sounds, I would just buy a cheap Minidisc
recorder with a mic input and then use any of the good low-cost stereo
condensor mikes available out there like the little Panasonic lapel
mic - the MD recorder's line out can then be used as a connection to
the digital recorder (whatever that is, I presume, what, a DAT?).

Why do this?. Well, most MD recorders now run off a single AA battery
(for a very long time, too) and the cost of a half-way decent mike
preamp that also runs off a single AA is going to be comparable to
getting an MD recorder. Also size & weight are going to be pretty
comparable and you're getting a level indicator and, if you want, auto
level control all nicely built in - a pretty flexible mic to line
converter, I have to say. Plus of course you can buy one from any
appliance store, or second-hand off your mate.

Though to be honest recording directly to MD would be my preference -
the quality is so close to DAT that in most cases I defy anyone to
tell the difference.

[yoshida]

Andrew Mayo wrote:

> (Blackburst) wrote in message >...
> > A fellow professor at my school has a handheld digital recorder and is looking
> > for an external mic, stereo if possible, 1/8". Problem: It only has a LINE
> > input, and no phantom power. Any suggestions for any mic on the market that
> > would work in this application?

I seem to recall that ElectroVoice made a microphone that had a line level output designed for news reporters directly feeding a telco dry pair. Can't remember the model number. It was powered from one 9v battery.

M Yoshida





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