[Kate]

Hello everyone,

Please have a little patience with me because I am very ignorant about
sound production. I will do my best to be as detailed as possible. I
have recently wanted to amplify my classical guitar and I have a Trace
acoustic amp that has always delivered.

I recently purchased an audix i5 microphone along with a Live Wire
GXJ-183 adapter 1/4" TRS (F) to XLR (F). The microphone barely picks
up any sound. With a looping system, I recorded the sound so that I
could hear just how bad it was. The mic will pick up the initial
attack and then the sound just quickly dies away.

On a side note, I had the opportunity in the recent past to play
through a Sure microphone of comparable quality: $99. The sound was
great! In fact, I was thinking of purchasing the same Sure
microphone, but a salesman (appearing very helpful and knowledgeable)
said he prefered the Audix i5.

Anyway, I remember something that might be an important detail
concerning the Sure microphone. This person who lent me the Sure mic
in the past had different types of adapters (perhaps having something
to do with Stereo vs. mono.) I wish I could remember the details.
All I remember is that he wanted to know which type of 1/4" jack I was
using (I didn't know there were two types. He say the situation as a
learning experience for himself as well (I guess because he always
works in stereo). I remember when this person tried a particular type
of adapter that the microphone was suddenly very hot, therefor that
was the adapter he gave me to borrow.

Now I am at a loss as to what the trouble may be. Sadly, I don't hae
a regular microphone chord so I am not able to simply test if it is
the adapter or if I have chosen a poor microphone for my needs. I
find it hard to believe that tw similar microphones could get such
drastically different results and I really felt the salesman knew what
he was talking about.

Any ideas? What is it that I might be missing here?

Thanks for any help you may be able to give because I am simply at a
loss.

Kate

[Richard Crowley]

"Kate" wrote ...
Please have a little patience with me because I am very ignorant about
sound production. I will do my best to be as detailed as possible. I
have recently wanted to amplify my classical guitar and I have a Trace
acoustic amp that has always delivered.

I recently purchased an audix i5 microphone along with a Live Wire
GXJ-183 adapter 1/4" TRS (F) to XLR (F). The microphone barely picks
up any sound.
......
Any ideas? What is it that I might be missing here?

You appear to be using a passive connector adapter to
connect a low-impedance, balanced dynamic microphone
to (guessing here?) a high-impedance, unbalanced instrument
amplifier input.

A very common cause of yoru symptoms is that the microphone
does not put out an adequate signal for that amplifier input.
You need at the very least a low-to-high impedance
transformer to attempt this. Alternatively, a small mixer
for your non-instrument sources.

It would help tremendously for you to mention exactly
what your amplifier is, and exactly what input you are
attempting to use. Else we have to guess and that makes
it difficult-to-impossible to really help you.

It is also possible that because you are using a TRS
adapter into a TS input jack, you aren't even getting
the complete signal path.

NOTE: "TRS" jacks are only "stereo" if you are using
stereo headphones. When used to interconnect
equipment, "TRS" implies balanced (but MONO).
If your salesman is confused about this, consider
his level of expertiese before believeing anything he
says. Its hard to get good help, and this guy may
have been flipping burgers last week.

While I certainly prefer Audix mics over Shure any day
of the week. You mgiht be better off using what works
for you vs. what some salesman is pushing that day.
You can't argue with success.

[Kate]

On Dec 17, 1:16 am, "Richard Crowley" wrote:

A very common cause of yoru symptoms is that the microphone
does not put out an adequate signal for that amplifier input.
You need at the very least a low-to-high impedance
transformer to attempt this.

Richard, thank you sooooo much. I googled that and the pictures look
just like the adapter I had used in the past.


It would help tremendously for you to mention exactly
what your amplifier is, and exactly what input you are
attempting to use.

I am using a Trace Elliot ta 35r. I am using a regular guitar cable
for input (hense the adapter). Pardon my ignorance, but I am guessing
that my 1/4" input is a TS input jack. This is starting to sound very
familiar to my past success with the Shure microphone. If you
remember what I mentioned in the past email, I am thinking that the
person who helped me in the past was only familiar with TRS (he does
mostly video work). I remember that he had at least a couple of
different types of adapters, wanted to try an "experiment" and saw
loaning me the microphone as a learning experience for himself . All I
know is one of those adapters sounded great and the others did not.
Out of my ignorance, I am just now realizing how important it would
have been for me to better remember that day.

Considering this information, is it starting to look like I simply
need a low-to-high impedance transformer to repeat my past success?

I sure hope this works out and I thank you very much. I try to help
people out as best as I can in the things I am good at. I truly hope
someone helps you too when you need it.

Kate

[Richard Crowley]

"Kate" wrote ...
"Richard Crowley" wrote:
A very common cause of yoru symptoms is that the microphone
does not put out an adequate signal for that amplifier input.
You need at the very least a low-to-high impedance
transformer to attempt this.

Richard, thank you sooooo much. I googled that and the pictures look
just like the adapter I had used in the past.


It would help tremendously for you to mention exactly
what your amplifier is, and exactly what input you are
attempting to use.

I am using a Trace Elliot ta 35r.

And are we to continue to assume that you are using some
sort of input jack that is intended for use with an e-guitar or
equivalent (i.e. very high impedance) It helps to be explicit,
especially when the rest of us may not be very familiar with
that particular piece of equipment.

Considering this information, is it starting to look like I simply
need a low-to-high impedance transformer to repeat my past success?

Either that, or try to reproduce your previous success with the
Shure microphone and whatever kind of cables, connectors, and
adaptors worked with your setup. Since you did not mention
what model Shure microphone, it is possible that it was one which
had a high-impedance output that was suitable for your amp.
Precise and complete details are extraordinarly helpful. Else we
are forced to dance around in the dark and a proper solution
is hit-or-miss.

[Mike Rivers]

On Dec 17, 2:43 am, Kate wrote:

I am using a Trace Elliot ta 35r. I am using a regular guitar cable
for input (hense the adapter). Pardon my ignorance, but I am guessing
that my 1/4" input is a TS input jack.

For that amplifier, the "acoustic" part of the name means that its
basic frequency response and tone controls are tailored for the sound
of an acoustic guitar rather than an electric guitar. Other than that,
it's essentially an ordinary guitar amplifier and the input jack (yes,
it's TS or "unbalanced") is designed for a guitar level signal, which
is quite a bit higher than the output of a low impedance mic (which is
what you have).

In order to get a usable signal level to the amplifier, you need
either a microphone preamp or a transformer. The preamp is the best
solution but is more expensive and it's another box to carry, connect,
and adjust for the best match of signal level out of the preamp to the
amplifier input. A transformer is simple, passive, will probably hum
more, and won't sound as good as even a mediocre preamp, but will be
cheaper and easier to connect. A crummy but functional transformer is
the Radio Shack #274-016:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...tId=2062443&cp

It won't sound very good but you'll be able to hear basically what the
combination of that mic, your guitar, and the amplifier will sound
like together.

This may be against your morals, but if you want to use that amplifier
(or any other guitar amplifier) you'd be better off investigating
installing a pickup in your guitar - a real pickup designed for a
guitar, not a miniature microphone inside, which would get you right
back to the same problem that you have now.

[Scott Dorsey]

Kate wrote:
I recently purchased an audix i5 microphone along with a Live Wire
GXJ-183 adapter 1/4" TRS (F) to XLR (F). The microphone barely picks
up any sound. With a looping system, I recorded the sound so that I
could hear just how bad it was. The mic will pick up the initial
attack and then the sound just quickly dies away.

What are you plugging it into? Does the thing you are plugging it into
have phantom power?

On a side note, I had the opportunity in the recent past to play
through a Sure microphone of comparable quality: $99. The sound was
great! In fact, I was thinking of purchasing the same Sure
microphone, but a salesman (appearing very helpful and knowledgeable)
said he prefered the Audix i5.

What was THAT being plugged into?

Anyway, I remember something that might be an important detail
concerning the Sure microphone. This person who lent me the Sure mic
in the past had different types of adapters (perhaps having something
to do with Stereo vs. mono.) I wish I could remember the details.
All I remember is that he wanted to know which type of 1/4" jack I was
using (I didn't know there were two types. He say the situation as a
learning experience for himself as well (I guess because he always
works in stereo). I remember when this person tried a particular type
of adapter that the microphone was suddenly very hot, therefor that
was the adapter he gave me to borrow.

Uh-oh. Okay, what thing are you plugging it into that has a 1/4" jack?
Whatever it is, it won't have phantom power. Maybe it's even a line input.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

[Richard Crowley]

"Scott Dorsey" wrote ...
Uh-oh. Okay, what thing are you plugging it into that has a 1/4"
jack?
Whatever it is, it won't have phantom power. Maybe it's even a line
input.

The Audix I5 appears to be a basic dynamic microphone.
No phantom power needed. And the amplifier appears to
have only a couple of hi-Z instrument inputs. In any case,
not a good match for a low-Z microphone.

[Kate]

Hello,

Thanks to everyone for your willingness to help me out. I can imagine
many are passionate about their knowledge and may have been frustrated
in my lack of ability to let you help me. As luck would have it, I
simply obtained a low cost mixer as well as microphone cables.
Problem solved and it sounds great! In addition, it took playing
through someone else's sound system as well as some other amps of mine
to really appreciate how great that Trace Elliott sounds. Thanks to
all of you. In spite of any frustration you may have had, the posts
were TREMENDOUSLY helpful and I learned enough to at least begin
learning.

Thanks again,
Kate

[Badmuts]

"Kate" wrote in message
...
As luck would have it, I
simply obtained a low cost mixer as well as microphone cables.

That's how i started one day. I now run two recording studios.

We'll be seeing you here.

Bm