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Microphone won't work


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MorkJun 14, 2007 10:19am
.question. The stereo mic that works great with my minidisc recorder won't work at all when I plug it into the computer. Why is that? It's a stereo mic with a mini plug. Is there some kind of adapter I could use between the mic and the computer that could make it work?

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ThlayliJun 14, 2007 12:50pm
Those connectors are called TRS connectors, aka phono plugs or jacks.

Anyway, your computer isn't expecting a stereo plug. See how there are 3 sections on the plug? The tip is the right channel, the ring is the left channel, and the sleeve is the ground. Mono microphones only have 2. The tip is "hot" and the sleeve still ground.

When you connect the stereo plug to the computer, the left channel is being fed into the ground. I'm not really an audio expert, but I think that this basically cancels out the other channel.

You can try a couple things. The first, and easiest, is to try putting some scotch tape (sellotape) around the ring. Make sure you leave the tip and sleeve open. This should eliminate the left channel and turn it into a mono plug.

Another solution would be to get an adapter. Something like this should work. That should give you just the right channel, just like the tape trick. If neither of these work, there's probably some kind of power incompatibility for that mic. Some microphones expect strange voltages.

Here's a page which discusses lots of the possible problems with stereo sources, and has solutions for lots of them. You might find an answer there, if the above solutions don't work. You might also try looking through Sony's tech manuals.

person.sol.lu.se/SidneyWood/praate/monstee.html [person.sol.lu.se/SidneyWood/praate/monstee.html]

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MorkJun 14, 2007 2:12pm
Of course, why didn't I think of that! Trying to put a stereo plug into a mono jack -- no wonder it won't work!

Thanks so much for the tips -- will give these ideas a try!

Edit: I dug up a stereo mini to mono mini adapter, and low and behold it worked! Thanks a million, Thlayli!


Microphone won't work

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