Quick Question Regarding Set-Up of a Microphone and Mixer
Results 1 to 7 of 7
  1. #1

    Default Quick Question Regarding Set-Up of a Microphone and Mixer

    Hey Guys,

    I have some quick questions about setting up a mic and guaranteeing balanced signals. So my previous set-up was laptop->audio 2->speakers via something like
    [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-STP203-Dual-Cable-9-75/dp/B000068O1P/ref=sr_1_19?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1321305595&sr=1-19"]Amazon.com: Hosa STP203 1/4 TRS To Dual 1/4 TS Cable 9.75 Ft: Musical Instruments@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/317V0kZpYeL.@@AMEPARAM@@317V0kZpYeL[/ame]

    However with this set-up I couldn't add in a mic and I don't think my signal was balanced.

    With recent gigs though, I found myself more and more needing a mic so I bought a behringer mixer and a microphone. Something like [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-502-XENYX502-5-Channel-Mixer/dp/B000J5UEGQ/ref=sr_1_5?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1321305713&sr=1-5"]Amazon.com: Behringer XENYX502 5-Channel Mixer: Musical Instruments@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ITOfwOVXL.@@AMEPARAM@@51ITOfwOVXL[/ame]

    and

    [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Nady-SP-4C-NADY-Dynamic-Microphone/dp/B00009W40D/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1321305778&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: NADY SP-4C Dynamic Microphone: Musical Instruments@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41%2BiCHJU2VL.@@AMEPARAM@@41%2BiCHJU2VL[/ame]

    However, no matter how hard I try I can't get my microphone to work. At first I thought it was because I needed an xlr connection, so I bought an xlr adapter for the microphone that converts the 1/4 to xlr, but even then I the microphone doesn't work.

    Any ideas, am I missing something? Is it possible I simply got a defective mic?

    Thanks so much!

  2. #2
    Tech Mentor hamza21's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Inland Empire - San Bernardino,CA
    Posts
    101

    Default

    More info...... what program you're are using.

    With that mixer i'm guessing you're using line in and want that to function with your program? The usual set up is mic >mixer>audio interface>laptop. I would think using line in and internal DJ program would not be possible but I don't know I don't use a mic.

  3. #3

    Default

    I'm using traktor but I'm trying to use the mic independent of my software. What I think the correct set-up would be is My audio 2 into one of the inputs of my mixer and then the mic into the mic input of my mixer. Then my mixer master output would go to my speakers.

    To illustrate what I envision is

    Computer->Audio 2->
    --------------------------- Mixer---->Speakers
    microphone---------->

    The problem is that while my mixer can transfer my music, my mic isn't working. I thought I could just plug in my mic into the mic input of my mixer but it doesn't work. I bought a stereo to xlr adaptor thinking that would fix it, but it still doesn't work.

    I want to know if I am missing something or my mic could simply be defective.
    Last edited by Snailboto; 11-14-2011 at 08:00 PM.

  4. #4
    Tech Mentor hamza21's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Inland Empire - San Bernardino,CA
    Posts
    101

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Snailboto View Post
    I'm using traktor but I'm trying to use the mic independent of my software. What I think the correct set-up would be is My audio 2 into one of the inputs of my mixer and then the mic into the mic input of my mixer. Then my mixer master output would go to my speakers.

    To illustrate what I envision is

    Computer->Audio 2->
    --------------------------- Mixer---->Speakers
    microphone---------->

    The problem is that while my mixer can transfer my music, my mic isn't working. I thought I could just plug in my mic into the mic input of my mixer but it doesn't work. I bought a stereo to xlr adaptor thinking that would fix it, but it still doesn't work.

    I want to know if I am missing something or my mic could simply be defective.
    Honestly I think your problem is:

    1)Your mic is defective and you need a new mic.

    or

    2)You mixer is defective and you need a new mixer.


    Are you sure the mic actually works?

  5. #5

    Default

    No which is what I was worried about. I'm pretty sure my mixer works since I can get the audio 2 to work. thank you so much, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing a connection before I yell at amazon.

  6. #6
    Tech Guru mostapha's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Atlanta
    Posts
    4,748

    Default

    It's not Amazon's fault.

    You bought a $15 mic that has the wrong cable in its amazon product photo. If the cable is actually XLR -> TS (instead of TRS), then they could have wired either the output of the mic or the cable wrong and shorted the signal wires together…which would be a really freaking stupid mistake but something I'd expect from them.

    When I worked at GC, we gave out some Nady stuff as incentives for some of the big sale days. Most people refused to accept them, and the ones that took them were exchanging the free gift things all day because more of them were DOA than working…or calling us to let us know that they didn't care about theirs but that they might want to check other people's gifts because it was already in their garbage can. Like…most of the little toy mixer things didn't power on and very few of the mics even pretended to work. Nady makes garbage. Radio Shack's store brand is better. We threw away more than we gave away on 4th of July.

    So, I'd probably not bother testing and replace that with a real mic first. The behringer mixer might have a problem with it…but those little mixers are actually pretty darn good at what they are. They're just noisy. It could have a dead preamp, though.

    I think a Sennheiser E 815 S would be the cheapest thing I'd recommend. If you can sweet-talk someone at guitar center, you probably could get it for like $35.

    If you really want to troubleshoot, try plugging your headphones into the mic channel and shouting into the earcups…if you get a signal, the problem is either the mic or the mic cable.

    Also…this is going to sound dumb, but you're sure you switched the mic on, right? And you are using a mic input with the mic preamp on, right?
    Last edited by mostapha; 11-15-2011 at 11:53 AM.

  7. #7

    Default

    Wow I did not know that trick with the headphones. Now I have a makeshift mic. I just tried it out and I got a signal. I think this definitely means that my mic is the issue.

    I called Amazon and they are sending me another one. Hopefully that one works or I just might mark this purchase as a loss.

    I'm pretty happy with my mixer though. I know behringer doesn't have the best reputation but I just wanted something simple and cheap and the mixer seemed to fit the bill.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •