Recording Help Really Needed :-(

chris_r

chris_r

chris_r

Soldato
Joined
1 Dec 2003
Posts
2,818
Location
Liverpool
Hey,

I cannot for the life of me get this set-up to work now two music stores and a producer said it will work but i can't do it all so help really really appreciated.

Heres the story:

I have this; http://www.behringer.com/B-1/index.cfm?lang=ENG
b-1_big.jpg


with a XLR connected to the bottom and the 'headphone type' jack on the end plugged into this: http://www.samsontech.com/products/productpage.cfm?prodID=1754&brandID=2

S-direct-plus.jpg


I have it in the left input


i then have an XLR on the back and a 3.5m jack into my soundcard, i have tried all jacks and not getting any luck getting sound through mic.

My sound card is a
Hercules Gamesurround Fortissimo III 7.1



1106901167.jpg



Please, please help

Thanks
 
Your Samson unit isn't supplying the phantom power via it's "headphone jack" type socket. You need to connect the mic to a +48v phantom power mic preamplifier (invariably via an XLR male to female cable). That Samson unit isn't the right tool for the job unfortunately, it's sort of doing the reverse of what you want (ie taking a line signal into a mixers mic input and taking it's power from the mixer. It's called a DI/direct injection box). You need a device that supplies phantom power to the mic and takes it's low level balanced signal into a line level unbalanced signal for your soundcard. A cheap mixer or probably better a mic pre unit will do this:

M-Audio AUDIOBUDDY
Samson C-VALVE

Tapco MIX 60

Or alternatively bypass the soundcard too with a USB/Firewire audio interface such as:

Tapco LINK USB

:)
 
My samson has some kinda phantom power switch, i can use 'battery' or phantom power.

I have been told by curly music in lpool that this should be all i need, im just like...stuck. I was getting a mixer thats why i went and they advised me to get this, and it was cheaper too
 
It isn't the right thing. It can either get it's power from the mixer it should be connected to (+48v) or from an internal battery. It requires power for its internal circuits (which create a balanced signal), it doesn't supply power to the mic. Like I say, this device is an electronic/active DI box which can take a multitude of inputs and join them to a standard mixer mic input; you'd use it to connect a keyboard to a mic input for example. You need a mic preamplifier with phantom power (like the ones I listed). The shop should do a refend no problem (especially since it's thier own incorrect advice that led you to buy it ;) ).
 
Nope, sorry :( . The mic can only connect to a mic preamplifier with phantom power. If you want to use the mic with CD decks or the ghetto blaster as well as a PC then the Tapso link USB should be avoided (as this connects via USB generally). These:

Behringer TUBE ULTRAGAIN MIC100 (£30, don't know much about it)
M-Audio AUDIOBUDDY (£60)
Samson C-VALVE (£76)
CME MATRIX X (£80)

Tapco MIX 60 (£46)

are all still viable options (I added prices). Cables required are an XLR male to female lead (standard mic lead), and a 2x6.35mm mono jack to 3.5mm stereo minijack splitter:

http://www.studiospares.com/pd_574711_XLRMAXLRFE 5m BLACK.htm#
http://www.studiospares.com/pd_573090_Mini jack 2 x Mono Jack 2m.htm

Probably available from your local shop too :)

EDIT - You'll want to set your recording program to mono when recording as with some of those setups sound will only come from one speaker otherwise.
 
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It'll work, but it isn't the right thing at all. It is the reverse of what he needs in that it takes a line level (or guitar level or speaker level) signal and changes it into a low level microphone signal. The box itself requires power to do this conversion (primarily for the internal op-amps that change the unbalanced signal into a balanced one since it is active/transformerless). It is this power that can come from either an internal 9v battery OR +48v phantom power, but the XLR connectors are outputs only. This is not the right thing, i'm suprised so many people have told you it is (though admittably on first glance it looks like it might be).
 
Dr.EM said:
It'll work, but it isn't the right thing at all. It is the reverse of what he needs in that it takes a line level (or guitar level or speaker level) signal and changes it into a low level microphone signal. The box itself requires power to do this conversion (primarily for the internal op-amps that change the unbalanced signal into a balanced one since it is active/transformerless). It is this power that can come from either an internal 9v battery OR +48v phantom power, but the XLR connectors are outputs only. This is not the right thing, i'm suprised so many people have told you it is (though admittably on first glance it looks like it might be).
Click to expand...

Over the last 3 decades I've had numerous condensor mic's in studios and every one of them has come with the intructions to either power with 48v phantom or use a battery.
Now that says to me that either will work but obviously 48v is better because you won't run out of batteries.
I must confess that in all those years (and the three I own now) I have never put batteries in them because I've always had mixers with 48v phantom power.
 
Ok, I get you. I have seen some that accept batteries, but it isn't all that common; the one in question does not. Electret condensers (normally pencil type) frequently will since they require a lower voltage (for the internal FET only, not to supply a charge). The 48v is much better though since it allows the most SPL handling, reducing the supplied voltage reduces the SPL handling ability significantly (I use electrets that I build, they can only take 10v max so a regulator is built in to reduce the 48v feed. They are around 130db max). Some condensers use a special 160v phantom supply to handle huge SPLs :eek: . Anyhow, if the B1 did accept battery power a pre-amp would still be required (the ones built onto soundcards are not worth using, take my word for it ;) )
 
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Dr.EM said:
Ok, I get you. I have seen some that accept batteries, but it isn't all that common; the one in question does not. Electret condensers (normally pencil type) frequently will since they require a lower voltage (for the internal FET only, not to supply a charge). The 48v is much better though since it allows the most SPL handling, reducing the supplied voltage reduces the SPL handling ability significantly (I use electrets that I build, they can only take 10v max so a regulator is built in to reduce the 48v feed. They are around 130db max). Some condensers use a special 160v phantom supply to handle huge SPLs :eek: . Anyhow, if the B1 did accept battery power a pre-amp would still be required (the ones built onto soundcards are not worth using, take my word for it ;) )
Click to expand...

Okey dokey.

I use a Focusrite Saffire in the house and in the studio we have Soundcraft so its phantom all the way.
 
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