Re: XLRs and Mics

["jeremy" <jeremy@masse.org.uk>]

Title: Re: XLRs and Mics

What is going to work for you will be a combination of sound, powering options, pickup pattern and comfort. The only way to really judge the sound is your ears, comparing the sound to a microphone you know. It helps to record this test and then listen back.

When testing the microphone bear in mind that you will not be able to move closer of further from the microphone to alter tone and volume as one tends to do naturally with a hand held. You may want to think about a compressor to keep levels within a sensible range, depending on your vocal style.

I've tried the Shure WH20, AKG C420PP and an older Beyer. None have quite the focus on vocal character that you get with an SM58. That being said it's very handy to not have to work about where the microphone is.

A few models to look at can be added to your list at this randomly selected link:

http://www.handheldaudio.co.uk/

Differences:

a) Balanced line and low impedance

Microphones with an XLR connector are almost certainly "low impedance" and "balanced line".  
Balanced line means there are three conductors (hot, cold, ground) and any interference picked up on one of the signal wires will cancel out with the other. If the microphone does NOT use "48volt phantom power" you can make an adaptor shorting the cold wire to ground and use the microphone into a standard quarter inch  low impedance (low-z) input. Low Impedance means around 200 ohms

b) Phantom Power

Condenser or capacitor microphones need power to polarise the capsule and for an impedance matching preamplifier built into the microphone itself. This power is often sent along the three conductor balanced line with the +ve voltage being carried equally by the hot and cold connductors, the -ve on the ground conductor. You cannot use a phantom powered microphone unbalanced unless it has an internal battery option like the AKG C1000. You cannot use a phantom powered microphone into an unbalanced input directly.

c) Battery box power

Some condenser microphones terminate in an eighth inch mono jack and have to be used with a battery box or phantom power adaptor. The battery box option will power the microphone up and will probably have a quarter inch unbalanced output. The phantom power option make the microphone act exactly as in b) above, deriving its power source from the mixer input.

d) Pickup Pattern

Omni-directional will pick up more background noise than a unidirectional or cardioid model.

Caveat: please check all the information above for accuracy before making a choice.

Best wishes

j

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From: "lol c" <testtubemicro@hotmail.com>
To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
Subject: XLRs and Mics
Date: Wed, Oct 15, 2003, 4:26 pm

hey there all,

Its been a while, Ive been looping around and slowly filling up all the
real-estate of my stage with various FX and pedals, Ive decided therefore it
is time to ditch my usual mic stand/vocal mic setup and get a headset mic
al,la Britney:)
  I have a few questions on the subject

1.Can anyone recomend a good sounding , but reasonably priced headset mic
(by the way I dont need earphones incorprated, just the wrap round type.) ,
Tom in paticular, ive seen you use a headset at Chyma,what make was that ?
it sounded pretty good.

and question
2. What are the main differances between mics that connect using a normal
jack pin and those that have XLR?

in my set up the mic will be fed into my DIgitech vocal 300 which supposts
both XLR and standard jacks.

and help greatly appreciated

yours hopefully
Phill

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