2019-05-16 14:28:21

Hey all,
So here's the thing, I have a dynamic microphone and an olympus ls-14. I know that dynamic microphones require no power to work, though even through a mic level input turned up to extremes, it's still really quiet.
It is most definitely audible but it's got some serious noise that I know is not fault of the microphone, this microphone can be made to sound really great if used correctly. The way I have this connected is a 3 pin xlr cable that terminates in a 1/8 inch or 3.5MM output cable that connects to my recorder. This might be a cardinal sin, though it's the least awkward way I can get this connected to the recorder. Lol.
I think the thing to do is buy a preamplifier, though I've yet to find one that is not a USB interface, don't want to be tied down to USB, or battery powered, I also don't want to be tied down to a wall outlet, neither do I have the electromechanical experience required to wire up my own battery module, which most preamps I've seen on the market under the $200 margin require.
I have in fact seen the sound professionals ones on there website but that at best only provides one single input. For future expansion I'd like at least two inputs for a stereo dynamic pair.
Can anyone suggest what I should look into? New recorder? New preamplifier? Something I've not mentioned? Like I said, I'd rather not be tied down to a USB interface or a wall outlet, this setup will be used on the go, and waiting a minute and a half for a windows or Linux machine to boot up to begin recording is absolutely not an option.
I hope this setup and explanations make some kind of sense? smile Thanks everyone!

2019-05-18 11:54:05

It sounds like you're experiencing phasing.  Your XLR to 3.5mm TRS cable is not designed to bring stereo signal in from a single xlr mic.  However, instead, the TRS is used for stability of signal.   If your input uses a stereo TRS jack to bring in left+Right audio signal, connecting a 3-pin TRS setup, like a  XLR to TRS adapter for a microphone, to it will cause the channels to phase out. In other words, cancel each other out, basically, resulting in signal being extremely quiet.

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2019-05-18 18:54:04

Hi again,
@G-rad, I failed to mention it's really left heavy. I can kind of see why it's doing that, though I failed to mention it. At the moment I only have one dynamic connected to the recorder.
I did see, on amazon, a y-splitter cable that takes two 3 pin xlr cables and ends in a male 3.5MM output connector. I was going to purchase two dynamic microphones as a stereo pair and connect them directly up to the recorder using said cable, however I'm not sure if that's a particularly good idea or not.